Specialty Finance Products

Original Product

Our original product relies upon Florida statutory provisions that effectively protect the principal amount invested by us in each Account. In particular, Section 718.116(1), Florida Statutes, makes purchasers and sellers of a unit in an Association jointly and severally liable for all past due assessments, interest, late fees, legal fees, and costs payable to the Association. As discussed above, the Florida Statutes grants to Associations a so-called “super lien”, which is a category of lien that is given a statutorily higher priority than all other types of liens other than property tax liens. The amount of the Association’s priority over a first mortgage holder that takes title to a property through foreclosure (or deed in lieu), referred to as the Super Lien Amount, is limited to twelve months’ past due assessments or, if less, one percent (1.0%) of the original mortgage amount. Under our contracts with Associations for our original product, we pay Associations an amount up to the Super Lien Amount for the right to receive all collected interest and late fees on Accounts purchased from the Associations.

The Statutes specify that the rate of interest an association (or its assignor) may charge on delinquent assessments is equal to the rate set forth in the association’s declaration or bylaws. In Florida if a rate is not specified, the statutory rate is equal to 18% but may not exceed the maximum rate allowed by law. Similarly, the Statutes in Florida also stipulate that administrative late fees cannot be charged on delinquent assessments unless so provided by the association’s declaration or bylaws and may not exceed the greater of $25 or 5% of each delinquent assessment.

In other states in which we have offered our original product, which are currently only in Washington, Colorado and Illinois, we rely on statutes that we believe are similar to the above-described Florida statutes in relevant respects.

New Neighbor Guaranty

In 2012, we developed a new product, the New Neighbor Guaranty, wherein an Association assigns substantially all of its outstanding indebtedness and accruals on its delinquent units to us in exchange for payments in an amount equal to the regular ongoing monthly or quarterly assessments for delinquent units when those amounts would be due to the Association. We assume both the payment and collection obligations for these assigned Accounts under this product. This simultaneously eliminates an Association’s balance sheet bad debts and assists the Association to meet its budget by receiving guaranteed assessment payments on its delinquent units and relieving the Association from paying legal fees and costs to collect its bad debts. We believe that the combined features of the product enhance the value of the underlying real estate in an Association and the value of an Association’s delinquent receivables.

Before we implement the New Neighbor Guaranty program for an Association we are typically asked to conduct a review of its accounts receivable. After we have conducted the review, we inform the Association which Accounts we are willing to purchase and the terms of such purchase. Once we implement the New Neighbor Guaranty program, we begin making scheduled payments to the Association on the Accounts as if the Association had non-delinquent residents occupying the units underlying the Accounts. Our New Neighbor Guaranty contracts typically allow us to retain all collection proceeds on each Account other than special assessments and accelerated assessment balances. Thus, the Association foregoes the potential benefit of a larger future collection in exchange for the certainty of a steady stream of immediate payments on the Account. 

Cryptocurrency Mining Business

On September 15, 2021, we announced that we plan to operate in the Bitcoin mining ecosystem. As of the date of this filing, we have not commenced operations. We aim to deploy the computing power that we will create to mine Bitcoin and validate transactions on the Bitcoin network. We believe that recent developments in Bitcoin mining have created an opportunity for us to deploy capital and conduct large-scale mining operations in the United States.  We have formed a new wholly owned subsidiary, US Digital Mining and Hosting Co, LLC, a Florida limited liability company (US Digital), to develop and operate our cryptocurrency mining business.

We have committed to purchasing an aggregate of 5,046 Bitcoin S19J Pro Antminer cryptocurrency mining machines for an aggregate purchase price of $31.6 million (the “Mining Machines”). We received 841 Mining Machines during the first half of May 2022. We anticipate receiving the remaining Mining Machines to be delivered in batches over an estimated delivery timeframe starting in June 2022 and continuing through October 2022.  The Bitmain Purchase Agreements required us to pay $7.9 million or 25% of the total purchase price as a non-refundable deposit for the Mining Machines within 7 days of the date of the signing of the respective Bitmain Purchase Agreements, and additional 35% of the batch price at least 6 months prior to shipment of such batch, and the remaining 40% of each batch price one month prior to the shipment of the batch.  

In October 2021, we also entered into a sale and purchase agreement (the “Uptime Purchase Agreement”) with Uptime Armory LLC (“Uptime”) pursuant to which US Digital agreed to purchase, and Uptime agreed to supply to US Digital, an aggregate of 18 modified 40-foot cargo containers (“POD5ive containers”) that will be designed to hold and operate 280 S19 Pro Antminers manufactured by Bitmain. The purchase price of the POD5ive containers totals $3.15 million of which $2.4 million or 75% was paid in 2021 as a non-refundable down payment and the remaining 25% is due within five business days after Uptime delivers a “notice of completion” of the equipment. On the same effective date, US Digital also entered into a hosting agreement with Uptime Hosting LLC to host the Company’s 18 POD5ive containers at a secure location and provide power, maintenance and other services specified in the contract for 6 cents per kilowatt with a term of one year. Under the hosting agreement we paid a deposit of $0.8 million in 2021 and will pay an additional deposit for each container three months prior to delivery at the hosting site of $44 thousand and a final deposit for each container one month prior to arrival at the hosting site of $44 thousand.

Reverse Stock Split

On May 11, 2020, our shareholders voted in favor of the approval of an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation, in the event it is deemed advisable by our Board of Directors, to effect an additional reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock at a ratio within the range of one-for-two (1:2) and one-for-ten (1:10), as determined by the Board of Directors On April 21, 2021, our Board of Directors approved a one-for-five reverse split of the Company’s common stock. As a result, on May 7, 2021, the Company effected a common share consolidation (“Reverse Stock Split”) by means of a one-for-five (1:5) reverse split of its outstanding common stock, which resulted in a decrease in outstanding common stock to 5,414,296 shares.  The Reverse Stock Split became effective on May 7, 2021 and the Company’s common stock began trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on a split-adjusted basis on May 7, 2021.  The Company has retroactively adjusted all share amounts and per share data herein to give effect to the Reverse Stock Split.

regulated financial institutions.  The Company earns additional Gemini dollars on GUDS holdings, which we earned approximately $4 thousand in Gemini dollars during the period which is recognized as digital assets income.

As of March 31, 2022 we had $504,366 of GUSD. The GUSD is redeemable at a 1:1 exchange for USD at any time. The Company’s GUSD holdings are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy and carried at amortized cost, which approximates their fair value.

There is currently no specific guidance under GAAP or alternative accounting framework for the accounting for digital assets recognized as revenue or held, and management has exercised significant judgment in determining the appropriate accounting treatment. In the event authoritative guidance is enacted by the FASB, the Company may be required to change its policies, which could have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results from operations.

Basic income (loss) per share is calculated as net income (loss) to common stockholders divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period (as adjusted to give effect to the Reverse Stock Split).

The Company issued approximately 74 thousand shares and 2.3 million shares at various times during the Three Months ended March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021, respectively, and has weighted averaged these new shares in calculating income (loss) per share for the relevant period.

The Company has restated all share amounts to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.

Diluted income (loss) per share for the period equals basic loss per share as the effect of any convertible notes, stock based compensation awards or stock warrants would be anti-dilutive.  

The anti-dilutive stock based compensation awards consisted of: