F-1/A: Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. Files Amendment No. 4 to Form F-1 for Share Resale

Sentiment:

Amendment to Registration Statement (Form F-1/A)


Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. has filed an amendment to its Form F-1 registration statement, primarily concerning the resale of up to 46,338,911 ordinary shares by existing selling shareholders.

Capital raisePursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement dated November 11, 2022, the company closed a private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing with certain non-U.S. investors for gross proceeds of $3.15 million.On November 30, 2022, the company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with two investors to offer and sell units for total gross proceeds of $5 million.On December 23, 2022, the company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with an accredited non-U.S. investor to offer and sell units for total gross proceeds of $5 million.On November 30, 2023, the company priced a private investment in public equity offering, through which the company sold an aggregate of 14,251,781 units of its securities to Apollo Multi-Asset Growth Fund for gross proceeds of $6 million.

Summary

  • Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc., a Cayman Islands holding company, has filed Amendment No. 4 to its Form F-1 registration statement.
  • The filing pertains to the resale of up to 46,338,911 ordinary shares by selling shareholders, with the company not receiving any proceeds from these sales.
  • The company's operations are conducted through subsidiaries in the U.S., Hong Kong, and PRC.
  • MFH Cayman is not a Chinese operating company but a Cayman Islands holding company with operations conducted through U.S., Hong Kong and PRC subsidiaries.
  • The company is subject to legal and operational risks associated with having part of its operations in mainland China, including risks related to the legal, political and economic policies of the Chinese government, the relations between China and the United States, and changes in Chinese laws and regulations.
  • The company is focusing on business consultation services, financial advisory and brokerage services, and distributed computing and storage services.
  • The company has discontinued its blockchain technical services and digital payment solutions and services.
  • The company is in the process of acquiring J.V. Delaney & Associates to expand its financial advisory and brokerage services.
  • The company is monitoring regulatory developments in the cryptocurrency space and may adjust its business strategies accordingly.
  • The company is subject to a wide variety of complex laws and regulations in the United States, PRC and other jurisdictions in which it operates.
  • The company's auditor, Onestop Assurance PAC, is headquartered in Singapore and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis.
  • The company's ordinary shares currently trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol MFH.
  • The last reported closing price of the company's ordinary shares on March 19, 2024 was $1.58.

Sentiment

Score: 5

Explanation: The document presents a mixed sentiment. While the company is expanding into new business areas and has achieved some success in Filecoin mining, it also faces regulatory risks, discontinued business lines, and potential financial challenges. The document is primarily factual and does not express strong positive or negative views.

Positives

  • The company is expanding its business into financial advisory and brokerage services through the acquisition of J.V. Delaney & Associates.
  • The company is using Origin Storages technology to re package the Web3 decentralized storage infrastructure and conduct Filecoin mining business through Origin Storage's network platform.
  • The effective storage capacity of the company's two new Filecoin mining nodes has reached 64PiB, exceeding the original target storage capacity of 60.4PiB.
  • The company is actively monitoring regulatory developments in the cryptocurrency space and is prepared to adapt its business strategies as needed.
  • The company's auditor is headquartered in Singapore and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis, mitigating risks associated with the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.

Negatives

  • The company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of ordinary shares by the selling shareholders.
  • The company has discontinued its blockchain technical services and digital payment solutions and services.
  • The company is subject to legal and operational risks associated with having part of its operations in mainland China, including risks related to the legal, political and economic policies of the Chinese government, the relations between China and the United States, and changes in Chinese laws and regulations.
  • The company is exposed to fluctuations in Filecoin value which might impact operating results and add to regulatory compliance obligations.
  • The company is subject to an extensive, highly evolving and uncertain regulatory landscape and any adverse changes to, or failure to comply with, any laws and regulations could adversely affect the brand, reputation, business, operating results and financial condition.

Risks

  • Certain crypto assets and cryptocurrencies have been identified as a security in certain jurisdictions, and the company may be subject to regulatory scrutiny, inquiries, investigations, fines and other penalties.
  • The company's analysis and forecasts may turn out to be inaccurate, particularly regarding the breakeven analysis for crypto asset mining operations.
  • Environmental concerns associated with cryptocurrencies mining could have adverse impacts on the company's business, financial condition, and results of operations.
  • Fluctuations in Filecoin value might impact the company's operating results and add to regulatory compliance obligations, including the Investment Company Act of 1940.
  • Crypto assets deposited with third party custodians are subject to risks attendant with such custody arrangements.
  • The company conducts a portion of its business operations in China and is subject to the attendant risks of operating in China, including regulatory risks resulting from political and regulatory changes which may be swift and unexpected.

Future Outlook

The company expects to receive no less than $150,000 in revenue from a consulting agreement with a Chinese media company within 2024. The Company expects to receive $50,000 in revenue from a consulting agreement with an American logistics company within 2024. The acquisition of Delaney is expected to receive Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) approval in the first half of 2024. The company expects to decide how to use the remaining storage capabilities of the Web3 decentralized storage infrastructure by the end of June 2024. The company expects the cryptocurrency mining business to gradually become a side line of the business as opposed to the primary focus.

Industry Context

The document highlights the evolving regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency and blockchain-related businesses, particularly in China and the United States. It also reflects the increasing scrutiny of environmental concerns related to cryptocurrency mining.

Comparison to Industry Standards

  • The document mentions the increasing difficulty of crypto mining and the general losses by top crypto mining enterprises, indicating a challenging environment for the industry.
  • The document references the bankruptcy of Genesis Global Capital, FTX, BlockFi, Celsius Network, Voyager Digital and Three Arrows Capital, highlighting the risks associated with the crypto asset industry.
  • The document mentions that the S19 Pro is currently one of the best-selling models in the market, indicating that the company is using industry-standard equipment.
  • The document mentions that the company is using Coinbase as a custodian, indicating that the company is using a well-known and reputable custodian.

Stakeholder Impact

  • Shareholders may experience fluctuations in the value of their investment due to the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market and regulatory changes.
  • Employees may be affected by changes in business strategy and potential restructuring.
  • Customers may benefit from the company's expansion into new service areas, such as financial advisory and brokerage services.
  • Suppliers and creditors may be impacted by the company's financial performance and ability to meet its obligations.

Next Steps

  • The company expects to receive Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) approval for the acquisition of Delaney in the first half of 2024.
  • The company expects to decide how to use the remaining storage capabilities of the Web3 decentralized storage infrastructure by the end of June 2024.
  • The company is considering further negotiations with Jinhe to cancel all remaining order amounts for Bitcoin miners.
  • The company intends to monitor its holdings of crypto assets and other securities, and review such holdings at least quarterly with its auditors and legal advisers, to ensure that it does not inadvertently become an investment company.

Key Dates

DateDescription
July 13, 2011Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc. was incorporated in Cayman Islands.
December 28, 2016The Company changed its name from Wowo Limited to JMU Limited.
May 2019Acquired Mercurity Limited to start blockchain technical services.
July 22, 2019Divested B2B services to focus on blockchain technical services.
March 2020Acquired NBpay Investment Limited to advance blockchain technical services.
April 30, 2020The Company changed its name from JMU Limited to Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc.
December 28, 2021Thirteen governmental departments of the PRC issued the Cybersecurity Review Measures.
January 15, 2022Divestiture of VIEs was completed.
February 15, 2022The Cybersecurity Review Measures became effective.
Late February 2022Wei Zhu and Minghao Li were detained by the Economic Crime Investigation Detachment of Sheyang County Public Security Bureau.
July 2022Added consultation services to the business.
July 15, 2022Incorporated Mercurity Fintech Technology Holding Inc. (MFH Tech).
August 26, 2022The PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol with the CSRC and China's Ministry of Finance.
September 2022 to November 2022The PCAOB conducted inspections on select registered public accounting firms in Hong Kong.
December 15, 2022Entered into an asset purchase agreement with Huangtong International Co., Ltd.
December 15, 2022The PCAOB issued a report that vacated its December 16, 2021 determination and removed mainland China and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms.
December 20, 2022Assets began to be used for Filecoin (FIL) mining operations.
December 29, 2022The Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law.
January 10, 2023Entered into an asset purchase agreement with Jinhe Capital Limited.
January 28, 2023Decided to write off NBpay Investment Limited and its subsidiaries.
February 28, 2023ADS facility was removed.
April 12, 2023Completed the incorporation of Chaince Securities.
May 3, 2023Chaince Securities entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the acquisition of all assets and liabilities of J.V. Delaney & Associates.
March 7, 2024The Company decided to suspend its development plan related to its digital payment solutions and digital payment services, as well as its application for an MSB (Money Service Business) license.
March 12, 2024The number of ordinary shares currently issued and outstanding was 60,819,897.
March 19, 2024The last reported closing price of the company's ordinary shares was $1.58.
March 20, 2024Date of the prospectus.

Keywords

ordinary shares, resale, Mercurity Fintech, cryptocurrency, blockchain, financial advisory, brokerage services, Filecoin mining, China, regulation

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