Direct Digital Holdings, Inc.

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 4, 2026.

Registration Statement No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1177 West Loop South, Suite 1310

Houston, Texas 77027

(832) 402-1051

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Mark Walker

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Keith Smith

President

1177 West Loop South, Suite 1310

Houston, Texas 77027

(832) 402-1051

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Rakesh Gopalan

David S. Wolpa

Troutman Pepper Locke LLP

301 S. College Street, 34th Floor

Charlotte, NC 28202

(704) 998-4050

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box:☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.☐

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling stockholder named in this prospectus may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and the selling stockholder named in this prospectus is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED FEBRUARY 4, 2026

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

1,818,181 Shares of Class ACommon Stock

This prospectus relates to the resale by New Circle Principal Investments LLC (“New Circle” or the “selling stockholder”) from time to time, of 1,818,181 shares of our Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”).

The shares of Class A Common Stock being offered by the selling stockholder have been or may be purchased pursuant to the share purchase agreement, dated October 18, 2024, as amended, that we entered into with New Circle (as amended, the “Purchase Agreement”). The shares being offered for resale by this prospectus consist of Class A Common Stock that we may, in our sole discretion, elect to issue and sell to New Circle, from time to time after the date of this prospectus, pursuant to (and limited by the terms of) the Purchase Agreement. See “New Circle Transaction” for a description of the Purchase Agreement and “Selling Stockholder” for additional information regarding New Circle. The prices at which New Circle may sell the shares will be determined by the prevailing market price for the shares or in negotiated transactions. We are not selling any securities under this prospectus and will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares of Class A Common Stock by the selling stockholder. We have not yet sold any of the 1,818,181 shares of Class A Common Stock that are the subject of this prospectus to New Circle under the Purchase Agreement. We may receive up to $100 million aggregate gross proceeds (subject to certain limitations) under the Purchase Agreement from any sales we make to New Circle pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, including sales made to date and to be made after the date of this prospectus.

Our registration of the resale of the securities covered by this prospectus does not mean that New Circle will offer or sell any of the Class A Common Stock. Subject to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the selling stockholder may sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Class A Common Stock described in this prospectus in a number of different ways and at varying prices. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information about how the selling stockholder may sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Class A Common Stock the offering of which is being registered pursuant to this prospectus. The selling stockholder is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

The selling stockholder will pay all brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses related to the resale of the securities described herein. We will pay the expenses (except brokerage fees and commissions and similar expenses) incurred in registering the offering of the shares, including legal and accounting fees. See “Plan of Distribution.”

We are a “smaller reporting company” and an “emerging growth company” under the federal securities laws and, as such, are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company.”

Our shares of Class A Common Stock are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “DRCT.” On January 26, 2026, the closing sale price of our Class A Common Stock was $3.40 per share.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should read “Risk Factors” beginning on page 12 of this prospectus and the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to read about factors to consider before purchasing our securities.

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued under this prospectus or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is , 2026.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under the circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. Neither we nor the selling stockholder have authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Neither we nor the selling stockholder take any responsibility for, or can provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any information other than the information in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus. The information in this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of its date, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any amendment or supplement to this prospectus, as applicable, or any sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may have changed since that date.

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