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14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

14. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Contractual future payments

The following table sets forth certain information concerning our obligations to make unconditional obligations to make contractual future payments towards our agreements as of June 30, 2025 (these amounts are not recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets):

 

 

Fiscal Year

 

 ($ in thousands)

 

2025 (Remainder)

 

Contractual obligations:

 

 

 

Construction in progress

$

30,689

 

Modular immersion data centers

 

27,000

 

Total

 

$

57,689

 

Purchase of modular immersion data centers

The Company entered into a $165,000 contract subject to certain discounts in June 2024 for the purchase and on-site construction and installation of modular immersion data centers. The $27,000 remaining balance of the contract is contractually obligated and expected to be paid in installments upon delivery and installation of the related data centers.

Commitments under open construction projects

The Company has open commitments relating to the construction and development of new mining locations and operational facilities of $30,689.

State tax incentives

When the Company enters new jurisdictions, it seeks incentives on taxes including; sales and use taxes, property taxes, employment taxes and income taxes. The Company has been previously successful obtaining such incentives and is currently seeking additional incentives, which if the Company is unsuccessful in obtaining may result in a liability of approximately $34,128.

U.S. importation tariffs

On or about May 27, 2025, the Company began receiving invoices from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency (“CBP”) asserting Chinese origin import tariffs on certain miners imported from April 2024 through June 2024. In addition to the documentation received by the Company during importation that validates non-Chinese origin, the seller of the miners has consistently represented to the Company that the country of origin of the mining hardware was not China, as required by the applicable purchase agreements. In the event that CBP were to successfully defend their allegations of Chinese origin and assert import duties for Chinese origin to all imported miners from April 2024 and forward, the Company’s total tariff liability in respect of previously purchased miners could rise to approximately $185,000, not including statutory interest. The Company believes the CBP allegation of Chinese origin on its imported miners to be without merit and intends to defend against these charges vigorously.

While the outcome of this matter is uncertain at this time, the Company has determined it is not probable that it will result in a future cash outflow and, as such, no provision was recorded as of June 30, 2025.

Legal contingencies

In addition to the legal matters disclosed below, the Company may from time to time be subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. The outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected.

Hasthantra v. CleanSpark, Inc. et al.

On January 20, 2021, Scott Bishins (“Bishins”), individually, and on behalf of all others similarly situated (together, the “Class”), filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the Company and certain of its officers, including the Company’s CEO and the Executive Chair (such action, the “Class Action”).

On December 2, 2021, the court appointed Bishins and Darshan Hasthantra (“Hasthantra”) as lead plaintiffs, and on February 1, 2024, the Court entered a voluntary dismissal on behalf of Bishins, leaving Hasthantra as the sole lead plaintiff.

On February 28, 2022, Plaintiff filed an Amended Class Complaint alleging that, between December 10, 2020, and August 16, 2021, Defendants made material misstatements and omissions related to the Company’s acquisition of ATL Data Centers LLC and its anticipated expansion of bitcoin mining operations. Plaintiff seeks certification of the Class, an award of compensatory damages, and reimbursement of costs and expenses. On March 14, 2025, the Company filed its opposition to Plaintiff's motion for class certification. To date, no class has been certified. Discovery is currently proceeding.

The Company believes that the claims asserted are without merit and intends to defend against them vigorously. At this time, the Company is unable to estimate potential losses, if any, that may arise.

Consolidated Smith Derivative Actions

Between February 21, 2023, and March 8, 2023, four shareholder derivative actions were filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada in Clark County against certain officers and directors of the Company, including its Executive Chair, Chief Executive Officer, and former Chief Financial Officer. Each of these actions was consolidated in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada in Clark County (the “Consolidated Smith Action”). The claims asserted include breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment and corporate waste, with the plaintiffs seeking monetary damages, restitution, declaratory relief, litigation costs, and the imposition of additional corporate governance and internal controls.

The Company’s Board of Directors formed a Special Litigation Committee (“SLC”) to investigate and evaluate the claims. On November 6, 2023, the court granted the SLC’s motion to intervene and stayed the case through November 30, 2024. On October 16, 2024, the SLC filed a motion to dismiss, which was opposed by plaintiffs. Following a hearing on July 17, 2025, the Court issued a minute order to set a 2-day evidentiary hearing. The case remains stayed, pending the results of the evidentiary hearing.

The Company believes that the claims raised in the Consolidated Smith Action are without merit and intends to defend itself vigorously against them. At this time, the Company is unable to estimate potential losses, if any, related to the Consolidated Smith Action.