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Mawson Infrastructure Group (MIGI)
NASDAQ:MIGI
US Market
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Mawson Infrastructure Group (MIGI) Risk Factors

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Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

Mawson Infrastructure Group disclosed 43 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Mawson Infrastructure Group reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.

Risk Overview Q2, 2024

Risk Distribution
43Risks
26% Finance & Corporate
23% Legal & Regulatory
16% Tech & Innovation
16% Production
14% Macro & Political
5% Ability to Sell
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2020
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Mawson Infrastructure Group Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q2, 2024

Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 11 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 11 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
43
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
43
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
1Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jun 2024
1Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jun 2024
Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Mawson Infrastructure Group in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 43

Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 11/43 (26%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights1 | 2.3%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
The trading price of our Common Stock is likely to continue to be volatile.
The trading price of our Common Stock has been highly volatile and could continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Our Common Stock has experienced fluctuations due to market dynamics, and the Bitcoin downturn. The stock market in general, and the market for technology companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Our Common Stock may be traded by short sellers, which may put pressure on the supply and demand for our Common Stock, further influencing volatility in its market price. Public perception of our company or management and other factors outside of our control may additionally impact Mawson's stock price.
Accounting & Financial Operations6 | 14.0%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
Because there has been limited precedent set for financial accounting for bitcoin and other cryptocurrency assets, the determinations that we have made for how to account for cryptocurrency assets transactions may be subject to change.
Because there has been limited precedent set for the financial accounting for bitcoin and other cryptocurrency assets and related revenue recognition and no official guidance has yet been provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the SEC, it is unclear how companies may in the future be required to account for cryptocurrency transactions and assets and related revenue recognition. A change in regulatory or financial accounting standards could result in the necessity to change the accounting methods we currently intend to employ in respect of our anticipated revenues and assets and restate any financial statements produced based on those methods. Such a restatement could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operation.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We may fail to meet our publicly announced guidance or other expectations about our business, which could cause our stock price to decline.
We may provide from time-to-time guidance regarding our expected financial and business performance. Correctly identifying key factors affecting business conditions and predicting future events is inherently an uncertain process, and our guidance may not ultimately be accurate and has in the past been inaccurate in certain respects, such as the timing of new exahash. Our guidance is based on certain assumptions, and may vary from actual results, if our assumptions are not met or are impacted as a result of various risks and uncertainties, the market value of our Common Stock could decline significantly.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 3
Our financial results may vary significantly from period to period due to fluctuations in our revenue, operating costs and other factors.
We expect our period-to-period financial results to vary based on a variety of factors, which we anticipate will fluctuate due to external factors such as the Bitcoin price and energy costs, may not be consistent or linear between periods. As a result of these factors, quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our financial results may not be useful, and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Moreover, our financial results may not meet the expectations of equity research analysts, ratings agencies or investors, who may be focused only on short-term quarterly financial results. If any of this occurs, the trading price of our stock could fall substantially, either suddenly or over time.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 4
We may not be able to timely and effectively implement controls and procedures required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
We are required to comply with certain provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("Sarbanes-Oxley Act"). Section 404 requires that our management maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting that provides reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. It also requires that our management annually evaluate whether our internal control over financial reporting is effective at providing reasonable assurance and to disclose its assessment to investors. Our management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission ("COSO"). As a result of this assessment, management identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting as described in Item 9A. "Controls and Procedures". As a result of the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, the Company's management has concluded that, as December 31, 2023, the Company's internal control over financial reporting was not effective based on the criteria in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by COSO. Mawson may not be able to implement adequate controls and procedures in time that adequately respond to the regulatory compliance and reporting requirements that are applicable to us. If Mawson is not able to implement the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, we may not be able to assess whether our internal control over financial reporting are effective, which may subject us to adverse regulatory consequences and could harm investor confidence and the market price of our stock. In addition, as a smaller reporting company and non-accelerated filer, we are not subject to the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. However, as we grow, we may become subject to the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. If we fail to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the accuracy and timeliness of the filing of our annual and quarterly reports may be materially adversely affected and could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our Common Stock. In addition, we identified a material weakness in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting which could result in an increased chance of fraud and the loss of customers, reduce our ability to obtain financing and require additional expenditures to comply with these requirements, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 5
The increasing network difficulty, plays a crucial role in determining the profitability of Bitcoin mining.
Essentially, network difficulty refers to the degree of effort required to solve the mathematical problems that validate transactions on the Bitcoin network. For cryptocurrencies that use a Proof-of-Work (PoW) validation system such as Bitcoin, creating new cryptocurrencies involves "miners" using their computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles. In the case of Bitcoin, miners' computers, also called nodes, collect and bundle individual transactions into blocks every ten minutes, which is the fixed "block time" of Bitcoin. The computers then compete to solve a complex cryptographic puzzle to be the first to validate the new block for the blockchain. As a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin becomes more popular, the number of computers participating in this peer-to-peer validation network increases. With more participants and more computing power, the so-called "hashpower" of the entire network increases accordingly. The higher the network difficulty, the more challenging it is to mine new Bitcoins. As a result, mining profitability is directly impacted by changes in difficulty levels. There are several other factors that can influence network difficulty, such as: 1. Network difficulty adjustments: The Bitcoin network adjusts difficulty every 2016 blocks or approximately every two weeks. The adjustment is based on the total network hash rate, which is the measure of computing power being used to mine on the network. If the hashing power on the network increases, the difficulty level also increases to maintain a consistent rate of new blocks being added to the blockchain. Conversely, if the hashing power decreases, the difficulty level decreases as well. This means that the profitability of mining can be impacted by changes in the number of miners on the network. 2. Block time: As mentioned earlier, the target block time for Bitcoin is 10 minutes. If blocks are being generated too quickly, the difficulty level will increase to slow down the rate of block creation. Conversely, if blocks are being generated too slowly, the difficulty level will decrease to speed up the rate of block creation. 3. Hardware efficiency: The efficiency of mining hardware can have a significant impact on mining difficulty. More efficient hardware can mine more hashes per second, which increases the hash rate and can cause the difficulty level to rise. 4. Electricity costs: Mining requires a lot of electricity, and the cost of electricity can have a significant impact on mining difficulty. If electricity costs are high, miners may need to shut down their operations or switch to more efficient hardware to remain profitable. 5. Market conditions: The price of Bitcoin can have a significant impact on mining difficulty. If the price of Bitcoin increases, more miners may join the network, causing the hash rate to increase and the difficulty level to rise. Conversely, if the price of Bitcoin decreases, some miners may exit the network, causing the hash rate to drop and the difficulty level to decrease. 6. The Halving: Bitcoin undergoes a halving event roughly every four years, where the reward for mining a new block is cut in half. This means that miners need to mine twice as many blocks to earn the same amount of bitcoin. This can lead to a drop in hash rate, as some miners may find it less profitable to continue mining.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 6
We have incurred operating losses since inception.
During the time we have operated we have incurred net losses. We expect to continue to incur losses for the near future, and these losses may likely increase as we pursue our growth strategy. If we do not achieve our operational objectives, and if we do not generate sufficient cash flow and income, our financial performance and long-term viability may be materially and adversely affected. Our inability to achieve and then maintain profitability would negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Debt & Financing4 | 9.3%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
We will need to raise substantial additional capital to continue our operations and execute our business strategy, meet our debt service obligations and execute our business strategy, and we may not be able to raise adequate capital on a timely basis, on favorable terms, or at all. Our inability to raise sufficient capital would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and business.
We have a history of losses from operations, we expect negative cash flows from our operations to continue for the foreseeable future, and we expect that our net losses will continue for the foreseeable future as we seek to increase the efficiency of our operations, find new co-location customers, and grow the size of our self-mining operations. These circumstances raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our financial statements as of December 31, 2023, have been prepared on the basis that we will be able to continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. At December 31, 2023, our accumulated deficit was $182.67 million, our cash and cash equivalents were $4.48 million, we had negative working capital of $33.18 million, and we had an aggregate of $19.35 million of debt of which $16.87 million is overdue for repayment and the remaining is all required to be repaid within two months of December 31, 2023 unless we refinance or renegotiate the terms. In addition, the Celsius deposit of $15.33 million is the subject of an ongoing legal dispute. Advancing our future plans will require substantial additional investment. Based on our current operating plan estimates, we do not have sufficient cash to satisfy our working capital needs and other liquidity requirements over the next 12 months from the date of this report. We will need to raise substantial additional capital in the near term to continue to fund our operations, meet our debt obligations and execute our current business strategy. The amount and timing of our capital needs have and will continue to depend on many factors, as discussed further below as well as under "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations -Liquidity and Capital Resources." We have several notes in default which can subject collateral to seizure and otherwise impact our ability to use the collateral in our operations as well as affect our ability to raise capital. Additional capital may not be available to us, or even if it is, the cost of such capital may be high or even uncommercial. We may be forced to obtain additional capital when our stock price or trading volume or both are low, or when the general market for cryptocurrency companies is weak. Raising capital under any of these or similar scenarios, if we can raise any at all, may lead to significant dilution to our existing stockholders. We may be forced to sell assets to raise capital, and we may not be able to realize the full value of those assets at the time of sale. Because of a Current Report on Form 8-K, which we filed after the filing deadline, we are currently not eligible to utilize Form S-3 registration statements, which prevents us from utilizing our ATM or otherwise raising capital using a Form S-3, until our eligibility is regained in August 2024, thus delaying our ability to raise funds through these methods and increasing the time and cost to raise funds until August 2024. After regaining eligibility to use Form S-3 registration statements, we still expect to be limited by General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, which is referred to as the "baby shelf" rules. Our management may devote significant time and we may incur substantial costs in pursuing, evaluating and negotiating potential strategic options or capital-raising transactions and those efforts may not prove successful on a timely basis, or at all. If we cannot raise adequate additional capital when needed, we may be forced to reorganize or merge with another entity, sell or monetize assets, file for bankruptcy, or cease operations. If we become unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets, and might realize significantly less than the values at which they are carried on our financial statements, and our stockholders may lose all or part of their investment in our Common Stock.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Increased Interest Rates
Central banks around the world (including the United States Federal Reserves) have been increasing their interest rates. While our current borrowings are at fixed rates of interest, any future borrowings or refinancing may be at higher interest rates than the rates that we have obtained in the past.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
Banks and financial institutions may cease to provide financial services to persons involved in cryptocurrency transactions.
Banks and other financial institutions can and have made legal and risk-based decisions to not accept customers such as digital assets investors or businesses that engage in Bitcoin-related activities or that accept Bitcoin as payment. This may be because it would be illegal for them to do so, or in situations where the legal position is unsure, but subject to material risk. If we, or our major business partners (e.g. exchanges, mining pools, or miner suppliers) are unable to obtain banking services, this will cause material business disruption and loss and damage to our business. If it occurs to a significant number of Bitcoin users, investors and traders, this may lead to a loss of confidence in Bitcoin and its value, leading to a fall in the Bitcoin price.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
To the extent that the digital asset exchanges / custodians representing a substantial portion of the volume in digital asset trading are involved in fraud or experience security failures or other operational issues, such digital asset exchanges / custodians' failures may result in a reduction in the price of some or all digital assets and can adversely affect us.
The digital asset exchanges / custodians on which the digital assets trade are relatively new (compared to actors in traditional financial services) and, in most cases, largely unregulated, or subject to little oversight. Furthermore, many digital asset exchanges / custodians (including several of the most prominent USD denominated digital asset exchanges) do not provide the public with significant information regarding their ownership structure, management teams, corporate practices or regulatory compliance. As a result, the marketplace may lose confidence in, or may experience problems relating to, digital asset exchanges / custodians, including prominent exchanges / custodians handling a significant portion of the volume of digital asset trading. A lack of stability in the digital asset exchange market and the closure or temporary shutdown of digital asset exchanges due to fraud, business failure, hackers or malware, or government-mandated regulation may reduce confidence in the digital asset networks and result in greater volatility in digital asset values. These potential consequences of a digital asset exchange's failure could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 10/43 (23%)Above Sector Average
Regulation5 | 11.6%
Regulation - Risk 1
Digital assets such as Bitcoin are likely to be more highly regulated.
Digital assets and cryptocurrencies have been subject to ongoing scrutiny by regulators and government. It is possible that regulation in the digital asset industry will increase. We cannot be certain of future regulatory developments or interpretations, and it is difficult to list or describe all the risks that Mawson may be subject to in this space. In addition, regulatory actions, as well as any other political developments in the regions with active cryptocurrency trading or mining, may increase our domestic competition as some of those cryptocurrency miners or new entrants in this market may move their cryptocurrency mining operations or establishing new operations in the United States. Furthermore, government scrutiny related to restrictions on cryptocurrency mining facilities and their energy consumption has increased over the past few years as cryptocurrency mining has become more widespread. The consumption of electricity by mining operators may also have a negative environmental impact, including contribution to climate change, which could set the public opinion against allowing the use of electricity for bitcoin mining activities or create a negative consumer sentiment and perception of bitcoin. State and federal regulators are increasingly focused on the energy and environmental impact of bitcoin mining activities. Additionally, if the regulatory and economic environment in Pennsylvania and Ohio were to become less favorable to bitcoin mining and hosting companies, including by way of increased taxes, means our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining are presently legal in the U.S.; however, they may become illegal in the future, or subject to regulation (such as caps, taxes or licensing regimes). Regulatory changes or interpretations could cause us (or any of our related entities) to register and comply with new regulations, resulting in potentially extraordinary, recurring or non-recurring expenses to continuing our digital assets business, or entering into new business ventures.
Regulation - Risk 2
Changes to laws regarding the operation of Bitcoin mining and Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchanges by third parties may make the business model unsustainable and may lead to an inability to exchange mined Bitcoin for fiat currency efficiently, or may be made illegal in certain jurisdictions, including the ones we operate in, which could adversely affect our business prospects and operations.
It is possible that state or federal regulators may seek to impose harsh restrictions or total bans on cryptocurrency mining which may make it impossible for us to do business without relocating our co-location and self-mining operations, which could be very costly and time consuming. Further, although Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining, as well as cryptocurrencies generally, are largely unregulated in most countries (including the United States), regulators could undertake new or intensify regulatory actions that could severely restrict the right to mine, acquire, own, hold, sell, or use cryptocurrency or to exchange it for traditional fiat currency such as the United States Dollar. Such restrictions may adversely affect us as the large-scale use of cryptocurrencies as a means of exchange is presently confined to certain regions globally. Such circumstances could have a material adverse effect on us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, or operations and potentially the value of any Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies we or our co-location customers mine, or otherwise acquire or hold, and thus harm investors. We are unable to predict the nature or extent of new and proposed legislation and regulation affecting the cryptocurrency industry, or the potential impact of the use of cryptocurrencies, which could have material adverse effects on our business and our industry more broadly.
Regulation - Risk 3
Additional legislation or guidance may be issued by U.S. and non-U.S. governing bodies that may differ significantly from our practices or interpretation of the law, which could have unforeseen effects on our financial condition and results of operations.
As cryptocurrencies have grown in both popularity and market size, governments around the world have reacted differently to cryptocurrencies; certain governments have deemed them illegal, and others have allowed their use and trade without restriction, while in some jurisdictions, such as in the United States, subject the mining, ownership and exchange of cryptocurrencies to extensive, and in some cases overlapping, unclear and evolving regulatory requirements. We are subject to various federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including those relating to the generation of power, noise, storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. Certain of these laws and regulations also impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault, for investigation and cleanup costs on current and former owners and operators of real property and persons who have disposed of or released hazardous substances into the environment. Electricity costs could also be affected due to existing or new regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, whether such regulations apply to all consumers of electricity or just to specified uses, such as Bitcoin mining. These regulations may be federal, state or local. There has been interest in the U.S. federal government and in some state governments in addressing climate change, including through regulation of Bitcoin mining. Past policy proposals to address climate change include measures ranging from taxes on carbon use or generation to energy consumption disclosure regimes to federally imposed limits on greenhouse gas emissions or energy use restrictions specific to Bitcoin mining. It is unclear how any such future legislation and regulation will affect our Pennsylvania and Ohio facilities. The course of future legislation and regulation in the United States remains difficult to predict, and potential increased costs associated with new legislation or regulation cannot be estimated at this time. Given the difficulty of predicting the outcomes of ongoing and future regulatory actions and legislative developments, it is possible that they could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects or operations.
Regulation - Risk 4
Regulatory intervention by governments could affect the right to acquire, own, hold, sell, exchange or use Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
Governments have and may take regulatory actions to restrict the right to acquire, own, hold, sell, exchange or use Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. For example, it may be, or may become, illegal to accept payment in Bitcoin for consumer transactions and banking institutions could be barred from accepting deposits of cryptocurrencies. Such restrictions would have a negative effect on the value and price of Bitcoin. On the other hand, some governments could decide to subsidize or support certain Bitcoin mining projects, thus adding hash rate to the overall network, and having a material adverse effect on the amount of Bitcoin we may be able to mine, the value of Bitcoin and, consequently, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.
Regulation - Risk 5
We are subject to a highly-evolving regulatory landscape and any adverse changes to, or our failure to comply with, any laws and regulations could adversely affect our business, reputation, prospects or operations. Obtaining and complying with required government permits and approvals may be time-consuming and costly.
We are required to obtain, and to comply with, numerous permits and licenses from federal, state and local governmental agencies. The process of obtaining and renewing necessary permits and licenses can be lengthy and complex, requiring up to months or years for approval depending on the nature of the permit or license and such process could be further complicated or extended in the event regulations change. In addition, obtaining such permit or license can sometimes result in the establishment of conditions that create a significant ongoing impact to the nature or costs of operations or even make the project or activity for which the permit or license was sought unprofitable or otherwise unattractive. In addition, such permits or licenses may be subject to denial, revocation or modification under various circumstances. Failure to obtain or comply with the conditions of permits or licenses, or failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, may result in the delay or temporary suspension of our operations and electricity sales or the curtailment of our delivery of electricity to our customers and may subject us to penalties and other sanctions. Although various regulators routinely renew existing permits and licenses, renewal of our existing permits or licenses could be denied or jeopardized by various factors, including failure to provide adequate financial assurance for closure, failure to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations or permit conditions, local community, political or other opposition and executive, legislative or regulatory action. Our inability to procure and comply with the permits and licenses required for these operations, or the cost to us of such procurement or compliance, could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, new environmental legislation or regulations, if enacted, or changed interpretations of existing laws, may cause activities at our facilities to need to be changed to avoid violating applicable laws and regulations or eliciting claims that historical activities at our facilities violated applicable laws and regulations. In addition to the possible imposition of fines in the case of any such violations, we may be required to undertake significant capital investments and obtain additional operating permits or licenses, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 2.3%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We may be subject to material litigation (including with our lenders and counter-parties counterparties), investigations, or enforcement actions by regulators and governmental authorities that are expensive to support, and if resolved adversely, could harm our business, revenue, and financial results.
We have been the subject to certain claims, legal proceedings (See Item 3. Legal Proceedings section) and may be subject in the future to claims, legal proceedings, government investigations or enforcement actions, including in the ordinary course of business. Agreements entered into by Mawson sometimes include indemnification provisions which can subject Mawson to costs and damages in the event of a claim against an indemnified third party. Regardless of the merit of particular claims, defending against litigation or responding to government investigations can be expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to operations and distracting to management. If Mawson is unable to successfully defend itself against such claims, then it may become liable to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments, fines or penalties, or alter, delay, limit or cease some or all its business practices. Mawson may suffer damage to our brand and reputation.
Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 4.7%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Future developments regarding the treatment of digital assets for U.S. federal income and foreign tax purposes could adversely impact our business.
Globally, many taxation laws, rules and guidelines have not been developed with digital assets or cryptocurrencies in focus. For example, many significant aspects of the U.S. federal income and foreign tax treatment of transactions involving digital assets are uncertain, and it is unclear what guidance may be issued in the future on the treatment of digital asset transactions for U.S. federal income and foreign tax purposes. There can be no assurance that the IRS or other foreign tax authorities will not alter their position or introduce new laws, regulations or guidance with respect to digital assets. Any such alteration of existing IRS and other foreign tax authority positions or additional guidance regarding digital asset products and transactions could result in adverse tax consequences for our business and could have an adverse effect on the value of digital asset and the broader digital assets markets. In addition, the IRS and other foreign tax authorities may disagree with tax positions that we have taken, which could result in increased tax liabilities. Future technological and operational developments that may arise with respect to digital currencies may increase the uncertainty with respect to the treatment of digital currencies for U.S. federal income and foreign tax purposes. Another example of an adverse ruling would be if we were classified as a passive foreign investment company (a "PFIC") for any taxable year. Based on the current and anticipated composition of our income, assets and operations, and our business generally, we do not expect to be treated as a PFIC for the current taxable year or in the foreseeable future. The application of the PFIC rules to digital assets and transactions related thereto is subject to uncertainty. There can be no assurance that Mawson will not be classified as a PFIC for the current taxable year or for any future taxable year. If Mawson is considered a PFIC then there may be negative tax consequences for U.S. holders of our ordinary shares, as well as being subject to annual information reporting requirements. U.S. holders may wish to consult their tax advisors about the potential application of the PFIC rules to an investment in our ordinary shares.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
The incentive for Bitcoin mining may decrease over time as the reward decreases.
A Bitcoin halving occurs when block rewards, or the number of Bitcoins entering circulation whenever a block is produced (approximately every 10 minutes), is reduced by half. This occurs on a schedule built into Bitcoin's programming and happens every 210,000 blocks with the purpose being to issue the total supply of Bitcoin into the market less frequently over time. This supply effect increases Bitcoin's scarcity, which has, historically, increased its price. When Bitcoin first started, 50 Bitcoins were rewarded to miners per block produced. The reward has decreased over the years and, the current block reward is 6.25 Bitcoins per block. Halving events will continue until the block reward reaches zero. The process will end with a predetermined total of 21 million Bitcoins being issued, estimated to be around the year 2140. At each prior halving event, the short-term subsequent effect on the Bitcoin price has been an increase in price, however this trend may not continue in the future, in which case, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially adversely affected. More significant reductions in aggregate hashrate on digital asset networks could result in material, though temporary, delays in block solution confirmation time. Any reduction in confidence in the confirmation process or aggregate hashrate of any digital asset network may negatively impact the value of digital assets, which will adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Environmental / Social2 | 4.7%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
Global climate change and related environmental regulations may have an adverse effect on our business operations and financial position.
Changes in climate and its effect on the environment such as changes in heat, humidity, snow, rainfall, weather patterns, water supplies and shortages, sea level and changing temperatures could have an adverse effect on our operations and financial performance. The potential physical effects of climate change on our operations, if any, are highly uncertain. Extreme weather events may: - cause damage to one or more of our modular data centers (that house our Miners) and therefore reduce our ability to maximize the performance of or operate the Miners;- affect the delivery times of equipment ordered from our manufacturers and therefore impact our financial forecasts which were scheduled for a certain period of time; or           - cause power disruptions or cuts to our Miners, reducing operating times and the performance of the Miners. Any legislative changes regarding climate change or energy usage could add significant burden and costs to our business, including costs related to making our energy consumption more efficient and lower impact on the environment, environmental monitoring and reporting, taxes and other costs to comply with such changes. Further, there could be reputational damage to our business caused by increased negative publicity surrounding cryptocurrency and the apparent effects on the environment.
Environmental / Social - Risk 2
Legislative, regulatory, and litigation threats regarding climate change and energy conservation.
Changing environmental regulation and public energy policy may expose our business to new risks. Our Bitcoin co-location services and mining operations require a substantial amount of power and can only be successful, and ultimately profitable, if the costs we incur, including for electricity, are lower than the revenue we generate from our operations. As a result, our operations can only be successful if we can obtain sufficient electrical power for that mine on a cost-effective basis. For instance, our plans and strategic initiatives for our Pennsylvania and Ohio facilities are based, in part, on our understanding of current environmental and energy regulations, policies, and initiatives enacted by federal and state regulators. If new regulations are imposed, or if existing regulations are modified, the assumptions we made underlying our plans and strategic initiatives may be inaccurate, and we may incur additional costs to adapt our planned business, if we are able to adapt at all, to such regulations. In addition, there continues to be a lack of consistent climate legislation, which creates economic and regulatory uncertainty for our business because the cryptocurrency mining industry, with its high energy demand, may become a target for future environmental and energy regulation. New legislation and increased regulation regarding climate change could impose significant costs on us and our suppliers, including costs related to increased energy requirements, capital equipment, environmental monitoring and reporting, and other costs to comply with such regulations. Further, any future climate change regulations could also negatively impact our ability to compete with companies situated in areas not subject to such limitations. Moreover, we currently participate in energy demand response programs to curtail operations, return capacity to the electrical grid, and receive funds to offset foregone operational revenue when necessary, such as in extreme weather events. Given the political significance and uncertainty around the impact of climate change and how it should be addressed, and energy disclosure and use regulations, we cannot predict how legislation and regulation will affect our financial condition and results of operations in the future in the United States and the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Further, even without such regulation, increased awareness and any adverse publicity in the global marketplace about potential impacts on climate change or energy use by us or other companies in our industry could harm our reputation. Any of the foregoing could result in a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 7/43 (16%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D1 | 2.3%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
The further development and acceptance of digital asset networks and other digital assets, which represent a new and rapidly changing industry, are subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to evaluate. The slowing or stopping of the development or acceptance of digital asset systems may adversely affect us.
Currently, there is relatively small use of Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies in the retail and commercial marketplace in comparison to relatively large use by speculators, thus contributing to price volatility that could adversely affect an investment in us. Cryptocurrencies are a relatively new concept and asset class, so there is still some degree of uncertainty and skepticism about their use. Whether their popularity will gain further traction is difficult to predict. If the popularity and use of cryptocurrencies diminish and leads to their value decreasing, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be materially adversely affected.
Cyber Security2 | 4.7%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
If a malicious actor or botnet obtains control in excess of 50% of the processing power active on any digital asset network, including the Bitcoin network, it is possible that such actor or botnet could manipulate the blockchain in a manner that adversely affects us.
If a malicious actor or botnet (a volunteer or hacked collection of computers controlled by networked software coordinating the actions of the computers) obtains a majority of the processing power dedicated to mining on any digital asset network, including the Bitcoin network, it may be able to alter the blockchain by constructing alternate blocks if it is able to solve for such blocks faster than the remainder of the miners on the blockchain can add valid blocks. In such alternate blocks, the malicious actor or botnet could control, exclude or modify the ordering of transactions, though it could not generate new digital assets or transactions using such control. Using alternate blocks, the malicious actor could "double-spend" its own digital assets (i.e., spend the same digital assets in more than one transaction) and prevent the confirmation of other users' transactions for so long as it maintains control. To the extent that such malicious actor or botnet does not yield its majority control of the processing power, or the digital asset community does not reject the fraudulent blocks as malicious, reversing any changes made to the blockchain may not be possible. Such changes could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Cyber Security - Risk 2
Cyber-security threats pose a challenge to our business including the safekeeping of our digital assets, and a risk of reputational damage.
Mawson, like almost all businesses around the world, is subject to continuous malicious attempts to penetrate its systems. We take measures to protect our operations and our digital and physical assets from unauthorized access, damage or theft; however, it is possible that the security system may not prevent improper access to, or damage or theft of our assets. A security breach could harm our reputation or result in the loss of some or all of our assets, or an inability to operate. A resulting perception that our measures do not adequately protect our assets could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We promptly and frequently liquidate cryptocurrencies that we mine and keep a minimum number of cryptocurrencies in our possession so as to minimize our risks against theft, loss, destruction or other issues relating to hackers and technological attack. We have methods of monitoring and ensuring that our Miners are directing hashrate to the correct pools and that any Bitcoin produced is sent to the intended recipient. Nevertheless, this security system may still be penetrated and may not be free from defect or immune to acts of God, and any loss due to a security breach, software defect or act of God will be borne by us. The security system and operational infrastructure may be breached due to the actions of outside parties, error or malfeasance of an employee, or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to our private keys, data or Bitcoins. Additionally, outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees of ours to disclose sensitive information in order to gain access to our infrastructure. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, or may be designed to remain dormant until a predetermined event and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. If an actual or perceived breach of our security system occurs, the market perception of the effectiveness of its security system could be harmed, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In the event of a security breach, we may also be forced to cease operations, or suffer a reduction in assets, the occurrence of each of which could adversely affect us.
Technology4 | 9.3%
Technology - Risk 1
Any extended outage or limitation of an internet connection at our sites could materially impact our operations and financial performance.
A secure, reliable and fast internet connection is required for our Miners to validate and verify Bitcoin transactions, secure transaction blocks and add those transaction blocks to the Bitcoin blockchain. Any extended downtime, bandwidth limitations or other constraints may reduce our ability to use our Miners support transactions on the Bitcoin network, and therefore reduce our ability to earn block rewards. The effects of any such events could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
Technology - Risk 2
Significant contributors to all or any digital asset network could propose amendments to the respective network's protocols and software that, if accepted and authorized by such network, could adversely affect us.
For example, with respect to Bitcoin networks, a small group of individuals contribute to the Bitcoin Core project on GitHub.com. These individuals can propose refinements or improvements to the Bitcoin network's source code through one or more software upgrades that alter the protocols and software that govern the Bitcoin network and the properties of Bitcoin, including the irreversibility of transactions and limitations on the mining of new Bitcoin. Proposals for upgrades and discussions relating thereto take place on online forums. For example, there is an ongoing debate regarding altering the blockchain by increasing the size of blocks to accommodate a larger volume of transactions. Although some proponents support an increase, other market participants oppose an increase to the block size as it may deter miners from confirming transactions and concentrate power into a smaller group of miners. To the extent that a significant majority of the users and miners on the Bitcoin network install such software upgrade(s), the Bitcoin network would be subject to new protocols and software that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In the event a developer or group of developers proposes a modification to the Bitcoin network that is not accepted by a majority of miners and users, but that is nonetheless accepted by a substantial plurality of miners and users, two or more competing and incompatible blockchain implementations could result. This is known as a "hard fork." In such a case, the "hard fork" in the blockchain could materially and adversely affect the perceived value of digital assets as reflected on one or both incompatible blockchains, which may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Technology - Risk 3
A failure to properly monitor and upgrade the Bitcoin network protocol could damage the Bitcoin network and adversely affect us.
The open-source structure of the cryptocurrencies network protocols means that the contributors to the protocol are generally not directly compensated for their contributions in maintaining and developing the protocol. The Bitcoin network, for example, operates based on an open-source protocol maintained by contributors, largely on the Bitcoin Core project on GitHub. As an open-source project, Bitcoin is not represented by an official organization or authority. As the Bitcoin network protocol is not sold and its use does not generate revenues for contributors, contributors are generally not compensated for maintaining and updating the Bitcoin network protocol. The lack of guaranteed financial incentive for contributors to maintain or develop the Bitcoin network and the lack of guaranteed resources to adequately address emerging or latent issues with the Bitcoin network may reduce incentives to address the issues adequately or in a timely manner. Modification or changes to the Bitcoin protocol by a sufficient number of users (known as a "fork") may lead to unforeseen bugs or other negative outcomes for Mawson and miners in general. Changes to our latent issues in a digital asset network which we are mining could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Technology - Risk 4
The development of quantum computing threatens the cryptographic protections of blockchain protocols.
Governments and corporations around the world are conducting research and development to produce quantum computers which will be much more powerful than modern computers. The potential capability of quantum computers poses a potential threat to the underlying cryptographic protections that the Bitcoin blockchain protocol relies on, and therefore to the reliability of the blockchain, and may therefore undermine users' trust in Bitcoin and digital currencies in general. For example, a quantum computer may provide the possibility of decrypting user private keys and forging transaction signatures, undermining the integrity of the blockchain. A loss of trust in the digital currencies due to the ability of quantum computing to undermine security protocols will likely have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Production
Total Risks: 7/43 (16%)Above Sector Average
Manufacturing1 | 2.3%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
Mining equipment is prone to breakdown, fail or become obsolete.
Miners and related mining equipment used to mine digital assets are sophisticated machines and may be operated over two years or longer. They are thus prone to breakdown and may not function at any given time. Any downtime of a significant number of our Miners and mining equipment will have a direct impact on us as they would not be performing their role. This could occur during an accident on site, or during transportation of a large number of Miners. In addition, the failure of any critical single piece of equipment may represent a single point of failure which could have widespread impacts. An example of this could be a fire within a substation resulting in a total power outage for a mining facility for a period until the substation was rebuilt, or a blown fuse which may affect any part of our facility. Such widespread mechanical issues or critical failures for any material duration would therefore decrease our revenue. A number of factors drive the adoption of ever more efficient Miners in the Bitcoin mining industry, including the energy prices, the fact the Bitcoin algorithm was designed so that as more computing power is added to the network, the difficulty to mine for each block increases, and the halving. Over time older mining equipment becomes less and less profitable, and like most computing hardware, eventually becomes obsolete. Mawson's fleet has not been materially renewed for a number of years, which means that a number of factors could render its self-mining fleet obsolete, including a significant increase in difficulty, the halving, or simply wear and tear on the machines rendering some or all of them uncommercial, or inoperable.
Employment / Personnel1 | 2.3%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
We rely on a small number of key people, the loss of which could have a significant impact on us.
The responsibility of the direction and operation of our business relies heavily on a small number of key people, including our CEO and CFO. If any of our key employees or service providers cease their involvement in our business or, in the unfortunate situation one or more of them are seriously injured or dies, this loss would have a significant and likely adverse impact on us.
Supply Chain1 | 2.3%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We or our suppliers may not be able to procure or repair hardware that is required in our operations.
The global supply chains are increasingly risky and complex. Our business relies on cryptocurrency-specific hardware such as the Miners, and containers in which to operate the Miners, and also more general plant and equipment such transformers, breakers, power boards exhaust fans, deflectors, monitoring equipment and many other parts. If we are unable to procure such hardware, or replacement parts (at commercial prices, or at all), or they are delayed, our operations may be adversely affected which would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. If the manufacturers of such hardware are unable to obtain materials or components themselves, they may experience manufacturing delays or have to cease manufacturing altogether. Supply chain disruptions may also occur from time to time due to a range of factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, increased costs of labor, freight costs and raw material prices along with a shortage of qualified workers. There are a small number of major suppliers of Miners globally, and Miner manufacturing is located primarily in China. If we, or our customers, were unable to source Miners from those suppliers (for example due to overwhelming global demand for Miners, or due to geopolitical tensions, or war) at a commercial price, or at all, this would have a materially adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if the suppliers have agreed to supply us with miners, they may fail to supply the Miners due to their inability to manufacture sufficient Miners due to a shortage of components or resources such as semiconductors, a default, insolvency, a change in control, or change of laws (including export/import restrictions, quotas or tariffs). Trade policies such as export/import restrictions, quotas or tariffs may reduce the ability of our suppliers to supply us with Miners or create a shortage or lack of components necessary for their manufacture or repair. The government of the People's Republic of China in particular exerts a high level of influence and control over its economy and businesses (private and state owned). There have been various examples of government policies, decisions, laws and intervention into particular industries. Changes in any of these policies, laws and regulations, or the interpretations thereof, as they relate to the mining hardware suppliers, could have a negative impact on our business. Additionally, if our electricity suppliers are negatively affected by the international supply chain issues, they may not be able to maintain or grow their facilities and may not be able to supply us with power, or we may be unable to source extra power in the future to enable our growth. This would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Such supply chain disruptions have the potential to cause material impacts to our operating performance and financial position if the delivery of equipment for our facilities is delayed.
Costs4 | 9.3%
Costs - Risk 1
Access to reliable electricity sources at reasonable prices is critical to our growth and profitability.
Our operations require significant amounts of electrical power. If we are unable to continue to obtain sufficient electrical power on a cost-effective basis, we may not be able to realize the anticipated benefits of our significant capital investments. If power prices increase this will likely materially impact whether we can generate Bitcoin profitably, and how much net energy benefits we will be entitled to. Our Data Infrastructure require developed land, preferably close to sustainable and reasonably priced electricity sources. If we are unable to acquire rights to use such land or lose the rights to the land we currently lease or occupy, this would likely mean that we would lose access to the relevant supply of electricity. A lack of access to electricity would significantly impact the profitability and viability of our business. Additionally, our operations could be materially adversely affected by prolonged power outages. Therefore, we may have to reduce or cease our operations in the event of an extended power outage, or as a result of the unavailability or increased cost of electrical power. If this were to occur, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Costs - Risk 2
The sale of our digital assets to pay expenses at a time of low digital asset prices could adversely affect our business.
We promptly and frequently liquidate cryptocurrencies. This may mean that we sell digital assets at a time when the prices on the respective digital asset exchange market are low, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Costs - Risk 3
We may not have, or be able to obtain or maintain, relevant business insurance.
Due to the industry in which we operate, we may not be able to obtain or maintain some types of insurance that operators of similar businesses in other industries would usually obtain, at commercially viable premiums, or at all. If our digital assets are lost, stolen or destroyed under circumstances rendering a party liable to us, the responsible party may not have the financial resources sufficient to satisfy our claim. Our digital assets are not insured.
Costs - Risk 4
An increase in transaction fees could reduce the price of digital assets.
If fees increase for recording transactions on the Bitcoin network, demand for cryptocurrencies may decrease and prevent the expansion of the network to retail merchants and commercial businesses, resulting in a reduction in the price of digital assets that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 6/43 (14%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 2.3%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Inflation in the global economy could negatively impact our business and results of operations.
General inflation in the United States and around the world has risen to levels not experienced in recent decades. General inflation, including rising prices for energy, metals, components, and other inputs as well as rising wages negatively impact our business by increasing our operating costs. As a result of inflation, we have experienced and may continue to experience, cost increases. Although we may take measures to mitigate the impact of this inflation, if these measures are not effective, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. Even if such measures are effective, there could be a difference between the timing of when these beneficial actions impact our results of operations and when the cost of inflation is incurred.
Natural and Human Disruptions1 | 2.3%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Added
The impact of the Bitcoin halving, which took place in April 2024 has introduced uncertainly that could materially impact our self-mining revenue or our colocation services customers businesses
The bitcoin block reward halved on April 19, 2024, reducing the number of bitcoins earned for each block mined from 6.25 to 3.125. If the bitcoin price does not appreciate sufficiently to offset this 50% reduction in mining rewards, our and/or our colocation services customers revenues, cash flows, and operating results could be materially and adversely impacted. There can be no assurance that the market price of bitcoin will increase in the near term nor that our operating costs will decrease proportionally to mitigate the halving's adverse impact on our self-mining profitability. As a result, the halving has introduced significant uncertainty to our near-term financial prospects and could require us to modify our operating plans and growth strategies.
Capital Markets4 | 9.3%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
Cryptocurrency firms may be forced to sell their Bitcoin or cryptocurrency holdings putting downward pressure on the Bitcoin price.
A professionalized mining operation may be more likely to sell a higher percentage of its newly mined digital assets rapidly if it is operating at a low profit margin. In a low profit margin environment, a higher percentage could be sold into the digital asset exchange market more rapidly, thereby potentially reducing digital asset prices. Lower digital asset prices could result in further tightening of profit margins, particularly for mining operations with higher costs and more limited capital reserves, creating a network effect that may further reduce the price of digital assets until mining operations with higher operating costs become unprofitable and remove mining power from the respective digital asset network. The network effect of reduced profit margins resulting in greater sales of newly mined digital assets could result in a reduction in the price of digital assets that could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Capital Markets - Risk 2
Future digital assets and digital currency development may lessen the usage of Bitcoin.
Digital asset technology is evolving, and new digital assets can be created. New digital assets competing with Bitcoin may increase in popularity and in turn cause a decline in the value of Bitcoin, which may in turn lead to a decline in the Bitcoin network and our ability to generate revenue from our current mining activities. This may include the development of so-called central bank digital currencies (CBCDs). Many governments around the world, and central banks are reportedly considering or studying the potential for CBCDs, including the United States Federal Reserve.
Capital Markets - Risk 3
The Cryptocurrency Industry and Bitcoin pricing can be volatile
Bitcoin pricing has proven to be volatile, characterized by periods of extreme upturns and downturns that have lasted over lengthy time periods multiple times in cryptocurrency's history. A falling Bitcoin price directly affects our ability to generate revenue, which can affect our ability to meet our financial obligations. Further, volatility in energy prices has often resulted in the major input cost to generate Bitcoin increasing. The price of Bitcoin can fluctuate due to investment and trading sentiment amongst users, speculators, and investors for a range of reasons, including changes in interest rate settings, or negative or positive publicity (for example due to legal proceedings or losses to Bitcoin investors due to fraud or cyber-attacks a cryptocurrency exchange or online wallet). Large holders of Bitcoin may be able to effect large price swings, especially if they were to liquidate their holdings, which would likely cause the price of Bitcoin to fall. A fall in the price of Bitcoin will have a negative impact on our revenues. The prices that we receive for our Bitcoin depend on numerous market factors beyond our control. Due to the highly volatile nature of the price of Bitcoin, our historical operating results have fluctuated, and continue to fluctuate, significantly from period to period. Mawson does not use derivatives to hedge Bitcoin prices. Corporate collapses of important companies in the Bitcoin ecosystem, such as exchanges, funds, lenders, wallet providers and so on, or other cryptocurrencies can also have an impact on confidence and the Bitcoin price. We are also exposed to the effect a falling price can have on our counterparties, including the exchanges we use and our co-location customers. In particular, in July of 2022, Celsius Networks, LLC and Celsius Mining LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. A subsidiary of Mawson remains an unsecured creditor of Celsius Mining LLC, with two unpaid pre-petition invoices totaling in excess of $1.8 million. Subsequent disputes have led to litigation between Celsius entities and Mawson entities, refer to Part 3. Legal Proceedings section for further discussion.
Capital Markets - Risk 4
Listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market ("Nasdaq")
Although our Common Stock is currently listed on Nasdaq, we may not be able to continue to meet Nasdaq's minimum listing requirements or those of any other national exchange. If we are unable to maintain listing on Nasdaq or if a liquid market for our Common Stock does not develop or is not sustained, our Common Stock may remain thinly traded. If, for any reason, Nasdaq should delist our securities from trading on its exchange and we are unable to obtain listing on another national securities exchange, a reduction in some or all of the following may occur, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our shareholders: 1. The liquidity of our Common Stock;2. The market price of our Common Stock;3. Our ability to obtain financing for the continuation of our operations;4. The number of investors that will consider investing in our Common Stock;5. The number of market makers in our Common Stock;6. The availability of information concerning the trading prices and volume of our Common Stock; and 7. The number of broker-dealers willing to execute trades in our Common Stock.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 2/43 (5%)Below Sector Average
Competition1 | 2.3%
Competition - Risk 1
Cryptocurrency mining is a highly competitive industry.
The cryptocurrency mining industry is highly competitive, especially for Bitcoin, and there are several competitors who are considerably larger than Mawson, and who have operated for longer in the industry. With this size and operating history likely comes greater resources (financial, human, and technical), greater brand recognition and reputation, stronger business relationships, and economies of scale. We expect existing competitors will expand their operations, new competitors will enter the industry, and some competitors will merge to create even stronger competitors. The digital asset mining industry is global. If the amount of competing computational power in the Bitcoin network increases, then the difficulty of the mining process increases, which may lead to lower Bitcoin rewards for Mawson. If we are unable to compete successfully, or if competing successfully requires us to take costly actions in response to the actions of our competitors, our business, operating results and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Sales & Marketing1 | 2.3%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
If we fail to grow our hash rate and to effectively manage the renewal of our Miner fleet and other plant and equipment, we may be unable to compete, and our results of operations could suffer.
Generally, a bitcoin miner's chance of solving a block on the Bitcoin blockchain and earning a bitcoin reward is a function of the miner's hash rate (i.e., the amount of computing power devoted to supporting the Bitcoin blockchain), relative to the global network hash rate. As greater adoption of Bitcoin occurs, we expect the demand for Bitcoin will increase further, drawing more mining companies into the industry and thereby increasing the global network hash rate. As new and more powerful miners are deployed, the global network hash rate will continue to increase, meaning a miner's chance of earning bitcoin rewards will decline unless it deploys additional hash rate at pace with the industry. Accordingly, to maintain our chances of earning new bitcoin rewards and remaining competitive in our industry, we must seek to continually add new miners to grow our hash rate at pace with the growth in the Bitcoin global network hash rate. However, as demand has increased and scarcity in the supply of new miners has resulted, the price of new miners has increased sharply, and we expect this process to continue in the future as demand for bitcoin increases. Therefore, if the price of bitcoin is not sufficiently high to allow us to fund our hash rate growth through new miner acquisitions and if we are otherwise unable to access additional capital to acquire these miners, our hash rate may stagnate, and we may fall behind our competitors. If this happens, our chances of earning new bitcoin rewards would decline and, as such, our results of operations and financial condition may suffer. As our digital assets reach the end of useful life (such as our miner fleet) we will need to plan for their replacement. Replacing our mining fleet will require significant capital which the Company does not currently have. If we are unable to raise sufficient capital and replace or renew our mining fleet, we may not be able to mine for Bitcoin on a commercial basis. This may force us to consider other business options, such as to expand our co-location business, however, even if successful, these alternative business options may not generate the same level of profit or income as self-mining.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
      They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
        It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
          How do companies disclose their risk factors?
          Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
            Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
              Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
                According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
                  How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
                  Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
                    You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
                      Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
                        A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
                          What are all the risk factor categories?
                          TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
                          1. Financial & Corporate
                          • Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
                          • Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
                          • Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
                          • Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
                          2. Legal & Regulatory
                          • Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
                          • Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
                          • Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
                          • Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
                          3. Production
                          • Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
                          • Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
                          • Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
                          • Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
                          4. Technology & Innovation
                          • Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
                          • Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
                          • Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
                          • Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
                          5. Ability to Sell
                          • Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
                          • Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
                          • Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
                          • Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
                          6. Macro & Political
                          • Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
                          • Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
                          • International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
                          • Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.
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