GD Culture Group Ltd
For the period ended Dec 31, 2025. Filed Mar 27, 2026.
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FY2025 · Filed Mar 27, 2026
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Item 1. Business
Overview
GD Culture Group Limited (formerly known as JM Global Holding Company, TMSR Holding Company Limited, and Code Chain New Continent Limited) is a Nevada company that conducts its operations primarily in the United States, both directly and indirectly through its subsidiary, AI Catalysis Corp., a Nevada corporation. The Company also maintains a subsidiary, Shanghai Xianzhui Technology Co., Ltd. in China. This subsidiary previously engaged in marketing-related services but does not currently conduct business operations and has no material operating activities. The substantial majority of the Company’s operations are located in the United States. Investors are cautioned that you are not purchasing equity in a China based operating company, but rather shares of a Nevada corporation whose business operations are conducted in the United States through the Company and its active U.S. subsidiary. This structure may involve risks that could impact investors.
Prior to September 28, 2022, Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a then indirect subsidiary of the Company (“Makesi WFOE”), had a series of contractual arrangement with Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”) and its shareholders that established a variable interest entity (the “VIE”) structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Wuge. Accordingly, under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), the Company treated Wuge as the consolidated affiliated entity and had consolidated Wuge’s financial statements prior to September 28, 2022. Wuge focused its business on research, development and application of Internet of Things (IoT) and electronic tokens Wuge digital door signs. On September 28, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge to terminate the VIE Agreements and to cancel the shares previously issued to the shareholders of Wuge, based on the average closing price of $0.237 per share of the Company during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the termination agreement. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Wuge as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Wuge in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.
Prior to June 26, 2023, Makesi WFOE had a series of contractual arrangements with Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd. (“Yuan Ma”) and its shareholders that established a VIE structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Yuan Ma. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, the Company treated Yuan Ma as the consolidated affiliated entity and had consolidated Yuan Ma’s financial results in the Company’s consolidated financial statements prior to June 26, 2023. On June 26, 2023, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding equity interest in TMSR Holdings Limited (“TMSR HK”), which owned 100% equity interest in Makesi WFOE. The purchase price for the transaction contemplated by the Agreement was $100,000. The sale of TMSR HK did not have any material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Prior to September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE had a series of contractual arrangements with Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd.(“Highlight Media”) and its shareholders that established a VIE structure. For accounting purposes, Highlight WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Highlight Media. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, the Company treated Highlight Media as the consolidated affiliated entity and had consolidated Highlight Media’s financial results in the Company’s financial statements prior to September 26, 2023. Highlight Media was an integrated marketing service agency, focusing on enterprise brand management, crisis public relations, intelligent public opinion monitoring, media PR, financial and economic self-media operation, digital face application, large-scale exhibition services and other businesses. On September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media to terminate the VIE Agreements and sold the interest in the VIE Agreements for a purchase price of $100,000. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.
On September 29, 2025, the Company completed the acquisition of Pallas Capital Holding Ltd, a British Virgin Islands company (“Pallas”), pursuant to a Share Exchange Agreement dated September 10, 2025, in exchange for an aggregate of 39,189,344 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pallas was established for the primary purpose of holding digital assets as a long-term reserve, and as of December 31, 2025, Pallas held 7,500 units of Bitcoin.
It should be noted that Chinese regulatory authorities could change the rules and regulations regarding foreign ownership in the industry in which the Company operates, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and/or a material change in the value of the securities we are registering for sale, including that it could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. Investors in our common stock should be aware that they do not directly hold equity interests in the operating subsidiaries in Nevada and China, but rather are purchasing equity in GD Culture Group Limited, our Nevada company, which directly and indirectly owns 100% and 73.33% equity interests in the operating subsidiaries in Nevada and China, respectively. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China” beginning on page 29.
The PRC government plays a significant role in regulating industrial development and shaping the macroeconomic environment through implementing relevant policies. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions and the implementation of economic policies in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations and changes in policies, rules, and regulations in China could limit the legal protection available to you and us ” on page 32 and “Given the PRC government’s role in regulating industrial development, the evolving regulatory framework could result in a material change in the operations of Shanghai Xianzhui and/or the value of our common stock” on page 33.
We are subject to certain legal and operational risks associated with our operations in China, including those changes in the legal, political and economic policies of the Chinese government, the relations between China and the United States, or Chinese or United States regulations may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The PRC legal system is continuously evolving, and the interpretation and enforcement of certain laws and regulations may be subject to changes, and therefore, these risks could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our ordinary shares or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of our ordinary shares to significantly decline or be worthless. Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement.
In addition, on December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of the PRC (the “CAC”), the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), and several other administrations jointly issued the revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review, or the Revised Review Measures, which became effective and has replaced the existing Measures for Cybersecurity Review on February 15, 2022. According to the Revised Review Measures, if an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users intends to list in a foreign country, it must apply for a cybersecurity review. Based on a set of Q&A published on the official website of the State Cipher Code Administration in connection with the issuance of the Revised Review Measures, an official of the said administration indicated that an online platform operator should apply for a cybersecurity review prior to the submission of its listing application with non-PRC securities regulators.
On July 7, 2022, the Measures for the Security Assessment of Outbound Data Transfers, or the Measures, was published and became effective on September 1, 2022, which requires security assessment of outbound data transfers in cases, among others,** **outbound transfer of personal information by a critical information infrastructure operator or a personal information processor who has processed the personal information of more than one million people.
On March 22, 2024, the Cyberspace Administration of China promulgated the Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-Border Data Flows, which stipulate certain scenarios that are exempt from the aforementioned security assessment, standard contract, and personal information protection certification requirements. Under these provisions, outbound data transfers for specific operational purposes, such as cross-border e-commerce, cross-border remittance, and cross-border human resource management, are not subject to such requirements, provided that no “important data” is involved.
On September 24, 2024, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Network Data Security Management (the “Data Security Management Regulations”), which became effective on January 1, 2025. Pursuant to the Data Security Management Regulations, network data processing activities refer to activities such as the collection, storage, use, processing, transmission, provision, disclosure, and deletion of data. Network data processors refer to individuals or organizations that independently determine the purposes and methods of data processing activities. Network data processors conducting any data processing activities that affect or may affect national security shall undergo national security review in accordance with relevant national regulations. Where it is indeed necessary to transfer any important data collected and generated within the territory of the PRC to an overseas party, the security assessment of outbound data transfer organized by the national cyberspace administration department shall be passed.
It is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that we will not be subject to cybersecurity review or the security assessment for outbound data transfers with the CAC, given that: (i) Shanghai Xianzhui does not possess and does not anticipate that it will possess a large amount of personal information in our business operations , (ii) data processed in Shanghai Xianzhui’s business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities, and (iii) any cross-border data transfers conducted in our ordinary course of business fall under the exemptions provided by the Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-Border Data Flows. In addition, for the same reasons, we are not subject to network data security review by the CAC pursuant to Data Security Management Regulations. See “Risk factors — Risk Factors Related to Doing Business in China — Shanghai Xianzhui may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. Shanghai Xianzhui may be required to suspend its business, be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers or face other penalties.”
On February 17, 2023, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, announced the Circular on the Administrative Arrangements for Filing of Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Circular, and released a set of new regulations which consists of the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five supporting guidelines. On the same date, the CSRC also released the Notice on the Arrangements for the Filing Management of Overseas Listing of Domestic Companies, or the Notice. The Trial Measures came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Trial Measures refine the regulatory system by subjecting both direct and indirect overseas offering and listing activities to the CSRC filing-based administration. Requirements for filing entities, time points and procedures are specified. A PRC domestic company that seeks to offer and list securities in overseas markets shall fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC per the requirements of the Trial Measures. Where a PRC domestic company seeks to indirectly offer and list securities in overseas markets, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity, which shall, as the domestic responsible entity, file with the CSRC. The Trial Measures also lay out requirements for the reporting of material events. Breaches of the Trial Measures, such as offering and listing securities overseas without fulfilling the filing procedures, shall bear legal liabilities, including a fine between RMB1.0 million (approximately $150,000) and RMB10.0 million (approximately $1.5 million), and the Trial Measures increase the cost for offenders by enforcing accountability with administrative penalties and incorporating the compliance status of relevant market participants into the Securities Market Integrity Archives.
According to the Circular, since the date of effectiveness of the Trial Measures on March 31, 2023, PRC domestic enterprises falling within the scope of filing that have been listed overseas or met the following circumstances are “existing enterprises”: before the effectiveness of the Trial Measures on March 31, 2023, the application for indirect overseas issuance and listing has been approved by the overseas regulators or overseas stock exchanges (such as the registration statement has become effective on the U.S. market), it is not required to perform issuance and listing supervision procedures of the overseas regulators or overseas stock exchanges, and the overseas issuance and listing will be completed by September 30, 2023. Existing enterprises are not required to file with the CSRC immediately, and filings with the CSRC should be made as required if they involve refinancings and other filing matters. PRC domestic enterprises that have submitted valid applications for overseas issuance and listing but have not been approved by overseas regulatory authorities or overseas stock exchanges at the date of effectiveness of the Trial Measures on March 31, 2023 can reasonably arrange the timing of filing applications with the CSRC and shall complete the filing with the CSRC before the overseas issuance and listing.
In addition, an overseas-listed company must also submit the filing with respect to its follow-on offerings, issuance of convertible corporate bonds and exchangeable bonds, and other equivalent offering activities, within the time frame specified by the Trial Measures.
It is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that because the Company is not a company registered and formed in the territory of China, its continued listing on Nasdaq and future offerings are not “direct overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises” as defined under the Trial Measures. Furthermore, according to Article 2 of the Trial Measures, the “indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises” refers to the overseas offering and listing of enterprises whose main business activities are in China, in the name of enterprises registered overseas, which offering and listing are based on the equity, assets, income or other similar rights and interests of the domestic enterprises. According to Article 15 of the Trial Measures, if the issuer meets both of the following conditions, the overseas offerings and listings shall be determined as an “indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises”: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic enterprises; and; (ii) its major operational activities are carried out in China or its main places of business are located in China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in China. The Company does not meet both the requirements under Article 15 of the Trial Measures and therefore its continued listing on Nasdaq and future offerings are not an “Indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises”, considering that (i) the operating income and total profit of the Company’s subsidiaries that were established in China for the year ended December 31, 2025 do not account for more than 50% of the operating income and total profit in our consolidated financial statements for the same period, (ii) our main business is not conducted within China, and (iii) the majority of our senior management personnel are not Chinese citizens or reside in China on a regular basis. Therefore, it is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that we are not required to complete the record filing requirement under the Trial Measures. However, if we inadvertently conclude that such filing procedures are not required, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to complete the filing procedures in the future, we may be subject to investigations by the regulators, fines or penalties, ordered to suspend our relevant operations and rectify any non-compliance, prohibited from engaging in relevant business or conducting any offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and/or the value of our common stock, and could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China”.
As of the date of this Report, it is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that our PRC operating subsidiaries have received all requisite permissions or approvals to operate the business and no such permissions or approvals have been denied. It is also the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that except for the business license mentioned in “Item 1. Business**–Governmental Regulations in the PRC–Regulations on Business License” in this Report, our PRC operating subsidiaries are not required to obtain any other permissions or approvals from any Chinese authorities to operate the business. It is the further opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that no relevant PRC laws or regulations in effect require that we obtain permission from any PRC authorities to issue securities to foreign investors, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanction, or any regulatory objection from the CSRC, the CAC, or any other PRC authorities that have jurisdiction over our operations. See “Item 1. Business–Governmental Regulations in the PRC–Regulations on Mergers & Acquisitions and Overseas Listings” and “Item 1. Business–Governmental Regulations in the PRC–**Regulations on Cybersecurity Review” in this Report. However, applicable laws and regulations may be tightened, and new laws or regulations may be introduced to impose additional government approval, license, and permit requirements. If (i) we or our subsidiaries do not receive or maintain all such required permissions or approvals to operate our business, (ii) we or our subsidiaries inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, we may face sanctions, including fines and penalties, by the CAC, CSRC, or other PRC regulatory agencies, our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends outside of the PRC could be limited, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, we could be required to restructure our operations to comply with such regulations or potentially cease operations in the PRC entirely, our ability to offer, or continue to offer, securities to investors could be significantly limited or completely hindered and the value of our securities might significantly decline or be worthless.
Furthermore, since 2021, the Chinese government has strengthened its anti-monopoly supervision, mainly in three aspects: (1) establishing the National Anti-Monopoly Bureau; (2) revising and promulgating anti-monopoly laws and regulations, including: the amended Anti-Monopoly Law (which was promulgated on June 24, 2022 and became effective on August 1, 2022), the anti-monopoly guidelines for various industries, and the detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Fair Competition Review System; and (3) enhancing the anti-monopoly law enforcement in the platform economy and among large enterprises. As of the date of this Report, the Chinese government’s recent statements and regulatory actions related to anti-monopoly concerns have not impacted our ability to conduct business, accept foreign investments, or list on a U.S. or other foreign exchange because neither the Company nor its PRC subsidiary engages in monopolistic behaviors that are subject to these statements or regulatory actions.
Summary of Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Please refer to the information contained in and incorporated by reference under the heading “Risk Factors” on page 27 of this Report.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
Risks related to doing business in China, beginning on page 29 of this Report, include but are not limited to the following:
| ● | We may rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our common stock. To the extent cash or assets in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, the funds or assets may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of us or our subsidiaries by the PRC government to transfer cash or assets (see page 27 of this Report). |
| ● | PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investments in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiary (see page 29 of this Report). |
| ● | Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations (see page 30 of this Report). |
| ● | Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “Resident Enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC stockholders (see page 31 of this Report). |
| ● | We must comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption laws (see page 32 of this Report). |
| ● | Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations and changes in policies, rules, and regulations in China could limit the legal protection available to you and us (see page 32 of this Report). |
| ● | Our business may be materially and adversely affected if our PRC subsidiaries declare bankruptcy or become subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding (see page 32 of this Report). |
| ● | Given the PRC government’s role in regulating industrial development, the evolving regulatory framework could result in a material change in the operations of Shanghai Xianzhui and/or the value of our common stock (see page 33 of this Report). |
| ● | The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if Shanghai Xianzhui or GDC were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange and the value of our common stock may significantly decline or become worthless, which would materially affect the interest of the investors (see page 33 of this Report). |
| ● | Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations (see page 35 of this Report). |
| ● | PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law (see page 35 of this Report). |
| ● | Shanghai Xianzhui may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. Shanghai Xianzhui may be required to suspend its business, be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers and face other penalties (see page 36 of this Report). |
| ● | If we become directly subject to the recent scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business operations, listing and future offerings and our reputation and could result in a loss of your investment in our common stock, especially if such matter cannot be addressed and resolved favorably (see page 40 of this Report). |
| ● | If the PRC government chooses to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China based issuers, such action may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer ordinary shares to investors and cause the value of our ordinary shares to significantly decline or be worthless (see page 43 of this Report). |
| ● | The CSRC has released the Trial Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”). With such rules in effect, the PRC regulatory authorities may enhance supervision and administration over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer our securities to investors and could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless (see page 39 of this Report). |
| ● | The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. Although the audit report included in this annual report was issued by U.S. auditors who are currently inspected by the PCAOB, if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely, investors would be deprived of the benefits of such inspection and our common stock may be delisted or prohibited from trading (see page 40 of this Report). |
| ● | The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China (see page 41 of this Report). |
| ● | The unwinding and disposal of our previous VIE structure may not be liability-free and we may be deemed to be in violation of PRC laws regulating our industry and operations (see page 44 of this Report). |
Business Overview
GDC operates through the Company and its subsidiary, AI Catalysis Corp. GDC also maintains its subsidiary, Shanghai Xianzhui in China. which does not currently conduct business operations and has no material operating activities. Historically, the Company focused on (i) AI-driven digital human creation and customization and (ii) live streaming and e-commerce.
In January 2025, the Company discontinued its online livestreaming gaming business following a strategic review. Previously released games and related content remain accessible but are no longer being updated.
The Company is currently undergoing a strategic transition toward leveraging its artificial intelligence and virtual content generation technologies to enter the interactive reading and narrative entertainment market. This shift reflects the Company’s continued focus on innovation and delivering value to users through advanced AI-enabled products and services.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive office is located at 111 Town Square Place, Suite #1203, Jersey City, NJ 07310, and our telephone number is: +1-347-2590292.
Corporate History and Structure
The following is an organizational chart setting forth our corporate structure as of the date of this Report.
GDC, formerly known as Code Chain New Continent Limited, TMSR Holding Company Limited and JM Global Holding Company, was a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on April 10, 2015. The Company was formed for the purpose of acquiring, through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, exchangeable share transaction or other similar business transaction, one or more operating businesses or assets. Effective as of February 6, 2018, the Company consummated a business combination, changed its corporate name from “JM Global Holding Company” to “TMSR Holding Company Limited” and the Company’s common stock traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “TMSR”. On June 20, 2018, the Company consummated the reincorporation. As a result, the Company changed its state of incorporation from Delaware to Nevada and implemented a 2-for-1 forward stock split of the Company’s common stock. Effective as of May 18, 2020, the Company changed its corporate name from “TMSR Holding Company Limited” to “Code Chain New Continent Limited”, and the Company’s common stock traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “CCNC”. On November 9, 2022, the Company effected a one-for-thirty (30) reverse stock split. Effective as of January 10, 2023, the Company changed its corporate name from “Code Chain New Continent Limited” to “GD Culture Group Limited” and the Company’s common stock started trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “GDC”.
Citi Profit is a company formed under the laws of the British Virgin Islands in August 2019 and is wholly owned by GDC. It is a holding company with no material operations of its own.
Highlight HK is a company formed under the laws of Hong Kong SAR in November 2022 and is wholly owned by Citi Profit. It is a holding company with no material operations of its own.
Highlight WFOE or Shanghai Highlight is a company formed under the laws of the PRC in January 2023 and is wholly owned by Highlight HK. It is a holding company with no material operations of its own.
Shanghai Xianzhui is a company formed under the laws of the PRC in August 2023 for social media marketing purposes. It is a joint venture, and as of the date of this Report, Highlight WFOE owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui.
AI Catalysis is a company formed under the laws of Nevada in May 2023, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GDC. It is an operating company focusing on AI-driven digital human creation and customization and live streaming and e-commerce.
Pallas is a company formed under the laws of the British Virgin Islands in June 2025, acquired by GDC on September 29, 2025, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GDC. Pallas was established for the primary purpose of holding digital assets as a long-term reserve, with the objective of achieving potential appreciation in value. As of December 31, 2025, Pallas held 7,500 units of Bitcoin.
For a description of recent material developments, see “Recent Developments” below.
Recent Regulatory Developments
On December 28, 2021, the CAC, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), and several other administrations jointly issued the revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review, or the Revised Review Measures, which became effective and has replaced the existing Measures for Cybersecurity Review on February 15, 2022. According to the Revised Review Measures, if an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users intends to list in a foreign country, it must apply for a cybersecurity review. Based on a set of Q&A published on the official website of the State Cipher Code Administration in connection with the issuance of the Revised Review Measures, an official of the said administration indicated that an online platform operator should apply for a cybersecurity review prior to the submission of its listing application with non-PRC securities regulators. As the interpretation and implementation of the Revised Review Measures are continuously evolving, uncertainties exist with respect to their application in specific practices. For example, it is unclear whether the requirement of cybersecurity review applies to follow-on offerings by an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users where the offshore holding company of such operator is already listed overseas. Furthermore, on September 24, 2024, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Network Data Security Management (the “Data Security Management Regulations”), which became effective on January 1, 2025. Pursuant to the Data Security Management Regulations, network data processing activities refer to activities such as the collection, storage, use, processing, transmission, provision, disclosure, and deletion of data. Network data processors refer to individuals or organizations that independently determine the purposes and methods of data processing activities. Network data processors conducting any data processing activities that affect or may affect national security shall undergo national security review in accordance with relevant national regulations. Where it is indeed necessary to transfer any important data collected and generated within the territory of the PRC to an overseas party, the security assessment of outbound data transfer organized by the national cyberspace administration department shall be passed.
It is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that we will not be subject to cybersecurity review with the CAC, given that: (i) Shanghai Xianzhui does not possess and does not anticipate that it will possess a large amount of personal information in our business operations and (ii) data processed in Shanghai Xianzhui’s business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. In addition, for the same reasons, we are not subject to network data security review by the CAC pursuant to Data Security Management Regulations. However, the definition of “network platform operator” is unclear and it is also unclear on how it will be interpreted and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. See “Risk factors — Risk Factors Related to Doing Business in China — Shanghai Xianzhui may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. Shanghai Xianzhui may be required to suspend its business, be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers or face other penalties.”
On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC governmental authorities made public the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. Following the issuance of these opinions, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Measures in February 2023 to regulate overseas securities offerings and listings. However, the interpretation and implementation of these opinions and related evolving regulations may be subject to further clarification. As of the date of this Report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions regarding listing abroad or offshore offering from the CSRC, the CAC, or any other PRC governmental authorities. See “Risk Factors — Risk Factors Related to Doing Business in China — The PRC government plays a significant role in regulating our industry and guiding business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if Shanghai Xianzhui or GDC were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange and the value of our common stock may significantly decline or become worthless, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.”
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC released the Trial Measures and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC. If a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. As a listed company, we believe that we and all of our PRC subsidiaries are not required to fulfill filing procedures with the CSRC to continue to offer our securities, or continue listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the Regulation on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors (“M&A Rules”), other PRC Laws and future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that any governmental agency will not take a view that is contrary to or otherwise different from our belief stated herein. See “Risk Factors - Risk Factors Relating to Doing Business in China - The CSRC has released the Trial Measures. With such rules in effect, the PRC regulatory authorities may enhance supervision and administration over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer our securities to investors and could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.”
In addition, an overseas-listed company must also submit the filing with respect to its follow-on offerings, issuance of convertible corporate bonds and exchangeable bonds, and other equivalent offering activities, within the time frame specified by the Trial Measures.
It is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that because the Company is not a company registered and formed in the territory of China, its continued listing on Nasdaq and future offerings are not “direct overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises” as defined under the Trial Measures. Furthermore, according to Article 2 of the Trial Measures, the “indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises” refers to the overseas offering and listing of enterprises whose main business activities are in China, in the name of enterprises registered overseas, which offering and listing are based on the equity, assets, income or other similar rights and interests of the domestic enterprises. According to Article 15 of the Trial Measures, if the issuer meets both of the following conditions, the overseas offerings and listings shall be determined as an “indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises”: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic enterprises; and; (ii) its major operational activities are carried out in China or its main places of business are located in China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in China. The Company does not meet both the requirements under Article 15 of the Trial Measures and therefore its continued listing on Nasdaq and future offerings are not an “Indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises”, considering that (i) the operating income and total profit of the Company’s subsidiaries that were established in China for the year ended December 31, 2025 do not account for more than 50% of the operating income and total profit in our consolidated financial statements for the same period, (ii) our main business is not conducted within China, and (iii) the majority of our senior management personnel are not Chinese citizens or reside in China on a regular basis. Therefore, it is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that we are not required to complete the record filing requirement under the Trial Measures. However, if we inadvertently conclude that such filing procedures are not required, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to complete the filing procedures in the future, we may be subject to investigations by the regulators, fines or penalties, ordered to suspend our relevant operations and rectify any non-compliance, prohibited from engaging in relevant business or conducting any offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and/or the value of our common stock, and could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China”.
Implication of the Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act
The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA states that if the SEC determines that an issuer’s audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm have not been subject to inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit such issuer’s securities from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. If we fail to meet the new rules before the deadline specified thereunder, we could face possible prohibition from trading on a national securities exchange or on the OTC Markets, deregistration from the SEC and/or other risks, which may materially and adversely affect, or effectively terminate, our securities trading in the United States. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCAA. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act”) was signed into law by President Biden, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCAA by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading. On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the Ministry of Finance of the PRC (the “MOF”), and the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol (the “Protocol”), governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB will consider the need to issue a new determination.
Our current auditor, GGF, the independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report included in our Annual Report, as a firm registered with the PCAOB (PCAOB ID: 2729), is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with applicable professional standards. If it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely, investors may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection. Any audit reports not issued by auditors that are completely inspected by the PCAOB, or a lack of PCAOB inspections of audit work undertaken in China that prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditors’ audits and their quality control procedures, could result in a lack of assurance that our financial statements and disclosures are adequate and accurate. Moreover, if trading in our securities is prohibited under the HFCAA in the future because the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor at such future time, an exchange may determine to delist our securities. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China — The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies.”
Asset Transfer between our Company and our Subsidiaries
GDC may rely on dividends to be paid by our subsidiaries in Nevada and in the PRC, to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses.
Under the Nevada Revised Statutes and the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of each of GDC and AI Catalysis (a direct subsidiary of GDC), dividends may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting. No distribution may be made if, after giving it effect: (a) such company would not be able to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course of business; or (b) such company’s total assets would be less than the sum of its total liabilities plus the amount that would be needed, if such company were to be dissolved immediately after the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon such dissolution of holders of shares of any class or series of the capital stock of such company having preferential rights superior to those receiving the distribution.
Under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, our BVI subsidiary and a direct subsidiary of GDC, Citi Profit, may pay a dividend to GDC out of profit, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in Citi Profit being unable to pay its debts due in the ordinary course of business. Under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, our BVI subsidiary, Pallas, may pay a dividend to GDC out of profit, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in Pallas being unable to pay its debts due in the ordinary course of business.
Under the laws of Hong Kong, our Hong Kong subsidiary and a direct subsidiary of Citi Profit, Highlight HK, is permitted, to provide funding to Citi Profit through dividends distribution out of its profits. Under the current practices of the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department, no tax is payable in Hong Kong in respect of dividends paid to Citi Profit as a British Virgin Islands company.
Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries, Highlight WFOE (a direct subsidiary of Citi Profit), and Shanghai Xianzhui (a direct subsidiary of Highlight WFOE), may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Further, our PRC subsidiaries are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserve funds or may make appropriations to certain discretionary funds, which are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of a solvent liquidation of the companies. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned enterprise out of China is also subject to examination by the banks designated by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE.
In addition, we expect that revenue, if any, to be generated by our PRC operating subsidiary, Shanghai Xianzhui, will be in Renminbi, which is not freely convertible into other currencies. As a result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of our PRC operating subsidiary to use its Renminbi revenues to pay dividends to us. To the extent cash or assets in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, the funds or assets may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of us or our subsidiaries by the PRC government to transfer cash or assets. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may temporarily delay the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to us, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations. In view of the foregoing, to the extent cash in our business is held in China or by a PRC entity, such cash may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting process may be put forward by SAFE for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC resident enterprises are incorporated. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
Under PRC law, Highlight WFOE and Shanghai Xianzhui may be funded through capital contributions by their immediate parent company or loans, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration and approval requirements. Before providing loans to our PRC subsidiaries, we will be required to make filings about details of the loans with the SAFE in accordance with relevant PRC laws and regulations.
Highlight HK is permitted under the laws of Hong Kong to provide funding to Shanghai Xianzhui through capital contributions or to other companies within our corporate structure through loans without restrictions on the amount of the funds and such funding is not subject to government registration or filing requirements under the laws of Hong Kong.
Citi Profit is permitted under the laws of the British Virgin Islands to provide funding to Highlight WFOE through capital contributions or to other companies within our corporate structure through loans without restrictions on the amount of the funds and such funding is not subject to government registration or filing requirements under the laws of the British Virgin Islands.
GDC is permitted under the laws of Nevada to provide funding to Citi Profit and Pallas through capital contributions or to other companies within our corporate structure through loans without restrictions on the amount of the funds and such funding is not subject to government registration or filing requirements under the laws of the Nevada.
AI Catalysis is permitted under the laws of Nevada to provide funding to other companies within our corporate structure through loans without restrictions on the amount of the funds and such funding is not subject to government registration or filing requirements under the laws of the Nevada.
GDC presently does not maintain any cash management policies which dictate how funds are transferred, however, GDC continues to conduct regular review and management of all its subsidiaries’ cash transfers and reports to board of directors.
Prior to September 28, 2022, Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a then indirect subsidiary of the Company (“Makesi WFOE”), had a series of contractual arrangement with Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”) and its shareholders that established a variable interest entity (the “VIE”) structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Wuge. Accordingly, under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), the Company treated Wuge as the consolidated affiliated entity and had consolidated Wuge’s financial statements prior to September 28, 2022. Wuge focused its business on research, development and application of Internet of Things (IoT) and electronic tokens Wuge digital door signs. On September 28, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge to terminate the VIE Agreements and to cancel the shares previously issued to the shareholders of Wuge, based on the average closing price of $0.237 per share of the Company during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the termination agreement. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Wuge as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Wuge in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.
Prior to June 26, 2023, Makesi WFOE had a series of contractual arrangement with Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd. (“Yuan Ma”) and its shareholders that established a VIE structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Yuan Ma. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, the Company treated Yuan Ma as the consolidated affiliated entity and had consolidated Yuan Ma’s financial results in the Company’s consolidated financial statements prior to June 26, 2023. On June 26, 2023, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding equity interest in TMSR Holdings Limited (“TMSR HK”), which owned 100% equity interest in Makesi WFOE. The purchase price for the transaction contemplated by the Agreement was $100,000. The sale of TMSR HK did not have any material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Prior to September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE had a series of contractual arrangement with Highlight Media and its shareholders that established a VIE structure. For accounting purposes, Highlight WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Highlight Media. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, the Company treated Highlight Media as the consolidated affiliated entity and had consolidated Highlight Media’s financial results in the Company’s financial statements prior to September 26, 2023. Highlight Media was an integrated marketing service agency, focusing on enterprise brand management, crisis public relations, intelligent public opinion monitoring, media PR, financial and economic self-media operation, digital face application, large-scale exhibition services and other businesses. On September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media to terminate the VIE Agreements and sold the interest in the VIE Agreements for a purchase price of $100,000. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, GDC made a cash transfer of $11,000 to AI Catalysis Corp. Other than this transfer, no other assets were transferred between GDC and its subsidiaries. No amounts owed under any previous VIE agreements were settled. There were no cash transfers to or from the VIEs. GDC did not make any dividends or distributions to U.S. investors.
During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024, there was no transfer of assets between GDC and its subsidiaries. No amounts owed under any previous VIE agreements were settled. There were no cash transfers to or from the VIEs. GDC did not make any dividends or distributions to U.S. investors.
If our subsidiary incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.
See also “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure — We may rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our common stock” on page 27 of this Report, and “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — “PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investments in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiary” on page 29 of this Report.
Our Products and Services
GDC operates in the following distinct business sectors through the Company and two subsidiaries, AI Catalysis Corp. and Shanghai Xianzhui: 1) AI-driven digital human creation and customization; and 2) Live streaming and e-commerce. In January 2025, the Company announced its decision to discontinue the online livestreaming gaming business after conducting a comprehensive assessment. The Company is currently undergoing a strategic transition toward leveraging its artificial intelligence and virtual content generation technologies to enter the interactive reading and narrative entertainment market.
The Company is currently developing a platform designed to enable creators to produce interactive, game-like reading experiences for end users. The platform is intended to provide creators with a suite of AI-powered content creation tools developed by the Company. These tools are designed to assist creators in generating narrative structures, story plots, and visual assets that accompany the storyline. In addition, the platform will incorporate AI-driven dialogue systems that enable readers to interact with characters within the story environment. Through these capabilities, readers will be able to engage in dynamic conversations with story characters, with the dialogue functionality supported by advanced natural language processing technologies, including large language models. This interaction is expected to create a more immersive and personalized storytelling experience, where reader choices and interactions may influence story progression. The Company believes that the integration of AI-assisted content creation tools with interactive storytelling technology may lower barriers for creators to develop complex narrative experiences while providing users with a more engaging form of digital entertainment. The Company is currently in the development stage of this platform, and there can be no assurance that the product will achieve commercial success or generate significant revenue in the future.
The Company is currently developing a pilot product as an initial step in evaluating the commercial potential of its interactive reading platform. The pilot product will consist of a single interactive reading experience designed to demonstrate the core functionality of the Company’s proposed platform and to test user engagement with interactive narrative content. The pilot application is expected to be distributed through the Apple iOS App Store and will serve as an experimental product intended to provide the Company with insights into user behavior, market demand, and product design considerations. The Company intends to utilize feedback and performance data from this pilot product to refine its technology, content development tools, and overall platform strategy. The pilot product will incorporate certain AI-enabled features, including narrative generation support, visual content creation, and interactive dialogue systems that allow users to engage with characters within the story environment. These capabilities are intended to demonstrate the potential of the Company’s AI-driven tools to support the development of immersive and interactive storytelling experiences. The Company expects that lessons learned from the pilot product may inform the development of a broader platform that would allow third-party creators to develop and publish their own interactive narrative content using the Company’s AI-powered tools. However, the Company is currently in the early stages of development, and there can be no assurance that the pilot product will lead to a commercially viable platform or generate significant revenue.
Revenue Model
For the Company’s interactive reading platform, the Company anticipates monetization through content access fees, in-application purchases, and potential creator revenue-sharing arrangements. Users may pay for access to premium interactive stories or additional story content within the application. As the platform develops, the Company may also introduce tools that enable third-party creators to publish interactive content on the platform, with the Company potentially receiving a portion of revenue generated from such content.
Our Customers
The Company’s interactive reading platform is intended to serve both content creators and end users.
Content creators represent a key customer group. These may include independent writers, game designers, digital storytellers, and creative studios seeking to develop interactive narrative experiences. The Company’s AI-powered tools are designed to assist creators in generating story plots, visual content, and interactive character dialogue, thereby lowering the technical and creative barriers to producing complex interactive stories.
End users (readers) represent the platform’s consumer audience. These users engage with the interactive stories through mobile or web applications, where they can influence the storyline through choices and interact with story characters using AI-powered dialogue systems. The Company expects that these experiences may appeal to users interested in digital entertainment formats such as interactive fiction, narrative games, and immersive storytelling.
The Company may also target publishers, entertainment companies, and educational institutions that are interested in developing interactive narrative content using the platform.
Our Suppliers
The Company relies on a limited number of third-party suppliers for technology services and leased facilities. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company’s top two suppliers are Dragon Cliff Limited and SLG 810 Seventh Lessee LLC.
Employees
As of March 27, 2026, our Company has 5 full-time employees in total.
We have not experienced any significant labor disputes and consider our relationship with our employees to be good. Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement.
As we continue to expand our business, we believe it is critical to hire and retain top talent. We believe we have the ability to attract and retain high quality talents based on our competitive salaries, annual performance-based bonus system, and equity incentive program for senior employees and executives.
Recent Developments
Equity Purchase Agreement dated October 27, 2023 and the Amendment to the Equity Purchase Agreement dated November 10, 2023
On October 27, 2023, the Company entered into an equity purchase agreement (the “Agreement”) with Shanghai Highlight and Beijing Hehe, pursuant to which the Shanghai Highlight agreed to purchase the 20% equity interest in Shanghai Xianzhui from Beijing Hehe and the Company agreed to issue 600,000 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $2.7820 per share, the average closing bid price of the common stock of GDC as of the five trading days immediately preceding the date of the Agreement, to Beijing Hehe or its assigns. The closing of the transaction shall take place within thirty (30) days from the execution of the Agreement. The Agreement is effective for thirty (30) days from the date of the Agreement, which can be extended for additional thirty (30) days upon all parties’ written agreement. The Company or Shanghai Highlight may terminate the Agreement at any time with a three (3) day advance written notice to Beijing Hehe.
On November 10, 2023, the Company entered into an amended and restated equity purchase agreement (the “Amended and Restated Agreement”) that amended and replaced the Original Agreement. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement, Shanghai Highlight agreed to purchase the 13.3333% equity interest in Shanghai Xianzhui from Beijing Hehe and the Company agreed to issue 400,000 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at the Per Share Price, to Beijing Hehe or its assigns.
Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement, the closing of the transaction shall take place within thirty (30) days from the execution of the Amended and Restated Agreement. The Amended and Restated Agreement is effective for thirty (30) days from the date of the Amended and Restated Agreement, which can be extended for additional thirty (30) days upon all parties’ written agreement. The Company or Shanghai Highlight may terminate the Amended and Restated Agreement at any time with a three (3) day advance written notice to Beijing Hehe.
On January 11, 2024, the Company issued the Shares and the transaction is completed. Up to the date of this Report, the Company owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui.
Registered Direct Offering (“March 2024 Offering”)
On March 22, 2024, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement, with Univest Securities, LLC, as the placement agent. Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the placement agent agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to sell the Company’s common stock in a registered direct offering. The placement agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.
In the March 2024 Offering, an aggregate of 810,277 shares of common stock were sold to certain purchasers, pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated March 22, 2024. The purchase price of each Common Share is $1.144.
The March 2024 Offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement (No. 333-254366) on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the SEC on March 26, 2021, and related prospectus supplement.
The net proceeds from the March 2024 Offering, after deducting placement agent discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, are approximately $830,000. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the March 2024 Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the Company has agreed to pay the placement agent a total cash fee equal to 4.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received in the March 2024 Offering.
Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the Company agreed to issue the placement agent warrants to the placement agent to purchase up to 40,514 shares of Common Stock (equal to 5.0% of the aggregate number of Common Shares) at an exercise price of $1.373 per share, which represents 120% of the offering price.
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
On April 26, 2024, Mr. Shuang Zhang tendered his resignation as a director of the Company, effective April 26, 2024. The resignation of Mr. Shuang Zhang was not a result of any disagreement with the Company’s operations, policies or procedures.
On April 26, 2024, Mr. Mingyue Cai tendered his resignation as a director, chair of the Compensation Committee, and member of the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee of the Company, effective April 26, 2024. The resignation of Mr. Mingyue Cai was not a result of any disagreement with the Company’s operations, policies or procedures.
On April 26, 2024, Mr. Yi Zhong tendered his resignation as a director, chair of the Nominating Committee, and member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of the Company, effective April 26, 2024. The resignation of Mr. Yi Zhong was not a result of any disagreement with the Company’s operations, policies or procedures.
On April 26, 2024, approved by the Board of Directors, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee, Mr. Zihao Zhao, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, was appointed as a director of the Company, effective April 26, 2024, Mr. Lei Zhang was appointed as a director, chair of the Compensation Committee, and member of the Audit Committee and Nominating Committee and Mr. Yun Zhang was appointed as a director, chair of the Nominating Committee, and member of the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of the Company, effective April 26, 2024.
Nasdaq Compliance
On May 13, 2024, the Company received a written notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that, based on the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock was below $1.00 for the last 30 consecutive trading days, the Company no longer complies with the minimum bid price requirement (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”) for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1). Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has an initial compliance period of 180 calendar days, or until November 11, 2024, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement.
On June 18, 2024, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq stating that because the Company’s common stock had a closing bid price at or above $1.00 per share for 10 consecutive business days, the Company had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, and that the matter is now closed.
Software Purchase Agreement dated May 31, 2024
On May 31, 2024, the Company entered into a software purchase agreement with Shanxi Gangdong Cultural Media Co., Ltd., a seller unaffiliated with the Company (the “Seller”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to purchase and the Seller agreed to sell all of Seller’s right, title, and interest in and to the certain software. The purchase price of the software shall be $1,248,000, payable in the form of issuance of 1,560,000 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $0.80 per share. The Company plans to use the software to develop its AI business. On June 4, 2024, the Company issued 1,560,000 shares of common stock of the Company to the Seller’s designees and the transaction was completed.
At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement(“February 2025 Offering”)
On February 10, 2025, the Company entered into an At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement with Univest Securities, LLC as the sales agent. Pursuant to the At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement, the Company may issue and sell from time to time, shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of not more than $10,000,000 through the sales agent or any of its sub-agent(s) or other designees, acting as sales agent.
Pursuant to the At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement, the Company will pay the sales agent a commission in cash equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the shares under the At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement, and reimburse the sales agent for all reasonable travel and other accountable expenses, including the documented fees and costs of its legal counsel reasonably incurred in connection with entering into the transactions contemplated by the At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement in an amount not to exceed $125,000.
Additionally, pursuant to the terms of the At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement, the Company agreed to reimburse the sales agent for the documented fees and costs of its legal counsel reasonably incurred in connection with sales agent’s ongoing diligence requirements arising from the transactions contemplated by the At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreement in an amount not to exceed $5,000 in the aggregate per calendar quarter.
Any issuances made under the February 2025 Offering, if any, will be made pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333- 279141), which was initially filed with the SEC on May 6, 2024, and was declared effective, as amended, by the Commission on August 20, 2024.
Private Placement(“March 2025 Offering”)
On March 4, 2025, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain investor for the sale of 1,115,600 shares of common stock at $0.896379 per share. The March 2025 Offering closed on March 6, 2025. The Company received gross proceeds in the amount of $1,000,000, before deducting placement agent’s fees and accountable expenses and other estimated expenses. The Company plans to use the proceeds from the offering for working capital purposes. Pursuant to the securities purchase agreement, the Company has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to, within sixty (60) calendar days after the date of the Securities Purchase Agreement, file a registration statement on the appropriate form providing for the resale by the Purchaser of the Shares.
In the Securities Purchase Agreement, the investor represented to the Company, among other things, that it is an “accredited investor” (as such term is defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D under the Securities Act. The shares were issued and sold by the Company to the Investor in reliance upon the exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) of Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
In connection with the Offering, on March 4, 2025, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement with Univest Securities, LLC, as the placement agent. The Company agreed to pay the placement agent a total cash fee equal to seven percent (7%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this March 2025 Offering. The Company has also agreed to reimburse the placement agent for all reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the March 2025 Offering, including reasonable fees and expenses of the Placement Agent’s legal counsel and due diligence analysis up to $20,000.
Nasdaq Compliance
On March 20, 2025, Nasdaq notified the Company that it was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) requiring minimum stockholders’ equity of $2.5 million. The Company regained compliance by maintaining the minimum market value of $35 million for ten consecutive business days by June 25, 2025.
Software Purchase Agreement dated April 28, 2025
On April 28, 2025, the Company entered into a software purchase agreement with Gongzheng Xu and Qing Wang, sellers unaffiliated with the Company (the “Sellers”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to purchase and the Seller agreed to sell all of Seller’s right, title, and interest in and to the certain software. The purchase price of the software shall be $5,768,536.20, payable in the form of issuance of 2,444,295 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $2.36 per share. The Company plans to use the software to develop its AI business. On April 29, 2025, the Company issued 2,444,295 shares of common stock of the Company to the Sellers and the transaction was completed.
Securities Purchase Agreement dated May 2, 2025
On May 2, 2025, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain investors (the “Purchasers”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to the Purchasers (i) 1,115,600 shares of common stock (the “Shares”) at $0.524 per share and (ii) 9,380,582 Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) at $0.523 per warrant (the “Offering”).
Shares and the Pre-funded Warrants were issued and sold by the Company to the Purchasers in reliance upon the exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) of Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
On May 6, 2025, The Company completed its first closing of the Shares and 7,468,536 Pre-Funded Warrants, and received gross proceeds in the amount of $4,500,000, before deducting placement agent’s fees and accountable expenses and other estimated expenses.
In connection with the Offering, on May 2, 2025, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement with Univest Securities, as the placement agent. Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the Company agreed to pay the Placement Agent a total cash fee equal to seven percent (7%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this Offering. The Company also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for all reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Offering, including reasonable fees and expenses of the Placement Agent’s legal counsel and due diligence analysis up to $20,000.
Common Stock Purchase Agreement dated May 11, 2025
On May 11, 2025, the Company entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement with an investor (the “Investor”).
Pursuant to the Common Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company should have the right, from time to time, during the period from the date of the Agreement to the earlier of (i) the date on which the Investor should have purchased $300,000,000 worth of the Company’s common stock or (ii) the second (2nd ) anniversary of the date of the Agreement, to send the Investor a purchase notice (the “Purchase Notice”) requiring the Investor to purchase common stock of the Company. The purchase price for the common stock should be equal to 90% of the lowest daily VWAP for the Company’s common stock during the five (5) consecutive business day period prior to, and including the Purchase Notice Date, but should in no event be lower than $0.44.
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
On June 27, 2025, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Zihao Zhao, the Chief Financial Officer (the “Executive”) of the Company, which replaced and superseded the Executive’s prior employment agreement dated as of April 21, 2023 and commenced on May 15, 2025.
The Employment Agreement was substantially similar to the Executive’s prior employment agreement except the annual base salary was increased to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00).
Acquisition of Pallas Capital Holding Ltd
On September 10, 2025, the Company executed a Share Exchange Agreement to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of Pallas Capital Holding Ltd, a British Virgin Islands company (“Pallas”), in exchange for 39,189,344 shares of the Company’s common stock. The transaction closed on September 29, 2025. Pallas’s assets include 7,500 Bitcoin (valued at approximately $842 million at the time of acquisition), which will be held as a long-term digital asset reserve. This acquisition aligns with the Company’s crypto asset treasury strategy to strengthen its reserves and presence in the decentralized finance ecosystem. Two of the Company’s shareholders with a total of 12.86% beneficial ownership are directors with control over Pallas’s shares, making this a related party transaction that was approved by the Company’s Audit Committee and shareholders.
Securities Purchase Agreement dated October 24, 2025
On October 24, 2025, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain accredited investor (the “Purchasers”). Pursuant to Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company agreed to issue and sell, in a private placement an aggregate of 1,333,334 shares of common stock (the “Shares”), par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) at a purchase price of $2.10 per share, for gross proceeds in the amount of approximately $2,800,000. The Company plans to use the process for working capital and general corporate purposes. Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to, within sixty (60) calendar days after the date of the Securities Purchase Agreement, file a registration statement on the appropriate form providing for the resale by the Investor of the Shares
The Private Placement closed on October 27, 2025. The Shares were issued and sold by the Company to the Investor in reliance upon the exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) of Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
In connection with the Private Placement, on October 24, 2025, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement with Univest Securities, LLC, as the placement agent. The Company agreed to pay the Placement Agent a total cash fee equal to seven percent (7%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this Private Placement. The Company has also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for all reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Private Placement, including reasonable fees and expenses of the Placement Agent’s legal counsel and due diligence analysis up to $20,000.
Share Repurchase Program
On February 17, 2026, the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to $100 million of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share. The share repurchase program expires on August 17, 2026.
Change of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
On January 29, 2026, with the approval of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, the Company terminated HTL International, LLC (“HTL”) and engaged GGF CPA LTD (“GGF”) as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, effective immediately.
Environmental Matters
As of December 31, 2025, the Company, Shanghai Xianzhui and Ai Catalysis were not subject to any fines or legal action involving non-compliance with any relevant environmental regulation, nor are we aware of any threatened or pending action, including by any environmental regulatory authority.
Governmental Regulations in the PRC
As of the date of this Report, it is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that our PRC operating subsidiaries have received all requisite permissions or approvals to operate the business and no such permissions or approvals have been denied. It is also the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that except for the business license mentioned in “Regulations on Business License” below, our PRC operating subsidiaries are not required to obtain any other permissions or approvals from any Chinese authorities to operate the business. It is the further opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that under currently effective PRC laws and regulations, we are not required to obtain permission or complete filing procedures with any PRC authorities to issue securities to foreign investors, and we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanction, or any regulatory objection from the CSRC, the CAC, or any other PRC authorities that have jurisdiction over our operations. See “Regulations on Mergers & Acquisitions and Overseas Listings” and “Regulations on Cybersecurity Review” below. However, applicable laws and regulations may be tightened, and new laws or regulations may be introduced to impose additional government approval, license, and permit requirements. If (i) we or our subsidiaries do not receive or maintain all such required permissions or approvals to operate our business, (ii) we or our subsidiaries inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, we may face sanctions, including fines and penalties, by the CAC, CSRC, or other PRC regulatory agencies, our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends outside of the PRC could be limited, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, we could be required to restructure our operations to comply with such regulations or potentially cease operations in the PRC entirely, our ability to offer, or continue to offer, securities to investors could be significantly limited or completely hindered and the value of our securities might significantly decline or be worthless.
Business license
Any company that conducts business in the PRC must have a business license that covers a particular type of work. The business license is a permit issued by Market Supervision and Administration that allows the company to conduct specific business within the government’s geographical jurisdiction. The Company’s PRC operating company, Shanghai Xianzhui’s business license covers its present business of technology development and consulting, and technical support for digital humans.
As of the date of this Report, it is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm , that our PRC operating subsidiary has all material permissions and approvals required for our operations in compliance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations in the PRC and no such permissions or approvals have been denied.
As of the date of this Report, it is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that except for the business license mentioned here, we and our operating subsidiary are not required to obtain any other permissions or approvals from any Chinese authorities to operate the business. However, applicable laws and regulations may be tightened, and new laws or regulations may be introduced to impose additional government approval, license, and permit requirements. If (i) we or our subsidiaries do not receive or maintain all such required permissions or approvals to operate our business, (ii) we or our subsidiaries inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, we may face sanctions, including fines and penalties, by the CAC, CSRC, or other PRC regulatory agencies, our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends outside of the PRC could be limited, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, we could be required to restructure our operations to comply with such regulations or potentially cease operations in the PRC entirely, our ability to offer, or continue to offer, securities to investors could be significantly limited or completely hindered and the value of our securities might significantly decline or be worthless.
Regulations on Employment laws
Shanghai Xianzhui is subject to laws and regulations governing our relationship with our employees, including: wage and hour requirements, working and safety conditions, citizenship requirements, work permits and travel restrictions. These include local labor laws and regulations, which may require substantial resources for compliance. China’s National Labor Law, which became effective on January 1, 1995, and amended on August 27, 2009, and China’s National Labor Contract Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, and amended on December 28, 2012, permit workers in both state and private enterprises in China to bargain collectively. The National Labor Law and the National Labor Contract Law provide for collective contracts to be developed through collaboration between the labor union (or worker representatives in the absence of a union) and management that specify such matters as working conditions, wage scales, and hours of work. The laws also permit workers and employers in all types of enterprises to sign individual contracts, which are to be drawn up in accordance with the collective contract.
*** Regulations on Intellectual property protection in China***
***Patent.***The PRC has domestic laws for the protection of copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets. The PRC is also signatory to some of the world’s major intellectual property conventions, including:
| ● | Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO Convention) (June 4, 1980); |
| ● | Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (March 19, 1985); |
| ● | Patent Cooperation Treaty (January 1, 1994); and |
| ● | The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) (November 11, 2001). |
Patents in the PRC are governed by the China Patent Law and its Implementing Regulations, each of which went into effect in 1985. The China Patent Law has been amended multiple times, with the most recent amendment promulgated in 2020 and becoming effective on June 1, 2021. Its Implementing Regulations were most recently amended in 2023 and became effective on January 20, 2024.
The PRC is signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, in accordance with which any person who has duly filed an application for a patent in one signatory country shall enjoy, for the purposes of filing in the other countries, a right of priority during the period fixed in the convention (12 months for inventions and utility models, and 6 months for industrial designs).
The Patent Law covers three kinds of patents — patents for inventions, utility models and designs. The Chinese patent system adopts the principle of first to file, which means that a patent may be granted only to the person who first files an application. Consistent with international practice, the PRC allows the patenting of inventions or utility models that possess the characteristics of novelty, inventiveness and practical applicability only. For a design to be patentable it cannot be identical with, or similar to, any design which, before the date of filing, has been publicly disclosed in publications in the country or abroad or has been publicly used in the country, and should not be in conflict with any prior right of another.
Copyright. Copyright in the PRC, including copyrighted software, is principally protected under the Copyright Law of the PRC and related rules and regulations. Under the Copyright Law, the term of protection for copyrighted software is 50 years.
Trademark. Registered trademarks are protected under the Trademark Law of the PRC and related rules and regulations. Trademarks are registered with the Trademark Office of the National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). Where registration is sought for a trademark that is identical or similar to another trademark which has already been registered or given preliminary examination and approval for use in the same or similar category of commodities or services, the application for registration of such trademark may be rejected. Trademark registrations are effective for a renewable ten-year period, unless otherwise revoked. The duration of a trademark is 10 years from the date of registration.
Domain names. Domain name registrations are handled through domain name service agencies established under the relevant regulations, and applicants become domain name holders upon successful registration.
Regulations on Tax
PRC Corporate Income Tax
The PRC corporate income tax, or CIT, is calculated based on the taxable income determined under the applicable CIT Law and its implementation rules, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and amended on February 24, 2017. The CIT Law imposes a uniform corporate income tax rate of 25% on all resident enterprises in China, including foreign-invested enterprises.
Uncertainties exist with respect to how the CIT Law applies to the tax residence status of The Company and our offshore subsidiaries. Under the CIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with a “de facto management body” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” which means that it is treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for corporate income tax purposes. Although the implementation rules of the CIT Law define “de facto management body” as a managing body that exercises substantive and overall management and control over the production and business, personnel, accounting books and assets of an enterprise, the only official guidance for this definition currently available is set forth in Circular 82 issued by the State Administration of Taxation, which provides guidance on the determination of the tax residence status of a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise, defined as an enterprise that is incorporated under the laws of a foreign country or territory and that has a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as its primary controlling shareholder. Although the Company does not have a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as our primary controlling shareholder and is therefore not a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise within the meaning of Circular 82, in the absence of guidance specifically applicable to us, we have applied the guidance set forth in Circular 82 to evaluate the tax residence status of The Company and our subsidiaries organized outside the PRC.
According to Circular 82, a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having a “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC corporate income tax on its worldwide income only if all of the following criteria are met:
| ● | the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; |
| ● | decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; |
| ● | the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholders meeting minutes are located or maintained in the PRC; and |
| ● | 50% or more of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC. |
We do not believe that we meet any of the conditions outlined in the immediately preceding paragraph.
We believe none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” As all of our management members are based in China, it remains unclear how the tax residency rule will apply to our case. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we or any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, then we or such subsidiary could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on its world-wide income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. Furthermore, if the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, gains realized on the sale or other disposition of our common stock may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in our common stock.
Value-Added Tax and Business Tax
In November 2011, the MOF and the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Pilot Plan for Imposition of Value-Added Tax to Replace Business Tax. In May and December 2013 and April 2014, the MOF and the State Administration of Taxation promulgated Circular 37, Circular 106 and Circular 43 to further expand the scope of services which are to be subject to Value-Added Tax, or VAT, instead of business tax. Pursuant to these tax rules, from August 1, 2013, VAT will be imposed to replace the business tax in certain service industries, including technology services and advertising services, on a nationwide basis. The VAT rate shall be 17% for sale or importation of goods by a taxpayer. But, unlike business tax, a taxpayer is allowed to offset the qualified input VAT paid on taxable purchases against the output VAT chargeable on the revenue from services provided.
Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange and Dividend Distribution
Foreign Exchange Regulation
The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China are the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations. Under the PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, may be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) by complying with certain procedural requirements. By contrast, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of foreign currency-denominated loans or foreign currency is to be remitted into China under the capital account, such as a capital increase or foreign currency loans to our PRC subsidiaries.
In November 2012, SAFE promulgated the Circular of Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Foreign Direct Investment. Pursuant to this circular, the opening of various special purpose foreign exchange accounts, such as pre-establishment expenses accounts, foreign exchange capital accounts and guarantee accounts, the reinvestment of RMB proceeds by foreign investors in the PRC, and remittance of foreign exchange profits and dividends by a foreign-invested enterprise to its foreign shareholders no longer require the approval or verification of SAFE, and multiple capital accounts for the same entity may be opened in different provinces, which was not possible previously. In addition, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Printing and Distributing the Provisions on Foreign Exchange Administration over Domestic Direct Investment by Foreign Investors and the Supporting Documents in May 2013, which specifies that the administration by SAFE or its local branches over direct investment by foreign investors in the PRC shall be conducted by way of registration and banks shall process foreign exchange business relating to the direct investment in the PRC based on the registration information provided by SAFE and its branches.Furthermore, in February 2015, SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Foreign Exchange Management Policies for Direct Investment, or SAFE Circular 13, which took effect in June 2015. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 13, the administrative approval requirements for foreign exchange registration under domestic direct investment and overseas direct investment have been canceled, and qualified banks will directly examine and handle foreign exchange registration under domestic direct investment and overseas direct investment, while SAFE and its branches indirectly supervise the foreign exchange registration via banks.
We typically do not need to use our offshore foreign currency to fund our PRC operations. In the event we need to do so, we will complete the relevant registrations with qualified banks or apply to obtain the relevant approvals of SAFE and other PRC government authorities as necessary.
SAFE Circular 37
SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular commonly known as “SAFE Circular 75” promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. In the event that a PRC shareholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary. Furthermore, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls.
We have notified substantial beneficial owners of common stock who we know are PRC residents of their filing obligation. However, we may not be aware of the identities of all our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. In addition, we do not have control over our beneficial owners and cannot assure you that all of our PRC resident beneficial owners will comply with SAFE Circular 37. The failure of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents to register or amend their SAFE registrations in a timely manner pursuant to SAFE Circular 37 or the failure of future beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 may subject such beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions. Failure to register or amend the registration may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries or receive dividends or other distributions from our PRC subsidiaries or other proceeds from disposal of our PRC subsidiaries, or we may be penalized by SAFE.
Share Option Rules
Under the Administration Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange Control issued by the PBOC on December 25, 2006, all foreign exchange matters involved in employee share ownership plans and share option plans in which PRC citizens participate require approval from SAFE or its authorized branch. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who participate in share incentive plans in overseas non-publicly-listed companies may submit applications to SAFE or its local branches for the foreign exchange registration with respect to offshore special purpose companies. In addition, under the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Companies, or the Share Option Rules, issued by SAFE on February 15, 2012, PRC residents who are granted shares or share options by companies listed on overseas stock exchanges under share incentive plans are required to (i) register with SAFE or its local branches, (ii) retain a qualified PRC agent, which may be a PRC subsidiary of the overseas listed company or another qualified institution selected by the PRC subsidiary, to conduct the SAFE registration and other procedures with respect to the share incentive plans on behalf of the participants, and (iii) retain an overseas institution to handle matters in connection with their exercise of share options, purchase and sale of shares or interests and funds transfers.
Regulation of Dividend Distribution
The principal laws, rules and regulations governing dividend distribution by foreign-invested enterprises in the PRC are the Company Law of the PRC, as amended, the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law and its implementation regulations and the Chinese-foreign Equity Joint Venture Law and its implementation regulations. Under these laws, rules and regulations, foreign-invested enterprises may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profit, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Both PRC domestic companies and wholly-foreign owned PRC enterprises are required to set aside as general reserves at least 10% of their after-tax profit, until the cumulative amount of such reserves reaches 50% of their registered capital. A PRC company is not permitted to distribute any profits until any losses from prior fiscal years have been offset. Profits retained from prior fiscal years may be distributed together with distributable profits from the current fiscal year.
Regulations on Mergers & Acquisitions and Overseas Listings
On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the CSRC, MOFCOM, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the SAT, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce and SAFE, adopted the M&A Rules, which became effective on September 8, 2006, and were amended on June 22, 2009. Foreign investors shall comply with the M&A Rules when they purchase equity interests of a domestic company or subscribe the increased capital of a domestic company, and thus changing the nature of the domestic company into a foreign-invested enterprise, when the foreign investors establish a foreign-invested enterprise in the PRC, purchase the assets of a domestic company and operate the assets, or when the foreign investors purchase the assets of a domestic company, establish a foreign-invested enterprise by injecting such assets, and operate the assets. As for merger and acquisition of a domestic company with a related party relationship by a domestic company, enterprise or natural person in the name of an overseas company legitimately incorporated or controlled by the domestic company, enterprise of natural person, such merger and acquisition shall be subject to examination and approval of MOFCOM. The parties involved shall not use domestic investment by foreign investment enterprises or other methods to circumvent the requirement of examination and approval.
Pursuant to the Manual of Guidance on Administration for Foreign Investment Access, which was issued and became effective on December 18, 2008 by MOFCOM, notwithstanding the fact that (i) the domestic shareholder is connected with the foreign investor or not, or (ii) the foreign investor is the existing shareholder or the new investor, the M&A Rules shall not apply to the transfer of an equity interest in an incorporated foreign-invested enterprise from the domestic shareholder to the foreign investor.
On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies. The Opinions proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-based overseas-listed companies and the demand for cybersecurity and data privacy protection.
On February 17, 2023, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, announced the Circular on the Administrative Arrangements for Filing of Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Circular, and released a set of new regulations which consists of the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Trial Measures, and five supporting guidelines. On the same date, the CSRC also released the Notice on the Arrangements for the Filing Management of Overseas Listing of Domestic Companies, or the Notice. The Trial Measures came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Trial Measures refine the regulatory system by subjecting both direct and indirect overseas offering and listing activities to the CSRC filing-based administration. Requirements for filing entities, time points and procedures are specified. A PRC domestic company that seeks to offer and list securities in overseas markets shall fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC per the requirements of the Trial Measures. Where a PRC domestic company seeks to indirectly offer and list securities in overseas markets, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity, which shall, as the domestic responsible entity, file with the CSRC. The Trial Measures also lay out requirements for the reporting of material events. Breaches of the Trial Measures, such as offering and listing securities overseas without fulfilling the filing procedures, shall bear legal liabilities, including a fine between RMB 1.0 million (approximately $150,000) and RMB 10.0 million (approximately $1.5 million), and the Trial Measures increase the cost for offenders by enforcing accountability with administrative penalties and incorporating the compliance status of relevant market participants into the Securities Market Integrity Archives.
According to the Circular, since the date of effectiveness of the Trial Measures on March 31, 2023, PRC domestic enterprises falling within the scope of filing that have been listed overseas or met the following circumstances are “existing enterprises”: before the effectiveness of the Trial Measures on March 31, 2023, the application for indirect overseas issuance and listing has been approved by the overseas regulators or overseas stock exchanges (such as the registration statement has become effective on the U.S. market), it is not required to perform issuance and listing supervision procedures of the overseas regulators or overseas stock exchanges, and the overseas issuance and listing will be completed by September 30, 2023. Existing enterprises are not required to file with the CSRC immediately, and filings with the CSRC should be made as required if they involve refinancings and other filing matters. PRC domestic enterprises that have submitted valid applications for overseas issuance and listing but have not been approved by overseas regulatory authorities or overseas stock exchanges at the date of effectiveness of the Trial Measures on March 31, 2023 can reasonably arrange the timing of filing applications with the CSRC and shall complete the filing with the CSRC before the overseas issuance and listing.
In addition, an overseas-listed company must also submit the filing with respect to its follow-on offerings, issuance of convertible corporate bonds and exchangeable bonds, and other equivalent offering activities, within the time frame specified by the Trial Measures.
It is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that because the Company is not a company registered and formed in the territory of China, its continued listing on Nasdaq and future offerings are not “direct overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises” as defined under the Trial Measures. Furthermore, according to Article 2 of the Trial Measures, the “indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises” refers to the overseas offering and listing of enterprises whose main business activities are in China, in the name of enterprises registered overseas, which offering and listing are based on the equity, assets, income or other similar rights and interests of the domestic enterprises. According to Article 15 of the Trial Measures, if the issuer meets both of the following conditions, the overseas offerings and listings shall be determined as an “indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises”: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic enterprises; and; (ii) its major operational activities are carried out in China or its main places of business are located in China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in China.
The Company does not meet both the requirements under Article 15 of the Trial Measures and therefore its continued listing on Nasdaq and future offerings are not an “Indirect overseas offering and listing of domestic enterprises”, considering that (i) the operating income and total profit of the Company’s subsidiaries that were established in China for the year ended December 31, 2023 do not account for more than 50% of the operating income and total profit in our consolidated financial statements for the same period, (ii) our main business is not conducted within China, and (iii) the majority of our senior management personnel are not Chinese citizens or reside in China on a regular basis. Therefore, it is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that we are not required to complete the record filing requirement under the Trial Measures. However, if we inadvertently conclude that such filing procedures are not required, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to complete the filing procedures in the future, we may be subject to investigations by the regulators, fines or penalties, ordered to suspend our relevant operations and rectify any non-compliance, prohibited from engaging in relevant business or conducting any offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and/or the value of our common stock, and could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China, revised the Provisions issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in 2009. The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies,” and came into effect on March 31, 2023 together with the Trial Measures. One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures. The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level; and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. Any failure or perceived failure by our Company or our subsidiaries, to comply with the above confidentiality and archives administration requirements under the revised Provisions and other PRC laws and regulations may result in the relevant entities being held legally liable by competent authorities, and referred to the judicial organ to be investigated for criminal liability if suspected of committing a crime.
Regulation on Cybersecurity Review
On December 28, 2021, the CAC, the NDRC, and several other administrations jointly issued the revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review, or the Revised Review Measures, which became effective and has replaced the existing Measures for Cybersecurity Review on February 15, 2022. According to the Revised Review Measures, if an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users intends to list in a foreign country, it must apply for a cybersecurity review. Based on a set of Q&A published on the official website of the State Cipher Code Administration in connection with the issuance of the Revised Review Measures, an official of the said administration indicated that an online platform operator should apply for a cybersecurity review prior to the submission of its listing application with non-PRC securities regulators. As the interpretation and implementation of the Revised Review Measures are continuously evolving, uncertainties exist with respect to their application in specific practices. For example, it is unclear whether the requirement of cybersecurity review applies to follow-on offerings by an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users where the offshore holding company of such operator is already listed overseas. Furthermore, on September 24, 2024, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Network Data Security Management (the “Data Security Management Regulations”), which became effective on January 1, 2025. Pursuant to the Data Security Management Regulations, network data processing activities refer to activities such as the collection, storage, use, processing, transmission, provision, disclosure, and deletion of data. Network data processors refer to individuals or organizations that independently determine the purposes and methods of data processing activities. Network data processors conducting any data processing activities that affect or may affect national security shall undergo national security review in accordance with relevant national regulations. Where it is indeed necessary to transfer any important data collected and generated within the territory of the PRC to an overseas party, the security assessment of outbound data transfer organized by the national cyberspace administration department shall be passed.
It is the opinion of our PRC counsel, Jiangsu Junjin Law Firm, that we will not be subject to cybersecurity review with the CAC, given that: (i) Shanghai Xianzhui does not possess and does not anticipate that it will possess a large amount of personal information in our business operations, (ii) data processed in Shanghai Xianzhui’s business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities, and (iii) any cross-border data transfers conducted in our ordinary course of business fall under the exemptions provided by the Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-Border Data Flows. In addition, for the same reasons, we are not subject to network data security review by the CAC pursuant to the Data Security Management Regulations. However, the definition of “network platform operator” is unclear and it is also unclear on how it will be interpreted and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. See “Risk factors — Risk Factors Related to Doing Business in China — Shanghai Xianzhui may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. Shanghai Xianzhui may be required to suspend its business, be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers or face other penalties.”
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may be involved in various claims and legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. None of our Company or our subsidiaries is currently a party to any such claims or proceedings which, if decided adversely to the Company, would either, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.