USBC, Inc.

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider all of the risks described below, together with all of the other information contained or referred to in this report, before making an investment decision with respect to our common stock. If any of the following events occur, our financial condition, business and results of operations (including cash flows) may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider all of the risks described below, together with all of the other information contained or referred to in this report, before making an investment decision with respect to our common stock. If any of the following events occur, our financial condition, business and results of operations (including cash flows) may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risk Related to Business, Finance and Operations

We have a history of losses, we may not be able to attain profitability in the future, and there is no assurance that our revenue and business model will be successful.

We have a history of net losses. We expect our costs will increase over time, and that we may continue to generate losses in the future as we invest significant additional funds toward growing our business and operating as a public company. Such losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter. We expect to expend substantial financial and other resources on pre-launch product development, including investments in our proposed product, engineering, data, and design teams and platform; our technology infrastructure, including systems architecture, management tools, scalability, availability, performance, security, and disaster recovery measures; our sales, marketing, and partner management organizations; acquisitions or strategic investments; and general administration, including legal and accounting expenses. These efforts may be more costly than we expect and may not result in the generation of any revenue. A failure to generate enough revenue to sufficiently keep pace with our investments and other expenses could prevent us from achieving profitability or positive cash flows. If we are unable to successfully address these risks and challenges as we encounter them, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.

If we cannot keep pace with rapid digital asset industry changes to provide new and innovative products and services, the potential use of our proposed products and services, and consequently our ability to generate any net revenue, could decline, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The digital asset industry has been characterized by many rapid, significant, and disruptive products and services in recent years. These include decentralized applications, DeFi, yield farming, non-fungible tokens, play-to-earn games, lending, staking, token wrapping, governance tokens, innovative programs to attract customers such as transaction fee mining programs, initiatives to attract traders such as trading competitions, airdrops and giveaways, staking reward programs, “layer 2” blockchain networks, and novel digital asset fundraising and distribution schemes, such as “initial exchange offerings.” We expect new digital asset products, services, and technologies to continue to emerge and evolve, which may be superior to, or render obsolete, the products and services that we are currently developing. For example, disruptive technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (“AI”) may fundamentally alter the use of our proposed products or services in unpredictable ways. We cannot predict the effects of new services and technologies on our business. Our ability to generate net revenue will depend heavily on our ability to innovate and create successful new products and services, both independently and in conjunction with third-party developers. In particular, developing and incorporating these new products and services into our business may require substantial expenditures, take considerable time, and ultimately may not be successful. Any new products or services could fail to attract customers, generate revenue, or perform or integrate well with third-party applications and platforms. In addition, our ability to adapt and compete with new products and services may be inhibited by regulatory requirements and general uncertainty in the law and regulatory expectations, constraints by our banking partners and payment processors, third-party intellectual property rights, or other factors. Moreover, we must continue to enhance our technical infrastructure and other technology offerings to remain competitive and ensure our platform has the required functionality, performance, capacity, security, and speed to attract and retain customers. As a result, we expect to incur significant costs and expenses to continue developing the technical infrastructure required to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Our success will depend on our ability to develop and incorporate new offerings and adapt to technological changes and evolving industry practices. If we are unable to do so in a timely or cost-effective manner, our business and our ability to successfully compete to attract customers may be adversely affected.

Historically, we have funded our operations and capital expenditures primarily through debt and equity issuance. Although we currently anticipate that our existing liquidity sources (including our Bitcoin holdings) will be sufficient to meet our cash needs for at least the next 12 months, our anticipated cash needs may be greater than our resources and we may require additional financing. We may evaluate financing opportunities from time to time, and our ability to obtain financing will depend, among other things, on our pre-launch development efforts, outcome of the pilot program, business plans, operating performance, and the condition of the capital markets at the time we seek financing. We cannot assure you that additional financing will be available to us on favorable terms when required, or at all. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or equity-linked securities, those securities may have rights, preferences, or privileges senior to the rights of our common stock, and our stockholders may experience dilution. If we raise additional funds by incurring indebtedness, then we may be subject to increased fixed payment obligations and could be subject to restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, and other operating restrictions that could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business. Any future indebtedness we may incur may result in terms that could be unfavorable to our investors.

Failure of vendors to perform their contractual agreements and our failure to effectively oversee vendor operations could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We contract with vendors and service providers who perform services for us or to whom select functions are delegated and integrated into our processes. In some cases, third-party vendors are one of a limited number of sources. These service providers play an important role in supporting the technology, automation, and operational capabilities of our platform. If certain critical vendors were unable to perform, we could experience interruptions or delays in the delivery of our products and services while we identify and integrate suitable alternatives. We also rely on third-party providers for key technology functions, including system availability, cybersecurity, data processing, and infrastructure support. These providers supply resources that help maintain the reliability, scalability, and security of our systems and data. We utilize a variety of other vendors to detect and defend against malicious activity and threats. Any disruption, performance degradation, or failure by our vendors to meet their obligations could adversely affect the continuity of our operations.

Our arrangements with vendors and service providers have in the past and may in the future disrupt or degrade our operations if they fail to satisfy their obligations to us or if they were to stop providing services to us either on a temporary or permanent basis. We may be unable to replace these vendors and service providers in a timely and efficient manner, on similar terms, or at all. In addition, our vendors and service providers may fail to operate in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and rules. Despite our efforts to monitor our vendors and service providers with which we transact business, there is no guarantee that they will comply with their contractual obligations as agreed to or applicable laws and regulations. Failure to maintain an effective vendor oversight program and monitor our vendors’ compliance with applicable laws could result in fines, penalties or other liability for errors and omissions by these vendors and service providers, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the listing requirements of the NYSE American and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations may increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming, or costly, and increase the demands on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and results of operations. In addition, we expect that our management and personnel will need to divert attention from operational and other business matters to devote substantial time to these public company requirements. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur as a result of being a public company or the timing of such costs.

Our executive officers have limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies, which may increase the amount of their time devoted to these activities and result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of our business. We continue to evaluate whether we have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal control over financial reporting required of public companies. We may expand our employee base and hire additional employees to support our operations as a public company, which may in the future cause our operating costs to increase. If we fail to establish and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements could be impaired, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and the trading price of our common stock may decline.

Being a public company also makes it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage, incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage or only obtain coverage with a significant deductible. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified executive officers and qualified members of our board of directors in the future, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee.

In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs, and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases due to the lack of specificity and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. We invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If, notwithstanding our efforts, we fail to comply with new laws, regulations and standards or our efforts differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE American rules and, as a result, we qualify for exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. Our stockholders do not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.

Greg Kidd, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, beneficially owns a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock through his solely-owned entity, Goldeneye 1995 LLC (“Goldeneye”). As a result, we are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the NYSE American LLC Company Guide. Under the NYSE American rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power in the election of directors is held by an individual, group, or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements. For example, controlled companies:

Accordingly, because we qualify as a controlled company, we may elect to rely on these exemptions and not implement certain governance practices (such as a fully independent board or committees). To the extent we choose to do so, our stockholders will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE American’s corporate governance requirements. In addition, because our controlling stockholder also serves as our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, the lack of independent oversight may increase the potential for related-party transactions or conflicts of interest that could be adverse to minority stockholders.

Our largest stockholder will continue to have a substantial influence over us for the foreseeable future, including the outcome of matters requiring stockholder approval. This concentration of control may prevent you and other stockholders from influencing significant corporate decisions, and it may result in conflicts of interest that could cause our stock price to decline.

As of November 30, 2025, Goldeneye, our largest stockholder, beneficially owned approximately 71.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock, on a fully diluted basis (and a higher percentage on a non-diluted basis), and exercises a corresponding level of voting control. As a result, Mr. Kidd, through Goldeneye, has the ability to control or heavily influence the election of our directors and the outcome of corporate actions requiring stockholder approval, such as: (i) a merger or a sale of the Company, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of our assets, and (iii) amendments to our articles of incorporation and bylaws. This concentration of voting power could discourage or prevent a change in control that minority stockholders might consider favorable and could result in the approval of transactions that might not reflect arm’s-length terms. The significant concentration of ownership may also reduce the liquidity and trading volume of our common stock and could result in a lower trading price. In addition, the significant concentration of stock ownership may adversely affect the market value of our common stock due to investors’ perception that conflicts of interest may exist or arise, or due to the reduced public float and liquidity of our shares. This risk overlaps with the risks discussed under “Risk Factors—Our Bitcoin treasury strategy exposes us to conflicts of interest and governance risks” because control by a single stockholder may also influence treasury-management decisions.

We have recently undergone a fundamental change in capitalization, and the issuance, repricing, or sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could result in significant dilution and adversely affect the market price of our shares.

In connection with our recent recapitalization and the adoption of our Amended and Restated 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, our outstanding shares of common stock increased materially—from approximately 3 million as of September 30, 2024 to approximately 388 million as of September 30, 2025. The amended plan authorizes the issuance of up to 115.3 million shares of common stock, with an evergreen provision that may automatically add up to 15 million shares each year through 2030.

In August and October 2025, we implemented significant equity-compensation actions, including the grant of new stock option awards and, in October, the repricing of the options granted in August. These actions materially increased the number of shares that may become eligible for future issuance, increasing our stock-based compensation expense.

We use equity-based compensation as a key component of our incentive and retention strategy and we expect to continue granting stock options and other equity awards in the future. The issuance, vesting, or exercise of these awards, as well as any future equity financings, will increase the number of shares outstanding and may further dilute existing stockholders, reduce our earnings per share, and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

In addition, a significant portion of our outstanding common stock is held by our principal stockholder, members of management, and other affiliates, resulting in a relatively limited public float. A limited float may contribute to price volatility and reduced liquidity in our stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock by us in future offerings, upon the exercise of equity awards, or by existing stockholders (including affiliates pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective registration statement), or even the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Future issuances of equity or debt securities could further dilute stockholders or adversely affect the value of our common stock.

Under our articles of incorporation, we are authorized to issue 750 million shares of common stock and 5 million shares of preferred stock. The issuance of additional equity or convertible securities could result in further dilution and may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. Similarly, any issuance of debt securities could impose restrictive covenants or liens that limit our operational flexibility or subordinate equity holders’ claims in a liquidation.

We may also offer debt securities that have rights senior to those of our common stock or contain restrictive covenants, including liens on our assets. Because our decision to issue securities or incur debt in our future offerings will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings and debt financing. Further, market conditions could require us to accept less favorable terms for the issuance of our securities in the future. Thus, you will bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the value of your shares and diluting your interest in us.

We are currently operating under an accepted plan with the NYSE American to regain compliance with its continued listing standards, but there can be no assurance that we ultimately will do so.

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE American, and the continued listing of our common stock on the NYSE American is contingent upon our ongoing compliance with a number of listing requirements. These include minimum share price, minimum number of public stockholders and minimum stockholders’ equity requirements, among others.

On September 27, 2024, we received a notice from the NYSE American stating that we were not in compliance with certain listing standards set forth in Sections 1003(a)(ii) and 1003(a)(iii) of the NYSE American LLC Company Guide. On December 10, 2024, the NYSE American accepted our plan to regain compliance and granted a plan period through March 27, 2026.

The NYSE American may initiate delisting proceedings at any time if it determines that we are not making sufficient progress under the plan or otherwise fail to satisfy listing standards (including suitability standards under Section 1003(f)(v)). On January 29, 2025, the NYSE American announced that it would commence delisting proceedings against us for low bid price. We filed an appeal and continue to pursue corrective actions.

If we fail to regain ongoing compliance, or are deemed unsuitable for continued listing, our common stock could be delisted from the NYSE American and, if we are unable to list on another national securities exchange, may only be eligible for quotation on the over-the-counter market. This could result in significant adverse consequences, including:

Although our plan was accepted, there is no assurance that we will be able to maintain ongoing compliance with the NYSE American’s continued listing requirements in the future. In addition, any delisting or prolonged non-compliance could delay or limit commercialization of our tokenized-deposit initiative by impairing counterparties’ or regulators’ willingness to proceed with required approvals and integrations.

Because our stock price has fluctuated significantly and may remain volatile, the value of your investment may decline.

The market price of our common stock has been and is likely in the future to be volatile. Our common stock price may fluctuate in response to factors such as:

These broad market and industry factors may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future.* *

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to continue to retain all of our future net earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of any future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

Risks Related to Our Bitcoin Treasury Strategy and Holdings

Bitcoin price volatility and correlation to our stock could materially impact our financial results and market price.

Bitcoin’s price has experienced, and is expected to continue to experience, extreme volatility. Fluctuations in Bitcoin’s market price directly affect our reported net income or loss and may cause our stock to trade as a proxy for Bitcoin regardless of operational performance. Factors affecting Bitcoin’s price include investor sentiment, large-volume trading, market manipulation on unregulated venues, adverse publicity (including cybersecurity incidents or environmental critiques), regulatory posture and enforcement actions, macroeconomic conditions (such as interest rates and liquidity), technological competition, and breakthroughs that undermine cryptographic security. A material decline in Bitcoin’s price would directly reduce the value of our Bitcoin holdings, increase earnings volatility, and could adversely affect our financial condition and the market price of our common stock. See also “Risk Factors—Because our stock price has fluctuated significantly and may remain volatile, the value of your investment may decline.”

Concentration of our Bitcoin holdings and market-liquidity constraints magnify adverse outcomes.

A significant portion of our assets is concentrated in Bitcoin, limiting diversification and increasing exposure to Bitcoin-specific risks. Periods of limited market liquidity or exchange disruptions may impair our ability to liquidate positions at favorable prices—or at all—especially during stress events. Bitcoin held with custodians is not insured by the FDIC or SIPC, and private insurance may be limited. These factors reduce our financial flexibility in periods of market disruption and can exacerbate downside moves.

Counterparty, custody, and market-infrastructure risks, including contagion, could result in loss of assets or access.

We rely on U.S. institutional-grade custodians and contractual protections intended to establish our property interest in custodially-held Bitcoin; however, applicable insolvency and property law for digital assets remains unsettled. If a custodian were to become insolvent or enter receivership, our custodially-held Bitcoin could be treated as part of the custodian’s bankruptcy estate, and we could be deemed an unsecured creditor. Broader industry failures (such as FTX, Celsius, Voyager, and BlockFi, and banking exits affecting crypto-related services) illustrate counterparty and contagion risks that can depress liquidity and prices, restrict venues, and create new operational risks. Even absent insolvency, operational failures, security breaches, or non-performance by trading partners or service providers could delay access to or result in a partial or total loss of holdings, materially adversely affecting our condition and stock price. Insurance for digital-asset activities may be limited or unavailable, increasing residual loss exposure.

Regulatory and accounting developments could increase compliance burdens and earnings volatility or restrict our strategy.

Digital assets exist within a rapidly evolving legal framework in the United States and abroad. Regulatory actions or new rules—covering securities, commodities, money-transmission, anti-money-laundering, tax, or prudential supervision, could impose licensing or registration requirements, restrict custodial or trading services, or otherwise limit our ability to hold or transact in Bitcoin. In 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2023-08, which requires fair-value measurement of certain crypto assets with changes in value recognized in net income. This change could materially increase variability in our reported results and reduce period-to-period comparability.

If Bitcoin were deemed a “security,” our holdings could be treated as investment securities and we could be deemed an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, fundamentally altering our operations and potentially forcing asset sales or restructuring to ensure conformity with exceptions provided by, and rules and regulations promulgated under, the Investment Company Act of 1940. We do not believe that we meet these definitions because we are primarily engaged in a non-investment company business.

Our valuation and financial-reporting controls for digital assets and derivatives are complex and involve significant judgment. Fair-value accounting requires estimates of market inputs and pricing data that may not be independently verifiable. If our valuation methods or internal controls prove inaccurate, we could be required to restate our financial statements or disclose a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting.

In addition, our Science Division’s sensor technologies may be classified as medical devices and hence could be subject to extensive and evolving FDA regulation; delays in review, additional data requirements, or changes in guidance could materially affect development timing and cost.

Yield-generation and derivative strategies are risky and relatively untested at public-company scale.

Bitcoin does not pay interest or dividends. We seek to generate yield or manage exposure through treasury strategies which may include lending, margin, or our current derivative trading strategy (such as selling calls or call spreads). These activities may expose us to leverage, counterparty default, and liquidity risk, including potential margin calls or forced liquidations during market volatility, which could materially reduce liquidity or magnify losses. In connection with these strategies, we may pledge digital assets as collateral under agreements that permit counterparties to exercise control and liquidate such assets without prior notice if margin requirements or other obligations are not met. While such arrangements are customary for institutional trading, they reduce our flexibility to deploy pledged assets and could result in asset sales at unfavorable prices during stress events. Our current Bitcoin treasury trading strategy, intended to boost holdings through premiums, has limited precedent across market cycles and may cap upside while increasing downside and earnings volatility under GAAP.

Operational, technology, cybersecurity, and market-access risks could disrupt execution of our strategy.

Secure custody depends on safeguarding private keys; loss, theft, or compromise (including custodian failures or cyberattacks) could permanently impair access to Bitcoin. Technological or cryptographic breakthroughs, including advances in quantum computing, or protocol failures could undermine Bitcoin’s security and value. We also rely on complex integrations, cloud infrastructure, and open-source and third-party software to operate securely and efficiently. Defects, outages, or vulnerabilities in these systems—or in the systems of our vendors—could interrupt service, delay transactions, or expose sensitive data. Cyberattacks, phishing, ransomware, or insider misconduct could compromise customer or company information and result in financial losses, regulatory scrutiny, or reputational harm. Perceived crypto-related risk may also limit access to traditional banking, payments, capital-markets services, or director-and-officer and other insurance, increasing costs and operational friction.

Risks Related to Our Product Development Initiatives

Our tokenized-deposit initiative has not yet launched and our Science Division remains in the development stage which subjects both initiatives to significant uncertainty.

We are continuing to develop our proposed products and services related to retail tokenized U.S.-dollar deposits, and our Science Division remains in the research and development stage. Our success depends on achieving technical validation and, where applicable, regulatory clearance for our proposed products, including our non-invasive glucose monitoring technology. The Science Division operates in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving field of medical-sensing technology, and advances by competitors could render our platform less attractive or obsolete before commercialization. We recently announced a collaboration with a U.S. bank partner (Vast Bank) and a distribution and technology partner (Uphold) to conduct joint development and pilot activities to finalize and deliver a tokenized-deposit platform. This arrangement is non-binding and remains subject to negotiation of a definitive agreement, satisfaction of integration milestones, and receipt of required board and regulatory approvals. Management believes the pilot program for the tokenized deposit initiative demonstrates commercial potential. However, the amount and timing of future revenue is uncertain and is subject to customer adoption. The ultimate plans for the rollout of the future retail launch are dependent on a number of factors, including the outcome of the pilot program, which may not reflect full-scale deployment. If we fail to demonstrate reliability, accuracy, and scalability, we may be unable to attract partners, obtain approvals, or generate revenue. There can be no assurance as to the timing, scope, or completion of any of these steps and either initiative may be delayed, modified, or discontinued if approvals are not obtained, if negotiations fail, or if our partners elect to pause or terminate participation.

We may be unable to launch retail tokenized U.S. dollar deposits within anticipated timelines, or at all, if required approvals are delayed, modified, or not obtained.

We may be unable to launch any retail tokenized-deposit product within anticipated timelines, or at all, if required regulatory, board, or banking-partner approvals are delayed, modified, or not obtained. Definitive implementation agreements with our banking and distribution partners have not yet been executed, and the structure of the contemplated product remains subject to ongoing technical, legal, and regulatory review and subject to the future outcome of the pilot program. Any material changes in regulatory expectations, partner readiness, integration requirements, or supervisory feedback could delay, limit, or preclude commercialization.

Our ability to advance our tokenized-deposit initiative will depend entirely on the participation, regulatory standing, and technical readiness of third-party partners.

We will rely on the continuing engagement and performance of our banking and technology partners to design, integrate, and operate the contemplated platform. Changes in a partner’s regulatory posture, risk appetite, operational capacity, or strategic priorities could delay, limit, or halt development. Cybersecurity incidents, commercial disputes, or turnover among key personnel could also increase costs, require re-engineering, or force us to identify and onboard replacements, any of which could materially affect our plans.

In addition, heightened regulatory scrutiny of bank–fintech relationships may impose additional obligations or cause delays. U.S. banking regulators have issued guidance emphasizing enhanced oversight of third-party relationships, including due-diligence, monitoring, and approval expectations. If Vast Bank, or any future banking partner, becomes subject to restrictions, enforcement actions, or supervisory findings, it could be required to suspend or terminate its participation, which would compel us to seek alternative partners or pause the initiative altogether.

The legal and regulatory framework for tokenized deposits is unsettled and may impose obligations that make the initiative impractical.

The regulatory treatment of retail tokenized deposits, particularly with respect to FDIC insurance coverage, Regulation E, state money-transmission laws, bank third-party-risk-management standards, consumer-protection rules, and blockchain-settlement requirements, is evolving and uncertain, and may impose additional licensing, registration, or consumer-protection requirements that differ by jurisdiction. Regulators could determine that aspects of a proposed design are non-compliant or require licenses, charters, or additional controls, or could classify our tokenized deposits as securities, stablecoins, or other regulated instruments. Although we believe tokenized deposits represent traditional bank liabilities recorded on blockchain technology, regulators, including the SEC, OCC, or FDIC, could reach a different conclusion, which could require registration, licensing, or fundamental redesign of the program and materially limit or delay commercialization.

If regulators were to determine that any aspect of our activities constitutes custody or money transmission, we could be required to obtain federal or state money-transmitter licenses, register with FinCEN, or comply with additional custodial-safeguarding and reporting obligations. Satisfying these requirements or the process of seeking licenses in multiple jurisdictions could delay or prevent the commercial launch of our tokenized-deposit initiative, materially increase our ongoing compliance costs, or require structural changes to our business model.

Regulators may require banks to maintain traditional core-banking and general-ledger systems even if tokenized-deposit architecture is used, which could increase costs or limit the design of the product.

Although the contemplated tokenized-deposit design seeks to reduce reliance on traditional core-banking technology, U.S. banking regulators generally expect institutions to maintain comprehensive ledgering, reconciliation, operational-risk, and internal-control systems. There has been guidance, reports, and public statements issued by federal and state financial regulators regarding the legal permissibility of, and supervisory considerations relating to financial institutions engaging in blockchain-related activities. If regulators determine that blockchain-based infrastructure is insufficient to meet supervisory expectations, our banking partners may be required to maintain additional systems, controls, or vendors, which could increase costs, delay development, or limit the design of the product. Regulation of blockchain-related activities remains uncertain and will continue to evolve.

Developing a tokenized-deposit platform exposes us to significant development, operational, security, and technology risks.

Our tokenized-deposit initiative will require substantial additional investments in software design, integration, and testing and require significant management time. Building and integrating mobile-application, blockchain, and banking-system infrastructure is costly, complex, and subject to execution risk. Development projects frequently exceed budget or schedule and may fail to deliver anticipated functionality or security. The product is heavily dependent on blockchain infrastructure and smart-contract functionality to represent deposit claims. Smart-contract defects, reconciliation errors between bank core systems and blockchain records, scalability limitations, or outages at infrastructure providers could result in loss of funds, service interruptions, or liability. Because these systems have not yet been formally implemented, the extent of these risks cannot yet be fully assessed.

Reputational or regulatory issues affecting our partners could harm the tokenized-deposit initiative, even if we are not directly implicated.

Adverse events at Vast Bank, Uphold, or other partners, such as enforcement actions, consent orders, or cybersecurity breaches, could reduce public trust, delay regulatory review, or constrain the design or rollout of any tokenized-deposit product which could damage our brand and adversely impact our results.

International access to tokenized deposits may be limited by sanctions, local-law restrictions, or bank-partner policies, which could materially reduce our addressable market and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Access to tokenized deposits by non-U.S. persons will depend on the issuing bank’s policies and compliance with applicable U.S. and foreign laws, including OFAC sanctions, anti-money-laundering rules, and local financial-services regulations. Foreign regulators may restrict, prohibit, or impose additional requirements on the offering of tokenized deposits in their jurisdictions. These limitations could delay or restrict international availability of tokenized deposits, materially reducing the addressable market and potentially increasing compliance costs.

Potential conflicts of interest involving our banking partner, if not appropriately addressed, could create regulatory or governance risks.

Our Vice Chair, Linda Jenkinson, also serves as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Vast Holdings, Inc., the holding company that owns Vast Bank which will be our initial bank partner for the tokenized-deposit initiative. In addition, our Chairman and CEO, Greg Kidd, owns a controlling interest in Vast Holdings, Inc., which may cause regulators to view our relationship with Vast Bank as a related-party transaction subject to heightened scrutiny. All terms of the recent collaboration with Vast Bank and Uphold were negotiated at arm’s length and approved by disinterested members of our Board. Any actual or perceived conflict could invite additional regulatory review or require enhanced governance measures, which could increase costs or delay progress on the tokenized-deposit initiative.

Our success will depend on retaining qualified management and technical personnel.

Our business and future development efforts rely on the expertise of our management team and key technical employees, including software engineers, cybersecurity specialists, and compliance professionals. Competition for such talent in the fintech and digital-asset industries is intense. The loss of key employees could delay development initiatives, disrupt operations, or impair our ability to meet regulatory requirements. Replacing specialized personnel can be difficult and costly, particularly in emerging areas such as blockchain engineering and digital-asset compliance. If we fail to attract or retain qualified talent, our innovation and growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

Intellectual property challenges could impair our ability to protect or commercialize our technology.

Our success will depend on maintaining and enforcing patents and proprietary rights related to our sensor platform and other financial technologies. If competitors challenge, design around, or invalidate our patents, or if we fail to protect trade secrets, our competitive position could be materially weakened. Intellectual property disputes could also divert resources and delay development or commercialization.