Grayscale Bitcoin Trust BTC
For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Feb 23, 2024.
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FY2023 · Filed Feb 23, 2024
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
For the fiscal year ended
December 31
,
or
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
|---|
For the transition period from
to
Commission File Number
001-41906
SPONSORED BY GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS, LLC
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Delaware | 46-7019388 |
|---|---|
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
c/o Grayscale Investments, LLC
290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06902
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(212)
668-1427
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class: | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered: |
|---|---|---|
| Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) Shares | GBTC | NYSE Arca, Inc. |
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation
S-T
(§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a
non-accelerated
filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule
12b-2
of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ |
| Emerging growth company | ☐ | ||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to
§240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2
of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No☒
Aggregate market value of registrant’s Shares held by
non-affiliates
of the registrant, based upon the closing price of a Share on June 30, 2023, as reported by the OTC Markets Group Inc. on that date: $12,594,401,855.
Number of Shares of the registrant outstanding as of February 19, 2024:510,710,100.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: None
INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA
Although we are responsible for all disclosure contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, in some cases we have relied on certain market and industry data obtained from third-party sources that we believe to be reliable. Market estimates are calculated by using independent industry publications in conjunction with our assumptions regarding the Bitcoin industry and market. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any market, industry or similar data presented herein, such data involves risks and uncertainties and is subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the headings “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” with respect to the financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) (the “Trust”). Statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify some of the forward-looking statements. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Annual Report that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as changes in market prices and conditions, the Trust’s operations, the plans of Grayscale Investments, LLC (the “Sponsor”) and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially from such statements. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors.” Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsor’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty or undertakes an obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, other than as required by applicable laws. Investors are therefore cautioned against relying on forward-looking statements. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on the Trust’s business, financial condition or results of operations and future prospects or which could cause actual results to differ materially from the Trust’s expectations include, but are not limited to:
| • | recent developments in the digital asset economy which have led to extreme volatility and disruption in digital asset markets, a loss of confidence in participants of the digital asset ecosystem, significant negative publicity surrounding digital assets broadly and market-wide declines in liquidity; |
| • | the extreme volatility of trading prices that many digital assets, including Bitcoin, have experienced in recent periods and may continue to experience, which could cause the value of the Shares to be volatile and/or have a material adverse effect on the value of the Shares; |
| • | the recentness of the development of digital assets and the uncertain medium-to-long term value of the Shares due to a number of factors relating to the capabilities and development of blockchain technologies and to the fundamental investment characteristics of digital assets; |
| • | the value of the Shares depending on the acceptance of digital assets, such as Bitcoin, which represent a new and rapidly evolving industry; |
| • | the value of the Shares relating directly to the value of Bitcoin then held by the Trust, the value of which may be highly volatile and subject to fluctuations due to a number of factors; |
| • | a temporary or permanent “fork” or a “clone” could adversely affect the value of the Shares; |
| • | the unregulated nature and lack of transparency surrounding the operations of Digital Asset Trading Platforms, which may adversely affect the value of digital assets and, consequently, the value of the Shares; |
| • | the limited history of the Index; |
| • | competition from the emergence or growth of other digital assets or methods of investing in Bitcoin could have a negative impact on the price of Bitcoin and adversely affect the value of the Shares; |
| • | the liquidity of the Shares may be affected if Authorized Participants cease to perform their obligations under the Participant Agreements or the Liquidity Engager is unable to engage Liquidity Providers; |
| • | any suspension or other unavailability of the Trust’s redemption program may cause the Shares to trade at a discount to the NAV per Share; |
| • | the possibility that the Shares may trade at a price that is at, above or below the Trust’s NAV per Share as a result of the non-current trading hours between NYSE Arca and the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market; |
| • | regulatory changes or actions by the U.S. Congress or any U.S. federal or state agencies that may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of one or more digital assets, mining activity or the operation of their networks or the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares; |
| • | a determination that Bitcoin or any other digital asset is a “security” may adversely affect the value of Bitcoin and the value of the Shares and result in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to, or termination of the Trust; |
| • | changes in the policies of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that could adversely impact the value of the Shares; |
| • | regulatory changes or other events in foreign jurisdictions that may affect the value of the Shares or restrict the use of one or more digital assets, mining activity or the operation of their networks or the Digital Asset Trading Platform Market in a manner that adversely affects the value of the Shares; |
| • | the possibility that an Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor could be subject to regulation as a money service business or money transmitter, which could result in extraordinary expenses to the Authorized Participant, the Trust or the Sponsor and also result in decreased liquidity for the Shares; |
| • | regulatory changes or interpretations that could obligate the Trust or the Sponsor to register and comply with new regulations, resulting in potentially extraordinary, nonrecurring expenses to the Trust; |
| • | potential conflicts of interest that may arise among the Sponsor or its affiliates and the Trust; |
| • | the potential discontinuance of the Sponsor’s continued services, which could be detrimental to the Trust; |
| • | the lack of ability to facilitate in-kind creations and redemptions of Shares, which could have adverse consequences for the Trust; |
| • | the Trust’s reliance on third-party service providers to perform certain functions essential to the affairs of the Trust and the challenges replacement of such service providers could pose to the safekeeping of the Trust’s Bitcoin and to the operations of the Trust; |
| • | the Custodian’s possible resignation or removal by the Sponsor or otherwise, without replacement, which could trigger early termination of the Trust; and |
| • | additional risk factors discussed in “Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors” and “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as those described from time to time in our future reports filed with the SEC. |
Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” in this Annual Report refer to the Sponsor acting on behalf of the Trust.
A glossary of industry and other defined terms is included in this Annual Report, beginning on page 98.
This Annual Report supplements and where applicable amends the Memorandum, as defined in the Trust’s Sixth Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, for general purposes.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.