Soluna Holdings, Inc

Compensation Philosophy

The primary objectives of our compensation policies are to attract, retain, motivate, develop, and reward our\ management team for executing our strategic business plan, thereby enhancing stockholder value, while recognizing and rewarding individual and Company performance. These compensation policies include: (i) an overall management compensation program that is competitive with companies of similar size or within our industries and (ii) long-term incentive compensation in the form of stock-based compensation that is aimed towards encouraging management to continue to focus on stockholder returns. Our executive compensation program ties a substantial portion of our executives’ overall compensation to key strategic, financial, and operational goals, including: establishing and maintaining customer relationships; meeting revenue targets and profit and expense targets; growing our assets under management; evolving our AI business; and improving operational efficiency.

We believe that potential equity ownership in the Company is important to provide executive officers with incentives to build value for our stockholders. We believe that equity awards provide executives with a strong link to our short-term and long-term performance while creating an ownership culture to maintain the alignment of interests between our executives and our stockholders. When implemented responsibly, we also believe these equity incentives can function as a powerful executive retention tool.

The Compensation Committee of the Board, consisting entirely of independent directors, administers our compensation plans and policies, including the establishment of policies that govern base salary as well as short-term and long-term incentives for our executive management team.

Summary of Cash and Other Compensation

The following table sets forth the total compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to, for services rendered in all capacities to the Company during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, our “named executive officers,” as defined in SEC rules.

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

Base Salary and Cash Incentives of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

John Belizaire

Pursuant to the merger with Soluna Callisto, SCI and John Belizaire entered into an employment agreement, dated as of October 29, 2021, pursuant to which Mr. Belizaire served as President and Chief Executive Officer of SCI. The employment agreement provided for an initial term beginning on October 29, 2021, the effective date of the merger, and ending 36 months thereafter and, unless either party provides written notice ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of such initial term that the agreement will not be renewed, will be automatically renewed for an additional 12-month period on the third and each subsequent anniversary date of the effective date of the merger.

The agreement provided for an annual base salary of $350,000, an annual cash performance bonus of up to $175,000, an annual grant of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) with an aggregate grant date fair value of up to $175,000, and a one-time “sign-on” grant of RSUs with a value equal to $811,410. The amount of the annual performance bonus Mr. Belizaire would actually receive will be based on his attainment of company and/or personal performance objectives (“key performance objectives”) approved by the Board with respect to Mr. Belizaire for each calendar year, with the performance bonus prorated on a proportionate basis if he achieves at least 75%, but less than 100%, of the applicable key performance objectives.

Each annual RSU award will vest on a proportionate basis if Mr. Belizaire achieves at least 75% of his applicable key performance objectives, with the RSUs becoming fully vested if he achieves 100% of such key performance objectives.

The agreement provided that the Company will issue the RSUs constituting the one-time sign-on grant within 60 days following the effective date of the merger, or December 28, 2021, subject to Mr. Belizaire’s continued employment on the date of issuance, and they were issued on October 29, 2021, the effective date of the merger. One-third of such RSUs will vest on the 12-month anniversary of the date of grant, or October 29, 2022, with one-twenty-fourth of the remaining two-thirds vesting upon the last day of each complete month after October 29, 2022, in each case assuming that Mr. Belizaire is still providing services to SCI in the capacity of an employee, officer, director, consultant, or advisor on the applicable vesting date.

Any unvested RSUs will become fully vested upon the termination of Mr. Belizaire’s employment by SCI without Cause or by Mr. Belizaire for Good Reason, or upon a Change of Control, provided that Mr. Belizaire remains in employment with the Company through the Change of Control date, each as defined in the agreement.

The agreement also provides that it will terminate immediately upon Mr. Belizaire’s death or the determination that he is Disabled, as defined in the agreement. In addition, SCI may terminate Mr. Belizaire’s employment for or other than for Cause and Mr. Belizaire may terminate his employment immediately if for Good Reason or upon thirty (30) days written notice if other than for Good Reason. If SCI terminates Mr. Belizaire’s employment other than for Cause or Mr. Belizaire terminates his employment for Good Reason, then in addition to any accrued salary and other payments and benefits earned to date, assuming Mr. Belizaire has executed and delivered to SCI a general release of claims and does not revoke or breach any provision thereof, he will receive: (i) a severance payment equal to his then-current base salary for a period of six-months; (ii) any amount of his performance bonus earned for the most recently-completed calendar year based on attainment of the applicable key performance objectives for such year, to the extent unpaid as of his termination date; (iii) any amount of his performance bonus earned for the current calendar year based on attainment of the applicable key performance objectives for such year, prorated based on the number of days Mr. Belizaire was employed during such year; and (iv) if he is eligible for and elects continuation coverage pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (COBRA), continued copayment by SCI for Mr. Belizaire’s coverage under SCI’s group health plan during the 18-month period following the termination of his employment to the same extent that it was paying for such coverage immediately prior to his termination.

Pursuant to the employment agreement, SCI and Mr. Belizaire entered into a proprietary rights and restrictive covenants agreement that contains provisions with respect to safeguarding SCI’s proprietary and confidential information, as well as non-solicitation and non-compete provisions.

Effective May 1, 2023, Mr. Belizaire was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Soluna Holdings, Inc. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement dated November 20, 2023 (the “Belizaire Amended Agreement”), Mr. Belizaire agreed to serve as Soluna Holdings, Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer for an initial term beginning as of May 1, 2023, and continuing through December 31, 2027, to be extended automatically for successive one-year periods unless at least ninety (90) calendar days prior to the expiration of such term, either Mr. Belizaire or the Company notifies the other party in writing that such extension will not take effect, in consideration for a retroactive (to May 1, 2023) cash adjustment of his prior base salary through the date of the Belizaire Amended Agreement and a base salary thereafter of $450,000, which will be subject to annual cost of living adjustments and annual review by the Board or the Compensation Committee and may be increased from time to time by the Board or the Compensation Committee (“Belizaire Base Salary”). The Belizaire Amended Agreement provides for annual performance bonuses under the 2023 annual bonus incentive plan based on achievement of key performance objectives and eligibility for employee benefit plans in effect until Mr. Belizaire’s employment with the Company is terminated.

Pursuant to the Belizaire Amended Agreement, if Mr. Belizaire is terminated for any reason other than for Cause or resignation for Good Reason (each as defined in the Belizaire Amended Agreement), he is entitled to receive (i) a lump sum payment in the amount equal to the sum of Mr. Belizaire’s earned but unpaid Belizaire Base Salary through the date of termination, (ii) his earned but unpaid annual performance bonus for the calendar year preceding the date of termination based on actual attainment of the applicable performance objectives for such year, (iii) his earned but unpaid annual performance bonus for the current calendar year based on actual attainment of the applicable performance objectives for such year, which shall be paid in its entirety if the applicable performance objectives were achieved prior to the date of termination, and which otherwise shall be pro-rated based on the ratio of the number of days employed during such year to three hundred sixty***-***five (365) , (iv) his accrued but unused vacation days as of the date of termination, (v) reimbursement for any unreimbursed business expenses incurred through the date of termination, and (vi) any other benefits or rights Mr. Belizaire will have accrued or earned through his date of termination under the terms of any employee benefit plan. Additionally, if Mr. Belizaire is terminated without Cause or he resigns for Good Reason, subject to satisfaction of certain release conditions, he will also be entitled to coverage under the Company’s health insurance plan covering Mr. Belizaire for eighteen (18) months after the termination of his employment, and six months of his Base Salary, paid in equal monthly installments on regular Company payroll dates over the six months following such termination date.

John Tunison

The Company appointed John Tunison to serve as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company, effective as of March 29, 2024. In connection with the Board’s appointment of Mr. Tunison as Chief Financial Officer, the Company and Mr. Tunison entered into a three-year employment agreement (the “Employment Agreement”). The Employment Agreement provides for (i) an initial annual base salary of $350,000 and a potential performance bonus of up to 50% of the base salary as well as severance and other standard employment benefits (ii) an equity award in the form of restricted common stock under incentive equity plans maintained by the Company on the Company’s standard form award agreements with a reference percentage of 2% and (iii) an equity award in the form of restricted preferred stock under incentive equity plans maintained by the Company on the Company’s standard form award agreements for 25,000 shares.

Long-Term Equity Incentive Compensation

Equity awards typically take the form of stock options, restricted stock grants, or restricted stock units under our equity compensation plans. Authority to make equity awards to executive officers rests with the Compensation Committee. In determining the size of awards for new or current executives, the Compensation Committee consider the competitive market, strategic plan performance, contribution to future initiatives, benchmarking of comparative equity ownership for executives in comparable positions at similar companies, individual option history, and recommendations of our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman.

The timing of all equity awards for our named executive officers have coincided with either employment anniversary dates or our annual meeting dates, or such equity awards are granted at the next scheduled meeting of the Compensation Committee following the completion or assignment of the applicable objectives. We do not time equity grants to our executives in coordination with the release of material non-public information, nor do we impose any equity ownership guidelines on our executives.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

The following table provides information as to equity awards granted by the Company and held by John Belizaire, John Tunison and Michael Toporek, outstanding as of December 31, 2024.

Director Compensation for Fiscal Year 2024

On May 15, 2023, the Board’s Compensation Committee authorized non-employee directors to receive cash compensation, as follows: (i) $20,000 per annum to each non-employee director of the Board, an additional (ii) $15,000 per annum to each director then serving as a chairperson of the Audit Committee or the Compensation Committee of the Board, an additional (iii) $10,000 per annum for the Lead Independent Director of the Board, and an additional (iv) $15,000 per annum to each member of the Executive Committee. Future director compensation will be determined by the Compensation Committee. Directors who are also our employees, in particular Mr. Toporek, Mr. Belizaire, and partially Mr. Michaels for his time served as Interim CFO, are not compensated for serving on the Board. There were no changes for the fiscal year 2024.

The following table details the total compensation of the Company’s non-employee directors for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.