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TAO Synergies Inc.

For the period ended Sep 30, 2025. Filed Nov 14, 2025.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Sep 30, 2025 · Filed Nov 14, 2025

TAOX$2.54+8.3%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

What changed in Risk Factors?

Read the current filing

Previous report: 10-Q

Period ended 2025-06-30; filed 2025-08-14.

0001410578-25-001820

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Current report: 10-Q

Period ended 2025-09-30; filed 2025-11-14.

0001104659-25-112570

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.

Compared 128 previous paragraphs and 100 current paragraphs.

33 unchanged; 23 reworded; 43 added; 69 removed; 3 previous and 1 current paragraphs rearranged.

Tables are not compared: 15 previous and 15 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.

A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.

Added paragraphs (43)

Current report

Risks Related to Our Media Platform

Current report

Our ownership and operation of The TAO Daily, an online news publication and data provider in the digital asset industry, presents a number of significant risks, including those arising from perceived or actual conflicts of interest.

Current report

We recently announced the launch of The TAO Daily, an online news publication and data provider in the digital asset industry focused on the Bittensor ecosystem. The TAO Daily plays a large role in aggregating, creating and disseminating news and other editorial content focused on TAO and the Bittensor ecosystem across the global digital asset industry. It is possible that The TAO Daily’s news coverage could influence trading prices and demand for TAO, and it is also possible that consumers of The TAO Daily’s content may not appreciate that The TAO Daily’s owner has substantial financial interests in TAO, despite information to that effect on The TAO Daily’s website. As a result, some consumers of The TAO Daily’s content may place greater weight on such content than they would if they were aware of TAO Synergies’ ownership stake, and this could cause the trading prices of TAO or our common stock to be higher than they would otherwise.

Current report

In addition, as a public company, we expect to have access to material non-public information regarding market activities, trading volumes and other proprietary information from other businesses that could influence trading decisions. The TAO Daily, while intended to provide objective news coverage, may inadvertently become privy to such material non-public information. The sharing of such material non-public information, whether intentional or inadvertent, could lead to allegations of insider trading, market manipulation or other claims if The TAO Daily broadcasts or leverages this information in a manner that could advantage certain investors in TAO Synergies, or advantage holders of TAO.

Current report

TAO Synergies’ ownership and operation of The TAO Daily may also create a perception among market participants that The TAO Daily is biased in favor of TAO Synergies. Information regarding TAO Synergies’ ownership of The TAO Daily is publicly disclosed on The TAO Daily’s homepage. Investors may question the integrity of The TAO Daily’s reporting, fearing that it may be influenced by TAO Synergies’ business objectives or to manage its public image, particularly during periods of heightened volatility in the prices of our common stock or digital assets generally, or during periods of operational challenges. Any perceived or actual conflicts of interest could damage TAO Synergies’ or The TAO Daily’s reputation and undermine investor confidence. Negative press and public opinion could adversely impact our business and the price of our common stock.

Current report

Furthermore, the dual operation of a public company and a news publication may attract heightened scrutiny from regulatory bodies. Regulators may closely monitor TAO Synergies’ compliance with securities laws and regulations governing the use and dissemination of material non-public information, which could lead to investigations or sanctions if TAO Synergies or The TAO Daily are alleged to have violated any applicable laws. While we are implementing policies and procedures to limit and mitigate such risks, including information barriers to ensure compliance with securities laws relating to material non-public information, there is no assurance that such policies and procedures will be effective, or that we will be able to manage such conflicts of interest adequately. If we fail to manage these conflicts of interests, or if any of the foregoing risks were to materialize or be perceived negatively by market participants, we may be exposed to adverse media coverage, regulatory investigations and legal proceedings, leading to adverse impacts on our reputation, business, financial position and share price.

Current report

Our strategy and focus on delivering high-quality, regulated, easy-to-use, and secure digital asset-related information through our media platform The TAO Daily may not maximize short-term or medium-term financial results.

Current report

We have taken, and expect to continue to take, actions that we believe to be in the best interests of our existing and potential investors and the long-term interests of our business, even if those actions do not necessarily maximize short-term or medium-term results. These may include expending significant managerial, technical, and legal efforts on complying with laws and regulations that are applicable to our products and services and ensuring that products are secure. Our public and regulated status may also limit our ability to expand our product and services offerings or extend such offerings to certain markets and locations, which may result in us missing material opportunities to generate revenue. We also intend to focus on driving long-term engagement with users through innovation and developing new products and technologies. We may also make acquisitions or investments that may be highly speculative in nature and in some cases, the costs of such acquisitions may be substantial, and there is no assurance that we will receive a favorable return on investment for our acquisitions. Additionally, management decisions regarding capital allocation may not always yield the expected economic benefits. These decisions may not be consistent with the short-term and medium-term expectations of our shareholders and may not produce the long-term benefits that are expected, which could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Current report

Our success depends on our ability to effectively improve and scale our technical and data infrastructure.

Current report

Our ability to attract, retain, and protect our users is dependent upon the reliable performance and increasing capabilities and integration of our platform and our underlying technical and data infrastructure. As our business continues to grow in size, scope and complexity, and as legal requirements and consumer expectations continue to evolve, we must continue to invest significant resources to maintain, integrate, improve, upgrade, scale and protect our platform and technical and data infrastructure, including some legacy systems. Our failure to do so effectively, or any significant disruption in our service or adverse impact on user experience, could damage our reputation, result in a potential loss of users or missed opportunities, subject us to fines and civil liability and/or adversely affect our financial results.

Current report

As we periodically augment and enhance our financial systems, we may experience disruptions or difficulties that could adversely affect our operations, the management of our finances and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, which in turn may negatively impact our ability to manage our business and to accurately forecast and report our results, which could harm our business.

Current report

Security incidents and other network and information systems disruptions could affect our ability to conduct our business effectively, cause us to incur significant costs, subject us to significant liability and/or damage our reputation.

Current report

Our operations depend on our ability to protect our information systems against interruption, breach or other damage. Our systems store and process confidential user, employee and other sensitive personal and Company data. In addition, we rely on the technology, systems and services provided by third-party vendors (including cloud-based service providers) for a variety of operations, including encryption and authentication technology, employee email, domain name registration, content delivery, administrative functions (including payroll processing and certain finance and accounting functions) and other operations.

Current report

We regularly face attempts to breach our security and compromise our information technology systems from a broad range of actors. These actors, whether internal or external to the Company, may use a blend of technology and social engineering techniques (including denial of service attacks, ransomware, phishing or business email compromise attempts intended to induce our employees, business affiliates and users to disclose information or unwittingly provide access to systems or data, and other techniques) to disrupt service, exfiltrate data or otherwise interfere with our business. Information security threats are constantly evolving in sophistication and volume and attackers may use generative AI and machine learning to launch more automated, targeted, sophisticated and coordinated attacks against targets, potentially increasing the difficulty of detecting and successfully defending against them. A successful breach could occur and persist for an extended period of time before being detected. We and the third parties with which we work may be more vulnerable to the risk from activities of this nature as a result of factors such as the high-profile nature of our business operations and the various jurisdictions in which we and our third-party providers operate; the use of generative AI tools; remote and hybrid working; employee use of personal devices, which may not have the same level of protection as Company devices and networks; and use of legacy software systems. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities can also arise from human error, fraud or malice on the part of our employees, other insiders or third parties, or from technology or product enhancements or the migration of information and data to new technology platforms, systems or applications. From time to time, we experience security incidents and other network and information systems disruptions. To date, no incidents have had a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. However, there is no assurance that incidents or disruptions will not have a material adverse effect in the future. There is also no guarantee that a series of related issues may not be determined to be material at a later date in the aggregate, even if they may not be material individually at the time of their occurrence.

Current report

In addition, our systems, and those of the third parties with which we work and on which we rely, may be vulnerable to interruption or damage that can result from the effects of power, systems or connectivity outages; natural disasters (including increased storm severity and flooding), which may occur more frequently or with more severity as a result of climate change; fires; human error, fraud or malice; public health conditions; acts of terrorism; or other similar events.

Current report

We have implemented controls and taken other preventative measures designed to strengthen our systems and to improve the resiliency of our business against such incidents and attacks, including measures designed to reduce the impact of a security incident at our third-party vendors. These efforts are expensive to develop, implement and maintain; require ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and as efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated; and may limit the functionality of or otherwise negatively impact our products, services and systems. Although the costs of the controls and other measures we have taken to date have not had a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity, the costs and effort to respond to and recover from a security incident and/or to mitigate any security vulnerabilities that may be identified in the future could be significant. Additionally, any contractual protections with our third-party vendors, including our right to indemnification, if any at all, may be limited or insufficient to prevent a negative impact on our business from a security incident.

Current report

There can also be no assurance that the actions, measures and controls we have implemented will be effective or that they will be sufficient to prevent a future security incident or other disruption, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Such an event could result in a disruption of our services; improper access, use, alteration or disclosure of personal data or other confidential information; loss of information; or theft or misuse of our intellectual property. In addition, if we experience or are perceived to experience a security incident, or are perceived to fail to respond appropriately to any security incident that we may experience, it could divert management’s attention; require us to expend resources to investigate, respond to and recover from such a security incident or defend against further attacks; subject us to litigation, regulatory or other government inquiries or investigations and/or liability; harm our reputation; or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Current report

While we maintain cyber risk insurance, the costs relating to certain kinds of security incidents could be substantial, and our insurance may not be sufficient to cover losses related to any future incidents involving our data or systems, and we cannot be certain our insurance coverage will continue to be available to us on commercially reasonable terms (if at all) or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim.

Current report

We rely on information technology systems that we or our third-party providers operate to process, transmit and store electronic information in the operation of our media platform, The TAO Daily and in our day-to-day operations. In connection with the operation of The TAO Daily, and in our product discovery efforts we may collect and use a variety of personal data, such as name, mailing address, email addresses, phone number and clinical trial information. A successful cyberattack could result in the theft or destruction of intellectual property, data, or other misappropriation of assets, or otherwise compromise our confidential or proprietary information and disrupt our operations. Cyberattacks are increasing in their frequency, sophistication and intensity, and have become increasingly difficult to detect. Cyberattacks could include wrongful conduct by hostile foreign governments, industrial espionage, wire fraud and other forms of cyber fraud, the deployment of harmful malware, denial-of-service, social engineering fraud or other means to threaten data security, confidentiality, integrity and availability. A successful cyberattack could cause serious negative consequences for us, including, without limitation, the disruption of operations, the misappropriation of confidential business information, including financial information, trade secrets, financial loss and the disclosure of corporate strategic plans. Although we devote resources to protect our information systems, we realize that cyberattacks are a threat, and there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent information security breaches that would result in business, legal, financial or reputational harm to us, or would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Any failure to prevent or mitigate security breaches or improper access to, use of, or disclosure of our clinical data or patients’ personal data could result in significant liability under state (e.g., state breach notification laws), federal (e.g., HIPAA, as amended by HITECH), and international law (e.g., the GDPR) and may cause a material adverse impact to our reputation, affect our ability to conduct new studies and potentially disrupt our business.

Current report

Our failure to comply with data protection laws and regulations could lead to government enforcement actions, private litigation and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business.

Current report

We are subject to data protection laws and regulations that address privacy and data security with respect to our new media platform, The TAO Daily. The legislative and regulatory landscape for data protection continues to evolve, and there has been an increasing focus on privacy and data security issues with the potential to affect our business. In the United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, and federal consumer protection laws govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal data. Many U.S. states are also enacting consumer privacy statutes to enhance protections for personal data and to provide residents with more choices concerning their data collected by businesses, increasing compliance complexity and increasing risks of failures to comply.

Current report

In addition, foreign data protection, privacy, and other laws and regulations can be more restrictive than those in the United States. Data localization laws in some countries generally mandate that certain types of data collected in a particular country be stored and/or processed within that country. We could be subject to audits in Europe and around the world, particularly in the areas of consumer and data protection, as we operate our business. Legislators and regulators may make legal and regulatory changes, or interpret and apply existing laws, in ways that require us to incur substantial costs, expose us to unanticipated civil or criminal liability, or cause us to change our business practices. These changes or increased costs could negatively impact our business and results of operations in material ways. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) imposes requirements in the European Economic Area relating to, among other things, consent to process personal data of individuals, the information provided to individuals regarding the processing of their personal data, the security and confidentiality of personal data, notifications in the event of data breaches and use of third-party processors. GDPR also imposes restrictions on the transfer of personal data from the EEA to third countries like the United States.

Current report

Applicable data privacy and data protection laws may conflict with each other, and by complying with the laws or regulations of one jurisdiction, we cannot be assured of compliance with the laws or regulations of another jurisdiction. Despite our efforts, we may not have fully complied in the past and may not in the future. Furthermore, the number of government investigations related to data security incidents and privacy violations continues to increase and government investigations typically require significant resources and generate negative publicity, which could harm our business and reputation. Failure to comply with data protection laws may expose us to risk of enforcement actions taken by data protection authorities or other regulatory agencies, private rights of action in some jurisdictions, potential significant fines and penalties if we are found to be non-compliant, and/or adverse publicity, any of which could negatively affect our operating results and business.

Current report

Our business depends on continued and unimpeded access to the internet and cloud-based hosting services we utilize.

Current report

We currently utilize third-party subscription-based software services as well as public cloud infrastructure services to provide solutions for many of our computing, storage and bandwidth needs. Any interruptions to these services could result in interruptions in service to our users, advertisers and/or our critical business functions, notwithstanding business continuity or disaster recovery plans or agreements that may currently be in place with these providers. This could result in unanticipated downtime and/or harm to our operations, reputation and operating results. A transition of these services to different cloud providers would be difficult, time consuming and costly to implement. In addition, if hosting costs increase over time and/or if we require more computing or storage capacity as a result of subscriber growth or otherwise, our costs could increase disproportionately.

Current report

In addition, if we or those who engage with our content experience disruptions in internet service or if internet service providers are able to block, degrade or charge for access to our content, it could decrease the demand for, or the usage of, our content and products, increase our cost of doing business and adversely affect our operating results.

Current report

Our advertising revenues are affected by numerous factors, including market dynamics, evolving digital advertising trends and the evolution of our strategy.

Current report

We may derive revenue from the sale of advertising on our media platform The TAO Daily. Our advertising revenue may be sensitive to the macroeconomic environment, as advertiser budgets can fluctuate substantially in response to changing economic conditions. Our ability to compete successfully for advertising budgets will depend on, among other things, our ability to engage and grow audiences, collect and leverage data, and demonstrate the value of our advertising and the effectiveness of our platform to advertisers. In determining whether to buy advertising with us, advertisers may consider factors such as the demand for our platform, focus of our coverage, size and demographics of our audience, public sentiment about our platform, advertising rates, targeting capabilities, results observed by advertisers, and perceived effectiveness of advertising offerings and alternative advertising options.

Current report

Companies with large digital platforms, which have greater audience reach, audience data and targeting capabilities than we do, command a large share of the digital advertising market, and we anticipate that this will continue. In addition, there is increasing demand for digital advertising in formats that are dominated by these platforms, particularly vertical short-form video and streaming, and we may not be able to compete effectively in these formats. The remaining market is subject to significant competition among publishers and other content providers, and audience fragmentation. These dynamics have affected, and will likely continue to affect, our ability to attract and retain advertisers and to maintain or increase our advertising rates and resulting revenues.

Current report

Digital advertising networks and exchanges with real-time bidding and other programmatic buying channels that allow advertisers to buy audiences at scale also play a significant role in the marketplace and represent another source of competition. They have caused and may continue to cause further downward pricing pressure and the loss of a direct relationship with marketers, especially during periods of economic downturn.

Current report

The evolving standards for delivery of digital advertising, as well as the development and implementation of technology, regulations, policies, practices and consumer expectations that adversely affect our ability to deliver, target or measure the effectiveness of advertising (including blocking the display of advertising, the phase-out of browser support for third-party cookies and of mobile operating systems for advertising identifiers, rapidly evolving privacy regulations and platform requirements providing for additional consumer rights), may also adversely affect our advertising revenues if we are unable to develop effective solutions to mitigate their impact.

Current report

Our digital advertising offerings include products that use proprietary first-party data to target and generate predictive insights and help inform our clients’ advertising strategies. Our ability to quickly and effectively evolve these products; the volume, quality, and price of competitive products; and continued changes to industry regulation all have the potential to impact the success of this strategy. Our digital advertising operations also rely on technologies (particularly ad servers) that, if interrupted or meaningfully changed, or if the providers leverage their power to alter the economic structure, could have an adverse impact on our potential advertising revenues, operating costs and/or operating results.

Current report

We may seek to raise additional capital in the future to support our digital asset treasury strategy, including the acquisition of TAO, and we cannot predict the timing of any such financing.

Current report

We may pursue additional financing to support our digital asset treasury strategy, which may involve acquiring, holding, or managing TAO, as part of our corporate treasury operations. These financing activities could include the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities in public offerings, as well as issuing equity or equity-linked securities in exchange for TAO, which may result in substantial dilution to existing stockholders. The timing, amount, and terms of any such financing will depend on market conditions and our strategic objectives, and we cannot predict when or if such financing will occur. Any such financing may not be available on favorable terms, or at all.

Current report

In addition, the value and volatility of digital assets like TAO may require us to maintain higher levels of liquidity or collateral, potentially increasing our need for capital. If we issue additional shares or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of our common stock, our existing stockholders may experience dilution of their ownership interests, and the market price of our common stock may decline. There can be no assurance that any future financing will be available on acceptable terms, or at all, and any inability to raise capital when needed could adversely affect our financial condition and strategic initiatives.

Current report

Moreover, a significant percentage of the TAO tokens in circulation is concentrated among a relatively small number of holders, including network validators, early participants, and large - scale staking entities. This concentration increases the risk that a small number of parties could exert outsized influence over governance decisions, validator selection, network upgrades, and the market for TAO. If large holders were to coordinate, they could act in ways that disadvantage us or smaller participants, including by influencing

Current report

the direction of protocol development, restricting access to certain subnets, or taking positions that destabilize the market price of TAO. Concentrated ownership also heightens the risk of large, sudden dispositions of TAO, which could adversely affect liquidity and price stability. Any of these developments could impair our ability to rely on the Bittensor network, reduce the value of its holdings, or otherwise adversely affect its business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Current report

In addition, Subtensor currently uses a proof-of-authority model under which a small, permissioned set of validators operated by the Opentensor Foundation produces and finalizes blocks; by contrast, Yuma Consensus is an on-chain emissions algorithm that computes rewards from validator rankings of model performance and does not provide consensus or finality. Reliance on this authority set centralizes transaction ordering and finality and increases the risk of network halts, delayed processing, or selective censorship if operators fail, are compromised, or change policies. Compromise or misuse of authority signing keys, software defects, or misconfiguration may require emergency coordination or restricted operating modes and could disrupt our ability to acquire, transfer, or dispose of TAO, potentially triggering exchange or custodian pauses, reduced liquidity, wider spreads, and price volatility. Concentration at the authority layer also creates a single point of operational and regulatory leverage: legal orders, sanctions, or jurisdictional restrictions directed at the Foundation or authority operators could compel blocking, reordering, or exclusion of transactions or participants. The composition, permissions, and parameters of the authority set may change on short notice, and elevated security and key-management demands increase the risk of downtime or reorganizations; authority control can also amplify governance disputes. Collectively, these factors may impair network reliability and perceived decentralization, reduce adoption and TAO liquidity, and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Current report

Blockchain networks like Bittensor can also undergo “hard forks,” splitting into separate networks due to planned upgrades, technical disagreements, or vulnerabilities. In addition, events such as air drops or the granting of incidental rights may occur, resulting in the distribution of new or derivative digital assets. These events can create or duplicate assets and raise practical and legal considerations regarding whether, and how, holders are able to receive, claim, or use such assets.

Current report

In the event of an airdrop, hard fork, or the granting of incidental rights, we will decide how to proceed using its best judgment and, where required, after obtaining advice from legal, tax, accounting, and cybersecurity professionals. Public blockchain events such as airdrops and hard forks may create new assets or duplicate existing assets. We may lack the technical capability, private keys, or custodial support to receive, claim, hold, transfer, or secure these assets. Hard forks can enable replay of transactions and may require changes to key management and software. Claiming mechanisms and unsolicited token transfers can expose us to phishing, malicious smart contracts, dusting, and other cyber threats. Exchanges, custodians, and payment processors may pause or refuse support for a new asset or chain, which can disrupt our products and increase costs. In addition, receipt of airdropped or forked assets may be treated as taxable income upon our ability to exercise control, even if we cannot promptly monetize the asset, which could result in tax liabilities that exceed any related proceeds. Valuation and timing for tax purposes are uncertain and may be challenged by tax authorities. Regulators may also determine that certain airdropped or forked assets are securities, derivatives, or otherwise subject to registration, licensing, or compliance obligations, which could restrict our ability to hold, transfer, or monetize such assets and expose us to enforcement risk. The accounting treatment of these assets is complex and unsettled, and any misjudgment in recognition, valuation, or disclosure could lead to misstatements, restatements, or disagreements with our auditors. In addition, our custodians or other service providers may reserve contractual rights to retain or decline to support airdropped or forked assets, which could prevent us from realizing any economic benefit from these events. Any of these events could result in loss or theft of assets, unexpected tax obligations, service interruptions, or reduced revenue, and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Removed paragraphs (69)

Previous report

If we fail to successfully implement our crypto asset-related business strategy, or if our strategy proves ineffective, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Previous report

Our future performance depends significantly on the successful execution of our business strategy, which is focused, in part, on acquiring, holding and staking TAO and participating in the TAO ecosystem. This strategy is novel, involves exposure to emerging technologies and markets, and requires effective management of operational, technological, and financial resources. The successful implementation of this strategy will place substantial demands on our management team and infrastructure. Moreover, given the rapidly evolving regulatory and technological landscape surrounding crypto assets, there is no assurance that our strategy will be successful, or that it will result in improved financial performance or long-term shareholder value. We may, at any time, modify or abandon certain components of our business plan in response to market conditions, regulatory developments, or other factors. Additionally, our strategy is untested over extended market cycles, and unforeseen complications, operational failures, regulatory shifts, or insufficient demand for TAO could significantly impede our business objectives. If we are unable to effectively implement our strategy, or if the strategy does not yield the anticipated benefits, our business prospects, growth potential, and profitability could be materially and adversely impacted.

Previous report

We may lack effective tools to hedge against TAO’s price volatility, as no established derivatives market exists for TAO and broader crypto hedging instruments are generally limited to major tokens like Bitcoin. This leaves us more exposed to adverse market swings and unable to mitigate downside risk through conventional strategies. Our concentrated TAO holdings also present liquidity challenges, as TAO’s trading volume is limited and large sales could depress prices and trigger steep losses. These constraints are compounded by the small number of platforms supporting TAO, some of which are offshore or decentralized. In adverse market conditions, we may be unable to liquidate TAO at reasonable prices, potentially impairing our ability to meet financial obligations. These combined factors make our treasury strategy more volatile and less liquid than one based on traditional assets.

Previous report

Managing crypto assets like TAO also introduces operational complexities and control risks distinct from traditional treasury functions. Our limited experience in large-scale crypto custody increases the risk that our procedures may be inadequate to safeguard assets or accurately record transactions. Effective crypto asset management requires strict private key security, wallet controls, and transaction protocols; failures in these areas could result in irreversible losses. Even with third-party custodians, we must ensure proper oversight, reconcile blockchain data with financial records, and comply with evolving accounting standards. Human error, phishing attacks, or insider misconduct could also expose us to theft or fraud. Our finance team may experience a steep learning curve in navigating blockchain-based accounting, and weaknesses in our systems could lead to delays, errors, or regulatory issues. While we are investing in controls and personnel, there is no guarantee our risk management will remain effective as the crypto landscape evolves.

Previous report

Our crypto asset strategy also relies heavily on evolving blockchain technology, which is subject to rapid change, technical challenges, and potential obsolescence. Protocols underlying TAO, including but not limited to key subnets, could experience security vulnerabilities, errors in code, malicious attacks, or other technical failures. Any such incidents could undermine confidence in TAO, result in significant financial losses, and materially impair our business. Additionally, future technological advances, including quantum computing, could potentially compromise the cryptographic foundations of blockchain technology underlying TAO, posing additional risk to the security and long-term viability of our crypto asset holdings.

Previous report

We will likely need to pursue additional equity or debt financings to meet our previously announced goal of acquiring $100 million of TAO.

Previous report

Based on our current balance sheet, we will likely need to pursue additional equity or debt financings in order to accumulate enough capital to acquire our previously stated target amount of TAO. With uncertainty in the capital markets and other factors, such financing may not be available on terms favorable to us or at all. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences, and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could involve additional restrictive covenants relating to our capital-raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, we could face significant limitations on our ability to invest in our operations and otherwise suffer harm to our business.

Previous report

Our historical financial statements do not reflect the potential variability in earnings that we may experience in the future relating to our proposed holdings of crypto assets.

Previous report

Our historical financial statements do not fully reflect the potential variability in earnings that we may experience in the future from holding or selling crypto assets. We will need to perform an analysis each quarter to identify whether events or changes in circumstances indicate that our crypto assets are impaired. As a result, volatility in our earnings may be significantly more than what we experienced in prior periods.

Previous report

The emergence or growth of other crypto assets, including those with significant private or public sector backing, could have a negative impact on the price of TAO and adversely affect our business.

Previous report

Our assets are concentrated in a single crypto asset, TAO. Accordingly, the emergence or growth of crypto assets other than TAO may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. As of June 30, 2025, TAO remained significantly smaller than many other crypto assets by market capitalization and liquidity. TAO’s success hinges, in part, on Bittensor’s ability to compete effectively in the decentralized AI ecosystem. Direct competitors include SingularityNET (AGIX), Fetch.ai (FET), Ocean Protocol, and others. If these platforms gain broader adoption, due to better performance, more user-friendly tools, or superior incentives, TAO could lose market share and relevance.

Previous report

In addition, there are numerous alternative crypto assets and many entities, including consortiums and financial institutions, that are researching and investing resources into private or permissioned blockchain platforms or crypto assets that do not rely on decentralized machine learning or proof-of-intelligence models like the Bittensor network. For example, in late 2022, the Ethereum network transitioned to a proof-of-stake mechanism for validating transactions that requires significantly less computing power than proof-of-work mining. The Ethereum network has completed another major upgrade since then and may undertake additional upgrades in the future. If the mechanisms for validating transactions in Ethereum and other alternative crypto assets are perceived as superior to Bittensor’s or as more attractive due to increased utility beyond Bittensor’s narrower focus, those crypto assets could gain market share relative to TAO. Other alternative crypto assets that compete with TAO in certain ways include “stablecoins,” which are designed to maintain a constant price because of, for instance, their issuers’ promise to hold high-quality liquid assets (such as U.S. dollar deposits and short-term U.S. Treasury securities) equal to the total value of stablecoins in circulation. Stablecoins have grown rapidly as an

Previous report

alternative to non-pegged crypto assets such as TAO as a medium of exchange and store of value, particularly on crypto asset trading platforms.

Previous report

Additionally, central banks in some countries have started to introduce digital forms of legal tender. For example, China’s central bank digital currency (“CBDC”) project was made available to consumers in January 2022, and governments including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Israel have been discussing the potential creation of new CBDCs. Whether or not they incorporate blockchain or similar technology, CBDCs, as legal tender in the issuing jurisdiction, could also compete with, or replace, TAO and other crypto assets as a medium of exchange or store of value. As a result, the emergence or growth of these or other crypto assets could cause the market price of TAO to decrease, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results.

Previous report

We are highly dependent on James Altucher and other key personnel, and our inability to retain or attract experienced individuals could materially harm our business.

Previous report

We are highly dependent on the services of our TAO token consultant, James Altucher, for leading our TAO-based revenue generation strategy. Because we operate in a relatively new industry that requires highly skilled and technical personnel, our future success is highly dependent on the talents and contributions of Mr. Altucher. The loss of Mr. Altucher could disrupt our operations and have a material adverse effect on our business.

Previous report

Mr. Altucher is free to engage in activities outside of the Company, although he is obligated under his consulting agreement to devote his TAO-related activities exclusively to us. Moreover, his contract expires on June 8, 2026. While Mr. Altucher has entered into a consulting agreement with the Company, Mr. Altucher is not expected to devote his full time, attention or efforts to us. Mr. Altucher may continue to manage significant crypto assets outside of the Company, which may consume some of his time, attention and efforts.

Previous report

Additionally, our future growth and success depend on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate skilled employees and contractors in the crypto asset industry. Competition for qualified personnel in the crypto asset and blockchain industries is intense. The specialized nature of blockchain technology and crypto asset markets means there is limited availability of highly experienced personnel. Our growth strategy depends not only on retaining key individuals like Mr. Altucher but also on our ability to attract and retain additional experienced professionals. Any inability to secure or retain such personnel due to competitive pressures, reputational factors, regulatory uncertainty, or market conditions could adversely impact our ability to execute our strategic initiatives and could materially harm our business.

Previous report

Our TAO holdings are likely to be less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents.

Previous report

Historically, the TAO market has been characterized by significant volatility in price, lower trading volumes, and less liquidity compared to major crypto assets like Bitcoin and traditional fiat currencies. During times of market instability, we may not be able to sell our TAO at favorable prices or at all. For example, TAO currently trades on a limited number of centralized and decentralized platforms, some of which may lack sufficient depth or infrastructure to support large-volume trades or institutional execution. As a result, our TAO holdings may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents.

Previous report

Additionally, we may be unable to enter into term loans or other capital raising transactions collateralized by our unencumbered TAO or otherwise generate funds using our TAO holdings, particularly in times of market instability or when the price of TAO has declined significantly. If we are unable to sell our TAO, enter into additional capital raising transactions (including transactions using TAO as collateral), or otherwise generate funds using our TAO holdings, or if we are forced to sell our TAO at a significant loss in order to meet our working capital requirements, our business and financial condition could be negatively impacted.

Previous report

Additionally, we rely on third-party exchanges and custodians to facilitate transactions in TAO. These platforms may face operational disruptions, security breaches, regulatory enforcement, insolvency, or other issues beyond our control. Any impairment of our ability to access or transact on these platforms could limit our liquidity, force us into unfavorable asset sales, or prevent us from timely managing our crypto asset holdings, thereby materially affecting our operations and financial condition.

Previous report

Bittensor’s TAO token, generated via a decentralized “Proof-of-Intelligence” mining process, faces significant volatility, governance centralization risks, regulatory uncertainty, limited liquidity, and ongoing security vulnerabilities related to its AI-focused consensus model and underlying decentralized infrastructure.

Previous report

Bittensor’s native token, TAO, was launched via a “fair launch” mining process in January 2021 and, according to public reports, without a pre-sale, ICO, or pre-mined allocation. Circulating tokens were earned by miners, promoting decentralization but potentially resulting in wealth concentration among early participants. The project is managed by the Opentensor Foundation, a small team of developers, making it heavily dependent on their ongoing involvement. Until early 2024, governance power was concentrated in a small number of validators, posing centralization risks. Although a new dynamic governance system was introduced in 2025, it remains untested and could present unforeseen challenges and conflicts of interest.

Previous report

TAO tokens are generated through Bittensor’s “Proof-of-Intelligence” consensus mechanism, where validators assess AI contributions from miners to distribute rewards. This approach, however, introduces potential vulnerabilities such as subjective evaluations, collusion, and technical security risks. Notably, in July 2024, a supply-chain attack led to theft of private keys and prompted a temporary network shutdown, underscoring existing security concerns and highlighting the network’s reliance on centralized emergency controls. TAO has a capped supply of 21 million tokens, with about 9 million mined as of mid-2025, and a halving of token issuance every four years, the next scheduled for August 2025. These dynamics could influence miner incentives and affect market liquidity.

Previous report

TAO’s value is speculative and highly dependent on future adoption and ecosystem growth. Trading liquidity is limited and primarily concentrated on offshore exchanges, increasing price volatility and counterparty risks. Currently, derivatives markets for TAO are limited, and while products such as the Grayscale Bittensor Trust may enhance market accessibility, they carry additional liquidity and regulatory uncertainties.

Previous report

Blockchain networks like Bittensor can also undergo “forks,” splitting into separate networks due to planned upgrades, technical disagreements, or vulnerabilities. Forks can cause significant uncertainty, market volatility, and TAO price declines. Forks may also result in token holders having assets on multiple blockchains, creating confusion around market acceptance and token value. Service providers, custodians, or exchanges supporting TAO might refuse to accommodate forked tokens, complicating custody, liquidity, and valuation. Forks could also expose holders to cybersecurity threats, including replay attacks and fraudulent schemes. Such disruptions may materially affect the Company’s treasury assets, financial condition, operational results, and market reputation.

Previous report

The open-source structure of the Bittensor network, on which the TAO crypto asset operates, exposes us to risks related to software development, security vulnerabilities, and potential disruptions. Bittensor is designed as a decentralized, open-source protocol for collaborative machine intelligence, and although key contributors and the Opentensor Foundation play significant roles, no single entity formally controls the network as a whole.

Previous report

Development, maintenance, and security depend heavily on voluntary contributions, community incentives, and ongoing engagement. Without mandated funding or guaranteed resources, efforts to address emerging issues, security updates, or network improvements may lag, exposing the protocol to risk. For example, the network faced a significant security incident in July 2024 when a malicious upload to PyPI led to a wallet exploit affecting users, prompting urgent mitigations by the Opentensor Foundation.

Previous report

If the Bittensor software is not properly maintained or updated, the network (and by extension the TAO token) could become vulnerable to security threats, operational inefficiencies, or loss of user confidence, which could reduce the long-term viability of TAO and negatively impact our business.

Previous report

The irreversibility of crypto asset transactions exposes us to risks of theft, loss and human error, which could negatively impact our business.

Previous report

Crypto asset transactions are not, from an administrative perspective, reversible without the consent and active participation of the recipient of the transaction or, in theory, control or consent of a majority of the processing power on that crypto asset network. Once a transaction has been verified and recorded in a block that is added to the blockchain, an incorrect transfer of crypto assets or a theft of crypto assets generally will not be reversible, and we may not be capable of seeking compensation for any such transfer or theft.

Previous report

It is possible that, through computer or human error, or through theft or criminal action, crypto assets could be transferred in incorrect amounts or to unauthorized third parties. To the extent we are unable to seek a corrective transaction to identify the third party which has received our crypto assets through error or theft, we will be unable to revert or otherwise recover the impacted crypto assets, and any such loss could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Previous report

Decentralized AI networks, such as Bittensor, involve special risks related to unclear regulatory requirements, technical difficulties, limited transparency, intense competition, and complex intellectual property considerations.

Previous report

Regulatory oversight of AI remains fragmented, evolving, and lacking consistent standards or uniform frameworks. In the absence of clear global AI regulations, decentralized AI platforms, including Bittensor, face heightened uncertainty concerning compliance obligations, ethical governance standards, transparency, accountability, and intellectual property rights associated with AI model development and deployment.

Previous report

Decentralized AI technologies inherently face increased technical risks, including model inaccuracies, embedded biases, scalability constraints, and vulnerabilities arising from complex model evaluation and validation processes. Unlike centralized AI systems, decentralized networks lack unified oversight or consistent quality standards for model training data, increasing the risk that AI models produce biased, inaccurate, discriminatory, or otherwise controversial outputs. Such issues may lead to reputational harm, diminished user trust, public criticism, and possible regulatory inquiries specifically targeting AI ethics and fairness.

Previous report

Moreover, the inherent opacity of advanced decentralized AI models, such as deep neural networks, presents material transparency and explainability risks. As regulatory bodies increasingly demand clear interpretability and accountability of AI model decisions, particularly in high-risk or sensitive applications including healthcare, the inability to adequately explain or audit decentralized AI model behaviors could lead to regulatory scrutiny, litigation, or decreased consumer confidence.

Previous report

The rapidly evolving AI landscape also introduces substantial competitive and technological obsolescence risks. Emerging AI platforms, research initiatives, or large technology companies may achieve superior innovations, broader adoption, or set higher benchmarks for AI performance and ethical standards. Failure to rapidly adapt to these advancements could diminish the competitive relevance and perceived value of decentralized AI platforms and the value of our TAO holdings.

Previous report

Additionally, decentralized AI platforms present unique intellectual property (“IP”) risks due to the collaborative and open-source nature of model and data contributions. Ambiguity surrounding IP ownership, potential infringement of third-party rights, difficulties in licensing enforcement, and disputes over intellectual property rights could lead to litigation, financial liabilities, reputational harm, or disruption of network operations, adversely affecting the Bittensor network.

Previous report

Security threats to the Company’s account at the Custodian could result in the halting of the Company’s operations and a loss of the Company’s assets or damage to the reputation of the Company, each of which could materially and adversely affect the Company.

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Previous wording

Any declines in the volume of crypto asset transactions, the price of crypto assets, or market liquidity for crypto assets generally may adversely affect our operating results. We have significant investments in TAO. As of August 14, 2025, we held digital intangible assets of approximately $16.7 million. Thus, changes in the value of TAO will generally have a significant impact on our results. Our operating results will be impacted by the revenues and profits we generate from the purchase, sale, and trading of crypto assets.

Current wording

Any declines in the volume of crypto asset transactions, the price of crypto assets, or market liquidity for crypto assets generally may adversely affect our operating results. We have significant investments in TAO. As of October 31, 2025, we held digital intangible assets valued at approximately $29.0 million. Thus, changes in the value of TAO will generally have a significant impact on our results. Our operating results will be impacted by the revenues and profits we generate from the purchase, sale, and trading of crypto assets.

Previous wording

Certain of our directors, officers, employees, and independent contractors may hold crypto assets, including the same crypto assets in which the Company invests, or have other crypto-related personal investments. Such persons may actively invest in crypto projects and crypto assets on their own behalf, which could incentivize them to take actions (or refrain from actions) that favor their personal crypto holdings or related business interests over the interests of the Company and its shareholders. Affiliates of the Company may also have substantial direct investments in crypto assets and are under no obligation to prioritize or consider the Company’s interests when managing those investments, potentially leading to conflicts of interest. Certain of our directors, officers, employees, and independent contractors may have outside business ventures or participate in other crypto-related initiatives, potentially diverting their time, attention, and resources away from our Company. The Company’s internal policies and procedures may not fully eliminate these conflicts, and there is no assurance that the personal or outside interests of these individuals will consistently align with those of the Company or its shareholders. If such conflicts are not adequately managed, our decision-making processes, corporate governance, market perception, and overall financial performance may be adversely affected.

Current wording

Certain of our directors, officers, employees, and independent contractors may hold crypto assets, including the same crypto assets in which we invest, or have other crypto-related personal investments. Such persons may actively invest in crypto projects and crypto assets on their own behalf, which could incentivize them to take actions (or refrain from actions) that favor their personal crypto holdings or related business interests over our interests and the interests of our shareholders. Our affiliates may also have substantial direct investments in crypto assets and are under no obligation to prioritize or consider our interests when managing those investments, potentially leading to conflicts of interest. Certain of our directors, officers, employees, and independent contractors may have outside business ventures or participate in other crypto-related initiatives, potentially diverting their time, attention, and resources away from our Company. Our internal policies and procedures may not fully eliminate these conflicts, and there is no assurance that the personal or outside interests of these individuals will consistently align with our interests or those of our shareholders. If such conflicts are not adequately managed, our decision-making processes, corporate governance, market perception, and overall financial performance may be adversely affected.

Previous wording

The decentralized governance structure of Bittensor, managed through consensus among TAO token holders, also introduces additional risks related to decision-making delays, political friction, and governance inefficiencies. Regulatory ambiguity and increased scrutiny surrounding decentralized AI systems and crypto tokens further compound these governance challenges. Adverse regulatory actions, unclear legal interpretations, or new compliance obligations could impose substantial additional costs or operational restrictions, or potentially force cessation of certain business activities altogether. This regulatory uncertainty could also deter institutional adoption and broader acceptance of Bittensor, further limiting its potential growth and stability. Collectively, these technical, operational, market, governance, and regulatory risks could result in substantial volatility in the value of TAO, materially affecting our business strategy involving this asset.

Current wording

actions, unclear legal interpretations, or new compliance obligations could impose substantial additional costs or operational restrictions, or potentially force cessation of certain business activities altogether. This regulatory uncertainty could also deter institutional adoption and broader acceptance of Bittensor, further limiting its potential growth and stability. Collectively, these technical, operational, market, governance, and regulatory risks could result in substantial volatility in the value of TAO, materially affecting our business strategy involving this asset.

Previous wording

The open-source structure of crypto asset networks, including the Bittensor network on which the TAO crypto asset functions, exposes us to risks related to software development, security vulnerabilities, and potential disruptions.

Current wording

The open-source and decentralized design of crypto asset networks, including the Bittensor network on which the TAO crypto asset functions, exposes us to risks related to forks, air drops, incidental rights, and related technological and operational disruptions.

Previous wording

activity) we may be unable to reverse or recover funds, resulting in potential significant losses. Except in cases involving fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct, the Custodian’s liability for direct damages arising from theft, operational errors, unauthorized access, or similar incidents may be limited to the fees paid or payable during the 6 months immediately preceding the incident. Both the Custodian’s and Prime Broker’s liability for direct damages caused by their gross negligence or willful misconduct may be limited to the value of the affected digital assets or fiat currency. The Prime Broker otherwise may not be liable for losses relating to theft, operational errors, unauthorized access, or similar incidents. Consequently, the Company’s recourse, including for losses of TAO held by the Custodian, Prime Broker, or their service providers, may be substantially limited.

Current wording

Additionally, transactions executed through the Prime Broker’s trading system and settled via the Custodian’s settlement services are final and irreversible once completed. If an error occurs (whether through human mistake, operational failure, or fraudulent activity) we may be unable to reverse or recover funds, resulting in potential significant losses. Except in cases involving fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct, the Custodian’s liability for direct damages arising from theft, operational errors, unauthorized access, or similar incidents may be limited to the fees paid or payable during the 6 months immediately preceding the incident. Both the Custodian’s and Prime Broker’s liability for direct damages caused by their gross negligence or willful misconduct may be limited to the value of the affected digital assets or fiat currency. The Prime Broker otherwise may not be liable for losses relating to theft, operational errors, unauthorized access, or similar incidents. Consequently, our recourse, including for losses of TAO held by the Custodian, Prime Broker, or their service providers, may be substantially limited.

Previous wording

Neither the Custodian nor the Prime Broker is a banking institution or a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or a broker-dealer and member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). Therefore, deposits held with, or assets held by, the Custodian are not subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors with FDIC- or SIPC-member institutions. The Custodian has advised us that it maintains insurance policies in the amount of $250 million, in the aggregate, which are intended to cover the loss of client assets held by the Custodian. The insurance maintained by the Custodian may not be available or sufficient to protect the Company from all possible losses or sources of losses. The Custodian’s insurance may not cover the specific type of loss experienced by the Company. In addition, the TAO insurance markets are limited, and the level of insurance maintained by the Custodian may be substantially lower than the value of the assets of the Company. While the Custodian maintains certain capital reserve requirements based on the value of the assets under custody (which may provide additional means to cover client asset losses), the Company cannot be assured that the Custodian will maintain capital reserves sufficient to cover actual or potential losses with respect to the Company’s crypto assets.

Current wording

Neither the Custodian nor the Prime Broker is a banking institution or a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) or a broker-dealer and member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). Therefore, deposits held with, or assets held by, the Custodian are not subject to the protections enjoyed by depositors with FDIC- or SIPC-member institutions. The Custodian has advised us that it maintains insurance policies in the amount of $250 million, in the aggregate, which are intended to cover the loss of client assets held by the Custodian. The insurance maintained by the Custodian may not be available or sufficient to protect us from all possible losses or sources of losses. The Custodian’s insurance may not cover the specific type of loss experienced by us. In addition, the TAO insurance markets are limited, and the level of insurance maintained by the Custodian may be substantially lower than the value of our assets. While the Custodian maintains certain capital reserve requirements based on the value of the assets under custody (which may provide additional means to cover client asset losses), we cannot be assured that the Custodian will maintain capital reserves sufficient to cover actual or potential losses with respect to our crypto assets.

Previous wording

Additionally, the security of crypto assets held by the Custodian depends significantly on how effectively the Custodian safeguards private cryptographic keys associated with such assets. Although the Custodian uses both “hot” (online) and “cold” (offline) storage mechanisms designed to balance security and operational needs, any crypto assets stored in hot wallets may be at increased risk of theft, hacking, or unauthorized access compared to those held solely in cold storage. Furthermore, the Custodian’s private key management practices, security protocols, and operational controls may not fully prevent cybersecurity breaches, human errors, or other security failures, which could result in partial or total loss of the Company’s crypto assets.

Current wording

Additionally, the security of crypto assets held by the Custodian depends significantly on how effectively the Custodian safeguards private cryptographic keys associated with such assets. Although the Custodian uses both “hot” (online) and “cold” (offline) storage mechanisms designed to balance security and operational needs, any crypto assets stored in hot wallets may be at increased risk of theft, hacking, or unauthorized access compared to those held solely in cold storage. Furthermore, the Custodian’s private key management practices, security protocols, and operational controls may not fully prevent cybersecurity breaches, human errors, or other security failures, which could result in partial or total loss of our crypto assets.

Previous wording

Moreover, in the event of an insolvency or bankruptcy of the Custodian in the future, given that the contractual protections and legal rights of customers with respect to crypto assets held on their behalf by third parties are relatively untested in a bankruptcy of an entity such as the Custodian in the crypto asset industry, there is a risk that the Company’s assets may be considered the property of the bankruptcy estate of the Custodian. The Company may be at risk of being treated as a general unsecured creditor of such entity and subject to the risk of total loss or significant impairment of the value of such assets.

Current wording

Moreover, in the event of an insolvency or bankruptcy of the Custodian in the future, given that the contractual protections and legal rights of customers with respect to crypto assets held on their behalf by third parties are relatively untested in a bankruptcy of an entity such as the Custodian in the crypto asset industry, there is a risk that our assets may be considered the property of the bankruptcy estate of the Custodian. We may be at risk of being treated as a general unsecured creditor of such entity and subject to the risk of total loss or significant impairment of the value of such assets.

Previous wording

Staking activities involve significant risks, including the risks of borrower default, operational failures and the potential loss of TAO, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s financial performance and the value of its crypto assets.

Current wording

Staking activities involve significant risks, including the risks of borrower default, operational failures and the potential loss of TAO, which could materially and adversely affect our financial performance and the value of our crypto assets.

Previous wording

Staking TAO tokens exposes us to a variety of operational, economic, technological, and regulatory risks. Although staking can generate rewards, the process involves locking or delegating our TAO tokens to a validator, thereby restricting our immediate liquidity and ability to freely trade or use these tokens. Any operational disruptions, cybersecurity breaches, or software errors affecting our staking providers, validators, or the underlying blockchain network may result in partial or total loss of our staked TAO.

Current wording

Staking TAO tokens exposes us to a variety of operational, economic, technological, and regulatory risks. Although staking can generate rewards, the process involves locking or delegating our TAO tokens to a validator, thereby restricting our immediate liquidity and ability to freely trade or use these tokens and, for 18 months from November 5, 2025, limiting our ability to diversify validators for root subnet staking because we agreed to delegate at least 90% of TAO subject to root subnet staking to Yuma. Any operational disruptions, cybersecurity breaches, or software errors affecting our staking providers, validators, or the underlying blockchain network, including failures of the protocol to effect on-chain staking distributions, may result in partial or total loss of our staked TAO. In addition, the Yuma Agreement limits our recourse to a sole remedy for missed rewards, which does not include reward optimization, and generally caps Yuma’s aggregate liability at $5,000.

Previous wording

Unlike traditional financial instruments, staking transactions are final and irreversible once executed, increasing the risk associated with potential human errors, operational failures, or malicious activities. Additionally, the underlying validator operations and staking infrastructure may be subject to technical vulnerabilities or exploits. A failure, security breach, or operational deficiency in validator performance or infrastructure could significantly reduce or eliminate staking rewards or result in economic penalties that adversely affect our financial condition.

Current wording

Unlike traditional financial instruments, staking and on-chain reward distrubtions are often final and irreversible once executed, increasing the risk associated with potential human errors, operational failures, or malicious activities. Additionally, the underlying validator operations and staking infrastructure may be subject to technical vulnerabilities or exploits. A failure, security breach, or operational deficiency in validator performance or infrastructure could significantly reduce or eliminate staking rewards or result in economic penalties that adversely affect our financial condition. Under our agreement with Yuma, our primary contractual remedy for service shortfalls is recovery of missed rewards, subject to an aggregate $5,000 cap and an exclusion of consequential and similar damages.

Previous wording

We depend on third-party providers, such as our Custodian, and affiliated or independent validators, including Yuma, to facilitate and manage our staking activities. If our Custodian or validator experiences financial distress, insolvency, cybersecurity incidents, or other operational failures, we may experience significant delays or difficulty recovering staked tokens, lose expected staking rewards, or incur permanent loss of the underlying staked assets. Additionally, third-party staking providers, including our Custodian, may not maintain insurance coverage sufficient to protect us against all types of loss scenarios, leaving us potentially exposed to substantial economic risk.

Current wording

We depend on third-party providers, such as our Custodian, and affiliated or independent validators, including Yuma, to facilitate and manage our staking activities. If our Custodian or validator experiences financial distress, insolvency, cybersecurity incidents, or other operational failures, we may experience significant delays or difficulty recovering staked tokens, lose expected staking rewards, or incur permanent loss of the underlying staked assets. Additionally, third-party staking providers, including our Custodian and Yuma, may not maintain insurance coverage sufficient to protect us against all types of loss scenarios, leaving us potentially exposed to substantial economic risk. For a discussion of our staking program, see the section titled “—Our Cryptocurrency Asset Strategy—Our Staking Program” elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Previous wording

Staking activities may also subject us to regulatory uncertainty and evolving interpretations of securities, commodities, and financial services laws. Regulators may impose licensing, registration, reporting, or other compliance requirements on our staking activities, leading to increased legal and operational burdens, costs, or interruptions. Furthermore, we may be required to alter, limit, or cease staking activities altogether in response to future regulatory or enforcement developments.

Current wording

Staking activities may also subject us to regulatory uncertainty and evolving interpretations of securities, commodities, and financial services laws. Regulators may impose licensing, registration, reporting, or other compliance requirements on our staking activities, leading to increased legal and operational burdens, costs, or interruptions. Furthermore, we may be required to alter, limit, or cease staking activities altogether in response to future regulatory or enforcement developments. Our agreement with Yuma permits immediate termination if services cannot be performed in compliance with applicable law or due to heightened regulatory risk or changes in law that render continued involvement undesirable, illegal, or impracticable, which could result in sudden disruption or cessation of our their staking services. Disputes are subject to confidential, binding arbitration with a class-action waiver, which may limit judicial remedies.

Previous wording

With respect to staking activities, the Custodian’s or an affiliate’s liability for direct damages, including slashing penalties or missed staking rewards, is also limited. Specifically, liability for slashing penalties may be capped at staking service fees collected during the 6-month period prior to the relevant incident. Liability for missed rewards may be capped at staking service fees collected during the preceding 3-month period. The Custodian or an affiliate also may not be not liable for blockchain protocol malfunctions, software bugs, third-party validator errors, or any staking-related losses below $1,000 USD.

Current wording

With respect to staking activities, the Custodian’s or an affiliate’s liability for direct damages, including slashing penalties or missed staking rewards, is also limited. Specifically, liability for slashing penalties may be capped at staking service fees collected during the 6-month period prior to the relevant incident. Liability for missed rewards may be capped at staking service fees collected during the preceding 3-month period. The Custodian or an affiliate also may not be not liable for blockchain protocol malfunctions, software bugs, third-party validator errors, or any staking-related losses below $1,000 USD. Separately, our agreement with Yuma generally caps Yuma’s aggregate liability at $5,000, and Yuma disclaims consequential damages and is not liable for protocol-wide malfunctions or force-majeure events related to the blockchain.

Previous wording

The occurrence of any of these risks could materially impair our crypto asset holdings, adversely affect the financial performance of our business, and significantly diminish the value of our TAO tokens.

Current wording

The occurrence of any of these risks could materially impair our crypto asset holdings, adversely affect the financial performance of our business, and significantly diminish the value of our TAO tokens. Our ability to recover losses may be further limited by contractual liability caps, exclusive remedies, and arbitration provisions in our agreements with key providers.

Previous wording

We rely on the Custodian to facilitate our staking activities with respect to TAO tokens. Through its staking services, the Custodian holds and stakes our TAO through its third-party validator partner, Yuma. While we believe Yuma has been selected by the Custodian due to its reputation for security, reliability, and operational performance, neither the Custodian nor Yuma guarantees staking rewards, uninterrupted service, or protection against all operational or security risks. Our staked TAO could be subject to loss, reduction, or impaired liquidity due to validator performance issues, slashing-like economic penalties (in the form of reduced or eliminated rewards), cybersecurity breaches, network disruptions, regulatory actions, or technical failures affecting the Custodian’s staking infrastructure or the Bittensor blockchain itself. Moreover, we do not control Yuma’s operational practices or technical infrastructure, and we have limited visibility into or control over the processes by which staking rewards are generated and allocated.

Current wording

We rely on the Custodian to facilitate our staking activities with respect to TAO tokens. Through its staking services, the Custodian holds and facilitates the staking of our TAO through third-party validators including Yuma. While we believe Yuma and any other validator have been selected by the Custodian due to their reputation for security, reliability, and operational performance, neither the Custodian nor any validator guarantees staking rewards, uninterrupted service, or protection against all operational or security risks. Our staked TAO could be subject to loss, reduction, or impaired liquidity due to validator performance issues, slashing-like economic penalties (in the form of reduced or eliminated rewards), cybersecurity breaches, network disruptions, regulatory actions, or technical failures affecting the Custodian’s staking infrastructure or the Bittensor blockchain itself. Moreover, we do not control Yuma’s operational practices or technical infrastructure, and we have limited visibility into or control over the processes by which staking rewards are generated and allocated. Yuma may terminate services immediately due to changes in law or heightened regulatory risk, which could disrupt our staking without advance notice.

Previous wording

In addition, our reliance on a limited number of third-party providers, notably our primary Custodian and the validator Yuma, creates a concentration of operational risk. The failure, underperformance, insolvency, or malfeasance of any key provider could materially and adversely affect our assets and staking operations. Given our significant reliance on Yuma as our principal validator, disruptions affecting Yuma, such as downtime, operational deficiencies, cybersecurity breaches, or withdrawal from the market, could leave us unable to promptly identify or transition to an equivalent validator. This could result in our TAO tokens remaining unstaked, thereby causing us to forego anticipated staking rewards, or forcing us to hurriedly redelegate our tokens, potentially leading to suboptimal returns or additional costs.

Current wording

In addition, our reliance on a limited number of third-party providers, notably our primary Custodian and the validator Yuma, creates a concentration of operational risk. The failure, underperformance, insolvency, or malfeasance of any key provider could materially and adversely affect our assets and staking operations. Given our significant reliance on Yuma as our principal validator, disruptions affecting Yuma, such as downtime, operational deficiencies, cybersecurity breaches, or withdrawal from the market, could leave us unable to promptly identify or transition to an equivalent validator. In addition, for 18 months from November 5, 2025, the Yuma Agreement requires us to delegate at least 90% of TAO subject to root submet staking to Yuma, which increases our concentration risk and may limit our ability to diversify or migrate quickly in response to performance or pricing changes. Yuma may assign its obligations to an affiliate or in connection with a change of control without our consent, which could change our counterparty risk profile. This could result in our TAO tokens remaining unstaked, thereby causing us to forego anticipated staking rewards, or forcing us to hurriedly redelegate our tokens, potentially leading to suboptimal returns or additional costs.

Previous wording

Our TAO staking relies on the Custodian and our validator, Yuma, who may utilize subnet automated market maker (“AMM”) pools, exposing us to additional liquidity, market, and operational risks beyond our direct control.

Current wording

Our TAO staking relies on the Custodian and our Validators, who may utilize subnet automated market maker (“AMM”) pools, exposing us to additional liquidity, market, and operational risks beyond our direct control.

Previous wording

Because decisions regarding subnet AMM pools and staking strategies are made by the Custodian and Yuma, we have limited visibility into or control over these decisions and the underlying operational safeguards. The economic viability of subnet AMM pools remains largely unproven, and these pools are subject to experimental and rapidly evolving technological and regulatory environments. Any adverse event affecting these AMM pools or Yuma’s or the Custodian’s selection and use of such pools, including but not limited

Current wording

We stake TAO tokens through arrangements facilitated and managed by the Custodian and its selected validators, tao5 and Yuma (together, the “Validators”). We do not currently engage in subnet staking or participate in AMM pools, but may do so in the future. Should we do so in the future, the economic viability of subnet AMM pools remains largely unproven, and these pools are subject to experimental and rapidly evolving technological and regulatory environments. Any adverse event affecting these AMM pools, including but not limited to unfavorable market conditions, liquidity shortages, smart contract vulnerabilities, cybersecurity breaches, or operational failures, could result in significant financial losses, impairment of the liquidity or value of our staked TAO, or even total loss of our crypto assets.

Previous wording

If crypto assets held by the Company are determined to be securities under U.S. federal or state law, the Company would become subject to significant regulatory burdens, which may materially and adversely affect its business, operations, and financial condition.

Current wording

If crypto assets held by us are determined to be securities under U.S. federal or state law, we would become subject to significant regulatory burdens, which may materially and adversely affect its business, operations, and financial condition.

Previous wording

The legal characterization of crypto assets under U.S. securities laws remains unsettled and continues to evolve. If the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), another federal agency, or a state regulator determines that TAO or any other crypto asset held by the Company constitutes a security under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Investment Company Act, the Company could become subject to extensive regulatory obligations. These obligations may include registration requirements, enhanced disclosure and reporting, restrictions on business activities, and compliance with corporate governance and custody standards.

Current wording

The legal characterization of crypto assets under U.S. securities laws remains unsettled and continues to evolve. If the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), another federal agency, or a state regulator determines that TAO or any other crypto asset held by us constitutes a security under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Investment Company Act, we could become subject to extensive regulatory obligations. These obligations may include registration requirements, enhanced disclosure and reporting, restrictions on business activities, and compliance with corporate governance and custody standards.

Previous wording

If the Company were required to register as an investment company, or if the crypto assets it holds were deemed to be unregistered securities, we could be forced to significantly alter, limit, or cease certain operations, including staking or other network participation activities. In such a scenario, the Company may also become subject to enforcement actions, penalties, or other remedial measures, any of which could result in reputational harm, legal liability, or the inability to continue its current business model. In addition to federal law, the Company may be subject to regulation under state securities laws, some of which apply broader definitions of a

Current wording

If we were required to register as an investment company, or if the crypto assets it holds were deemed to be unregistered securities, we could be forced to significantly alter, limit, or cease certain operations, including staking or other network participation activities. In such a scenario, we may also become subject to enforcement actions, penalties, or other remedial measures, any of which could result in reputational harm, legal liability, or the inability to continue its current business model. In addition to federal law, we may be subject to regulation under state securities laws, some of which apply broader definitions of a “security” than those used by the SEC. As a result, we could face additional regulatory scrutiny, registration requirements, or enforcement exposure at the state level, even if federal regulators do not classify its crypto assets as securities.

Previous wording

Regulatory uncertainty surrounding the classification of crypto assets presents a continuing risk to the Company’s operations. Any determination that the crypto assets held or activities conducted by the Company fall within the scope of U.S. securities laws could impose significant costs, create legal obstacles to continued operations, or materially impair the value of the Company’s assets and the returns available to its investors. If we decide to cease certain operations in response to new regulatory obligations, such actions could occur at a time that is unfavorable to investors.

Current wording

Regulatory uncertainty surrounding the classification of crypto assets presents a continuing risk to our operations. Any determination that the crypto assets held or activities conducted by us fall within the scope of U.S. securities laws could impose significant costs, create legal obstacles to continued operations, or materially impair the value of our assets and the returns available to our investors. If we decide to cease certain operations in response to new regulatory obligations, such actions could occur at a time that is unfavorable to investors.
Rearranged current paragraphs (1)

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

The decentralized governance structure of Bittensor, managed through consensus among TAO token holders, also introduces additional risks related to decision-making delays, political friction, and governance inefficiencies. Regulatory ambiguity and increased scrutiny surrounding decentralized AI systems and crypto tokens further compound these governance challenges. Adverse regulatory
Rearranged previous paragraphs (3)

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

Additionally, transactions executed through the Prime Broker’s trading system and settled via the Custodian’s settlement services are final and irreversible once completed. If an error occurs (whether through human mistake, operational failure, or fraudulent

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

to unfavorable market conditions, liquidity shortages, smart contract vulnerabilities, cybersecurity breaches, or operational failures, could result in significant financial losses, impairment of the liquidity or value of our staked TAO, or even total loss of our crypto assets.

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

“security” than those used by the SEC. As a result, the Company could face additional regulatory scrutiny, registration requirements, or enforcement exposure at the state level, even if federal regulators do not classify its crypto assets as securities.