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Related Party Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

NOTE 10. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Related party receivables

The Company recorded related party receivables of approximately $1.3 million and $1.1 million as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, related to expenses paid on behalf of the Data Center LLCs for which it expects to be reimbursed.

Waiver, Lock-up and Board Observer Agreements

On April 8, 2022, the Company entered into a waiver agreement with Bitfury Top HoldCo (the “Waiver Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company waived certain restrictions on transfer of Common Stock under (a) that certain Lock-up Agreement, dated as of August 26, 2021, by and between GWAC and Bitfury Top HoldCo (the “Bitfury Lock-up Agreement”) and (b) those certain Lock-up Agreements, dated August 26, 2021, by and between GWAC and each of (i) I-B Goodworks, LLC, (ii) Magnetar Financial LLC, (iii) Mint Tower Capital Management B.V., (iv) Periscope Capital, Inc. and (v) Polar Asset Management Partners Inc., respectively (the stockholders contemplated by clauses (a)-(b), the “Stockholders”), imposing similar restrictions on the Stockholders (collectively, the “Lock-up Agreements” and each a “Lock-up Agreement”).

The Waiver Agreement was negotiated and approved by an independent committee of the Company’s board of directors (“Board”). The Waiver Agreement (i) permits each Stockholder to pledge or otherwise hypothecate the Lock-up Shares (as defined in the Lock-up Agreements) held by such Stockholder as of the date of the Waiver Agreement (the shares that are actually pledged or otherwise hypothecated, the “Pledged Shares”) as collateral or security in connection with any loan meeting certain criteria set forth in the Waiver Agreement and (ii) transfer the Pledged Shares upon foreclosure by such pledgee in accordance with the terms of the applicable pledge or hypothecation; provided that such waiver will only apply and be effective if certain conditions specified in the Waiver Agreement are satisfied or waived. Additionally, effective as of the date of consummation of any pledge or hypothecation, and solely in regard to any pledged shares, the Lock-up Period, as defined in the applicable Lock-up Agreement, shall be extended an additional three months to November 26, 2023. Furthermore, the Waiver Agreement provided for the cancellation of 2,890,173 shares of the Company’s Common Stock held by Bitfury Top HoldCo and subject to the Lock-up Agreements as consideration for a $10.0 million deposit paid by the Company for Bitfury Top HoldCo mining rigs under the agreement dated October 11, 2021, for which no order confirmation was made.

On April 8, 2022, the Company also entered into an observer agreement (the “Board Observer Agreement”) with Bitfury Holding and Bitfury Top HoldCo (together with Bitfury Holding, the “Investors”), which provides that the Investors have the right to designate a representative to serve as an observer of the Board and any committees thereof (subject to exceptions and limitations specified in the Board Observer Agreement). The Board Observer Agreement was negotiated and approved by an independent committee of the Board.

Master Services and Supply Agreement

On August 26, 2021, Bitfury Top HoldCo and the Company entered into a Master Services and Supply Agreement (the “Master Services and Supply Agreement”). The initial term of the agreement is 84 months, with automatic 12-month renewals thereafter (unless either party provides sufficient notice of non-renewal). Pursuant to this agreement, the Company can request and Bitfury Top HoldCo is required to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide, or procure the provision of, certain equipment and/or services, such as construction, engineering and operations, in each case as may be required to launch and maintain the Company’s bitcoin mining data centers in the U.S. The Master Services and Supply Agreement is not exclusive to Bitfury Top HoldCo or any of its affiliates, and the Company may retain any other parties to manufacture and deliver any equipment or perform any of the services required. The Company is not obligated to order any equipment or services from the Bitfury Group under the Master Services and Supply Agreement.

In addition to the Master Services and Supply Agreement, the Company and Bitfury Holding also entered into a fee side letter, which sets out the basic pricing framework applicable under the Master Services and Supply Agreement for any services. Under the fee side letter, monthly fees for any potential future services, if any, would be determined by reference to two groups of services, which may be provided under the Master Services and Supply Agreement: (i) Bitfury Top HoldCo’s “onsite” services fee would be calculated on a straight cost +5% basis (plus applicable duties and taxes); and (ii) Bitfury Top HoldCo’s “remote services” would be calculated on a ratchet basis applying a management fee of $1,000/MW up to 445MW (capped at $200,000/month) and $450USD/MW above 445MW (plus applicable duties and taxes). The Company is not currently using any services provided by Bitfury’s Top HoldCo or its affiliates.

Purchase commitments, deposits on equipment and related party payables

The Company entered into two agreements with Bitfury USA Inc. (“Bitfury USA”), made under, and as a part of, the Master Services and Supply Agreement to purchase BBACs. As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, approximately $0.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively, of deposits on equipment and construction-in-progress on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets related to amounts owed by the Company to Bitfury USA, which were accrued in accounts payable, related party.

Additionally, Bitfury USA contracted with third-party vendors for the purchase of equipment and the receipt of services related to Cipher’s future mining operations. Pursuant to one of these arrangements between Bitfury USA and a third-party vendor, Paradigm Controls of Texas, LLC (“Paradigm”), the Company made payments directly to Paradigm in place of Bitfury USA, in respect of manufacturing services for BBACs, totaling approximately $4.5 million during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and the Company’s obligations to Bitfury USA under the Master Services and Supply Agreement were reduced by the same amount.

 

As of December 31, 2022, in relation to the Company assisting WindHQ with the liquidation of some of WindHQ’s bitcoin holdings, the Company had approximately $1.2 million of bitcoin and approximately $0.3 million of proceeds received, but not yet transferred to WindHQ, respectively, recorded in accounts payable, related party on its consolidated balance sheet. During the quarter ended March 31, 2023, all of the bitcoin held by the Company on behalf of WindHQ was liquidated and all proceeds received from the

liquidation were forwarded to WindHQ, leaving no remaining amount payable to WindHQ in accounts payable, related party as of March 31, 2023 on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet.