UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 20212023

 

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from               to                  

 

Commission file number: 001-37513

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENTGD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Nevada 47-3709051

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)No.)

 

No 119 South Zhaojuesi Road
22F - 810 Seventh Avenue,

2nd Floor, Room 1
Chenghua District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
New York, NY 

 61004710019
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

Issuer’sRegistrant’s telephone number:number, including area code: +86 028-8411-29411-347-2590292

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class: Trading Symbol(s)Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered:
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per shareGDC The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

 

Warrants, each to purchase one-half of one share of Common StockNone

Title of Class

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes No 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes No 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 Large accelerated filerAccelerated filer
 Non-accelerated filerSmaller reporting company
 
   Emerging growth company 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management'smanagement’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  

 

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes No

 

As of June 30, 2021,2023, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the common stock outstanding held by non-affiliates of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing sales price for the common stock of $2.11,$4.27 as of such date, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market, was approximately $61.1 million.$12,654,414.

 

As of March 31, 2022,April 1, 2024, there were 38,429,6177,887,411 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the registrant issued and outstanding.

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

  PAGE
PART I 
Item 1.Business1
Item 1A.Risk Factors18
Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments36
38Item 1C.Cybersecurity37
Item 2.Properties3837
Item 3.Legal Proceedings3837
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures3837
  
PART II 
Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities3938
Item 6.[Reserved]4341
Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations4441
Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk5350
Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data5350
Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure5350
Item 9A.Controls and Procedures5350
Item 9B.Other Information5452
Item 9C.Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections5452
  
PART III 
Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance5553
Item 11.Executive Compensation6058
Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters6260
Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence6261
Item 14.Principal Accounting Fees and Services6362
  
PART IV 
Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules63
64Item 16.Form 10–K Summary67

 

i

 

 

Conventions that Apply to this Annual Report

 

Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise, references in this annual report (the “Report”) to:

 

 CCNC”, the “Company”, “we”, “our”, “us”AI Catalysis” are to Code Chain New Continent Limited,AI Catalysis Corp., a Nevada Corporation;Neveda company, which is wholly owned by Chanson NY (as defined below);GDC;

 

 “Citi Profit” are to Citi Profit Investment Holding Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, which is wholly owned by CCNC;GDC;

 

 TMSR Holdings”GDC” and the “Company” are to GD Culture Group Limited (formerly known as JM Global Holding Company, TMSR HoldingsHolding Company Limited and Code Chain New Continent Limited), a Nevada Corporation;

“Highlight HK” are to Highlights Culture Holding Co., Limited, a Hong Kong SAR company, which is wholly owned by Citi Profit;

 

 MakesiHighlight WFOE” are to Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai)Shanghai Highlight Entertainment Co., Ltd., a PRC company, which is wholly owned by TMSR Holdings;

“Wuge” are to Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd., a PRC company, which is owned by Xu Wei, the Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of CCNC, and Bibo Lin, the Vice President and director of CCNC;

“VIE” are to variable interest entity;Highlight HK;

 

 “PRC” or “China” are to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purpose of this report, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau;

 

 “RMB” or “Renminbi” are to the legal currency of China; and

 

 Shanghai Xianzhui” are to Shanghai Xianzhui Technology Co., Ltd., a joint venture, of which Highlight Entertainment Co. Ltd. owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest;

“we”, “our”, “us” are to the Company and its subsidiaries;

“Yuan Ma” are to Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd., a PRC company, which is a variable interest entity for accounting purposes;

$”, “US$” or “U.S. Dollars” are to the legal currency of the United States.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all references to common stock, warrants to purchase common stock, share data, per share data, and related information have been retroactively adjusted, where applicable, in this Report to reflect a 1-to-30 reverse stock split of our common stock which became effective on November 9, 2022 as if they had occurred at the beginning of the earlier period presented.

ii

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This Annual Report contains statements that may be deemed to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements relate to anticipated future events, future results of operations and or future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by their use of terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “ought to,” “plan,” “possible,” “potentially,” “predicts,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” negatives of such terms or other similar terms. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report include, without limitation, statements relating to:

 

 our goals and strategies;
 our future business development, results of operations and financial condition;
 our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and our need for additional financing;
 our estimates regarding the market opportunity for our services;
 the impact of government laws and regulations;
 our ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel;
 our failure to comply with regulatory guidelines;
 uncertainty in industry demand;
 general economic conditions and market conditions in the financial servicesvirtual content production industry;
 future sales of large blocks or our securities, which may adversely impact our share price; and
 depth of the trading market in our securities.

 

The preceding list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all of our forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties, including those described in Item 1A “Risk Factors.”

 

You should not unduly rely on any forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this Annual Report, to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.

 

iiiii

 

 

PART I

 

Item 1. Business

 

GeneralOverview

 

Code Chain New ContinentGD Culture Group Limited (“CCNC”, formerly(formerly known as JM Global Holding Company, and TMSR Holding Company Limited, and Code Chain New Continent Limited) is a holding, focuses its business on three segments mainly through the Company and two subsidiaries, AI Catalysis and Shanghai Xianzhui: 1) AI-driven digital human creation and customization; 2) Live streaming and e-commerce and 3) Live streaming interactive game. The company incorporated inhas relentlessly been focusing on serving its customers and creating value for them through the State of Nevada with no material operationscontinual innovation and optimization of its own. We currently conduct business through Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”). For accounting purposes, we receive the economic benefits of Wuge through the VIE agreements, which enable us to consolidate the financial results of Wuge in our consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAPproducts and the structure involves unique risks to investors. The VIE agreements have not been tested in a court of law and the Chinese regulatory authorities could disallow this VIE structure, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and the value of our securities, including that it could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. For more details on the VIE structure, please see “Item 1. Business – Corporate Structure - Contractual Arrangements between Wuge And Makesi WFOE” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure”.services.

 

Wuge focuses its businessFor AI-driven digital human creation and customization sector, the Company uses AI algorithms and software to generate realistic 3D or 2D digital human models. AI algorithms and machine learning models are used to simulate human characteristics, such as facial expressions, body movements, and even speech patterns. These models can be customized to create and personalize lifelike digital representations of humans. Customization may involve adjusting facial features, body proportions, skin textures, hair styles, clothing, and more. Once created and customized, digital humans find applications in a wide range of industries, including gaming, entertainment, advertising, education, and more. Depending on research, developmentthe specific industry and the application of Internet of Things (IoT)scenario, the Company helps the customers to define the objectives to achieve with digital humans, choose the technology for character customization, then create unique aviators and electronic tokens Wuge digital door signs.deploy in the chosen platform.

 

Wuge For live streaming and e-commerce sector, the Company applies digital door signs combinehuman technology in live streaming e-commerce businesses. Livestream usage is taking off globally. The integration of cutting-edge AI digital human technologies and live streaming platforms will transform the five-W elements (when, where, who, why, what), geographic location via the Beidou satellite systemway businesses, sellers and identity information using Code Chain technology.consumers engage in online commerce. Digital anchors can offer long-duration intelligent live broadcasting. It is the digitalization of a physical store by means of animation and other technical means presentedalso supports customized avatars that perfectly adapt to different live streaming scenarios. The company has introduced online e-commerce businesses on the internet and Internet of Things (IoT). It is based on the geographic location of the store. Wuge door sign can be used in our mobile application Wuge Social, available on Android platform. The mobile application provides a display of the map and store based on real cities and uses the IoT Grid as the access point to access e-commerce by Code Chain. Through the mobile application and Wuge Manor, the game within the mobile application, users can have access to hundreds of vendors and business owners in China, participate in activities those businesses set up and collect points, which can be redeemed as equipment in the game or coupons usable when making purchase at that business. Code Chain access to e-commerce includes Online to Offline (O2O) “scanning QR Code” and social media that seamlessly link offline and online and connect real and virtual directly, so that each IoT Grid becomes an e-commerce access to realize the decentralization of e-commerce access and complete the basic layout for blockchain e-commerce. Wuge digital door sign can be purchased. Such purchaser can use Wuge Social to promote the store of which the Wuge digital door sign was purchased and receive commissions and other incentive from the store owner.TikTok under different accounts.

 

Prior to March 30, 2021, we were also engaged in coal wholesales and sales of coke, steel, construction materials, mechanical equipment and steel scrap through Jiangsu Rong Hai Electric Power Fuel Co., Ltd. (“Rong Hai”), a then VIE of the Company. On March 30, 2021,For live streaming interactive game sector, the Company entered intohas launched a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated withlive-streamed game called “Trible Light.” This game is owned by the Company (the “Buyer”), and Qihai Wang, former director of the Company (the “Payee”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the Buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (the “Tongrong Shares”) of Tongrong Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (“Tongrong WFOE”), a PRC company, and an indirect subsidiary ofwe independently operate it. Currently, the Company. The Payee agreedgame is being livestreamed on TikTok (TikTok account: almplify001). In addition to be responsible“Trible Light,” we have also introduced other licensed games on the same TikTok account, providing a diverse gaming experience for the payment of the purchase price on behalf of the Buyer. On March 31, 2021, the Company closed the sale of the Tongrong Sharesplayers.

We aim to generate revenue from: 1) Service revenue and caused the CCNC Shares to be cancelled. Tongrong WFOE had a series of VIE agreements with Rong Haiadvertising revenue from digital human creation and the shareholders of Rong Hai. The sale of Tongrong Shares included disposition of Rong Hai. As a result, as of March 31, 2021, operations of Tongrong WFOEcustomization; 2) Products’ sales revenue from social live streaming e-commerce business; and Rong Hai have been designated as discontinued operations.3) Virtual paid gifts revenue from live streaming interactive gaming.

 

Our principal executive offices areoffice is located at No 119 South Zhaojuesi Road, 2nd810 Seventh Avenue, 22nd Floor, Room 1, Chenghua District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 610047,New York, NY 10019, and our telephone number is: +86 028-84112941. Our website is www.ccnctech.com.+1-347-2590292.


 

Corporate History and Structure

 

Corporate HistoryThe following is an organizational chart setting forth our corporate structure as of the date of this Report.

Overview

GDC, formerly known as Code Chain New Continent Limited, formerly known as TMSR Holding Company Limited and JM Global Holding Company, was a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on April 10, 2015. The Company was formed for the purpose of acquiring, through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, exchangeable share transaction or other similar business transaction, one or more operating businesses or assets. On June 20, 2018, the Company consummated the reincorporation. As a result, the Company changed its state of incorporation from Delaware to Nevada and implemented a 2-for-1 forward stock split of the Company’s common stock.

Citi Profit is a company formed under the laws of the British Virgin Islands in August 2019 and is wholly owned by GDC. It is a holding company with no material operations of its own. 

Highlight HK is a company formed under the laws of Hong Kong SAR in November 2022 and is wholly owned by Citi Profit. It is a holding company with no material operations of its own.

Highlight WFOE or Shanghai Highlight is a company formed under the laws of the PRC in January 2023 and is wholly owned by Highlight HK. It is a holding company with no material operations of its own.

Shanghai Xianzhui is a company formed under the laws of the PRC in August 2023 for social media marketing purposes. It is a joint venture, of which Highlight WFOE owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest.

AI Catalysis is a company formed under the laws of Neveda in May 2023, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GDC. It is an operating company focusing on AI-driven digital human creation and customization, live streaming and e-commerce, and live streaming interactive game.


As previously disclosed in the current reports on Form 8-K of the Company filed on September 19, 2022 and February 28, 2023, on September 16, 2022, Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a then indirect subsidiary of the Company (“Makesi WFOE”), Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., a PRC company (“Highlight Media”), and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight (the “Highlight Media Shareholders”) entered into certain Technical Consultation and Services Agreement., Equity Pledge Agreement, Equity Option Agreement, Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement, which was assigned by Makesi WFOE to Highlight WFOE on February 27, 2023 (such agreements, as assigned, the “VIE Agreements”). The VIE Agreements established a “Variable Interest Entity” (VIE) structure, pursuant to which the Company treated Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity and consolidated the financial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). 

On September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a termination agreement (the “Termination Agreement”) with Highlight Media, the Highlight Media Shareholders and a third party to terminate the VIE Agreements and for the third party to pay the Company $100,000 as consideration to the termination of the VIE Agreements. As a result of such termination, the Company will no longer treat Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidate the financial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

Reverse Stock Split

On November 4, 2022, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Amendment”) with the Nevada Secretary of State to effect a reverse stock split of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per shares, of the Company at a ratio of one-for-thirty (30), which became effective at 12:01 a.m. on November 9, 2022. Upon effectiveness of the reverse stock split, every thirty (30) outstanding shares of common stock were combined into and automatically become one share of common stock. The Company’s warrants (OTC Pink: CCNCW) was adjusted so that each warrant is to purchase one-half of one shares of common stock at a price of $86.40 per half share ($172.50 per whole share). The warrants expired on February 5, 2023.

Unless otherwise indicated, all references to common stock, warrants to purchase common stock, share data, per share data, and related information have been retroactively adjusted, where applicable, in this Report to reflect the reverse stock split of our common stock as if they had occurred at the beginning of the earlier period presented.

Name Change

Effective as of May 18, 2020,January 10, 2023, the Company changed its corporate name from “TMSR Holding Company Limited” to “Code Chain New Continent Limited” to “GD Culture Group Limited” pursuant to a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation. In connection with the name change, effective as of the opening of trading on May 18, 2020,January 10, 2023, the Company’s common stock is trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “CCNC” and the Company’s warrants to purchase one-half of one shares of Common Stock at a price of $2.88 per half share ($5.75 per whole share) is quoting on the OTC Pink Market under the ticker symbol “CCNCW”“GDC”.

 

Business Combination with China Sunlong

On February 6, 2018, China Sunlong Environmental Technology Inc. (“China Sunlong”) consummated the business combination with JM Global. This transaction is accounted for as a “reverse merger” and recapitalization at the dateImpact of the consummation of the transaction since the shareholders of China Sunlong owns the majority of the outstanding shares of JM Global immediately following the completion of the transaction and JM Global’s operations was the operations of China Sunlong following the transaction. Accordingly, China Sunlong was deemed to be the accounting acquirer in the transaction and the transaction was treated as a recapitalization of China Sunlong.

After the business combination and prior to May 1, 2018, all of the Company’s business activities were carried out by the wholly owned operating Chinese company, Hubei Shengrong Environmental Protection Energy-Saving Science and Technology Ltd. (“Hubei Shengrong”).

Disposition of TJComex

On April 2, 2018, the Company disposed of its subsidiary, TJComex International Group Corporation (“TJComex BVI”), a British Virgin Islands corporation, in consideration of (i) its minimum contribution to the Company’s results of operation and (ii) the unsatisfactory synergy between the TJComex BVI business and the rest of the Company’s business. The Company’s decision to dispose TJComex BVI is to (i) improve the Company’s overall financial condition and results of operations, (ii) reduce the complexity of the Company’s business, (iii) focus the Company’s resources on the solid waste recycling business as well as developing environmental control business opportunities; and (iv) make it possible for the Company to pursue acquisition opportunities for more compatible business.


Acquisition of Wuhan Host

On May 1, 2018, the Company completed the acquisition of 100% equity interest in Wuhan Host Coating Materials Co., Ltd. (“Wuhan Host”), a PRC corporation engaging in the research and development, production and sale of Zinc-rich coating materials. Wuhan Host was the largest manufacturer of inorganic Zinc-rich resin and one-component epoxy Zinc-rich resin in China with customers including leading enterprises in various industries such as electricity, metallurgy, machinery, chemicals, bridge and shipping.

Acquisition of Rong Hai

On November 30, 2018, the Company’s indirectly subsidiary, Shengrong Environmental Protection Technology (Wuhan) Co. Ltd. (“Shengrong WFOE”), a PRC company, entered into VIE agreements with Jiangsu Rong Hai Electric Power Fuel Co., Ltd. (“Rong Hai”). The VIE agreements were assigned in whole to the Company’s indirectly subsidiary, Tongrong Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (“Tongrong WFOE”), a PRC company, in April 2020, through which Tongrong WFOE shall receive economic benefits of Rong Hai and consolidate the financial results of Rong Hai in the consolidated financial statement of the Company under U.S. GAAP for accounting purposes. Rong Hai is a PRC company incorporated in Jiangsu China, engaging in coal wholesales and sales of coke, steels, construction materials, mechanical equipment and steel scrap.

Disposition of Hubei Shengrong

On December 27, 2018, the Company, disposed one of its operating subsidiaries, Hubei Shengrong, a PRC company, pursuant to that certain Equity Purchase Agreement by and among the Company, the Company’s subsidiary Shengrong WFOE, Hubei Shengrong and Hopeway International Enterprises Limited (the “Hoepway”). Pursuant to the Equity Purchase Agreement, Shengrong WFOE sold 100% equity interests in Hubei Shengrong to Hopeway to irrevocably forfeit and cancel all the shares owned by Hopeway.

Acquisition of Wuge

On January 3, 2020, the Company’s indirectly subsidiary, Tongrong WFOE, entered into a share purchase agreement with Wuge and all the shareholders of Wuge (“Wuge Shareholders”). Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, the Company agreed to issue an aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of the common stock of the Company to the Wuge Shareholders, in exchange for Wuge Shareholders’ agreement to enter into, and their agreement to cause Wuge to enter into, certain VIE agreements (“VIE Agreements”) with Tongrong WFOE, the Company’s then indirect subsidiary, through which Tongrong WFOE shall receive economic benefits of Wuge and consolidate the financial results of Wuge in the consolidated financial statement of the Company under U.S. GAAP for accounting purposes.COVID-19 Pandemic

 

The Wuge Shareholders are Wei Xu, who becameCOVID-19 pandemic did not have a director of the Company as a result of the acquisition and was subsequently appointed as the Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of the Company, Bibo Lin, who was subsequently appointed as a vice president and a director of the Company, Jiangsu Lingkong Network Joint Stock Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu, and Anhui Shuziren Network Technology Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu.

On January 11, 2021, Tongrong WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements with Makesi Iot Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Makesi WFOE”), pursuant to which Tongrong WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE Agreements to Makesi WFOE. As a result, for account purposes, Makesi WFOE shall have receive economic benefits of Wuge and consolidate the financialmaterial impact on our business or results of Wuge inoperation during the consolidated financial statement offiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. However, the Company under U.S. GAAP for accounting purposes.

Disposition of China Sunlong

On June 30, 2020, the Company disposed China Sunlong and its subsidiaries, including Shengrong Environmental Protection Holding Company Limited (“Shengrong BVI”), a British Virgin Islands company, Hong Kong Shengrong Environmental Company Limited (“Sunrong HK”), a Hong Kong company, Shengrong WFOE, and Wuhan Host pursuantextent to a share purchase agreement with Jiazhen Li, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Long Liao and Chunyong Zheng, former shareholders of Wuhan Host. Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, the Company sold 100% equity interests in China Sunlong to Jiazhen Li in exchange for forfeition and cancellation of all 1,012,932 shares of common stock of the Company held by Long Liao and Chunyong Zheng. The Company sold its equity interest in China Sunlong due to the economic disruption in China’s Hubei Province as a result ofwhich the COVID-19 pandemic where Shengrong Environmental Protection Technology (Wuhan) Limitedmay negatively impact the general economy and Wuhan Host Coating Materials, Limited, indirect subsidiaries of China Sunlong, were located.


Disposition of Tongrong WFOE

On March 30, 2021, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company (the “Buyer”), and Qihai Wang, former director of the Company (the “Payee”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the Buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (the “Tongrong Shares”) of Tongrong WFOE. The Payee agreed to be responsible for the payment of the purchase price on behalf of Buyer. The purchase price for the Tongrong Shares shall be $2,464,411, payable in the form of cancelling 426,369 shares of common stock of the Company owned by the Payee (the “CCNC Shares”). The CCNC Shares are valued at $5.78 per share, based on the average closing price of the Company’s common stock during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the agreement from February 12, 2021 to March 26, 2021. On March 31, 2021, the Company closed the sale of the Tongrong Shares and caused the CCNC Shares to be cancelled. Tongrong WFOE had a series of VIE agreements with Rong Hai and the shareholders of Rong Hai. The disposition of Tongrong WFOE included disposition of Rong Hai.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the offices of our then subsidiaries Shengrong Environmental Protection Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (“Shengrong WFOE”) and Wuhan HOST Coating Materials Co., Ltd. (“Wuhan HOST”) in Hubei Province, China were closed on January 23, 2020 to adhere to the emergency quarantine measures required by local governments. The economic disruption caused by COVID-19 were catastrophic to the coating material business of Shengrong WFOE and Wuhan HOST, which had no revenue and negative operating income since the fourth quarter of 2019 and no revenue or operating income for the first and second quarter of 2020. Shengrong WFOE and Wuhan HOST lost employees, suppliers and customers and were not able to recover. As a result, we sold our businesses located in Wuhan in June 2020. For more details, please see “Item 1. Business – Corporate History and Structure - Disposition of China Sunlong”. In addition, the office of the then VIE Rong Hai in Jiangsu Province and the office of Wuge in Sichuan Province in China were temporarily closed from early February until early March 2020.

The extent to which COVID-19 negatively impacts our business is highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted. We believe that the coronavirus outbreak and the measures taken to control it may have a significant negative impact on not only our business, but economic activities globally. The magnitude of this negative effect on the continuity of our business operation in China remains uncertain. These uncertainties may impede our ability to conduct our daily operations and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and as a result could adversely affect our stock price and create more volatility.

 


 

Corporate Structure

The Company is a holding company incorporated in the State of Nevada with no material operations of its own. We currently conduct business through Wuge. For accounting purposes, we receive the economic benefits of Wuge through the VIE agreements, which enable us to consolidate the financial results of Wuge in our consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

The following is an organizational chart setting forth our corporate structure as of the date of this Annual Report.

 

Contractual Arrangements between Wuge And Makesi WFOE

Technical Consultation and Services Agreement.Pursuant to the technical consultation and services agreement between Wuge and Tongrong WFOE dated January 3, 2020 and the assignment agreement between Tonrong WFOE and Makesi WFOE dated January 11, 2021, Makesi WFOE has the exclusive right to provide consultation services to Wuge relating to Wuge’s business, including but not limited to business consultation services, human resources development, and business development. Makesi WFOE exclusively owns any intellectual property rights arising from the performance of this agreement. Makesi WFOE has the right to determine the service fees based on Wuge’s actual operation on a quarterly basis. This agreement will be effective as long as Wuge exists. Makesi WFOE may terminate this agreement at any time by giving a 30 days’ prior written notice to Wuge.


Equity Pledge Agreement.Under the equity pledge agreement among Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and Wuge Shareholders dated January 3, 2020 and the assignment agreement between Tonrong WFOE and Makesi WFOE dated January 11, 2021, Wuge Shareholders pledged all of their equity interests in Wuge to Makesi WFOE to guarantee Wuge’s performance of relevant obligations and indebtedness under the technical consultation and services agreement. In addition, Wuge Shareholders will complete the registration of the equity pledge under the agreement with the competent local authority. If Wuge breaches its obligation under the technical consultation and services agreement, Makesi WFOE, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests. This pledge will remain effective until all the guaranteed obligations are performed or the Wuge Shareholders cease to be shareholders of Wuge.

Equity Option Agreement.Under the equity option agreement among Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and Wuge Shareholders dated January 3, 2020 and the assignment agreement between Tonrong WFOE and Makesi WFOE dated January 11, 2021, each of Wuge Shareholders irrevocably granted to Makesi WFOE or its designee an option to purchase at any time, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or a portion of his equity interests in Wuge. Also, Makesi WFOE or its designee has the right to acquire any and all of its assets of Wuge. Without Makesi WFOE’s prior written consent, Wuge’s shareholders cannot transfer their equity interests in Wuge and Wuge cannot transfer its assets. The acquisition price for the shares or assets will be the minimum amount of consideration permitted under the PRC law at the time of the exercise of the option. This pledge will remain effective until all options have been exercised.

Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement.Under the voting rights proxy and financial support agreement among Tonrong WFOE, Wuge and Wuge Shareholders dated January 3, 2020 and the assignment agreement between Tonrong WFOE and Makesi WFOE dated January 11, 2021, each Wuge Shareholder irrevocably appointed Makesi WFOE as its attorney-in-fact to exercise on such shareholder’s behalf any and all rights that such shareholder has in respect of his equity interests in Wuge, including but not limited to the power to vote on its behalf on all matters of Wuge requiring shareholder approval in accordance with the articles of association of Wuge. The proxy agreement is for a term of 20 years and can be extended by Makesi WFOE unilaterally by prior written notice to the other parties.

 

Recent Regulatory Developments

 

On January 4, 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC, issued the revised Measures on Cyberspace Security Review (the “Revised Measures”), which came into effect on February 15, 2022. Under the Revised Measures, any “network platform operator” controlling personal information of no less than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cyber security review.

 

We dobelieve Shanghai Xianzhui is not believe Wuge is a “network platform operator” who control over one million personal information as mentioned above, given that: (i) WugeShanghai Xianzhui does not possess a large amount of personal information in our business operations and (ii) data processed in Wuge’sShanghai Xianzhui’s business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. As such, we believe we areShanghai Xianzhui is not currently not be subject to the cyber security review by the CAC. However, the definition of “network platform operator” is unclear and it is also unclear on how it will be interpreted and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities. See “Risk factors — Risk Factors Related to Doing Business in China — WugeShanghai Xianzhui may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. WugeShanghai Xianzhui may be required to suspend its business, be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers or face other penalties.”


 

On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC governmental authorities made public the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies. As these opinions arewere recently issued, official guidance and related implementation rules have not been issued yet and the interpretation of these opinions remains unclear at this stage. As of the date of this Report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions regarding listing abroad or offshore offering from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) or any other PRC governmental authorities. See “Risk Factors — Risk Factors Related to Doing Business in China — The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if WugeShanghai Xianzhui or the holding companyGDC were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange and the value of our common stock may significantly decline or become worthless, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.”

On February 17, 2023, the CSRC released the Trial Administrative Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”) and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC. If a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. As a listed company, we believe that we and all of our PRC subsidiaries are not required to fulfill filing procedures with the CSRC to continue to offer our securities, or continue listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the dateRegulation on Mergers and Acquisitions of this annual report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions regarding listing abroad or offshore offering from the CSRC or anyDomestic Companies by Foreign Investors (“M&A Rules”), other PRC Laws and future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that any governmental authorities.agency will not take a view that is contrary to or otherwise different from our belief stated herein. See “Risk Factors - Risk Factors Relating to Doing Business in China - The CSRC has released the Trial Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”). With such rules in effect, the Chinese government may exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer our securities to investors and could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.”


 

We believe that we are currently not required to obtain any permission or approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”)CSRC and Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”)the CAC in the PRC to issue securities to foreign investors. However, there is no guarantee that this will continue to be the case in the future in relation to any future offerings of our company or the continued listing of our company’s securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or even in the event such permission or approval is required and obtained, it will not be subsequently revoked or rescinded. If we do not receive or maintain the approvals, or we inadvertently conclude that such approvals are not required, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to obtain approval in the future, we may be subject to an investigation by competent regulators, fines or penalties, or an order prohibiting us from conducting an offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our securities, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.

 

On December 24, 2021, CSRC issued Provisions of the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comments) (the “Administration Provisions”), and the Administrative Measures for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Measures”), which are open for public comments by January 23, 2022. The Administration Provisions and Measures for overseas listings lay out specific requirements for filing documents and include unified regulation management, strengthening regulatory coordination, and cross-border regulatory cooperation. Domestic companies seeking to list abroad must carry out relevant security screening procedures if their businesses involve supervisions such as foreign investment security and cyber security reviews. Companies endangering national security are among those off-limits for overseas listings. According to Relevant Officials of the CSRC Answered Reporter Questions (“CSRC Answers”), after the Administration Provisions and Measures are implemented upon completion of public consultation and due legislative procedures, the CSRC will formulate and issue guidance for filing procedures to further specify the details of filing administration and ensure that market entities could refer to clear guidelines for filing, which means it will still take time to put the Administration Provisions and Measures into effect. As the Administration Provisions and Measures have not yet come into effect, we are currently unaffected by them. However, according to CSRC Answers, only new initial public offerings and refinancing by existing overseas listed Chinese companies will be required to go through the filing process; other existing overseas listed companies will be allowed a sufficient transition period to complete their filing procedure. However, it is uncertain when the Administration Provision and the Measures will take effect or if they will take effect as currently drafted.

Implication of the Holding Foreign Company Accountable Act

 

The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCAA states that if the SEC determines that an issuer’s audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm have not been subject to inspection by the PCAOBPublic Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit such issuer’s securities from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. If we fail to meet the new rules before the deadline specified thereunder, we could face possible prohibition from trading on a national securities exchange oron the OTCQB,OTC Markets, deregistration from the SEC and/or other risks, which may materially and adversely affect, or effectively terminate, our securities trading in the United States. On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCAA. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act”) was signed into law by President Biden, which if enacted, would amendcontained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCAA and requireby requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges or the over-the-counter markets if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three.


Pursuant tothree, thus reducing the HFCAA,time period for triggering the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)prohibition on trading. On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the Ministry of Finance of the PRC (the “PCAOB”“MOF”) issued a Determination Report on December 16, 2021 which found that, and the PCAOB is unablesigned a Statement of Protocol (the “Protocol”), governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect orand investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1)in mainland China of the People’s Republic of China because of a position taken by one or more authorities in mainland China; and (2) Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in Hong Kong. In addition,Pursuant to the PCAOB’s report identifiedfact sheet with respect to the specificProtocol disclosed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms which are subjectheadquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to these determinations.vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB will consider the need to issue a new determination. 

 

Our previous auditor, WWC, P.C., the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report in this annual report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and is subject to inspectionEnrome LLP, has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. Therefore, we believe that, as ofbasis in the date of this annual report, ouraudit period. Our current auditor, is not subject to the determinations as to the inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announcedHTL International, LLC (“HTL”), has been inspected by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021.

a regular basis as well. If it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely, investors may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection. Any audit reports not issued by auditors that are completely inspected by the PCAOB, or a lack of PCAOB inspections of audit work undertaken in China that prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditors’ audits and their quality control procedures, could result in a lack of assurance that our financial statements and disclosures are adequate and accurate. Moreover, if trading in our securities is prohibited under the HFCAA in the future because the PCAOB determines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our auditor at such future time, an exchange may determine to delist our securities. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China  — The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies”companies.”

 

Consolidation

We conduct all of our business in China through Wuge, the VIE. For accounting purposes, we receive the economic benefits of Wuge through the VIE agreements, which enable us to consolidate the financial results of Wuge in our consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP and the structure involves unique risks to investors.

The following tables present selected condensed consolidated financial data of the company and its subsidiaries and the VIE for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, and balance sheet data as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, which have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for those years.

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

  For the Year Ended December 31, 2021 
  CCNC  Subsidiaries  VIE  Eliminations  Consolidated
Total
 
                
Revenue $-  $          -  $25,029,949  $-  $25,029,949 
Net income (loss) $(24,721,486) $-  $3,721,527  $(5,970,933) $(26,970,892)
Comprehensive income (loss) $(24,721,486) $-  $3,750,662  $(6,709,848) $(27,680,672)

  For the Year Ended December 31, 2020 
  CCNC  Subsidiaries  VIE  Eliminations  Consolidated
Total
 
                
Revenue $-  $          -  $591,455  $-  $591,455 
Net income (loss) $(1,445,522) $-  $(158,591) $4,114,569  $2,510,456 
Comprehensive income (loss) $(1,445,522) $-  $(72,076) $5,795,958  $4,278,360 


SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

  As of December 31, 2021 
  CCNC  Subsidiaries  VIE  Eliminations  Consolidated Total 
Cash $

202,781

  $        -  $

14,385,549

  $

-

 $

14,588,330

 
Total current assets $1,457,545  $-  $17,258,309  $(2,784,501) $15,931,353 
Investments in subsidiaries and VIE $27,660,000  $-  $   $(27,660,000) $  
Total assets $51,739,299  $-  $19,367,508  $(20,571,550) $50,535,257 
Total liabilities $5,471,427  $-  $15,833,781  $(2,849,942) $18,455,266 
Total shareholders’ equity $46,267,872  $-  $3,533,727  $(17,721,608) $32,079,991 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $51,739,299  $-  $19,367,508  $(20,571,550) $50,535,257 

  As of December 31, 2020 
  CCNC  Subsidiaries  VIE  Eliminations  Consolidated Total 
Cash $-  $           -  $308,110  $690,607  $998,717 
Total current assets $7,527,552  $-  $1,048,385  $3,403,256  $11,979,193 
Investments in subsidiaries and VIE $27,660,000  $-  $       $(27,660,000) $       
Total assets $35,187,552  $-  $2,304,566  $(12,356,999) $25,135,119 
Total liabilities $2,046,099  $-  $2,521,501  $(1,345,236) $3,222,364 
Total shareholders’ equity $33,141,453  $-  $(216,935) $(11,011,763) $21,912,755 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $35,187,552  $-  $2,304,566  $(12,356,999) $25,135,119 

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

  For the Year Ended December 31, 2021 
  CCNC  Subsidiaries  VIE  Eliminations  Consolidated
Total
 
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $(13,402,262) $          -  $14,262,544  $(6,371,334) $(5,511,052)
Net used in investing activities $-  $-  $(308,778) $(961,706) $(1,270,484)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities $22,539,996  $-  $255,766  $-  $22,795,762 

  For the Year Ended December 31, 2020 
  CCNC  Subsidiaries  VIE  Eliminations  Consolidated
Total
 
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $(4,472,402) $537,243.00  $1,972,313  $1,960,745  $(2,101)
Net used in investing activities $(7,200,000) $(3,165,786.00) $(1,183,234) $7,018,212  $(4,530,808)
Net cash used in financing activities $2,511,657  $-  $547,538  $-  $3,059,195 


 

 

Asset Transfer between our Company and our Subsidiaries and the VIE

As of the date of this annual report, our Company, our subsidiaries, and Wuge have not distributed any earnings or settled any amounts owed under the VIE agreements. Our Company, our subsidiaries, and Wuge do not have any plan to distribute earnings or settle amounts owed under the VIE agreements in the foreseeable future.

   

During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2021, there was no cash transfers and transfers2023, GDC transferred a total of other assets between our Company, our subsidiaries, and Wuge. $2,100,000 to its subsidiary AI Catalysis Corp.

During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020, cash transfers and transfers2022, there was no transfer of other assets between our Company, our subsidiaries,GDC and Wuge were as follows: its subsidiaries.

For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
No. Transfer From Transfer To Approximate Value ($)  Note
1 Tongrong VIE  1,226,072  Cash (as working capital) borrowed by the VIE from Tongrong

 

Our Products and Services – Wuge Digital Door Signs

 

Wuge creates digital door signs that combine the five-W elements (when, where, who, why, what), geographic location via the Beidou satellite system and identity information using Code Chain technology. It is the digitalization of a physical store by means of animation and other technical means presented on the internet and Internet of Things (IoT). It is based on the geographic location of the store. Wuge door sign can be used in our mobile application Wuge Social, available on Android platform. The mobile application provides a display of the map and store based on real cities and uses the IoT Grid as the access point to access e-commerce by Code Chain. Through the mobile application and Wuge Manor, the game within the mobile application, users can have access to hundreds of vendors and business owners in China, participate in activities those businesses set up and collect points, which can be redeemed as equipmentGDC operates in the game or coupons usable when making purchase at that business. Code Chain access tofollowing distinct business sectors through the Company and two subsidiaries, AI Catalysis Corp. and Shanghai Xianzhui: 1) AI-driven digital human creation and customization; 2) Live streaming and e-commerce includes Online to Offline (O2O) “scanning QR Code” and social media that seamlessly link offline3) Live streaming interactive game. The company has relentlessly been focusing on serving its customers and onlinecreating value for them through the continual innovation and connect realoptimization of its products and virtual directly, so that each IoT Grid becomes an e-commerce access to realize the decentralization of e-commerce access and complete the basic layout for blockchain e-commerce. Wuge digital door sign can be purchased. Such purchaser can use Wuge Social to promote the store of which the Wuge digital door sign was purchased and receive commissions and other incentive from the store owner.services.

 

1.AI-Driven Digital Human

Our Customers

-Digital Human Creation and Customization

The Company uses AI algorithms and software to generate realistic 3D or 2D digital human models. AI algorithms and machine learning models are used to simulate human characteristics, such as facial expressions, body movements, and even speech patterns. These models can be customized to create and personalize lifelike digital representations of humans. Customization may involve adjusting facial features, body proportions, skin textures, hair styles, clothing, and more.

-Digital Human Technology Application

Once created and customized, digital humans find applications in a wide range of industries, including gaming, entertainment, advertising, education, and more. Depending on the specific industry and the application scenario, the Company helps the customers to define the objectives to achieve with digital humans, choose the technology for character customization, then create unique aviators and deploy in the chosen platform.

 

The customers of Wuge are mainly natural person customers. Wuge does not have customers that individually accountsCompany currently plans to generate lifelike digital humans for 10% of its revenue.the following key business areas:

Virtual Influencers and Social Media

The Company aims to create digital humans to gain popularity as virtual influencers on social media platforms. These virtual personalities can collaborate with brands and engage with followers, blurring the line between fiction and reality.

 

Our SuppliersA well-thought-out narrative to create digital characters with diversified personal identity, appearance, storytelling, and actions can resonate with its audience and influence them on notable social media platforms. It aims to attract a large following on social media and has the ability to produce responsible content 24/7. The Company also uses open source AI tools to create unconventional digital characters and videos.

Online Marketing and Advertising

Digital humans can be used in marketing campaigns and advertisements to engage with consumers. They can serve as virtual brand ambassadors or spokespersons, providing a more personal and interactive experience. The Company creates customized digital humans to support the clients’ marketing efforts.

 

Wuge relies


2.E-Commerce and Live Streaming

-Digital Human in E-Commerce and Live Streaming

The Company applies digital human technology in live streaming e-commerce businesses. Livestream usage is taking off globally. The integration of cutting-edge AI digital human technologies and live streaming platforms will transform the way businesses, sellers and consumers engage in online commerce. Digital anchors can offer long-duration intelligent live broadcasting. It also supports customized avatars that perfectly adapt to different live streaming scenarios.

-E-Commerce on Social Media Platforms

The company has introduced online e-commerce businesses on one supplierTikTok. Our focus is on capturing TikTok’s popular trend by offering carefully selected product choices with smooth delivery. We aim to redefine the online shopping experience by providing a diverse range of products with real-time interaction capabilities. Currently, our product offerings include popular Asian snacks, small home appliances, gardening tools, 3C products, and more. We plan to introduce additional product types, such as Asian branded beauty products, personal care, fashion, and more trending popular items in Asia, to TikTok consumers.

-E-Commerce Live Streaming Businesses

The Company intends to expand its e-commerce offerings on the social media platform into live-streaming. We plan to diversify our livestream hosts by incorporating different styles and personalities. In addition to the real-time improvisation by hosts during each live streaming session, our community interactions generate another form of content. The variety of real-time interactions between viewers and hosts or among viewers creates viewer-generated content, which becomes part of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, Ali Cloud Computing Co. Ltd.overall entertainment and social experience offered on our platform. Such content enhances the sense of involvement and makes it more enjoyable to watch live streaming while customers are shopping online.

3.Live Streaming Interactive Game

The Company has launched a live-streamed game called “Trible Light.” This game is owned by the company, and we independently operate it. Currently, the game is being livestreamed on TikTok (TikTok account: almplify001). In addition to “Trible Light,” we have also introduced other licensed games on the same TikTok account, providing a diverse gaming experience for the players.

 

Wuge reliesThese interactive live streaming games on one supplierthe TikTok platform are specifically designed for young game enthusiasts worldwide. They offer real-time and immersive gaming experiences, where viewers can actively participate as players during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, Ali Cloud Computing Co. Ltd.livestream. Our livestream hosts enhance the experience by providing commentary, tips, and insights to engage and excite the players. Furthermore, this unique live streaming format allows viewers to gift virtual tokens to their favorite hosts, fostering a sense of community among our gaming audience.

This innovative gaming style is already popular in Asia which offers instant, thrill-packed experiences for TikTok enthusiasts. The game is user-friendly, entertaining, and available whenever players decide to participate. We plan to continuously diversify our game offerings to provide more enjoyable options based on viewers’ preferences. AI Catalysis intends to expand anchor personalities. Currently, the company has collaborated with two hosts - one with a great sense of humor and another with keen gaming insights. The game has gained significant momentum and has captured the attention of many TikTok users.

AI Catalysis plans to diversify its game offerings and collaborate with various TikTok personalities. In both e-commerce and live streaming and live streaming interactive game business sectors, AI Catalysis is committed to serving the TikTok audience 24/7. We also have plans to introduce digital hosts to ensure continuous entertainment.

 


 

 

Research and Development and Our TechnologyRevenue Model

 

Wuge has a strong technology development team, consisted of 26 experienced members, that focused on research, improvementWe aim to generate revenue from: 1) Service revenue and maintenance the existingadvertising revenue from digital human creation and developing games and Code Chain technology.

Copyrights

As of March 31, 2022, Wuge has one software copyright registered in China.customization; 2) Products’ sales revenue from social live streaming e-commerce business; 3) Virtual paid gifts revenue from live streaming interactive gaming.

 

Certificate  No.1.NameDigital Human Creation and Customization ServicesTypeRegistration  No.

Application  Date

(dd-mm-yy)

Issuance Date

(dd-mm-yy)

4610189Wuhe Mansion Game Software V1.0invention2019SR118943205/10/201922/11/2019

 

The Company will monetize our services through:

Competition

-Services fee for custom avatar creation: to provide customized services to our customers for designing and generating unique digital human avatars. Our target customers are mainly individuals or small and medium-sized businesses (“SMB”) in the consumer industry. For SMB customers, digital humans can be used in advertising and marketing campaigns to create engaging content, or engaging with consumers on social media platforms as a brand ambassador or spokespeople to increase brand visibility and loyalty. We can also provide ongoing maintenance, updates, and support for their digital humans. Based on the scope of work and complexity of the project, the company provides advice, project planning, and strategy development in exchange for consulting fees.

-Advertising partnership fee: When the Company’s own virtual influencers gain a significant following or visibility on the social media platforms, we consider partnering with brands for sponsored content or advertising opportunities related to the digital human work.

-Licensing fee: license the right to clients to use, deploy, or integrate digital human avatars or characters created by the company for a fee. Licensing agreements can vary based on usage, duration, and exclusivity.

2.Social and Live Streaming E-Commerce Gross Merchandise Value

-Product sales: Hosts or influencers showcase products, answer questions from viewers, and encourage viewers to make purchases of the products in real time during live streaming.

-Virtual gifts and tipping: Viewers have the option to send virtual gifts or tips to hosts or influencers during live streams. These virtual gifts are purchased with real money, and the platform and the host/influencers share the revenue generated from virtual gifting.

3.Live Streaming Interactive Gaming

-Virtual paid gifts: Virtual paid gifts from viewers are the main revenue source for the live streaming gaming industry. Virtual gifting is a considerably successful business model that stimulates streamers’ content generation and viewer-streamer interactions. Live streaming platforms earn revenues from sales of paid gifts, and streamers earn a proportion of the received gifts or donations or tips from fans.

Code Chain technology and electronic token are at a developing stage in China. There is currently no established competitor in the market in China.Our Customers

 

Recent Business Development

AI Catalysis’ main business is conducting virtual human live streams and bullet chat game broadcasts on TikTok, with expected revenue primarily coming from user tips.

 

August 2020 Private Placement

On August 11, 2020, pursuant to certain securities purchase agreements, dated May 1, 2020, the Company issued 1,674,428 shares of its common stock, at a per share purchase price of $1.50, to eleven investors. The gross proceeds to the Company from this private placement were approximately $2.51 million. None of the investors is a “U.S. person” as defined under Regulation S. The shares of common stock issued in the private placement are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, pursuant to Regulation S promulgated thereunder.

February 2021 Offering

Registered Direct Offering and Private Placement

On February 18, 2021, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with certain purchasers, pursuant to which, on February 22, 2021, we sold (i) 4,166,666 shares of common stock, (ii) registered warrants (the “Registered Warrants”) to purchase an aggregate of up to 1,639,362 shares of common stock and (iii) unregistered warrants (the “Unregistered Warrants”) to purchase up to 2,527,304 shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of common stock in a registered direct offering (the “Registered Direct Offering”) and a concurrent private placement (the “Private Placement,” and together with the Registered Direct Offering, the “Offering”). The terms of the Offering were previously reported in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 18, 2021 and the closing of the Offering was reported in a Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 22, 2021.Our Suppliers

 

The gross proceeds of the Offering of $24,999,996, before deducting placement agent feesCompany’s top three suppliers are Lida Global Limited, Shanghai Alliance Information Technology Co., Ltd. and other expenses, are being used for working capital and general business purposes.Jinhe Capital Limited.

 

The Registered Warrants have a term of five years and are exercisable immediately at an exercise price of $6.72 per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including a reduction in the exercise price, in the event of a subsequent offering at a price less than the then current exercise price, to the same price as the price in such offering (a “Price Protection Adjustment”).Employees

 

The Unregistered Warrants have a termAs of five and one-half years and are first exercisable on the date that is the earlier of (i) six months after the date of issuance or (ii) the date on which theApril 1, 2024, our Company obtains stockholder approval approving the sale of the securities sold under the Securities Purchase Agreement, to purchase an aggregate of up to 2,527,304 shares of common stock. The Unregistered Warrants have an exercise price of $6.72 per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including (x) a Price Protection Adjustment and (y)has 8 full-time employees in the event the exercise price is more than $6.10, a reduction of the exercise price to $6.10, upon obtaining such stockholder approval.total.

 

The Offering was conducted pursuant to a placement agency agreement, dated February 18, 2021 (the “Placement Agency Agreement”), between the CompanyWe have not experienced any significant labor disputes and Univest Securities, LLC (the “Placement Agent”), on a “reasonable best efforts” basis. The Company paid the Placement Agent a cash fee of $2,310,000, including $2,000,000 in commission which was equal to eight percent (8.0%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this Offering, $250,000 in non-accountable expense which was equal to one percent (1%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering, and $60,000 in accountable expenses. Additionally, the Company issued to the Placement Agent warrants to purchase up to 208,333 shares of common stock,consider our relationship with a term of five years first exercisable six months after the date of issuance and at an exercise price of $6.00 per share.


Stockholder Approval

Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, we are required to hold a meeting of our stockholders not later than April 29, 2021 to seek such approval as may be required from our stockholders (the “Stockholder Approval”), in accordance with applicable law, the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the Nevada Revised Statutes with respect to the issuance of the securities in the Offering, including the Warrants sold in the Private Placement, so that the issuance by us of shares of common stock in excess of the 6,954,059 shares (19.99% of the shares of common stock outstanding as of February 17, 2021, the date prior to entering into the Securities Purchase Agreement) in the aggregate (the “Issuable Maximum”), will be in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules 5635(a) and 5635(d) as described herein, and investors in the Offering will be able to exercise the Warrants prior to six months after the closing of the Offering.

In the event that despite our reasonable best efforts we are unable to obtain the Stockholder Approval by that date, we are required to hold an additional special meeting of stockholders and obtain Stockholder Approval by July 31, 2021.  In the event that despite our reasonable best efforts we are unable to obtain Stockholder Approval by that date, we are required to hold additional meetings of our stockholders each fiscal quarter until Stockholder Approval has been obtained.  Until we have obtained Stockholder Approval, we may not consummate any subsequent financings at less than an effective price of $6.72 per share of our common stock.

Asset Purchase Agreement dated February 23, 2021, as amended on April 16, 2021 and May 28, 2021

On February 23, 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Sichuan RiZhanYun Jisuan Co., Ltd. (the “Seller”), which was amended and restated on April 16, 2021, and further amended on May 28, 2021. Pursuant to the asset purchase agreement, the Company purchased a total of 10,000 Bitcoin mining machines (the “Assets”) for a total purchase price of RMB 40,000,000 or US$6,160,000 based on the exchange rate as of April 8, 2021 (the “Purchase Price”), payable in the form of 1,587,800 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at US$3.88 per share, which is the closing bid price of the common stock of the Company on the Nasdaq Stock Market on April 8, 2021. The Seller shall cause revenue and any other source of income from the operation of the Assetsemployees to be paid to the Company, payable in cryptocurrency to be deposited into a cryptocurrency wallet heldgood. Our employees are not covered by the Company on a daily basis. The Company shall issue to the Seller or its designees RMB 5,000,000 or US$770,000 worth of common stock of the Company (the “Bonus Shares”) if the Assets generate an average net profit per day/10,000 machines (the “Daily Profit”) on behalf of the Company during the one-year period from March 19, 2021 to March 19, 2022 (the “Valuation Period”) equals to RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 and if the Assets generate an average net profit per month/10,000 machines (the “Monthly Profit”) on behalf of the Company during the Valuation Period equals to RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000. If the Daily Profit is more than RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 and the Monthly Profit is more than RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000, the Company shall issue to the Seller or its designees additional shares of common stock in proportion to the amount that is in excess. If the Daily Profit is less than RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 or the Monthly Profit is less than RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000, the Company shall not issue to the Seller or its designees any Bonus Shares and such month is deemed a “Re-evaluated Month”. At the end of the Valuation Period, the Monthly Profit of such Re-evaluated Month(s) shall be aggregated (the “Aggregate Profit”), and the Company shall issue RMB5,000,000 or US$770,000 worth of common stock of the Company for every RMB6,000,000 or US$924,000 in Aggregate Profit on a pro rata basis. Such Daily Profit and Monthly Profit shall be determined on a monthly basis on the first day of the next month. Such Bonus Shares and additional shares, when applicable, shall be issued on the fifteenth day of the next month.  For any month that has 28 days or 31 days, the Monthly Profit is calculated based on the actual number of days in the month. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no share pursuant to this Agreement shall be issued earlier than May 24, 2021 in any event. The total number of shares of common stock, including the Bonus Shares, issuable to the Seller or its designees pursuant to the Agreement shall in no event be more than 19.99% of the total shares issued and outstanding of Company as of the February 23, 2021, the date of the asset purchasecollective bargaining agreement.

 

On June 1, 2021,As we continue to expand our business, we believe it is critical to hire and retain top talent. We believe we have the Company issuedability to a designee of the Seller 2,513,294 shares of common stock, consisted of (i) the Purchase Price in the form of 1,587,800 shares of common stockattract and (ii) 925,494 Bonus Shares, valued at US$2.51 per share, which is the closing bid price of the common stock of the Companyretain high quality talents based on the Nasdaq Stock Market on May 12, 2021,our competitive salaries, annual performance-based bonus system, and equity incentive program for meetingsenior employees and exceeding the Daily Profit and Monthly Profit benchmark.

Sales and Purchase Agreement dated March 3, 2021

The Company entered into a sales and purchase agreement with Bitmain Technologies Limited, pursuant to which the Company agreed to purchase 2,000 units of Antminer S19j (90 TH/s) cryptocurrencies mining machines, for a total price of $9,632,640. The machines have not been delivered.

Joint Venture Agreement dated June 1, 2021

On June 1, 2021, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Zhongyou Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. to jointly establish Zero Carbon Energy (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (the “Joint Venture”), a digital energy carbon neutral innovation platform which uses digital technology to open up the upstream and downstream of the energy industry chain to achieve carbon neutrality and boost the transformation and upgrading of the industry and carbon emission reduction. The registered capital of the Joint Venture shall be one million U.S. dollars, to be contributed by the Company. The Company will hold 51% interest of the Joint Venture. As of March 31, 2022, the Company has not made any contribution nor has the joint venture been established.executives.

 


 

 

Recent Development

Asset Purchase Agreement dated July 28, 2021 and Termination Agreement dated February 23, 2022Disposition of Wuge

 

On JulySeptember 28, 2022, the Company entered into a termination agreement with Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge, i.e., Wei Xu, former Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of the Company, and Bibo Lin, former Vice President and Director of the Company, and two entities controlled by Wei Xu, to terminate certain technical consultation and services agreement., equity pledge agreement, equity option agreement, voting rights proxy and financial support agreement, by and among Makesi WFOE, Wuge, and the shareholders of Wuge. As a result, Wuge ceased to be a VIE of Makesi WFOE and operations of Wuge have been designated as discontinued operations. In exchange for such termination, on March 9, 2023, the Company cancelled 133,333 shares of common stock that were issued to the shareholders  of Wuge in January 2020.

Registered Direct Offering (“May 2023 Offering”)

On May 1, 2023, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement, with Univest Securities, LLC, as the placement agent. Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the placement agent agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to sell the Company’s common stock in a registered direct offering (the “RD Offering”), and a concurrent private placement (the “PIPE Offering”, together with the RD Offering, collectively the “May 2023 Offering”). The placement agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.

In the RD Offering, an aggregate of 310,168 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 844,351 shares of common stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”, and the common stock underlying such warrants, the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”) are sold to certain purchasers (the “Purchasers”), pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated May 1, 2023 (the “RD Securities Purchase Agreement”). The purchase price of each share of common stock is $8.27. The purchase price of each Pre-funded Warrant is $8.269, which equals the price per common stock being sold to the public in the May 2023 Offering, minus $0.001. The RD Offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement (No. 333-254366) on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the SEC on March 26, 2021, and related prospectus supplement.

In connection with the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, “Pre-funded” refers to the fact that the purchase price of the warrants in the offering includes almost the entire exercise price that will be paid under the Pre-funded Warrants, except for a nominal remaining exercise price of $0.001. The purpose of the Pre-funded Warrants is to enable Purchasers that may have restrictions on their ability to beneficially own more than 4.99% (or, upon election of the holder, 9.99%) of the Company’s outstanding common stock following the consummation of the offering the opportunity to make an investment in the Company without triggering their ownership restrictions, by receiving Pre-funded Warrants in lieu of the Company’s common stock which would result in such ownership of more than 4.99% (or 9.99%), and receive the ability to exercise their option to purchase the shares underlying the Pre-funded Warrants at such nominal price at a later date. In the RD Offering, each Pre-funded Warrant is exercisable for one share of our common stock, with an exercise price equal to $0.001 per share, at any time that the Pre-funded Warrant is outstanding. The Pre-funded Warrants will be exercisable immediately after issuance and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The holder of a Pre-funded Warrant will not be deemed a holder of our underlying common stock until the Pre-funded Warrant is exercised.

In the concurrent PIPE Offering, warrants to purchase up to 1,154,519 shares of common stock (the “Unregistered Warrants”, and the common stock underlying such warrants, the “Unregistered Warrant Shares”) are also sold to the Purchasers, pursuant to a private warrant securities purchase agreement, dated May 1, 2023. The Unregistered Warrants are exercisable immediately after issuance and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The Exercise Price of the Unregistered Warrants is $8.27, subject to adjustment as provided in the form of Unregistered Warrants.


The Company also paid the placement agent a total cash fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received in the May 2023 Offering and a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1% of the aggregate gross proceeds. The placement agent were also reimbursed for certain out-of-pocket accountable expenses incurred in this offering up to $150,000. The placement agent also received warrants to purchase up to 115,452 shares of common stock (equal to 5.0% of the aggregate number of common stocks, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, and the Unregistered Warrant Shares) at an exercise price of $9.924 per share, which represents 120% of the offering price of each share of common stock. The placement agent’s warrants will have substantially the same terms as the Unregistered Warrants.

The net proceeds from the May 2023 Offering, after deducting placement agent discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, are approximately $8.53 million (assuming the Unregistered Warrants are not exercised). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Amendment to the May 2023 Offering

On May 16, 2023, the Company entered into an assetamendment to the RD Securities Purchase Agreement with the Purchasers, pursuant to which the purchase price of each share of common stock was increased to $8.35 and the purchase price of each Pre-funded Warrant was increased to $8.349. Concurrently, the Company entered into an amendment to the PIPE Securities Purchase Agreement with the Purchasers, pursuant to which the exercise price of each Unregistered Warrant was increased to $8.35 per share of common stock. The Company will receive net proceeds of $84,972.60, after deducting placement agent’s 7% cash fee and 1% non-accountable expense allowance, as a result of such amendments. The Company plans to use the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes. In addition, as a result of such amendments and pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the Company amended and restated the placement agent’s warrants to increase the exercise price to $10.02 per share.

Software Purchase Agreement dated June 22, 2023

On June 22, 2023, the Company entered into a software purchase agreement (the “Agreement”) with Northeast Management LLC, a seller unaffiliated with the Company (the “Seller”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company agreed to purchase and the Seller agreed to sell all of Seller’s right, title, and interest in and to the certain sellersoftware. The purchase price of the software shall be $750,000, payable in the form of issuance of 187,500 shares of common stock of the Company (the “Shares”), valued at $4.00 per share. The Company plans to use the software to develop video games. On June 26, 2023, the Company issued the Shares to the Seller’s designees and the transaction was completed.

Share Purchase Agreement dated June 26, 2023

On June 26, 2023, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement (the “Agreement”) with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company (the “Buyer”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the Buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding equity interest in TMSR Holdings Limited (“TMSR”), a company incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong and an indirect subsidiary of Company. The purchase price for the transaction contemplated by the Agreement shall be $100,000. TMSR has a direct wholly-owned subsidiary, Makesi WFOE, and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Yuan Ma. The sale of TMSR will include the sale of Makesi WFOE and Yuan Ma. None of TMSR, Makesi WFOE or Yuan Ma has any assets, employees or operation. The sale of TMSR will not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Termination of the VIE Agreements

As previously disclosed in the current reports on Form 8-K of the Company filed on September 19, 2022 and February 28, 2023, on September 16, 2022, Makesi WFOE, Highlight Media, and the Highlight Media Shareholders entered into certain Technical Consultation and Services Agreement., Equity Pledge Agreement, Equity Option Agreement, Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement, which was assigned by Makesi WFOE to Highlight WFOE on February 27, 2023 (such agreements, as assigned, the “VIE Agreements”). The VIE Agreements established a “Variable Interest Entity” (VIE) structure, pursuant to which the Company purchased fromtreated Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity and consolidated the seller digital currency mining machinesfinancial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.


On September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into the Termination Agreement with Highlight Media, the Highlight Media Shareholders and a third party to terminate the VIE Agreements and for a total purchase price of RMB 106,388,672.43, or US$ 16,442,109.95 (based on the exchange rate between RMB and USD of 1: 6.4705 as of July 8, 2021). In exchange,third party to pay the Company issued 7,647,493$100,000 as consideration to the termination of the VIE Agreements. As a result of such termination, the Company will no longer treat Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidate the financial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

The Establishment of the Joint Venture

On August 10, 2023, Shanghai Highlight, an indirect subsidiary of the Company, Beijing Hehe Property Management Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Hehe”), and a third party, established Shanghai Xianzhui under the laws of the People’s Republic of China for social media marketing. Shanghai Highlight owned 60% of the equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui , Beijing Hehe owned 20% of the equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui and the third party owned the remaining 20% of the equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui.

Equity Purchase Agreement dated October 27, 2023 and the Amendment to the Equity Purchase Agreement dated November 10, 2023

On October 27, 2023, the Company entered into an equity purchase agreement (the “Agreement”) with Shanghai Highlight and Beijing Hehe, pursuant to which the Shanghai Highlight agreed to purchase the 20% equity interest in Shanghai Xianzhui from Beijing Hehe and the Company agreed to issue 600,000 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $2.15$2.7820 per share, on August 26, 2021. the average closing bid price of the common stock of GDC as of the five trading days immediately preceding the date of the Agreement, to Beijing Hehe or its assigns. The closing of the transaction shall take place within thirty (30) days from the execution of the Agreement. The Agreement is effective for thirty (30) days from the date of the Agreement, which can be extended for additional thirty (30) days upon all parties’ written agreement. The Company or Shanghai Highlight may terminate the Agreement at any time with a three (3) day advance written notice to Beijing Hehe.

On February 23, 2022,November 10, 2023, the Company entered into a termination agreement with the seller to terminate the assetan amended and restated equity purchase agreement dated July 28, 2021(the “Amended and forfeitRestated Agreement”) that amended and replaced the transaction. The 7,647,493Original Agreement. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement, Shanghai Highlight agreed to purchase the 13.3333% equity interest in Shanghai Xianzhui from Beijing Hehe and the Company agreed to issue 400,000 shares of common stock of the Company, were cancelled on March 14, 2022.valued at the Per Share Price, to Beijing Hehe or its assigns.

Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement, the closing of the transaction shall take place within thirty (30) days from the execution of the Amended and Restated Agreement. The Amended and Restated Agreement is effective for thirty (30) days from the date of the Amended and Restated Agreement, which can be extended for additional thirty (30) days upon all parties’ written agreement. The Company or Shanghai Highlight may terminate the Amended and Restated Agreement at any time with a three (3) day advance written notice to Beijing Hehe.

 

AssetOn January 11, 2024, the Company issued the Shares and the transaction is completed. Up to the date of this Report, the Company owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui.

Registered Direct Offering (“November 2023 Offering”)

On November 1, 2023, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement, with Univest Securities, LLC, as the placement agent. Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the Placement Agent agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to sell the Company’s common stock in a registered direct offering. The Placement Agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.

In the November 2023 Offering, (i) an aggregate of 1,436,253 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,876,103 shares of common stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”, and the common stock underlying such warrants, the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”), and (iii) registered warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,312,356 shares of common stock (the “Registered Warrants”, and the common stock underlying such warrants, the “Registered Warrant Shares”) are sold to certain purchasers (the “Purchasers”), pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated October 31, 2023 (the “November 2023 Securities Purchase Agreement dated September 27,Agreement”). The purchase price of each share of common stock is $3.019. The purchase price of each Pre-funded Warrant is $3.018, which equals the price per common stock being sold in this November 2023 Offering, minus $0.001. The Pre-funded Warrants will be exercisable immediately after issuance and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The Registered Warrants will be exercisable immediately and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance.


The November 2023 Offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement (No. 333-254366) on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the SEC on March 26, 2021, and Termination Agreement dated March 7, 2022related prospectus supplement.

The net proceeds from the November 2023 Offering, after deducting placement agent discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, are approximately $9.05 million (assuming the Registered Warrants are not exercised). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the November 2023 Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the Company has agreed to pay the Placement Agent a total cash fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received in the November 2023 Offering. The Company also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent certain out-of-pocket accountable expenses incurred in this November 2023 Offering up to $150,000.

In concurrent with the November 2023 Offering, on November 1, 2023, the Company entered into certain warrant exchange agreements (the “Warrant Exchange Agreements”) with certain holders of the Unregistered Warrants, as defined in the section titled “Registered Direct Offering (‘May 2023 Offering’)”, to purchase up to 1,154,519 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Holders”). Pursuant to the Warrant Exchange Agreements, the Holders shall surrender the Unregistered Warrants, and the Company shall cancel the Unregistered Warrants and shall issue to Holders pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 577,260 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Exchange Warrants”). The Exchange Warrants were issued to Holders on November 3, 2023 and the warrant exchange closed on the same day.

Amendment to the November 2023 Offering

 

On September 27, 2021,November 17, 2023, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreementamendment to the November 2023 Securities Purchase Agreement with Shenzhen Jindeniu Electronics Limited,the Purchasers, pursuant to which Exhibit B to the November 2023 Securities Purchase Agreement (form of Registered Warrants) was deleted and replaced with an amended and restated the Form of Registered Warrant, to remove Section 2(b) Adjustment Upon Issuance of Common Stock and Section 2(e) Other Events. The Registered Warrants that were issued to Purchasers under the November 2023 Securities Purchase Agreement were returned to and cancelled by the Company agreedon November 17, 2023. Concurrently, the Company issued amended and restated Registered Warrants to purchase certain storage servers for cloud computing, for a total purchase price of US$15,922,303. each Purchaser.

Registered Direct Offering (“March 2024 Offering”)

On March 7, 2022,22, 2024, the Company entered into a terminationplacement agency agreement, with Shenzhen Jindeniu Electronics LimitedUnivest Securities, LLC, as the placement agent. Pursuant to terminate the assetplacement agency agreement, the placement agent agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to sell the Company’s common stock in a registered direct offering. The placement agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.

In the March 2024 Offering, an aggregate of 810,277 shares of common stock were sold to certain purchasers, pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated September 27, 2021. ConsiderationsMarch 22, 2024. The purchase price of each Common Share is $1.144.

The March 2024 Offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement (No. 333-254366) on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the transaction, including advanced paymentsSEC on March 26, 2021, and related prospectus supplement.

The net proceeds from the March 2024 Offering, after deducting placement agent discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, have been returnedare approximately $830,000. The Company intends to respective partiesuse the net proceeds from the March 2024 Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Pursuant to the transaction is deemed void.placement agency agreement, the Company has agreed to pay the placement agent a total cash fee equal to 4.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received in the March 2024 Offering.

Pursuant to the placement agency agreement, the Company agreed to issue the placement agent warrants to the placement agent to purchase up to 40,514 shares of Common Stock (equal to 5.0% of the aggregate number of Common Shares) at an exercise price of $1.373 per share, which represents 120% of the offering price.


 

Environmental Matters

  

As of December 31, 2021, Wuge was2023, the Company, Shanghai Xianzhui and Ai Catalysis were not subject to any fines or legal action involving non-compliance with any relevant environmental regulation, nor are we aware of any threatened or pending action, including by any environmental regulatory authority.

 

Governmental Regulations in PRC

 

Business license

 

Any company that conducts business in the PRC must have a business license that covers a particular type of work. Wuge’sThe Company’s PRC operating company, Shanghai Xianzhui’s business license covers its present business of research,technology development and application of software technologyconsulting, and related technology and consulting services. Prior to expanding Wuge’s business beyond that of its business license, Wuge is required to apply and receive approval from the PRC government.technical support for digital humans.

 

Employment laws

 

We and WugeShanghai Xianzhui are subject to laws and regulations governing our relationship with our employees, including: wage and hour requirements, working and safety conditions, citizenship requirements, work permits and travel restrictions. These include local labor laws and regulations, which may require substantial resources for compliance. China’s National Labor Law, which became effective on January 1, 1995, and amended on August 27, 2009, and China’s National Labor Contract Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008, and amended on December 28, 2012, permit workers in both state and private enterprises in China to bargain collectively. The National Labor Law and the National Labor Contract Law provide for collective contracts to be developed through collaboration between the labor union (or worker representatives in the absence of a union) and management that specify such matters as working conditions, wage scales, and hours of work. The laws also permit workers and employers in all types of enterprises to sign individual contracts, which are to be drawn up in accordance with the collective contract.


 

Intellectual property protection in China

 

Patent. The PRC has domestic laws for the protection of copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets. The PRC is also signatory to some of the world’s major intellectual property conventions, including:

 

 Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO Convention) (June 4, 1980);

 

 Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (March 19, 1985);

 

 Patent Cooperation Treaty (January 1, 1994); and

 

 The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) (November 11, 2001).

 

Patents in the PRC are governed by the China Patent Law and its Implementing Regulations, each of which went into effect in 1985. Amended versions of the China Patent Law and its Implementing Regulations came into effect in 1993, 2001 and 2009, respectively.

 

The PRC is signatory to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, in accordance with which any person who has duly filed an application for a patent in one signatory country shall enjoy, for the purposes of filing in the other countries, a right of priority during the period fixed in the convention (12 months for inventions and utility models, and 6 months for industrial designs).

 

The Patent Law covers three kinds of patents — patents for inventions, utility models and designs. The Chinese patent system adopts the principle of first to file, which means that a patent may be granted only to the person who first files an application. Consistent with international practice, the PRC allows the patenting of inventions or utility models that possess the characteristics of novelty, inventiveness and practical applicability only. For a design to be patentable it cannot be identical with, or similar to, any design which, before the date of filing, has been publicly disclosed in publications in the country or abroad or has been publicly used in the country, and should not be in conflict with any prior right of another.

 

Copyright. Copyright in the PRC, including copyrighted software, is principally protected under the Copyright Law of the PRC and related rules and regulations. Under the Copyright Law, the term of protection for copyrighted software is 50 years.

 

Trademark. Registered trademarks are protected under the Trademark Law of the PRC and related rules and regulations. Trademarks are registered with the Trademark Office of the SAIC. Where registration is sought for a trademark that is identical or similar to another trademark which has already been registered or given preliminary examination and approval for use in the same or similar category of commodities or services, the application for registration of such trademark may be rejected. Trademark registrations are effective for a renewable ten-year period, unless otherwise revoked. The duration of a trademark is 10 years from the date of registration.

 

Domain names. Domain name registrations are handled through domain name service agencies established under the relevant regulations, and applicants become domain name holders upon successful registration.

 


 

 

Regulations on Tax

 

PRC Corporate Income Tax

 

The PRC corporate income tax, or CIT, is calculated based on the taxable income determined under the applicable CIT Law and its implementation rules, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and amended on February 24, 2017. The CIT Law imposes a uniform corporate income tax rate of 25% on all resident enterprises in China, including foreign-invested enterprises.

 

Uncertainties exist with respect to how the CIT Law applies to the tax residence status of The Company and our offshore subsidiaries. Under the CIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with a “de facto management body” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” which means that it is treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for corporate income tax purposes. Although the implementation rules of the CIT Law define “de facto management body” as a managing body that exercises substantive and overall management and control over the production and business, personnel, accounting books and assets of an enterprise, the only official guidance for this definition currently available is set forth in Circular 82 issued by the State Administration of Taxation, which provides guidance on the determination of the tax residence status of a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise, defined as an enterprise that is incorporated under the laws of a foreign country or territory and that has a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as its primary controlling shareholder. Although the Company does not have a PRC enterprise or enterprise group as our primary controlling shareholder and is therefore not a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise within the meaning of Circular 82, in the absence of guidance specifically applicable to us, we have applied the guidance set forth in Circular 82 to evaluate the tax residence status of The Company and our subsidiaries organized outside the PRC.

 

According to Circular 82, a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having a “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC corporate income tax on its worldwide income only if all of the following criteria are met:

 

 the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC;

 

 decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC;

 

 the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholders meeting minutes are located or maintained in the PRC; and

 

 50% or more of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC.

 

We do not believe that we meet any of the conditions outlined in the immediately preceding paragraph.

 

We believe none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” As all of our management members are based in China, it remains unclear how the tax residency rule will apply to our case. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we or any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, then we or such subsidiary could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on its world-wide income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. Furthermore, if the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, gains realized on the sale or other disposition of our common stock may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in our common stock.

 


 

 

Value-Added Tax and Business Tax

 

In November 2011, the Ministry of FinanceMOF and the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Pilot Plan for Imposition of Value-Added Tax to Replace Business Tax. In May and December 2013 and April 2014, the Ministry of FinanceMOF and the State Administration of Taxation promulgated Circular 37, Circular 106 and Circular 43 to further expand the scope of services which are to be subject to Value-Added Tax, or VAT, instead of business tax. Pursuant to these tax rules, from August 1, 2013, VAT will be imposed to replace the business tax in certain service industries, including technology services and advertising services, on a nationwide basis. The VAT rate shall be 17% for sale or importation of goods by a taxpayer. But, unlike business tax, a taxpayer is allowed to offset the qualified input VAT paid on taxable purchases against the output VAT chargeable on the revenue from services provided.

 

Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange and Dividend Distribution

 

Foreign Exchange Regulation

 

The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China are the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations. Under the PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, may be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFEState Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) by complying with certain procedural requirements. By contrast, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of foreign currency-denominated loans or foreign currency is to be remitted into China under the capital account, such as a capital increase or foreign currency loans to our PRC subsidiaries.

 

In November 2012, SAFE promulgated the Circular of Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Foreign Direct Investment. Pursuant to this circular, the opening of various special purpose foreign exchange accounts, such as pre-establishment expenses accounts, foreign exchange capital accounts and guarantee accounts, the reinvestment of RMB proceeds by foreign investors in the PRC, and remittance of foreign exchange profits and dividends by a foreign-invested enterprise to its foreign shareholders no longer require the approval or verification of SAFE, and multiple capital accounts for the same entity may be opened in different provinces, which was not possible previously. In addition, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Printing and Distributing the Provisions on Foreign Exchange Administration over Domestic Direct Investment by Foreign Investors and the Supporting Documents in May 2013, which specifies that the administration by SAFE or its local branches over direct investment by foreign investors in the PRC shall be conducted by way of registration and banks shall process foreign exchange business relating to the direct investment in the PRC based on the registration information provided by SAFE and its branches.

 

We typically do not need to use our offshore foreign currency to fund our PRC operations. In the event we need to do so, we will apply to obtain the relevant approvals of SAFE and other PRC government authorities as necessary.

 

SAFE Circular 37

 

SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular commonly known as “SAFE Circular 75” promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. In the event that a PRC shareholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary. Furthermore, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls.

 


 

 

We have notified substantial beneficial owners of common stock who we know are PRC residents of their filing obligation. However, we may not be aware of the identities of all our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. In addition, we do not have control over our beneficial owners and cannot assure you that all of our PRC resident beneficial owners will comply with SAFE Circular 37. The failure of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents to register or amend their SAFE registrations in a timely manner pursuant to SAFE Circular 37 or the failure of future beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 may subject such beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions. Failure to register or amend the registration may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries or receive dividends or other distributions from our PRC subsidiaries or other proceeds from disposal of our PRC subsidiaries, or we may be penalized by SAFE.

 

Share Option Rules

 

Under the Administration Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange Control issued by the PBOC on December 25, 2006, all foreign exchange matters involved in employee share ownership plans and share option plans in which PRC citizens participate require approval from SAFE or its authorized branch. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who participate in share incentive plans in overseas non-publicly-listed companies may submit applications to SAFE or its local branches for the foreign exchange registration with respect to offshore special purpose companies. In addition, under the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Companies, or the Share Option Rules, issued by SAFE on February 15, 2012, PRC residents who are granted shares or share options by companies listed on overseas stock exchanges under share incentive plans are required to (i) register with SAFE or its local branches, (ii) retain a qualified PRC agent, which may be a PRC subsidiary of the overseas listed company or another qualified institution selected by the PRC subsidiary, to conduct the SAFE registration and other procedures with respect to the share incentive plans on behalf of the participants, and (iii) retain an overseas institution to handle matters in connection with their exercise of share options, purchase and sale of shares or interests and funds transfers.

 

Regulation of Dividend Distribution

 

The principal laws, rules and regulations governing dividend distribution by foreign-invested enterprises in the PRC are the Company Law of the PRC, as amended, the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law and its implementation regulations and the Chinese-foreign Equity Joint Venture Law and its implementation regulations. Under these laws, rules and regulations, foreign-invested enterprises may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profit, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Both PRC domestic companies and wholly-foreign owned PRC enterprises are required to set aside as general reserves at least 10% of their after-tax profit, until the cumulative amount of such reserves reaches 50% of their registered capital. A PRC company is not permitted to distribute any profits until any losses from prior fiscal years have been offset. Profits retained from prior fiscal years may be distributed together with distributable profits from the current fiscal year.

Regulations on Mergers & Acquisitions and Overseas Listings

On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the CSRC, MOFCOM, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the SAT, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce and SAFE, adopted the M&A Rules, which became effective on September 8, 2006, and were amended on June 22, 2009. Foreign investors shall comply with the M&A Rules when they purchase equity interests of a domestic company or subscribe the increased capital of a domestic company, and thus changing the nature of the domestic company into a foreign-invested enterprise, when the foreign investors establish a foreign-invested enterprise in the PRC, purchase the assets of a domestic company and operate the assets, or when the foreign investors purchase the assets of a domestic company, establish a foreign-invested enterprise by injecting such assets, and operate the assets. As for merger and acquisition of a domestic company with a related party relationship by a domestic company, enterprise or natural person in the name of an overseas company legitimately incorporated or controlled by the domestic company, enterprise of natural person, such merger and acquisition shall be subject to examination and approval of MOFCOM. The parties involved shall not use domestic investment by foreign investment enterprises or other methods to circumvent the requirement of examination and approval.


Pursuant to the Manual of Guidance on Administration for Foreign Investment Access, which was issued and became effective on December 18, 2008 by MOFCOM, notwithstanding the fact that (i) the domestic shareholder is connected with the foreign investor or not, or (ii) the foreign investor is the existing shareholder or the new investor, the M&A Rules shall not apply to the transfer of an equity interest in an incorporated foreign-invested enterprise from the domestic shareholder to the foreign investor.

On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies. The Opinions proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, to deal with the risks and incidents facing China-based overseas-listed companies and the demand for cybersecurity and data privacy protection.

On February 17, 2023, with the approval of the State Council, the CSRC released the Trial Measures and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. According to the Trial Measures, (1) domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC; if a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines; (2) if the issuer meets both of the following conditions, the overseas offerings and listings shall be determined as an indirect overseas offerings and listings by a domestic company: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic enterprises; and; (ii) its major operational activities are carried out in China or its main places of business are located in China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in China; and (3) where a domestic company seeks to indirectly offer and list securities in an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC, and where an issuer makes an application for initial public offerings or listings in an overseas market, the issuer shall submit filings with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted; if the issuer submits the application documents for offerings or listings in secret or non-public ways overseas, it may submit an explanation at the time of filing, and the application shall be postponed until the application documents are reported to the CSRC within three business days after the application documents are disclosed overseas.

On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with the MOF, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China, revised the Provisions issued by the CSRC and National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China in 2009. The revised Provisions were issued under the title the “Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies,” and came into effect on March 31, 2023 together with the Trial Measures. One of the major revisions to the revised Provisions is expanding their application to cover indirect overseas offering and listing, as is consistent with the Trial Measures. The revised Provisions require that, among other things, (a) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any documents and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level; and (b) a domestic company that plans to, either directly or indirectly through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities, including securities companies, securities service providers, and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. Any failure or perceived failure by our Company or our subsidiaries, to comply with the above confidentiality and archives administration requirements under the revised Provisions and other PRC laws and regulations may result in the relevant entities being held legally liable by competent authorities, and referred to the judicial organ to be investigated for criminal liability if suspected of committing a crime.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we may be involved in various claims and legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. None of our Company or our subsidiaries or variable interest entity is currently a party to any such claims or proceedings which, if decided adversely to the Company, would either, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Employees

As of March 31, 2022, Wuge had 56 full-time employees.

Wuge have not experienced any significant labor disputes and consider its relationship with the employees to be good. The employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement.

As Wuge continues to expand our business, we believe it is critical to hire and retain top talent, especially in the areas of marketing and technology engineering. We believe Wuge has the ability to attract and retain high quality engineering talent in China based on our competitive salaries, annual performance-based bonus system, and equity incentive program for senior employees and executives.


 

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors

 

An investment in our shares of common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with the other information contained in this annual report,Report, before you decide to buy any shares.of our securities. Any of the following risks could cause our business, results of operations and financial condition to suffer materially, causing the market price of our shares of common stock to decline, in which event you may lose part or all of your investment in our shares of common stock. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently do not deem material may also become important factors that may materially and adversely affect our business.

 

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

 

If the PRC government deems that the VIE agreements in relation to Wuge, our consolidated variable interest entity or VIE, do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations and our common stock may decline in value dramatically or even become worthless.

We are a holding company incorporated in Nevada. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct substantially all of our operations through Wuge, the consolidated variable interest entity (or VIE) established in PRC. For accounting purposes, we receive the economic benefits of Wuge through the VIE agreements, which enable us to consolidate the financial results of Wuge in our consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP and the structure involves unique risks to investors. For more details on the VIE structure, please see “Item 1. Business – Corporate Structure - Contractual Arrangements between Wuge And Makesi WFOE”.

We rely on and expect to continue to rely on the VIE agreements to operate our business. These contractual arrangements are not as effective in providing us with control over Wuge as ownership of controlling equity interests would be in enabling us to derive economic benefits from the operations of Wuge. Under the current contractual arrangements, as a legal matter, if Wuge or any of its shareholders executing the VIE agreements fails to perform its, his or her respective obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and resources to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies available under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective. For example, if Wuge’s shareholders were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in such variable interest entity to us or our designated persons when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these contractual arrangements, we may have to take a legal action to compel them to fulfill their contractual obligations. Wuge and its shareholders could breach their contractual arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to conduct their operations in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If we had direct ownership of Wuge, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of Wuge, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current contractual arrangements, we rely on the performance by Wuge and its shareholders of their obligations under the contracts. The shareholders of Wuge may not act in the best interests of our Company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate the business through the contractual arrangements with Wuge.

All of these contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC. The VIE agreements have not been tested in a court of law. If (i) the applicable PRC authorities invalidate the VIE agreements for violation of PRC laws, rules and regulations, (ii) Wuge or its shareholders terminate the contractual arrangements, (iii) Wuge or its shareholders fail to perform its/his/her obligations under these contractual arrangements, or (iv) if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we may have to modify such structure to comply with regulatory requirements. There can be no assurance that we can achieve this without material disruption to our business. Furthermore, if Makesi WFOE or Wuge is/are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including, without limitation:

revoking the business license and/or operating licenses of Makesi WFOE or Wuge;

discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations through any transactions among Makesi WFOE and Wuge;

imposing fines, confiscating the income from Makesi WFOE or Wuge, or imposing other requirements with which Makesi WFOE or Wuge may not be able to comply;

placing restrictions on our right to collect revenues;

shutting down our servers or blocking our app/websites;

requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with Wuge and deregistering the equity pledges of Wuge, which in turn would affect our ability to consolidate or derive economic interests from Wuge; or


restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds of future financings to finance our business and operations in China.

taking other regulatory or enforcement actions against us that could be harmful to our business.

The imposition of any of these penalties would result in a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business, thus causing the value of our common stock to significantly decline or be worthless, which would materially affect the interest of the investors. In addition, it is unclear what impact the PRC government actions would have on us and on our ability to consolidate the financial results of Wuge in our consolidated financial statements, if the PRC government authorities were to find our corporate structure and contractual arrangements to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations. If the imposition of any of these government actions causes us to lose our right to direct the activities of Wuge or our right to receive substantially all the economic benefits and residual returns from Wuge and we are not able to restructure our ownership structure and operations in a satisfactory manner, we would no longer be able to consolidate the financial results of Wuge in our consolidated financial statements. Either of these results, or any other significant penalties that might be imposed on us in this event, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, if Wuge or all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If Wuge undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, its shareholders or unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business and our ability to generate revenues.

We are a holding company, and will rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs. Any limitation on the ability of Makesi WFOEour subsidiaries to make dividend payments to us, or any tax implications of making dividend payments to us, could limit our ability to pay our parent company expenses or pay dividends to holders of our common stock.

 

We are a holding company with no material operation of our own. We may rely on dividends to be paid by our subsidiaries to fund our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us.

 

Under the Nevada Revised Statutes and the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of AI Catalysis, dividends may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting. No distribution may be made if, after giving it effect: (a) AI Catalysis would not be able to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course of business; or (b) AI Catalysis’s total assets would be less than the sum of its total liabilities plus the amount that would be needed, if AI Catalysis were to be dissolved immediately after the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon such dissolution of holders of shares of any class or series of the capital stock of AI Catalysis having preferential rights superior to those receiving the distribution.

Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiary, Makesi WFOE, which is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China,subsidiaries may pay dividends only out of its accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital.

 

Wuge, the VIE with with Makesi WFOE has contractual arrangement with, generates primarily all of itsWe expect that revenue, if any, to be generated by our PRC operating subsidiary, Shanghai Xianzhui, will be in Renminbi, which is not freely convertible into other currencies. As a result, any restriction on currency exchange may limit the ability of our PRC operating subsidiary to use its Renminbi revenues to pay dividends to us. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls, and more restrictions and substantial vetting process may be put forward by State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”)SAFE for cross-border transactions falling under both the current account and the capital account. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other kinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC resident enterprises are incorporated. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiarysubsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributionskinds of payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.


Shareholders of Wuge may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The equity interests of Wuge are held by a total of four shareholders, Wei Xu, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of CCNC, Bibo Lin, Vice President and Director of CCNC, Jiangsu Lingkong Network Joint Stock Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu, and Anhui Shuziren Network Technology Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu. Their interests may differ from the interests of our Company as a whole. They may breach, or cause Wuge to breach, or refuse to renew the existing VIE agreements Makesi WFOE has with Wuge, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to receive economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with Wuge to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our Company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.

Currently, we do not have arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest the shareholders of Wuge may encounter, on one hand, and as a beneficial owner of our Company, on the other hand. We, however, could, at all times, exercise our option under the Exclusive Option Agreement to cause them to transfer all of their equity ownership in Wuge to a PRC entity or individual designated by us as permitted by the then applicable PRC laws. In addition, if such conflicts of interest arise, we could also, in the capacity of attorney-in-fact of the then existing shareholders of Wuge as provided under the power of attorney, directly appoint new directors of Wuge . We rely on the shareholders of Wuge to comply with PRC laws and regulations, which protect contracts and provide that directors and executive officers owe a duty of loyalty to our Company and require them to avoid conflicts of interest and not to take advantage of their positions for personal gains, and the laws of Nevada, which provide that the directors have a duty of care and a duty of loyalty to act honestly in good faith with a view to our best interests. However, the legal frameworks of China and Nevada do not provide guidance on resolving conflicts in the event of a conflict with another corporate governance regime. If we cannot resolve any conflicts of interest or disputes between us and the shareholders of Wuge , we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings. As a result, our common stock may decline in value dramatically or even become worthless should we become unable to assert our contractual rights over the assets of Wuge that conducts all or substantially our operations.

Contractual arrangements in relation to Wuge may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or Wuge owe/owes additional taxes, which could negatively affect our results of operations and the value of your investment.

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. The PRC enterprise income tax law requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements between our WFOE, our variable interest entity Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust Wuge’s income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by Wuge for PRC tax purposes, which could, in turn, increase their tax liabilities without reducing Makesi WFOE’s tax expenses. In addition, if Makesi WFOE requests the shareholders of Wuge to transfer their equity interests in Wuge at nominal or no value pursuant to these contractual arrangements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject Makesi WFOE to PRC income tax. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on Wuge for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if Wuge’s tax liabilities increase or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

If we exercise the option to acquire equity ownership of Wuge, the ownership transfer may subject us to certain limitation and substantial costs.

Pursuant to the VIE agreements, Makesi WFOE has the exclusive right to purchase all or any part of the equity interests in Wuge from the shareholders of Wuge for a nominal price, unless the relevant government authorities or then applicable PRC laws request that a minimum price amount be used as the purchase price, in such case the purchase price shall be the lowest amount under such request. The shareholders of Wuge will be subject to PRC individual income tax on the difference between the equity transfer price and the then current registered capital of Wuge. Additionally, if such a transfer takes place, the competent tax authority may require Makesi WFOE to pay enterprise income tax for ownership transfer income with reference to the market value, in which case the amount of tax could be substantial.


 

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

 

PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investments in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries.

In July 2014, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, which replaces the previous SAFE Circular 75. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents, including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities, to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we may make in the future. 

Under SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who make, or have prior to the implementation of SAFE Circular 37 made, direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, are required to register such investments with SAFE or its local branches. In addition, any PRC resident who is a direct or indirect shareholder of an SPV, is required to update its registration with the local branch of SAFE with respect to that SPV, to reflect any material change. Moreover, any subsidiary of such SPV in China is required to urge the PRC resident shareholders to update their registration with the local branch of SAFE to reflect any material change. If any PRC resident shareholder of such SPV fails to make the required registration or to update the registration, the subsidiary of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contributions into its subsidiaries in China. In February, 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investments and outbound direct investments, including those required under SAFE Circular 37, must be filed with qualified banks instead of SAFE. Qualified banks should examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of SAFE. We have used our best efforts to notify PRC residents or entities who directly or indirectly hold shares in our holding companyGD Culture Group Limited and who are known to us as being PRC residents to complete the foreign exchange registrations. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. We cannot assure you that all other shareholders or beneficial owners of ours who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, and limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.


Furthermore, as these foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations are relatively new and their interpretation and implementation has been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border investments and transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant government authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all applicable foreign exchange and outbound investment related regulations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.

 


As an offshore holding company with PRC subsidiaries, weWe may finance our subsidiaries by means of loans or capital contributions and finance WugeShanghai Xianzhui by means of loans. Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our Company’s PRC operating subsidiary, and WugeShanghai Xianzhui, are subject to the above PRC regulations. We may not be able to obtain necessary government registrations or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to obtain such approvals or make such registration, our ability to make equity contributions or provide loans to our Company’s PRC subsidiary and Wugesubsidiaries, including Shanghai Xianzhui, or to fund their operations may be negatively affected, which may adversely affect their liquidity and ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments. As a result, our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business may be negatively affected.

Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

All of Wuge’sShanghai Xianzhui’s operations and assets are located in China. Accordingly, Wuge’sShanghai Xianzhui’s business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.

The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companiescompanies.

While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, and since 2012, China’s economic growth has slowed down. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a “Resident Enterprise” of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC stockholders.

China passed the Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, and its implementing rules, both of which became effective on January 1, 2008. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with “de facto management bodies” within China is considered a “resident enterprise,” meaning that it can be treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define de facto management as “substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties” of the enterprise.


 

On April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation of China issued the Notice Concerning Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese Investment Controlled Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises pursuant to Criteria of de facto Management Bodies, or the Notice, further interpreting the application of the EIT Law and its implementation to offshore entities controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group. Pursuant to the Notice, an enterprise incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group will be classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its senior management in charge of daily operations reside or perform their duties mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved by bodies or persons in China; (iii) its substantial assets and properties, accounting books, corporate stamps, board and stockholder minutes are kept in China; and (iv) all of its directors with voting rights or senior management reside in China. A resident enterprise would be subject to an enterprise income tax rate of 25% on its worldwide income and must pay a withholding tax at a rate of 10% when paying dividends to its non-PRC stockholders. Because substantially all of our operations and senior management are located within the PRC and are expected to remain so for the foreseeable future, we may be considered a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes and therefore subject to the PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income. However, it remains unclear as to whether the Notice is applicable to an offshore enterprise controlled by a Chinese natural person. Therefore, it is unclear how tax authorities will determine tax residency based on the facts of each case.

If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a “resident enterprise” for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Currently, we do not have any non-China source income, as we conduct our sales in China. However, under the EIT Law and its implementing rules, dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would be deemed as “qualified investment income between resident enterprises” and therefore qualify as “tax-exempt income” pursuant to clause 26 of the EIT Law. Second, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new “resident enterprise” classification could result in a situation in which the dividends we pay with respect to our common stock, or the gain our non-PRC shareholders may realize from the transfer of our common stock, may be treated as PRC-sourced income and may therefore be subject to a 10% PRC withholding tax. The EIT Law and its implementing regulations are, however, relatively new and ambiguities exist with respect to the interpretation and identification of PRC-sourced income, and the application and assessment of withholding taxes. If we are required under the EIT Law and its implementing regulations to withhold PRC income tax on dividends payable to our non-PRC shareholders, or if non-PRC stockholders are required to pay PRC income tax on gains on the transfer of their common stock, our business could be negatively impacted and the value of your investment may be materially reduced. Further, if we were treated as a “resident enterprise” by PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both China and such countries in which we have taxable income, and our PRC tax may not be creditable against such other taxes.

We must comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption laws.

We are required to comply with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, which prohibits US companies from engaging in bribery or other prohibited payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Foreign companies, including some of our competitors, are not subject to these prohibitions. The PRC also strictly prohibits bribery of government officials. Certain of our suppliers are owned by the PRC government and our dealings with them are likely to be considered to be with government officials for these purposes. Corruption, extortion, bribery, pay-offs, theft and other fraudulent practices occur from time-to-time in China. It is our policy to prohibit our employees, and to discourage our agents, representatives and consultants, from engaging in such practices. If our competitors engage in these practices, they may receive preferential treatment from personnel of some companies, giving our competitors an advantage in securing business or from government officials who might give them priority in obtaining new licenses, which would put us at a disadvantage. Our employees, agents, representatives and consultants may not always be subject to our control. If any of them violates FCPA or other anti-corruption law, we might be held responsible. We could suffer severe penalties in that event. In addition, the US government may seek to hold us liable for successor liability FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or which we acquire.


 

Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations and changes in policies, rules, and regulations in China, which may be quick with little advance notice, could limit the legal protection available to you and us.

 

The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. Unlike common law systems, it is a system in which legal cases have limited value as precedents. In the late 1970s, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The legislation over the past three decades has significantly increased the protection afforded to various forms of foreign or private-sector investment in China. WugeShanghai Xianzhui is subject to various PRC laws and regulations generally applicable to companies in China. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, however, the interpretations of many laws, regulations, and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations, and rules involve uncertainties.

 

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, however, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy in the PRC legal system than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies, internal rules, and regulations that may have retroactive effect and may change quickly with little advance notice. As a result, WugeShanghai Xianzhui may not be aware of its violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainties over the scope and effect of the contractual, property (including intellectual property), and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect Wuge’sShanghai Xianzhui’s business and impede Wuge’sShanghai Xianzhui’s ability to continue its operations. 

Our business may be materially and adversely affected if Wuge declaresour PRC subsidiaries declare bankruptcy or become subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding.

The Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the PRC, or the Bankruptcy Law, came into effect on June 1, 2007. The Bankruptcy Law provides that an enterprise will be liquidated if the enterprise fails to settle its debts as and when they fall due and if the enterprise’s assets are, or are demonstrably, insufficient to clear such debts.

WugeShanghai Xianzhui holds certain assets that are important to our business operations. If WugeShanghai Xianzhui undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect Wuge’sShanghai Xianzhui’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

According to SAFE’s Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies for Direct Investment, effective on 17 December 2012, and the Provisions for Administration of Foreign Exchange Relating to Inbound Direct Investment by Foreign Investors, effective May 13, 2013, if any of our PRC subsidiaries undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, prior approval from SAFE for remittance of foreign exchange to our shareholders abroad is no longer required, but we still need to conduct a registration process with the SAFE local branch. It is not clear whether “registration” is a mere formality or involves the kind of substantive review process undertaken by SAFE and its relevant branches in the past.


Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

The Ministry of Commerce published a discussion draft of the proposed Foreign Investment Law in January 2015, or the 2015 FIL Draft, which expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a company is considered a foreign-invested enterprise, or an FIE. Under the 2015 FIL Draft, VIEs that are controlled via contractual arrangement would also be deemed as foreign invested enterprises, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, or the FIL, which will come into effect on January 1, 2020, repealing simultaneously the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Equity Joint Ventures, the Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises and the Law of the PRC on Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. Pursuant to the FIL, foreign investment refers to any investment activity directly or indirectly carried out by foreign natural persons, enterprises, or other organizations, including investment in new construction project, establishment of foreign funded enterprise or increase of investment, merger and acquisition, and investment in any other way stipulated under laws, administrative regulations, or provisions of the State Council. Although the FIL has deleted the particular reference to the concept of “actual control” and contractual arrangements compared to the 2015 FIL Draft, there is still uncertainty regarding whether Wuge would be identified as a FIE in the future.

 

Even if Wuge were to be identified as a FIE in the future, we believe that our current business would not be adversely affected. However, if we were to engage in any business conduct involving third parties identified as prohibited or restricted on the Negative List, Wuge as well as its subsidiary may be subject to laws and regulations on foreign investment. In addition, our shareholders would also be prohibited or restricted to invest in certain sectors on the Negative List. However, even if Wuge were to be identified as a FIE, the validity of our contractual arrangements with Wuge and its shareholders as well as our corporate structure would not be adversely affected. We would still be able to receive benefits from Wuge in accordance with the contractual agreements. In addition, as the Chinese government has been updating the Negative List in recent years and reducing the sectors prohibited or restricted for foreign investment, it is probable in the future that, even if Wuge is identified as a FIE, it is still allowed to acquire or hold equity of enterprises in sectors currently prohibited or restricted for foreign investment.

Furthermore, the PRC Foreign Investment Law provides that foreign invested enterprises established according to the existing laws regulating foreign investment may maintain their structure and corporate governance within five years after the implementing of the PRC Foreign Investment Law.

In addition, the PRC Foreign Investment Law also provides several protective rules and principles for foreign investors and their investments in the PRC, including, among others, that a foreign investor may freely transfer into or out of China, in Renminbi or a foreign currency, its contributions, profits, capital gains, income from disposition of assets, royalties of intellectual property rights, indemnity or compensation lawfully acquired, and income from liquidation, among others, within China; local governments shall abide by their commitments to the foreign investors; governments at all levels and their departments shall enact local normative documents concerning foreign investment in compliance with laws and regulations and shall not impair legitimate rights and interests, impose additional obligations onto FIEs, set market access restrictions and exit conditions, or intervene with the normal production and operation activities of FIEs; except for special circumstances, in which case statutory procedures shall be followed and fair and reasonable compensation shall be made in a timely manner, expropriation or requisition of the investment of foreign investors is prohibited; and mandatory technology transfer is prohibited.

Notwithstanding the above, the PRC Foreign Investment Law stipulates that foreign investment includes “foreign investors invest through any other methods under laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council”. Therefore, there are possibilities that future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council may regard contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, and then whether our contractual arrangement will be recognized as foreign investment, whether our contractual arrangement will be deemed to be in violation of the foreign investment access requirements and how the above-mentioned contractual arrangement will be handled are uncertain.


Given the Chinese government’s significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of the business of Wuge,Shanghai Xianzhui, the Chinese government may intervene or influence its operations at any time, which could result in a material change in the operations of WugeShanghai Xianzhui and/or the value of our common stock.

 

The Chinese government has significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of WugeShanghai Xianzhui and may intervene or influence their operations at any time as the government deems appropriate to further regulatory, political, and societal goals, which could result in a material change in the operations of WugeShanghai Xianzhui and/or the value of our common stock.

 

The Chinese government has recently published new policies that significantly affected certain industries such as the education and Internet industries, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies regarding our industry that could adversely affect the business, financial condition, and results of operations of Wuge.Shanghai Xianzhui. Furthermore, if China adopts more stringent standards with respect to certain areas such as environmental protection or corporate social responsibilities, WugeShanghai Xianzhui may incur increased compliance costs or become subject to additional restrictions in their operations. Certain areas of the law in China, including intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections, may also not be as effective as in the United States or other countries. In addition, we cannot predict the effects of future developments in the PRC legal system on the business operations of Wuge,Shanghai Xianzhui, including the promulgation of new laws, or changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us and our investors, including you.

 


The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activitiesWe are currently not required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if WugeShanghai Xianzhui or the holding companyCompany were required to obtain approval in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange and the value of our common stock may significantly decline or become worthless, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.

The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Under the current government leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing reform policies which have adversely affected China-based operating companies whose securities are listed in the United States, with significant policies changes being made from time to time without notice. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing our business, or the enforcement and performance of our contractual arrangements with borrowers in the event of the imposition of statutory liens, bankruptcy or criminal proceedings. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.

Given recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.

Recently, theThe General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law, or the Opinions, which was made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, will be taken to deal with the risks and incidents of China-concept overseas listed companies. As of the date of this annual report,Report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions from PRC government authorities in connection with the Opinions.

On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, or the SCNPC, promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data an information.


On August 17, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Protection of the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure, or the Regulations, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Regulations supplement and specify the provisions on the security of critical information infrastructure as stated in the Cybersecurity Review Measures. The Regulations provide, among others, that protection department of certain industry or sector shall notify the operator of the critical information infrastructure in time after the identification of certain critical information infrastructure.

On August 20, 2021, the SCNPC promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC, or the Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect on November 1, 2021. As the first systematic and comprehensive law specifically for the protection of personal information in the PRC, the Personal Information Protection Law provides, among others, that (i) an individual’s consent shall be obtained to use sensitive personal information, such as biometric characteristics and individual location tracking, (ii) personal information operators using sensitive personal information shall notify individuals of the necessity of such use and impact on the individual’s rights, and (iii) where personal information operators reject an individual’s request to exercise his or her rights, the individual may file a lawsuit with a People’s Court.


On December 24, 2021,February 17, 2023, the CSRC together with other relevant government authorities in China issuedreleased the Provisions ofTrial Measures and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Securities OfferingTrial Measures, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comments), and the Measures for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (Draft for Comments) (“Draft Overseas Listing Regulations”). The Draft Overseas Listing Regulations requires that a PRC domestic enterprise seeking to issue and list its shares overseas (“Overseas Issuance and Listing”) shall completeindirectly, should fulfill the filing procedures of and submit thereport relevant information to the CSRC. The Overseas Issuance and Listing includes direct and indirect issuance and listing. Where an enterprise whose principal business activities are conducted in PRC seeks to issue and list its shares in the name of an overseas enterprise (“Overseas Issuer”) on the basis of the equity, assets, income or other similar rights and interests of the relevant PRCIf a domestic enterprise, such activities shall be deemed an indirect overseas issuance and listing (“Indirect Overseas Issuance and Listing”) under the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations. Therefore, the proposed offering would be deemed an Indirect Overseas Issuance and Listing under the Draft Overseas Listing Regulations. As such, the Company would be requiredcompany fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. As a listed company, we believe that we and all of our PRC subsidiaries are not required to fulfill filing procedures with the CSRC to continue to offer our securities, or continue listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and submitapplication of the relevant informationM&A Rules, other PRC Laws and future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that any governmental agency will not take a view that is contrary to or otherwise different from our belief stated herein. See “Risk Factors - Risk Factors Relating to Doing Business in China - The CSRC afterhas released the DraftTrial Measures for Administration of Overseas Listing RegulationsSecurities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”). With such rules in effect, the Chinese government may exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer our securities to investors and could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become effective.worthless.”

As such, the Company’s businesses may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. The Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time with little advance notice, which could result in a material change in our operations and in the value of our common stock. Any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.

 

Furthermore, it is uncertain when and whether the Company will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although the Company is currently not required to obtain permission from any of the PRC federal or local government to obtain such permission and has not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to its business or industry. As a result, our common stock may decline in value dramatically or even become worthless should we become subject to new requirement to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchange in the future.


Fluctuations in exchange rates could adversely affect our business and the value of our securities.

Changes in the value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar are affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. Any significant revaluation of the RMB may have a material adverse effect on our revenues and financial condition, and the value of, and any dividends payable on our shares in U.S. dollar terms. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our public offering into RMB for our operations, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of paying dividends on our common stock or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. In addition, fluctuations of the RMB against other currencies may increase or decrease the cost of imports and exports, and thus affect the price-competitiveness of our products against products of foreign manufacturers or products relying on foreign inputs.

Since July 2005, the RMB is no longer pegged to the U.S. dollar. Although the People’s Bank of China regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to prevent significant short-term fluctuations in the exchange rate, the RMB may appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the medium to long term. Moreover, it is possible that in the future PRC authorities may lift restrictions on fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate and lessen intervention in the foreign exchange market.

Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations.

The currently effective PRC Labor Contract Law,, or the Labor Contract Law was first adopted on June 29, 2007 and later amended on December 28, 2012. The PRC Labor Contract Law has reinforced the protection of employees who, under the Labor Contract Law, have the right, among others, to have written employment contracts, to enter into employment contracts with no fixed term under certain circumstances, to receive overtime wages and to terminate or alter terms in labor contracts. Furthermore, the Labor Contract Law sets forth additional restrictions and increases the costs involved with dismissing employees. To the extent that we need to significantly reduce our workforce, the Labor Contract Law could adversely affect our ability to do so in a timely and cost-effective manner, and our results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, for employees whose employment contracts include noncompetition terms, the Labor Contract Law requires us to pay monthly compensation after such employment is terminated, which will increase our operating expenses.

We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to our vehicle buyers by increasing the prices of our products and services, our financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.


PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiary’ssubsidiaries’ ability to increase itstheir registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law.

In July 2014, the State Administration of Foreign ExchangeSAFE promulgated the Circular on Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration over the Overseas Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles, or “Circular 37”. According to Circular 37, prior registration with the local SAFE branch is required for Chinese residents to contribute domestic assets or interests to offshore companies, known as Special Purpose Vehicles (“SPVs”). Circular 37 further requires amendment to a PRC resident’s registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the SPV, such as an increase or decrease in the capital contributed by PRC individuals, share transfer or exchange, merger, division, or other material event. Further, foreign investment enterprises established by way of round-tripping shall complete the relevant foreign exchange registration formalities pursuant to the prevailing foreign exchange control provisions for direct investments by foreign investors, and disclose the relevant information such as actual controlling party of the shareholders truthfully.

We may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit MakesiHighlight WFOE’s ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.


WugeShanghai Xianzhui may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. WugeShanghai Xianzhui may be required to suspend its business, be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers and face other penalties.

WugeShanghai Xianzhui may become subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC regarding privacy, data security, cybersecurity, and data protection. These laws and regulations are continuously evolving and developing. The scope and interpretation of the laws that are or may be applicable to us are often uncertain and may be conflicting, particularly with respect to foreign laws. In particular, there are numerous laws and regulations regarding privacy and the collection, sharing, use, processing, disclosure, and protection of personal information and other user data. Such laws and regulations often vary in scope, may be subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among different jurisdictions.

We expect to obtain information about various aspects of our operations as well as regarding our employees and third parties. We also maintain information about various aspects of our operations as well as regarding our employees. The integrity and protection of our customer, employee and company data is critical to our business. Our customers and employees expect that we will adequately protect their personal information. We are required by applicable laws to keep strictly confidential the personal information that we collect, and to take adequate security measures to safeguard such information.

The PRC Criminal Law, as amended by its Amendment 7 (effective on February 28, 2009) and Amendment 9 (effective on November 1, 2015), prohibits institutions, companies and their employees from selling or otherwise illegally disclosing a citizen’s personal information obtained during the course of performing duties or providing services or obtaining such information through theft or other illegal ways. On November 7, 2016, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress issued the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, or Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017.

Pursuant to the Cyber Security Law, network operators must not, without users’ consent, collect their personal information, and may only collect users’ personal information necessary to provide their services. Providers are also obliged to provide security maintenance for their products and services and shall comply with provisions regarding the protection of personal information as stipulated under the relevant laws and regulations.

The Civil Code of the PRC (issued by the PRC National People’s Congress on May 28, 2020 and effective from January 1, 2021) provides main legal basis for privacy and personal information infringement claims under the Chinese civil laws. PRC regulators, including the Cyberspace Administration of China,CAC, MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security have been increasingly focused on regulation in the areas of data security and data protection.


The PRC regulatory requirements regarding cybersecurity are constantly evolving. For instance, various regulatory bodies in China, including the Cyberspace Administration of China,CAC, the Ministry of Public Security and the SAMR, have enforced data privacy and protection laws and regulations with varying and evolving standards and interpretations. In April 2020, the Chinese government promulgated Cybersecurity Review Measures, which came into effect on June 1, 2020. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security.


In November 2016, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress passed China’s first Cybersecurity Law (“CSL”), which became effective in June 2017. The CSL is the first PRC law that systematically lays out the regulatory requirements on cybersecurity and data protection, subjecting many previously under-regulated or unregulated activities in cyberspace to government scrutiny. The legal consequences of violation of the CSL include penalties of warning, confiscation of illegal income, suspension of related business, winding up for rectification, shutting down the websites, and revocation of business license or relevant permits. In April 2020, the Cyberspace Administration of ChinaCAC and certain other PRC regulatory authorities promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective in June 2020. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security. On July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review for public comments (“Draft Measures”), which required that, in addition to “operator of critical information infrastructure,” any “data processor” carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security should also be subject to cybersecurity review, and further elaborated the factors to be considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities, including, among others, (i) the risk of core data, important data or a large amount of  personal information being stolen, leaked, destroyed, and illegally used or exited the country; and (ii) the risk of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data or a large amount of personal information being affected, controlled, or maliciously used by foreign governments after listing abroad. The Cyberspace Administration of China has said that under the proposed rules companies holding data on more than 1,000,000 users must now apply for cybersecurity approval when seeking listings in other nations because of the risk that such data and personal information could be “affected, controlled, and maliciously exploited by foreign governments,” The cybersecurity review will also investigate the potential national security risks from overseas IPOs. We do not know what regulations will be adopted or how such regulations will affect us and our listing on Nasdaq. In the event that the Cyberspace Administration of China determines that we are subject to these regulations, we may be required to delist from Nasdaq and we may be subject to fines and penalties. On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the NPC promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Data Security Law also sets forth the data security protection obligations for entities and individuals handling personal data, including that no entity or individual may acquire such data by stealing or other illegal means, and the collection and use of such data should not exceed the necessary limits The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, CSL and any other cybersecurity and related laws may limit the use and adoption of our products and services and could have an adverse impact on our business. On January 4, 2022, thirteen PRC regulatory agencies, namely, the CAC, the NDRC, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Finance,MOF, MOFCOM, SAMR, CSRC, the People’s Bank of China, the National Radio and Television Administration, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and the National Cryptography Administration, jointly adopted and published the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021), which became effective on February 15, 2022. The Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) required that, among others, in addition to “operator of critical information infrastructure” any “operator of network platform” holding personal information of more than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review.

On July 10, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of ChinaCAC issued a revised draft of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review for public comments (the “Review Measures”), and on December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of ChinaCAC jointly with the relevant authorities published Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) which took effect on February 15, 2022 and replace the Review Measures, which required that, operators of critical information infrastructure purchasing network products and services, and data processors (together with the operators of critical information infrastructure, the “Operators”) carrying out data processing activities that affect or may affect national security, shall conduct a cybersecurity review, any operator who controls more than one million users’ personal information must go through a cybersecurity review by the cybersecurity review office if it seeks to be listed in a foreign country. We do not know what regulations will be adopted or how such regulations will affect us and our listing on Nasdaq. In the event that the CAC determines that we are subject to these regulations, we may be required to delist from Nasdaq and we may be subject to fines and penalties.

Under the Data Security Law enacted on September 1, 2021 and the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021) implemented on February 15, 2022, given that (i) WugeShanghai Xianzhui is not an Operator, (Ii) Wuge(ii) Shanghai Xianzhui does not possess more than one million users’ personal information, and (iIi)(iii) data processed in Wuge’sShanghai Xianzhui’s business does not have a bearing on national security and thus may not be classified as core or important data by the authorities. However, if the CSRC, CAC or other regulatory agencies later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals for this offering and any follow-on offering, we may be unable to obtain such approvals and we may face sanctions by the CSRC, CAC or other PRC regulatory agencies for failure to seek their approval which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to our investors and the securities currently being offered may substantially decline in value and be worthless.


We cannot assure you that PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, would take the same view as we do, and there is no assurance that we can fully or timely comply with such laws. In the event that we are subject to any mandatory cybersecurity review and other specific actions required by the CAC, we face uncertainty as to whether any clearance or other required actions can be timely completed, or at all. Given such uncertainty, we may be further required to suspend our relevant business, shut down our website, or face other penalties, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The CSRC has released the Trial Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”). With such rules in effect, the Chinese government may exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer our securities to investors and could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.

On February 17, 2023, with the approval of the State Council, the CSRC released the Trial Measures and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. According to the Trial Measures, (1) domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC; if a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines; (2) if the issuer meets both of the following conditions, the overseas offerings and listings shall be determined as an indirect overseas offerings and listings by a domestic company: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic enterprises; and; (ii) its major operational activities are carried out in China or its main places of business are located in China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in China; and (3) where a domestic company seeks to indirectly offer and list securities in an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC, and where an issuer makes an application for initial public offerings or listings in an overseas market, the issuer shall submit filings with the CSRC within three business days after such application is submitted; if the issuer submits the application documents for offerings or listings in secret or non-public ways overseas, it may submit an explanation at the time of filing, and the application shall be postponed until the application documents are reported to the CSRC within three business days after the application documents are disclosed overseas.

The Trial Measures, may subject us to additional compliance requirements in the future, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to get the clearance of filing procedures under the Trial Measures on a timely basis, or at all. Any failure of us to fully comply with new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer our securities, cause significant disruption to our business operations, and severely damage our reputation, which would materially and adversely affect our consolidated financial condition and results of operations and cause our securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. We believe that we and our PRC subsidiaries are not required to fulfill filing procedures with the CSRC to continue to offer our securities, or continue listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or operate the business. In addition, to date, none of us or our PRC subsidiaries have received any filing or compliance requirements from CSRC for the listing of the Company at Nasdaq Capital Market and all of its overseas offerings. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the M&A Rules, other PRC Laws and future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that any PRC governmental agency will not take a view that is contrary to or otherwise different from our belief stated herein.


 

If we become directly subject to the recent scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business operations, this offeringlisting and future offerings and our reputation and could result in a loss of your investment in our common stock, especially if such matter cannot be addressed and resolved favorably.

Recently, U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China, have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered around financial and accounting irregularities, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies has sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on our Company, our business and this offering.listing and future offerings. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend the Company. This situation may be a major distraction to our management. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, our Company and business operations will be severely hampered and your investment in our common stock could be rendered worthless.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests and exercising your rights as a stockholder since we conduct substantially all of our operations in China, and almost all of our officers and directors reside outside the U.S.

Although we are incorporated in Nevada, we conduct substantially all of our operations in China. All of our current officers and almost all of our directors reside outside the U.S. and substantially all of the assets of those persons are located outside of the U.S. It may be difficult for you to conduct due diligence on the Company or such directors in your election of the directors and attend shareholders meeting if the meeting is held in China. We plan to have one shareholder meeting each year at a location to be determined, potentially in China. As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation doing business entirely or predominantly within the U.S.

The recent joint statement by the SEC and PCAOB, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. Although the audit report included in annual report was issued by U.S. auditors who are currently inspected by the PCAOB, if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely, investors would be deprived of the benefits of such inspection and our common stock may be delisted or prohibited from trading.

On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.

On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in “Restrictive Market”, (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of director for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.

On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable ActHFCAA requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.HFCAA. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable ActHFCAA was signed into law.


 

On March 24, 2021, the SEC announced that it had adopted interim final amendments to implement congressionally mandated submission and disclosure requirements of the Act. The interim final amendments will apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report on Forms 10-K, 20-F, 40-F or N-CSR with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in that jurisdiction. The SEC will implement a process for identifying such a registrant and any such identified registrant will be required to submit documentation to the SEC establishing that it is not owned or controlled by a governmental entity in that foreign jurisdiction, and will also require disclosure in the registrant’s annual report regarding the audit arrangements of, and governmental influence on, such a registrant.

On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a bill which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under theAccelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, and on December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed into law by President Biden, which contained, among other things, an identical provision to the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and amended the HFCAA by requiring the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three, years to two.thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading.

The lack of access to the PCAOB inspection in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of the auditors based in China. As a result, the investors may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these accounting firms’ audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause existing and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.HFCAA. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions.

On December 16, 2021, PCAOB announced the PCAOB Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act determinations (the “PCAOB determinations”) relating to the PCAOB’s inability to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China of the PRC or Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in the PRC or Hong Kong.

The lackOn August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the MOF, and the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol (the “Protocol”), governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong, taking the first step toward opening access for the PCAOB to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the SEC, the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC.

On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, should PRC authorities obstruct or otherwise fail to facilitate the PCAOB’s access in the future, the PCAOB inspection in China preventswill consider the need to issue a new determination.  Our previous auditor, Enrome LLP, has been inspected by the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures ofon a regular basis in the auditors based in China. Asaudit period. Our current auditor, HTL, has been inspected by the PCAOB on a result,regular basis as well. If it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely, investors may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability ofinspection. Any audit reports not issued by auditors that are completely inspected by the PCAOB, to conductor a lack of PCAOB inspections of auditorsaudit work undertaken in China makes it more difficult to evaluatethat prevents the effectiveness of these accounting firms’ audit procedures orPCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditors’ audits and their quality control procedures, as compared to auditors outsidecould result in a lack of Chinaassurance that our financial statements and disclosures are subject toadequate and accurate. Moreover, if trading in our securities is prohibited under the HFCAA in the future because the PCAOB inspections, which could cause existing and potential investors indetermines that it cannot inspect or fully investigate our stockauditor at such future time, an exchange may determine to lose confidence indelist our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements. securities.


 

Our auditor, WWC, P.C., the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report in this annual report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess our auditor’s compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis. Therefore, we believe that, as of the date of this annual report, our auditor is not subject to the determinations as to the inability to inspect or investigate registered firms completely announced by the PCAOB on December 16, 2021.

However, these recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering,listing and future offerings, and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements. In the event it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely the Company’s auditor because of a position taken by an authority in a foreign jurisdiction, then such lack of inspection could cause trading in the Company’s securities to be prohibited under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act,HFCAA, and ultimately result in a determination by a securities exchange to delist the Company’s securities.

The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in August 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. For example, the M&A Rules require that MOFCOM be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise, if (i) any important industry is concerned, (ii) such transaction involves factors that impact or may impact national economic security, or (iii) such transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law promulgated by the SCNPC effective in 2008 requires that transactions which are deemed concentrations and involve parties with specified turnover thresholds (i.e., during the previous fiscal year, (i) the total global turnover of all operators participating in the transaction exceeds RMB10 billion and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China, or (ii) the total turnover within China of all the operators participating in the concentration exceeded RMB 2 billion, and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB 400 million within China) must be cleared by MOFCOM before they can be completed.

Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOC shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOC that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOC, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOC or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

If WugeShanghai Xianzhui fails to maintain the requisite licenses and approvals required under PRC law, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Foreign investment is highly regulated by the PRC government and local authorities. WugeShanghai Xianzhui is required to obtain and maintain certain licenses or approvals from different regulatory authorities in order to operate their respective current businesses. These licenses and approvals are essential to the operation of their businesses, for example, the value-added telecommunication business carried out by Wuge.Shanghai Xianzhui. If WugeShanghai Xianzhui fails to obtain or maintain any of the required licenses or approvals for its business, we may be subject to various penalties, such as fines and the discontinuation or restriction of its operations. Any such disruption in the business operations of WugeShanghai Xianzhui could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.


You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing original actions against us or our management, in China, based upon United States laws, including the U.S. federal securities laws, or other foreign laws.

We are a company incorporated in Nevada. Substantially all of our operations are conducted in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. All of our current directors and officers reside in China, and substantially all of the assets of those persons are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for a shareholder to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons, or to enforce judgments against us which are obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other form of reciprocity with the United States providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors or officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws, national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.

In the event shareholders originate an action against a company without domicile in China for disputes related to contracts or other property interests, the PRC courts may accept a cause of action if (a) the disputed contract is concluded or performed in the PRC or the disputed subject matter is located in the PRC, (b) the company (as defendant) has properties that can be seized within the PRC, (c) the company has a representative organization within the PRC, or (d) the parties chose to submit to the jurisdiction of the PRC courts in the contract on the condition that such submission does not violate the requirements of jurisdiction under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. The action may be initiated by the shareholder by filing a complaint with the PRC courts. The PRC courts would determine whether to accept the complaint in accordance with the PRC Civil Procedures Law. The shareholder may participate in the action by itself or entrust any other person or PRC legal counsel to participate on behalf of such shareholder. Foreign citizens and companies will have the same rights as PRC citizens and companies in such an action unless such foreign country restricts the rights of PRC citizens and companies.

Risks Related to Our Business and Operations

Our business, results of operations and financial condition have been and may be further adversely affected by global public health epidemics, including the strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19.

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus causing respiratory illness (“COVID-19”) surfaced in Wuhan, China, spreading at a fast rate in January and February of 2020, and confirmed cases were also reported in other parts of the world. In reaction to this outbreak, an increasing number of countries imposed travel suspensions to and from China following the World Health Organization’s “public health emergency of international concern” announcement on January 30, 2020. Since this outbreak, business activities in China and many other countries including U.S. have been disrupted by a series of emergency quarantine measures taken by the government.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the offices of our then subsidiaries Shengrong Environmental Protection Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (“Shengrong WFOE”) and Wuhan HOST Coating Materials Co., Ltd. (“Wuhan HOST”) in Hubei Province, China were closed on January 23, 2020 to adhere to the emergency quarantine measures required by local governments. The economic disruption caused by COVID-19 were catastrophic to the coating material business of Shengrong WFOE and Wuhan HOST, which had no revenue and negative operating income since the fourth quarter of 2019 and no revenue or operating income for the first and second quarter of 2020. Shengrong WFOE and Wuhan HOST lost employees, suppliers and customers and were not able to recover. As a result, we sold our businesses located in Wuhan in June 2020. For more details, please see “Item 1. Business – Corporate History and Structure - Disposition of China Sunlong”. 

The extent to which COVID-19 negatively impacts our business is highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted. We believe that the coronavirus outbreak and the measures taken to control it may have a significant negative impact on not only our business, but economic activities globally. The magnitude of this negative effect on the continuity of our business operation in China remains uncertain. These uncertainties impede our ability to conduct our daily operations and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and as a result could adversely affect our stock price and create more volatility.

Wuge has limited operating histories, which make it difficult to evaluate their businesses and prospects.

Wuge commenced operation in October 2019 and started its digital door sign business in March 2021. We cannot guarantee whether Wuge will continue to generate revenue. You should consider the future prospects of Wuge in light of the risks and uncertainties experienced by early stage companies in evolving industries. Wuge’s limited history may not serve as an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations. Wuge’s operations are subject to all of the risks, challenges, complications and delays frequently encountered in connection with the operation of any new business, as well as those risks that are specific to the coal trading industry. Investors should evaluate us in light of the problems and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies attempting to develop markets for new products and technologies. Despite the best efforts, Wuge may never overcome these obstacles.

 


 

 

Wuge will continueRisks Related to encounter risksOur Business and difficulties that companies at a similar stage of development frequently experience, including the potential failure to:

obtain sufficient working capital and increase its registered capital to support expansion of our industrial and mining recycling business;

comply with any changes in the laws and regulations of the PRC or local province that may affect our operations;

expand our customer base;

maintain adequate control of default risks and expenses allowing us to realize anticipated revenue growth;

implement our growth strategies and plans and adapt and modify them as needed;

integrate any future business combinations; and

anticipate and adapt to changing conditions and regulations applicable to Wuge’s business in China.

If Wuge is unable to address any or all of the foregoing risks, Wuge’s business may be materially and adversely affected.Industry

 

WugeIf we are unable to continuously entice TikTok users to participate in our live streaming channels and increase their spending on our platforms, including e-commerce and gaming, it could have significant consequences on our business and operational results.

The viability of our business largely depends on TikTok users engaging with our live streaming channels, which includes our live streaming e-commerce and gaming platforms. Our revenue is generated through product purchases, e-gift or token transactions with our live hosts, and purchase of the in-game items. To increase user spending, we must diversify our e-commerce product catalog, expand the range of live streaming games, increase the frequency of live streaming sessions, and collaborate with key opinion leaders (KOLs) to increase product sales. If we fail to attract new TikTok users or increase their average spending, it could have a significant negative impact on our business, financial stability, and operational performance.

The success of our business relies on the brand recognition of our subsidiary, AI Catalysis. Failing to maintain and improve this recognition could have consequences for our business prospects.

Our success heavily relies on the market recognition of our brands and reputation. As our subsidiary, AI Catalysis, was recently incorporated in 2023, it lacks significant market familiarity. Therefore, our ability to enhance and maintain brand recognition depends on various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Allocating excessive resources to marketing and promotional efforts could have a significant and negative impact on our business and operational results. Additionally, any negative publicity about our company, products, services, or content offerings could decrease customer and user interest, which could adversely affect our business and operational performance.

If we are unable to effectively implement our growth strategies, it could have a negative impact on our profitability and significantly harm our business and operational results.

Our current strategy for business growth involves expanding our product and game offerings, as well as increasing the number of live streamers and their unique styles. This will allow us to increase the frequency of live broadcasts, making it easier for TikTok users to discover our live streams at any time, whether during peak or off-peak hours, and encourage them to make purchases or play games within our live streams.

However, adding new games and recruiting new live streamers requires careful due diligence and numerous steps. This can be challenging, whether recruiting locally in the United States or internationally, as we must ensure they meet our high live streaming standards and can work with our schedules. Similarly, introducing new products on the e-commerce side requires research, quality control, international logistics, listing, video creation, and promotional efforts, all of which take time. Both aspects of our business are subject to external factors that can extend our timelines. Prolonged timelines can impede our business growth and potentially reduce our sales.


Competition in our business segments poses a significant threat, and if we are unable to compete effectively, we risk losing our market share or failing to gain additional market share, which could adversely affect our profitability.

Currently, the competition among users engaged in live-streaming e-commerce and live-streaming games on TikTok is not particularly intense. This is because the TikTok e-commerce and live-streaming gaming sectors have been operational for less than a year, making them relatively new markets. In comparison to many Asian countries, competition on TikTok is not as fierce at this stage.

However, it is undeniable that more users and capital will increasingly enter these two sectors in the future. We are not only contending with competition from similar ventures on the TikTok platform but also facing competition from e-commerce and gaming platforms outside of TikTok, striving to capture market share.

Furthermore, many TikTok users have not yet developed the habit of online shopping or mobile gaming on the TikTok platform. This factor adds complexity to our initial efforts in establishing brand recognition.

We have engaged in collaborations with business partners, and we may pursue further collaborations and strategic partnerships in the future. However, there is no guarantee that we will realize the benefits of these collaborations or that they will be successful.

We are actively pursuing strategic partnerships and collaborations with business entities that we believe will improve our competitiveness and promote business growth. However, the expected revenue and cost synergies from both current and future collaborations and partnerships may not materialize as anticipated. Additionally, our involvement in the emerging industry sector, characterized by developing technologies and nascent collaborative networks, introduces greater uncertainties. If our business collaborations prove unsuccessful, it could have a negative impact on our business prospects and operational results.

We may encounter infringement claims by third parties for information on or linked to our platforms, which could disrupt our normal business operations, manage our reputation and cause us to incur substantial legal costs.

When engaging in brand and product promotion on TikTok, we often collaborate with other KOLs on the platform who feature our products or brand in their videos. However, during this process, we cannot guarantee that they will not inadvertently misrepresent our products. Furthermore, if these KOLs engage in any form of misconduct or infringement, it may indirectly impact our brand reputation, and the extent of this damage is difficult to quantify. Any significant loss has the potential to harm our reputation, result in financial losses, or ultimately affect our operations.

Our reputation and operations may be adversely impacted by employee misconduct.

There is a risk of employee misconduct, which includes failure to comply with government regulations, engaging in unauthorized activities, misrepresenting our products in marketing activities, and improper use of product/game information. Employee misconduct could damage our reputation, which could significantly impact our business. We may not be able to prevent employee misconduct, and the measures we take to prevent and deter it may not be effective.


We have limited insurance coverage.

We do not have insurance coverage. We’ve evaluated the risks associated with potential business disruptions, liabilities, loss or damage to our fixed assets (such as equipment and office furniture), the associated insurance costs, and the challenges of obtaining such coverage on commercially reasonable terms. Based on this assessment, it is not commercially practical for us to secure comprehensive insurance coverage for these risks. These circumstances could adversely impact our financial results.

We may be unable to gain any significant market acceptance for our products and services or be unable to establish a significant market presence.

Wuge’sOur growth strategy for is substantially dependent upon Wuge’sour ability to market the digital door signs and accompanying services successfully to prospective customers in China. This requires that we heavily rely upon Wuge’s development and marketing partners. Failure to select the right development and marketing partners will significantly delay or prohibit our ability to develop our intended products and services market the products and gain market acceptance. Wuge’ssuccessfully to prospective clients. Our intended products and services may not achieve significant market acceptance. If acceptance is achieved, it may not be sustained for any significant period of time. Failure of Wuge’sour intended products and services to achieve or sustain market acceptance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and the results of Wuge’sour operations.

 

If Wuge failsThe e-commerce market witnessed substantial growth over the past two years due to achievethe COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the pandemic’s eventual resolution and sustain sufficientthe return to normalcy, the rate of market acceptance, we will not generate sufficient revenue, if at all,expansion is expected to decelerate. It could have a negative impact on our profitability and our growth prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be harmed.

Wuge may never gain significant acceptance in the market and, therefore, may never generate substantial revenue or allow us to achieve or maintain profitability. Adoption of Wuge’s digital door sign in China depends on many factors, including acceptance by users, adaptation of the technology and general consumer behavior in connection with E-commerce. Our ability to achieve commercial market acceptance for Wuge or any other future products also depends on the strength of our sales, marketing and distribution organizations.

Cyber security risks could adversely affectsignificantly harm our business and disrupt its operations.operational results.

 

The threatse-commerce market has experienced remarkable growth and transformation over the last two years, driven primarily by the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic reshaped consumer behavior, accelerating the adoption of online shopping, digital payments, and contactless transactions. This surge in e-commerce activity was nothing short of remarkable, with businesses and consumers alike rapidly adapting to network and data security are increasingly diverse and sophisticated. Despite our efforts and processes to prevent breaches, Wuge���s products and technologies and those of third parties that Wuge uses in the operations are vulnerable to cyber security risks, including cyber attacks such as viruses and worms, phishing attacks, denial-of-service attacks, physical or electronic break-ins, employee theft or misuse, and similar disruptions from unauthorized tampering with our servers and computer systems or those of third parties that Wuge uses in the operations, which could lead to interruptions, delays, loss of critical data, and loss of consumer confidence.this new digital landscape.

 

In addition, weDuring the height of the pandemic, e-commerce became an essential lifeline for many, offering convenience and safety when traditional brick-and-mortar retail faced restrictions and concerns. This growth wasn’t limited to any particular sector; it spanned across industries, from retail giants to small businesses, and it showcased the resilience and adaptability of the e-commerce ecosystem. However, as the world gradually progresses toward a post-pandemic era, the e-commerce landscape is poised for a shift. The exponential growth rates witnessed during the height of the pandemic are likely to decelerate. It could then have a negative impact on our profitability and significantly harm our business and operational results.

There is risk of e-commerce fraud, and if that occurs, it could have a negative impact on our profitability and significantly harm our business and operational results.

Online retailers are subject to risk of e-commerce fraud in 2023.  To mitigate this ongoing threat, prioritizing fraud prevention measures is crucial. These measures may beinclude routine security audits, the targetimplementation of email scamsan Address Verification Service (AVS), and the use of Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). E-commerce fraud is evolving, with fraudsters employing more sophisticated methods. The growth in the e-commerce fraud detection and prevention market reflects the increasing urgency in addressing this risk. The e-commerce fraud is a multifaceted risk that attemptdemands constant attention. We may need to acquire sensitive information or company assets. Despiteprevent and to mitigate this persistent threat, protecting our efforts to create security barriers to such threats, Wuge may not be able to entirely mitigate these risks. Any cyber attack that attempts to obtainfinancial interests and the trust of their customers, and if the fraud occurs, it could have a negative impact on our dataprofitability and assets, disruptsignificantly harm our service, or otherwise access our systems, or those of third parties we use, if successful, could adversely affect Wuge’s business operating results, and financial condition, be expensive to remedy, and damage our reputation.operational results.

 


 

 

Given our significant reliance on the TikTok platform for various business functions, including inventory management, client services, and live streaming channels for both of our e-commerce and livestreaming games, any downtime experienced by TikTok could significantly impact our operations.

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, where businesses heavily depend on various online platforms, the risk of platform downtime looms as a substantial concern.

Our company have cultivated a significant reliance on the TikTok platform, which serves as the backbone for a multitude of our critical business functions. These functions encompass inventory management, client services, and the live streaming channels that underpin both our e-commerce activities and live streaming games. Consequently, any downtime experienced by TikTok, whether due to planned maintenance or unforeseen technical issues, can significantly impact our operations.

AI technologies are constantly evolving. Any assertionflaws or inappropriate usage of AI Technologies could have negative impact on our business and reputation.

AI technologies are constantly evolving. Any flaws or inappropriate usage of AI technologies, whether actual or perceived, whether intended or inadvertent, whether committed by aus or by other third party that we are infringing its intellectual propertyparties, could subject Wuge to costlyhave negative impact on our business, reputation and time-consuming litigation or expensive licenses and its business could be harmed.the general acceptance of AI solutions by society.

 

The technology industries involving IoT devices, software and servicesin which we operate are characterized by constant changes, including rapid technological evolution, frequent introductions of new solutions, continual shifts in users demands and constant emergence of new industry standards and practices. Thus, our success will depend, in part, on our ability to respond to these changes in a cost-effective and timely manner. We need to constantly anticipate the existenceemergence of a large number of patents, copyrights, trademarksnew technologies and trade secrets and by frequent litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. Much of this litigation involves patent holding companies or other adverse patent owners who have no relevant product revenues ofassess their own, and against whom our own patent portfolio may provide little or no deterrence.

We cannot assure you that Wuge will prevail in any future intellectual property infringement or other litigation given the complex technical issues and inherent uncertainties in such litigation. Defending such claims, regardless of their merit, could be time-consuming and distracting to management, result in costly litigation or settlement, cause development delays, or require Wuge to enter into royalty or licensing agreements. In addition, Wuge could be obligated to indemnify our customers against third parties’ claims of intellectual property infringement based on Wuge’s products or solutions. If Wuge’s products or solutions violate any third-party intellectual property rights, Wuge could be required to withdraw them from the market re-develop them or seek to obtain licenses from third parties, which might not be available on reasonable terms or at all. Any efforts to re-develop Wuge’s products or solutions, obtain licenses from third parties on favorable terms or license a substitute technology might not be successful and, in any case, might substantially increase the costs and harm our business, financial condition and operating results. Withdrawal of any of the products or solutions from the market could harm Wuge’s business, financial condition and operating results.acceptance.

 

Failure to manage Wuge effectively since its acquisition could materiallyOur financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by general economic conditions, natural catastrophic events, epidemics, and public health crises that impact our business.the virtual content production industry.

 

The recent acquisitionOur operating results will be subject to fluctuations based on general economic conditions, in particular those conditions that impact the metaverse industry. Deterioration in economic conditions could cause decreases in both volume and reduce and/or negatively impact our short-term ability to grow our revenues. Further, any decreased collectability of Wugeaccounts receivable or early termination of agreements due to deterioration in economic conditions could negatively impact our results of operations.

Our business is subject to the impact of natural catastrophic events such as earthquakes, floods or power outages, political crises such as terrorism or war, and public health crises, such as disease outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics in the U.S. and global economies, our markets and business locations.

Similarly, natural disasters, wars (including the potential of war), terrorist activity (including threats of terrorist activity), social unrest and heightened travel security measures instituted in response, and travel-related accidents, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and international conflict, will affect travel volume and may in turn have placed,a material adverse effect on our business and future growthresults of operations. In addition, we may not be adequately prepared in contingency planning or recovery capability in relation to a major incident or crisis, and as a result, our operational continuity may be adversely and materially affected, which in turn may harm our reputation.

As a “smaller reporting company” under applicable law, we will place,be subject to lessened disclosure requirements. Such reduced disclosure may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

For as long as we remain an “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act and Item 10 of the Regulation S-K, we will elect to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “smaller reporting companies”, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and the ability to include only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure. Because of these lessened regulatory requirements, our stockholders would be left without information or rights available to stockholders of more mature companies. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.


Any cybersecurity-related attack, significant straindata breach or disruption of the information technology systems, infrastructure, network, third-party processors or platforms on the Company’s management, administrative, operationalwhich we rely could damage our reputation and adversely affect our business and financial infrastructure. The Company’s success will depend in partresults.

Our operations rely on its abilityinformation technology systems for the use, storage and transmission of sensitive and confidential information with respect to manage Wuge effectively. To manageour customers, our employees and other third parties. A malicious cybersecurity-related attack, intrusion or disruption by either an internal or external source or other breach of the recentsystems on which our platform and expected growthproducts operate, and on which our employees conduct business, could lead to unauthorized access to, use of, its operationsloss of or unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and personnel, the Company will needconfidential information, disruption of our services, viruses, worms, spyware, or other malware being served from our platform, networks, or systems; and resulting regulatory enforcement actions, litigation, indemnity obligations and other possible liabilities, as well as negative publicity, which could damage our reputation, impair sales and harm our business. Cyberattacks and other malicious internet-based activity continue to increase, and cloud-based platform providers of products and services have been and are expected to continue to improve its operational, financialbe targeted. In addition to traditional computer “hackers,” malicious code (such as viruses and management controlsworms), phishing, employee theft or misuse and its reporting systemsdenial-of-service attacks, sophisticated nation-state and procedures. Failurenation-state supported actors now engage in attacks (including advanced persistent threat intrusions). Cyberattacks may also gain publishing access to effectively manage Wuge couldour customers’ accounts on our platform, using that access to publish content without authorization.

As of December 31, 2023, we have not identified any risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result in difficultyof any previous cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or delays in deploying the Company’s servicesare reasonably likely to customers, declines in quality or customer satisfaction, increases in costs, difficulties in introducing new features or other operational difficulties. Any of these difficulties could adversely impact the Company’smaterially affect us, including our business performance andstrategy, results of operations.operations or financial condition. We plan to develop and implement information securities policies and incident response plans to evaluate, identify, and handle material risks associated with cybersecurity threats.

However, it is not feasible, as a practical matter, for us to entirely mitigate these risks. If our security measures are compromised as a result of third-party action, employee, customer, or user error, malfeasance, stolen or fraudulently obtained log-in credentials or otherwise, our reputation would be damaged, our data, information or intellectual property, or those of our customers and our customers’ consumers, may be destroyed, stolen or otherwise compromised, our business may be harmed and we could incur significant liability. We have not always been able in the past, and may be unable in the future to anticipate or prevent techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or compromise of our systems because they change frequently and are generally not detected until after an incident has occurred. We also cannot be certain that we will be able to prevent vulnerabilities in our software or address vulnerabilities that we may become aware of in the future.

 

Risks Related to Our Securities

 

The price of our common stock could be subject to rapid and substantial volatility. Such volatility, including any stock run-ups, may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our common stock. Volatility in our common stock price may subject us to securities litigation.

The market for our common stock may have, when compared to seasoned issuers, significant price volatility and we expect that the price of our shares of common stock may continue to be more volatile than that of a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. As a relatively small-capitalization company with a relatively small public float, we may experience greater share price volatility, extreme price run-ups, lower trading volume, and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In particular, our common stock may be subject to rapid and substantial price volatility, low volumes of trades, and large spreads in bid and ask prices. Such volatility, including any stock run-ups, may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our common stock.

In addition, if the trading volumes of our common stock are low, persons buying or selling in relatively small quantities may easily influence the price of our common stock. This low volume of trades could also cause the price of our common stock to fluctuate greatly, with large percentage changes in price occurring in any trading day session. Holders of our common stock may also not be able to readily liquidate their investment or may be forced to sell at depressed prices due to low volume trading. Broad market fluctuations and general economic and political conditions may also adversely affect the market price of our common stock. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in our common stock. A decline in the market price of our common stock also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional common stock or other securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future. No assurance can be given that an active market in our common stock will develop or be sustained. If an active market does not develop, holders of our common stock may be unable to readily sell the shares they hold or may not be able to sell their shares at all. 

In addition, in the past, plaintiffs have often initiated securities class action litigation against a company following periods of volatility in the market price of its securities. We may, in the future, be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and liabilities to the Company and could divert our management’s attention and resources.


 

We will need additional capital in the future. If additional capital is not available, we may not be able to continue to operate our business pursuant to our business plan or we may have to discontinue our operations entirely. Raising additional capital by issuing shares may cause dilution to existing shareholders.

 

RegardlessWe are currently authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares of the successcommon stock. As of this offering,April 1, 2024, we had 7,887,411 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

We will require additional capital in the future. We have incurred losses in each year since our inception. If we continue to use cash at our historical rates of use we will need significant additional financing, which we may seek through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of any such offerings may include liquidation or other preferences that may adversely affect the then existing shareholders rights. Debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring debt or making capital expenditures. If we raise additional funds through collaboration, strategic alliance or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. 

Raising additional capital by issuing shares may cause dilution to existing shareholders.

We are currently authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares of common stock. As of March 31, 2022, we had [38,429,617] shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of any such offerings may include liquidation or other preferences that may adversely affect the then existing shareholders rights. Debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring debt or making capital expenditures. If we raise additional funds through collaboration, strategic alliance or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

Future sales of our common stock could reduce the market price of the common stock.

Substantial sales of our common stock may cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Sales by us or our security holders of substantial amounts of our common stock, or the perception that these sales may occur in the future, could cause a reduction in the market price of our common stock. 

The issuance of any additional shares of our common stock or any securities that are exercisable for or convertible into our common stock, may have an adverse effect on the market price of the common stock and will have a dilutive effect on our existing shareholders and holders of common stock.


We do not know whether a market for the common stock will be sustained or what the trading price of the common stock will be and as a result it may be difficult for you to sell your shares.

 

Although our common stock trade on Nasdaq, an active trading market for the common stock may not be sustained. It may be difficult for you to sell your shares without depressing the market price for the common stock. As a result of these and other factors, you may not be able to sell your shares. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling common stock, or may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire companies or products by using our shares as consideration.

 

We have no plans to pay dividends on our shares, and you may not receive funds without selling the shares.

We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock, nor do we expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain any additional future earnings to finance our operations and growth and, therefore, we have no plans to pay cash dividends on our common stock at this time. Any future determination to pay cash dividends on our common stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will be dependent on our earnings, financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, any contractual restrictions, and other factors that our board of directors deems relevant. Accordingly, you may have to sell some or all of the shares in order to generate cash from your investment. You may not receive a gain on your investment when you sell the shares and may lose the entire amount of your investment.


A possible “short squeeze” due to a sudden increase in demand of our common stock that largely exceeds supply may lead to additional price volatility.

Historically there has not been a large short position in our common stock. However, in the future investors may purchase shares of our common stock to hedge existing exposure or to speculate on the price of our common stock. Speculation on the price of our common stock may involve long and short exposures. To the extent an aggregate short exposure in our common stock becomes significant, investors with short exposure may have to pay a premium to purchase shares for delivery to share lenders at times if and when the price of our common stock increases significantly, particularly over a short period of time. Those purchases may in turn, dramatically increase the price of our common stock. This is often referred to as a “short squeeze.” A short squeeze could lead to volatile price movements in our common stock that are not directly correlated to our business prospects, financial performance or other traditional measures of value for the Company or its common stock.

We have granted participation rights which could affect our ability to raise funds.


Pursuant to the securities purchase agreement with the investors from the February 2021 Offering, we granted such investors participation rights with respect to issuance of common stock or common stock equivalents within 12 months after the date of the securities purchase agreement. This participation right could delay, limit or hinder our ability to enter into equity financings and to raise funds from third parties.

  

As a “smaller reporting company” under applicable law, we willIn the event that our common stocks are delisted from Nasdaq, U.S. broker-dealers may be discouraged from effecting transactions in our common stocks because they may be considered penny stocks and thus be subject to lessenedthe penny stock rules.

The SEC has adopted a number of rules to regulate “penny stock” that restricts transactions involving stock which is deemed to be penny stock. Such rules include Rules 3a51-1, 15g-1, 15g-2, 15g-3, 15g-4, 15g-5, 15g-6, 15g-7, and 15g-9 under the Exchange Act. These rules may have the effect of reducing the liquidity of penny stocks. “Penny stocks” generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 per share (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on Nasdaq if current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system). Our common stocks could be considered to be a “penny stock” within the meaning of the rules. The additional sales practice and disclosure requirements. Such reduced disclosurerequirements imposed upon U.S. broker-dealers may makediscourage such broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our common stock less attractive to investors.stocks, which could severely limit the market liquidity of such common stocks and impede their sale in the secondary market. 

 

For as long as we remainA U.S. broker-dealer selling a penny stock to anyone other than an “smaller reporting company” as definedestablished customer or “accredited investor” (generally, an individual with a net worth in Rule 405excess of $1,000,000 or an annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 together with his or her spouse) must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. In addition, the “penny stock” regulations require the U.S. broker-dealer to deliver, prior to any transaction involving a “penny stock”, a disclosure schedule prepared in accordance with SEC standards relating to the “penny stock” market, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. A U.S. broker-dealer is also required to disclose commissions payable to the U.S. broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally, a U.S. broker-dealer is required to submit monthly statements disclosing recent price information with respect to the “penny stock” held in a customer’s account and information with respect to the limited market in “penny stocks”.

The market for “penny stocks” has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (i) control of the Securities Actmarket for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (ii) manipulation of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”)prices through prearranged matching of purchases and Item 10sales and false and misleading press releases; (iii) “boiler room” practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (iv) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (v) the wholesale dumping of the Regulation S-K, we will electsame securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “smaller reporting companies”, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404a desired level, resulting in investor losses. Our management is aware of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensationabuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to our periodic reports and proxy statements, and the ability to include only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure. Because of these lessened regulatory requirements, our stockholders would be left without information or rights available to stockholders of more mature companies. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.securities.

 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.


Item 1C. Cybersecurity

To meet our business objectives, we rely on both internal information technology (IT) systems and networks, and those of third parties and their vendors, to process and store sensitive data, including confidential research, business plans, financial information, intellectual property, and personal data of ours and our customers that may be subject to legal protection, and promote the continuity of our Company’s business operations. In the ordinary course of our business, we receive, process, use, store, and share digitally certain data, including user data as well as confidential, sensitive, proprietary, and personal information.

Maintaining the integrity and availability of our IT systems and this information, as well as appropriate limitations on access and confidentiality of such information, is important to our operations and business strategy. We plan to develop and implement information securities policies and incident response plans to evaluate, identify, and handle material risks associated with cybersecurity threats.

As of December 31, 2023, we have not identified any risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition.  However, we face certain ongoing cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us. Additional information on cybersecurity risks we face is discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”

Item 2. Properties

Wuge’sFacilities

Our current executive office is located at 119 Zhaojuesi South Road, Room 2-1, Chengshu City, Sichuan, China.810 Seventh Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10019. The rent for this officespace is approximately RMB 400,000$31,000 per year.

month. The term of the lease is five years and five months, starting from September 22, 2023. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

Intellectual Properties

We entered into a software purchase agreement with Northeast Management LLC, a seller unaffiliated with us. Pursuant to the software purchase agreement, we purchased all of the seller’s right, title, and interest in and to the software, Tribal Light. We have used and plan to continue using the software to develop video games. We operate the game through interactive live stream, facilitating real-time engagement between players and viewers through interactive features embedded within the live streaming platform.

We have the right to use the two domains: gdculturegroup.com and aicatalysis.com.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

To the knowledge of our management, there is no litigation currently pending or contemplated against us, any of our officers or directors in their capacity as such or against any of our property.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.


 

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

(a) Market Information

Our common stock and warrants areis traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market and OTC Market under the symbols “CCNC” and “CCNCW, respectively.symbol “GDC”.

(b) Holders

On March 31, 2022,April 1, 2024, there are approximately 324336 holders of record of our common stock and 2 holders of record of our warrants.  stock.

(c) Dividends

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future.

(d) Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans.

We established our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan was approved by our board of directors on December 12, 2019 and was approved by our stockholders at our annual meeting in 2019. The purpose of the Plan is to grant stock and options to purchase our common stock to our employees, directors and key consultants. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to awards granted under the Plan, is 3,000,000 shares.

The following summary briefly describes the principal features of the Plan and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Plan.

Administration. Our Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors will administer the Plan. The Committee will have the authority to determine the terms and conditions of any agreements evidencing any Awards granted under the Plan and to adopt, alter and repeal rules, guidelines and practices relating to the Plan. Our Compensation Committee will have full discretion to administer and interpret the Plan and to adopt such rules, regulations and procedures as it deems necessary or advisable.

Eligibility. Current or prospective employees, directors, officers, advisors or consultants of the Company or its affiliates are eligible to participate in the Plan. Our Compensation Committee has the sole and complete authority to determine who will be granted an award under the Plan, however, it may delegate such authority to one or more officers of the Company under the circumstances set forth in the Plan.


 

Number of Shares Authorized. The Plan provides for an aggregate of Three Million (3,000,000) common stock to be available for awards. If an award is forfeited or if any option terminates, expires or lapses without being exercised, the common stock subject to such award will again be made available for future grant. Shares of common stock that are used to pay the exercise price of an option or that are withheld to satisfy the Participant’s tax withholding obligation will not be available for re-grant under the Plan.

Each common sharestock subject to an option or a stock appreciation right will reduce the number of common stock available for issuance by one share, and each common sharestock underlying an award of restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock bonus awards and performance compensation awards will reduce the number of common stock available for issuance by one share.

If there is any change in our corporate capitalization, the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion may make substitutions or adjustments to the number of shares reserved for issuance under our Plan, the number of shares covered by awards then outstanding under our Plan, the limitations on awards under our Plan, the exercise price of outstanding options and such other equitable substitution or adjustments as it may determine appropriate.

The Plan has a term of ten years and no further awards may be granted under the Plan after that date.

Awards Available for Grant. Our Compensation Committee may grant awards of con-qualified stock options, incentive (qualified) stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock bonus awards, performance compensation awards (including cash bonus awards) or any combination of the foregoing.

Options. Our Compensation Committee will be authorized to grant options to purchase common stock that are either “qualified,” meaning they are intended to satisfy the requirements of Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”) Section 422 for incentive stock options, or “non-qualified,” meaning they are not intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Code. Options granted under the Plan will be subject to the terms and conditions established by our Compensation Committee. Under the terms of the Plan, the exercise price of the options will be set forth in the applicable Award agreement. Options granted under the Plan will be subject to such terms, including the exercise price and the conditions and timing of exercise, as may be determined by our Compensation Committee and specified in the applicable award agreement. The maximum term of an option granted under the Plan will be ten years from the date of grant (or five years in the case of a qualified option granted to a 10% stockholder).

 

Stock Appreciation Rights. Our Compensation Committee will be authorized to award stock appreciation rights (or SARs) under the Plan. SARs will be subject to the terms and conditions established by our Compensation Committee. An SAR is a contractual right that allows a participant to receive, either in the form of cash, shares or any combination of cash and shares, the appreciation, if any, in the value of a share over a certain period of time. An Option granted under the Plan may include SARs and SARs may also be awarded to a participant independent of the grant of an option. SARs granted in connection with an option shall be subject to terms similar to the option corresponding to such SARs. SARs shall be subject to terms established by our Compensation Committee and reflected in the award agreement.

Restricted Stock. Our Compensation Committee will be authorized to award restricted stock under the Plan. Our Compensation Committee will determine the terms of such restricted stock awards. Restricted stock is common stock that generally is non-transferable and subject to other restrictions determined by our Compensation Committee for a specified period. Unless our Compensation Committee determines otherwise or specifies otherwise in an award agreement, if the participant terminates employment or services during the restricted period, then any unvested restricted stock is forfeited.

Restricted Stock Unit Awards. Our Compensation Committee will be authorized to award restricted stock unit awards. Our Compensation Committee will determine the terms of such restricted stock units. Unless our Compensation Committee determines otherwise or specifies otherwise in an award agreement, if the participant terminates employment or services during the period of time over which all or a portion of the units are to be earned, then any unvested units will be forfeited.


 

Stock Bonus Awards. Our Compensation Committee will be authorized to grant awards of unrestricted common stock or other awards denominated in common stock, either alone or in tandem with other awards, under such terms and conditions as our Compensation Committee may determine.

Performance Compensation Awards. Our Compensation Committee will be authorized to grant any award under the Plan in the form of a performance compensation award by conditioning the vesting of the award on the attainment of specific levels of performance of the Company and/or one or more affiliates, divisions or operational units, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Compensation Committee.

Transferability. Each award may be exercised during the participant’s lifetime only by the participant or, if permissible under applicable law, by the participant’s guardian or legal representative and may not be otherwise transferred or encumbered by a participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Our Compensation Committee, however, may permit awards (other than incentive stock options) to be transferred to family members, a trust for the benefit of such family members, a partnership or limited liability company whose partners or stockholders are the participant and his or her family members or anyone else approved by it.

Amendment. The Plan has a term of ten years. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time; however, stockholder approval to amend the Plan may be necessary if the law or the rules of the national exchange so requires. No amendment, suspension or termination will impair the rights of any participant or recipient of any Award without the consent of the participant or recipient.

Change in Control. Except to the extent otherwise provided in an award agreement or as determined by the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion, in the event of a change in control, all outstanding options and equity awards (other than performance compensation awards) issued under the Plan will become fully vested and performance compensation awards will vest, as determined by our Compensation Committee, based on the level of attainment of the specified performance goals.

(e) Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities 

 

Acquisition of Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd.

On January 24, 2020, the Company issued an aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, to all the shareholders of Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”), pursuant to a share purchase agreement with Wuge, in exchange for the Wuge’s shareholders’ approval to cause Wuge to enter into, certain contractual agreements with Tongrong Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (“Tongrong WFOE”), the Company’s indirectly owned subsidiary. Wuge’s shareholders are Wei Xu, who became a director of the Company as a result of the acquisition and was subsequently appointed as the Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of the Company, Bibo Lin, who was subsequently appointed as a vice president and director of the Company, Jiangsu Lingkong Network Joint Stock Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu, and Anhui Shuziren Network Technology Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu.

 

On January 11, 2021, Tongrong WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements with Makesi Iot Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Makesi WFOE”), pursuant to which Tongrong WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE agreements to Makesi WFOE. As a result, for account purposes, Makesi WFOE shall have receive economic benefits of Wuge and consolidate the financial results of Wuge in the consolidated financial statement of theThe Company under U.S. GAAP for accounting purposes.

August 2020 Private Placement

On August 11, 2020, pursuant to certain securities purchase agreements, dated May 1, 2020, the Company issued 1,674,428 shares of its common stock, at a per share purchase price of $1.50, to eleven investors. The gross proceeds to the Company from this private placement were approximately $2.51 million. None of the investors is a “U.S. person” as defined under Regulation S. Thecancelled 133,333 shares of common stock on March 9, 2023. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – Disposition of Wuge.”

The Company issued (i) unregistered warrants to purchase up to 1,154,519 shares of common stock in thea private placement are exempt fromconcurrent with registered direct offering on May 4, 2023, which were exchanged for pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 577,260 shares of common stock on November 3, 2023 and (ii) warrants to the registration requirementsplacement agent to purchase up to 115,452 shares of the Securities Act, pursuant to Regulation S promulgated thereunder.common stock on May 16, 2023. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – May 2023 Offering.”

The Company issued 187,500 shares of common stock on June 26, 2023. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – Software Purchase Agreement dated June 22, 2023.”

The Company issued 400,000 shares of common stock on January 11, 2024. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – Equity Purchase Agreement dated October 27, 2023 and the Amendment to the Equity Purchase Agreement dated November 10, 2023.”

The Company issued warrants to purchase up to 331,236 shares of common stock to the placement agent of a registered direct offering on November 3, 2023. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – November 2023 Offering.”   

The Company issued warrants to purchase up to 40,514 shares of common stock to the placement agent of a registered direct offering on March 26, 2024. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – March 2024 Offering.”   


 

February 2021 Offering

Registered Direct Offering and Private Placement

On February 18, 2021, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with certain purchasers, pursuant to which, on February 22, 2021, we sold (i) 4,166,666 shares of common stock, (ii) registered warrants (the “Registered Warrants”) to purchase an aggregate of up to 1,639,362 shares of common stock and (iii) unregistered warrants (the “Unregistered Warrants”) to purchase up to 2,527,304 shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of common stock in a registered direct offering (the “Registered Direct Offering”) and a concurrent private placement (the “Private Placement,” and together with the Registered Direct Offering, the “Offering”). The terms of the Offering were previously reported in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 18, 2021 and the closing of the Offering was reported in a Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 22, 2021.

The gross proceeds of the Offering of $24,999,996, before deducting placement agent fees and other expenses, are being used for working capital and general business purposes.

The Registered Warrants have a term of five years and are exercisable immediately at an exercise price of $6.72 per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including a reduction in the exercise price, in the event of a subsequent offering at a price less than the then current exercise price, to the same price as the price in such offering (a “Price Protection Adjustment”).

The Unregistered Warrants have a term of five and one-half years and are first exercisable on the date that is the earlier of (i) six months after the date of issuance or (ii) the date on which the Company obtains stockholder approval approving the sale of the securities sold under the Securities Purchase Agreement, to purchase an aggregate of up to 2,527,304 shares of common stock. The Unregistered Warrants have an exercise price of $6.72 per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including (x) a Price Protection Adjustment and (y) in the event the exercise price is more than $6.10, a reduction of the exercise price to $6.10, upon obtaining such stockholder approval.

The Offering was conducted pursuant to a placement agency agreement, dated February 18, 2021 (the “Placement Agency Agreement”), between the Company and Univest Securities, LLC (the “Placement Agent”), on a “reasonable best efforts” basis. The Company paid the Placement Agent a cash fee of $2,310,000, including $2,000,000 in commission which was equal to eight percent (8.0%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this Offering, $250,000 in non-accountable expense which was equal to one percent (1%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering, and $60,000 in accountable expenses. Additionally, the Company issued to the Placement Agent warrants to purchase up to 208,333 shares of common stock, with a term of five years first exercisable six months after the date of issuance and at an exercise price of $6.00 per share.

Stockholder Approval

Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, we are required to hold a meeting of our stockholders not later than April 29, 2021 to seek such approval as may be required from our stockholders (the “Stockholder Approval”), in accordance with applicable law, the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the Nevada Revised Statutes with respect to the issuance of the securities in the Offering, including the Warrants sold in the Private Placement, so that the issuance by us of shares of common stock in excess of the 6,954,059 shares (19.99% of the shares of common stock outstanding as of February 17, 2021, the date prior to entering into the Securities Purchase Agreement) in the aggregate (the “Issuable Maximum”), will be in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules 5635(a) and 5635(d) as described herein, and investors in the Offering will be able to exercise the Warrants prior to six months after the closing of the Offering.

In the event that despite our reasonable best efforts we are unable to obtain the Stockholder Approval by that date, we are required to hold an additional special meeting of stockholders and obtain Stockholder Approval by July 31, 2021.  In the event that despite our reasonable best efforts we are unable to obtain Stockholder Approval by that date, we are required to hold additional meetings of our stockholders each fiscal quarter until Stockholder Approval has been obtained.  Until we have obtained Stockholder Approval, we may not consummate any subsequent financings at less than an effective price of $6.72 per share of our common stock.


Asset Purchase Agreement dated February 23, 2021, as amended on April 16, 2021 and May 28, 2021

On February 23, 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Sichuan RiZhanYun Jisuan Co., Ltd. (the “Seller”), which was amended and restated on April 16, 2021, and further amended on May 28, 2021. Pursuant to the asset purchase agreement, the Company purchased a total of 10,000 Bitcoin mining machines (the “Assets”) for a total purchase price of RMB 40,000,000 or US$6,160,000 based on the exchange rate as of April 8, 2021 (the “Purchase Price”), payable in the form of 1,587,800 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at US$3.88 per share, which is the closing bid price of the common stock of the Company on the Nasdaq Stock Market on April 8, 2021. The Seller shall cause revenue and any other source of income from the operation of the Assets to be paid to the Company, payable in cryptocurrency to be deposited into a cryptocurrency wallet held by the Company on a daily basis. The Company shall issue to the Seller or its designees RMB 5,000,000 or US$770,000 worth of common stock of the Company (the “Bonus Shares”) if the Assets generate an average net profit per day/10,000 machines (the “Daily Profit”) on behalf of the Company during the one-year period from March 19, 2021 to March 19, 2022 (the “Valuation Period”) equals to RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 and if the Assets generate an average net profit per month/10,000 machines (the “Monthly Profit”) on behalf of the Company during the Valuation Period equals to RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000. If the Daily Profit is more than RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 and the Monthly Profit is more than RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000, the Company shall issue to the Seller or its designees additional shares of common stock in proportion to the amount that is in excess. If the Daily Profit is less than RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 or the Monthly Profit is less than RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000, the Company shall not issue to the Seller or its designees any Bonus Shares and such month is deemed a “Re-evaluated Month”. At the end of the Valuation Period, the Monthly Profit of such Re-evaluated Month(s) shall be aggregated (the “Aggregate Profit”), and the Company shall issue RMB5,000,000 or US$770,000 worth of common stock of the Company for every RMB6,000,000 or US$924,000 in Aggregate Profit on a pro rata basis. Such Daily Profit and Monthly Profit shall be determined on a monthly basis on the first day of the next month. Such Bonus Shares and additional shares, when applicable, shall be issued on the fifteenth day of the next month.  For any month that has 28 days or 31 days, the Monthly Profit is calculated based on the actual number of days in the month. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no share pursuant to this Agreement shall be issued earlier than May 24, 2021 in any event. The total number of shares of common stock, including the Bonus Shares, issuable to the Seller or its designees pursuant to the Agreement shall in no event be more than 19.99% of the total shares issued and outstanding of Company as of the February 23, 2021, the date of the asset purchase agreement.

On June 1, 2021, the Company issued to a designee of the Seller 2,513,294 shares of common stock, consisted of (i) the Purchase Price in the form of 1,587,800 shares of common stock and (ii) 925,494 Bonus Shares, valued at US$2.51 per share, which is the closing bid price of the common stock of the Company on the Nasdaq Stock Market on May 12, 2021, for meeting and exceeding the Daily Profit and Monthly Profit benchmark.

Asset Purchase Agreement dated July 28, 2021 and Termination Agreement dated February 23, 2022

On July 28, 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with certain seller pursuant to which the Company purchased from the seller digital currency mining machines for a total purchase price of RMB 106,388,672.43, or US$ 16,442,109.95 (based on the exchange rate between RMB and USD of 1: 6.4705 as of July 8, 2021). In exchange, the Company issued 7,647,493 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $2.15 per share, on August 26, 2021. On February 23, 2022, the Company entered into a termination agreement with the seller to terminate the asset purchase agreement dated July 28, 2021 and forfeit the transaction. The 7,647,493 shares of common stock of the Company were cancelled on March 14, 2022.

(f) Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

None.

Item 6. [Reserved]


Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of the results of our operations and financial condition should be read in conjunction with our financial statements, and the notes to those financial statements that are included elsewhere in this Report. All monetary figures are presented in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis contains not only statements that are historical facts, but also statements that are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are, by their very nature, uncertain and risky. These risks and uncertainties include international, national, and local general economic and market conditions; our ability to sustain, manage, or forecast growth; our ability to successfully make and integrate acquisitions; new product development and introduction; existing government regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, government regulations; adverse publicity; competition; the loss of significant customers or suppliers; fluctuations and difficulty in forecasting operating results; change in business strategy or development plans; business disruptions; the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the ability to protect technology; the risk of foreign currency exchange rate; and other risks that might be detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.SEC.

Although the forward-looking statements in this Report reflect the good faith judgment of our management, such statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known by them. Consequently, and because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, the actual results and outcomes may differ materially from the results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements. You are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by us in this report as we attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and prospects.

Overview

 

Code Chain New ContinentGD Culture Group Limited, (“CCNC”, formerly known as JM Global Holding Company, and TMSR Holding Company Limited)Limited and Code Chain New Continent Limited, is a Nevada corporation and a holding company. The Company currently conducts its operations on virtual content production (the “Virtual Content Production”) through the Company and two subsidiaries, AI Catalysis and Shanghai Xianzhui. The Company focuses its business mainly on 1) AI-driven digital human creation and customization; 2) Live streaming and e-commerce and 3) Live streaming interactive game. The company incorporated inhas relentlessly been focusing on serving its customers and creating value for them through the Statecontinual innovation and optimization of Nevadaits products and services. The Company’s current subsidiaries, Citi Profit, Highlight HK, Highlight WFOE, and previous subsidiaries, TMSR Holdings Limited (“TMSR HK”) and Makesi WFOE are holding companies with no material operations of its own. We currently conduct business through Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”). For accounting purposes, we receive the economic benefits of Wuge through the VIE agreements, which enable us to consolidate the financial results of Wuge in our consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP and the structure involves unique risks to investors. The VIE agreements have not been tested in a court of law and the Chinese regulatory authorities could disallow this VIE structure, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and the value of our securities, including that it could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. For more details on the VIE structure, please see “Item 1. Business – Corporate Structure - Contractual Arrangements between Wuge And Makesi WFOE”.

Prior to March 30, 2021, we were also engaged in coal wholesales and sales of coke, steels, construction materials, mechanical equipment and steel scrap through Jiangsu Rong Hai Electric Power Fuel Co., Ltd. (“Rong Hai”), a then VIE of the Company. On March 30, 2021, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company (the “Buyer”), and Qihai Wang, former director of the Company (the “Payee”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the Buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (the “Tongrong Shares”) of Tongrong Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (“Tongrong WFOE”), a PRC company and an indirect subsidiary of the Company. The Payee agreed to be responsible for the payment of the purchase price on behalf of Buyer. On March 31, 2021, the Company closed the sale of the Tongrong Shares and caused the CCNC Shares to be cancelled. Tongrong WFOE had a series of VIE agreements with Rong Hai and the shareholders of Rong Hai. The sale of Tongrong Shares included disposition of Rong Hai. As a result, as of March 31, 2021, operations of Tongrong WFOE and Rong Hai have been designated as discontinued operations.

Key Factors that Affect Operating Results

Wuge’s growth strategy is substantially dependent upon our ability to market our intended products and services successfully to prospective clients in China. This requires that we heavily rely upon our development and marketing partners. Failure to select the right development and marketing partners will significantly delay or prohibit our ability to develop our intended products and services, market the products and gain market acceptance. Our intended products and services may not achieve significant market acceptance. If acceptance is achieved, it may not be sustained for any significant period of time. Failure of our intended products and services to achieve or sustain market acceptance could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and the results of our operations.

 

WugeFor AI-driven digital human sector, the Company uses AI algorithms and software to generate realistic 3D or 2D digital human models. AI algorithms and machine learning models are used to simulate human characteristics, such as facial expressions, body movements, and even speech patterns. These models can be customized to create and personalize lifelike digital representations of humans. Customization may never gain significant acceptanceinvolve adjusting facial features, body proportions, skin textures, hair styles, clothing, and more. Once created and customized, digital humans find applications in a wide range of industries, including gaming, entertainment, advertising, education, and more. Depending on the specific industry and the application scenario, the Company helps the customers to define the objectives to achieve with digital humans, choose the technology for character customization, then create unique aviators and deploy in the marketplace and, therefore, may never generate substantial revenue or allow us to achieve or maintain profitability. Widespread adoption of Code Chain technology and IoT services in China depends on many factors, including acceptance by users that such systems and methods or other options. Our ability to achieve commercial market acceptance for Wuge or any other future products also depends on the strength of our sales, marketing and distribution organizations.


The threats to network and data security are increasingly diverse and sophisticated. Despite our efforts and processes to prevent breaches, Wuge’s products devices and those of third parties that we use in our operations are vulnerable to cyber security risks, including cyber attacks such as viruses and worms, phishing attacks, denial-of-service attacks, physical or electronic break-ins, employee theft or misuse, and similar disruptions from unauthorized tampering with our servers and computer systems or those of third parties that we use in our operations, which could lead to interruptions, delays, loss of critical data, and loss of consumer confidence.

In addition, we may be the target of email scams that attempt to acquire sensitive information or company assets. Despite our efforts to create security barriers to such threats, we may not be able to entirely mitigate these risks. Any cyber attack that attempts to obtain our data and assets, disrupt our service, or otherwise access our systems, or those of third parties we use, if successful, could adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition, be expensive to remedy, and damage our reputation.

The technology industries involving IoT devices, software and services are characterized by the existence of a large number of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets and by frequent litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. Much of this litigation involves patent holding companies or other adverse patent owners who have no relevant product revenues of their own, and against whom our own patent portfolio may provide little or no deterrence.

We cannot assure you that we, our subsidiaries or our variable interest entity will prevail in any future intellectual property infringement or other litigation given the complex technical issues and inherent uncertainties in such litigation. Defending such claims, regardless of their merit, could be time-consuming and distracting to management, result in costly litigation or settlement, cause development delays, or require us or our subsidiaries to enter into royalty or licensing agreements. In addition, we, our subsidiaries or our variable interest entity could be obligated to indemnify our customers against third parties’ claims of intellectual property infringement based on our products or solutions. If our products or solutions violate any third-party intellectual property rights, we could be required to withdraw them from the market, re-develop them or seek to obtain licenses from third parties, which might not be available on reasonable terms or at all. Any efforts to re-develop our products or solutions, obtain licenses from third parties on favorable terms or license a substitute technology might not be successful and, in any case, might substantially increase our costs and harm our business, financial condition and operating results. Withdrawal of any of our products or solutions from the market could harm our business, financial condition and operating results.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus causing respiratory illness (“COVID-19”) surfaced in Wuhan, China, spreading at a fast rate in January and February of 2020, and confirmed cases were also reported in other parts of the world. In reaction to this outbreak, an increasing number of countries imposed travel suspensions to and from China following the World Health Organization’s “public health emergency of international concern” announcement on January 30, 2020. Since this outbreak, business activities in China and many other countries including U.S. have been disrupted by a series of emergency quarantine measures taken by the government.

As a result, our operations in China and U.S. have been materially affected. Our office in Hubei Province, China were closed since the lockdown was enforced on January 23, 2020. The economic disruption caused by COVID-19 were catastrophic for our waste management business in Wuhan, which had no revenue and negative operating income since the fourth quarter of 2019 and no revenue or operating income for the first and second quarter of 2020. We lost employees, suppliers and customers and were not been able to recover. As a result, we sold our businesses located in Wuhan. In particular, on June 30, 2020, the Company disposed China Sunlong and its subsidiaries, including Shengrong Environmental Protection Holding Company Limited (“Shengrong BVI”), a British Virgin Islands company, Hong Kong Shengrong Environmental Company Limited (“Sunrong HK”), a Hong Kong company, Shengrong Environmental Protection Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (“Shengrong WFOE”), PRC company, and Wuhan HOST Coating Materials Co., Ltd. (“Wuhan HOST”), a PRC company, pursuant to a share purchase agreement with Jiazhen Li, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Long Liao and Chunyong Zheng, former shareholders of Wuhan Host. Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, the Company sold 100% equity interests in China Sunlong to Jiazhen Li in exchange for forfeition and cancellation of all 1,012,932 shares of common stock of the Company held by Long Liao and Chunyong Zheng. In addition, our offices in Jiangsu Province and Sichuan Province in China were temporarily closed from early February until early March 2020.chosen platform.

 


 

For live streaming and e-commerce sector, the Company applies digital human technology in live streaming e-commerce businesses. Livestream usage is taking off globally. The integration of cutting-edge AI digital human technologies and live streaming platforms will transform the way businesses, sellers and consumers engage in online commerce. Digital anchors can offer long-duration intelligent live broadcasting. It also supports customized avatars that perfectly adapt to different live streaming scenarios. The company has introduced online e-commerce businesses on TikTok.

For live streaming interactive game sector, the Company has launched a live-streamed game called “Trible Light.” This game is owned by the company, and we independently operate it. Currently, the game is being livestreamed on TikTok (TikTok account: almplify001). In addition to “Trible Light,” we have also introduced other licensed games on the same TikTok account, providing a diverse gaming experience for the players.

We aim to generate revenue from: 1) Service revenue and advertising revenue from digital human creation and customization; 2) Products’ sales revenue from social live streaming e-commerce business; and 3) Virtual paid gifts revenue from live streaming interactive gaming.

Our principal executive office is located at 810 Seventh Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10019, and our telephone number is: +1-347-2590292.

Discontinued Business

Prior to September 28, 2022, we also conducted business through Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”) and Makesi WFOE. Makesi WFOE had a series of contractual arrangement with Wuge that established a VIE structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Wuge. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, GDC treated Wuge as the consolidated affiliated entity and has consolidated Wuge’s financial statements prior to September 28, 2022. Wuge focused its business on research, development and application of Internet of Things (IoT) and electronic tokens Wuge digital door signs. On September 28, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge to terminate the VIE agreements and to cancel the shares previously issued to the shareholders of Wuge, based on the average closing price of $0.237 per share of the Company during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the termination agreement. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Wuge as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Wuge in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

Prior to June 26, 2023, we had a subsidiary TMSR Holdings Limited (“TMSR HK”), which owns 100% equity interest in Makesi WFOE. Makesi WFOE had a series of contractual arrangement with Yuan Ma that established a VIE structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Yuan Ma. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, GDC treated Yuan Ma as the consolidated affiliated entity and has consolidated Yuan Ma’s financial results in GDC’s consolidated financial statements prior to June 26, 2023. On June 26, 2023, GDC entered into a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding equity interest in TMSR HK. The purchase price for the transaction contemplated by the Agreement was $100,000. The sale of TMSR HK did not have any material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.


Prior to September 26, 2023, we also conducted business through Highlight Media. We had a series of contractual arrangement with Highlight Media through one of our subsidiaries, Highlight WFOE. For accounting purposes, Highlight WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Highlight Media. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, GDC treated Highlight Media as the consolidated affiliated entity and has consolidated Highlight Media’s financial results in GDC’s financial statements prior to September 26, 2023. Highlight Media was an integrated marketing service agency, focusing on enterprise brand management, crisis public relations, intelligent public opinion monitoring, media PR, financial and economic we-media operation, digital face application, large-scale exhibition services and other businesses. On September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media to terminate the VIE Agreements and sold the interest in the VIE Agreements for a purchase price of $100,000. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

Recent Development

Change of Auditor

On October 9, 2023, the Company notified its independent registered public accounting firm, Enrome LLP, its decision to dismiss Enrome LLP as the Company’s auditor. On October 12, 2023, the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company approved the appointment of HTL as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements.

Investment in Shanghai Xianzhui

On August 10, 2023, Highlight WFOE, Beijing Hehe Property Management Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Hehe”), and a third party, established Shanghai Xianzhui under the laws of the People’s Republic of China for social media marketing. Highlight WFOE owned 60% of the equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui, Beijing Hehe owned 20% of the equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui and the third party owned the remaining 20% of the equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui.

On October 27, 2023, the Company entered into an equity purchase agreement with Highlight WFOE and Beijing Hehe, which was amended on November 10, 2023 (such equity purchase agreement, as amended, the “Agreement” for purpose of this section “Investment in Shanghai Xianzhui”), pursuant to which the Highlight WFOE agreed to purchase 13.3333% equity interest in Shanghai Xianzhui from Beijing Hehe and the Company agreed to issue 400,000 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $2.7820 per share, the average closing bid price of the common stock of GDC as of the five trading days immediately preceding the date of the Agreement, to Beijing Hehe or its assigns. On January 11, 2024, the Company issued the 400,000 shares of its common stock to Beijing Hehe and the transaction was completed. Up to the date of this Report, the Company owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest of Shanghai Xianzhui.

Registered Direct Offering 

On May 4, 2023, the Company issued (i) 310,168 shares of common stock, (ii) registered pre-funded warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 844,351 shares of common stock and (iii) unregistered warrants to purchase up to 1,154,519 shares of common stock in a registered direct offering and a concurrent private placement, which were exchanged for pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 577,260 shares of common stock on November 3, 2023. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – May 2023 Offering.”


On November 3, 2023, the Company issued (i) 1,436,253 shares of common stock, (ii) registered pre-funded warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 1,876,103 shares of common stock and (iii) registered warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,312,356 shares of common stock in a registered direct offering. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – November 2023 Offering.”

On March 26, 2024, the Company issued 810,277 shares of common stock in a registered direct offering. See “Part I – Item 1. Business – Recent Business Development – March 2024 Offering.”

Key Factors that Affect Operating Results

Competition

E-commerce and live streaming is a competitive industry. Our competition varies and includes content creators on TikTok and other social media platform. Each of these competitors competes with us based on quality of content, activeness and responsiveness on the social placement, product selection, product quality, customer service, price, store format, location, or a combination of these factors. Some of these competitors may have been in business longer, may have more experience, or may have greater financial or marketing resources than us. As competition intensifies, our results of operations may be negatively impacted through a loss of sales and decrease in market share.

Retention of Key Management Team Members

Our management team comprises executives with extensive experience in technology and content creation. The management team has led us to take leaps in deploying AI technology in live-steaming, e-commerce, gaming and other sectors. The loss of any of our key executive team member might affect our business and our result of operation.

Our Ability to Grow Market Presence and Penetrate New Markets

We are still in an early development stage. We intend to expand our presence on social media to increase the market presence. If we cannot grow market presence and penetrate new markets in an effective and cost-efficient way, our results of operation will be negatively impacted.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a material impact on our business or results of operation during the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. However, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impactsimpact the general economy and our business is highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted. We believe that the coronavirus outbreak and the measures taken to control it may have a significant negative impact on not only our business, but economic activities globally. The magnitude of this negative effect on the continuity of our business operation in China remains uncertain. These uncertainties may impede our ability to conduct our daily operations and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and as a result could adversely affect our stock price and create more volatility.

Results of Operations

Year Ended December 31, 2021 as Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020

           Percentage 
  2021  2020  Change  Change 
Revenues –Wuge digital door signs $25,029,949   -  $25,029,949   N/A 
Revenues –Trading and others      591,455   (591,455)  (100.0)%
Total revenues  25,029,949   591,455   24,438,494   4131.9%
                 
Cost of Revenues –Wuge digital door signs  16,779,949   -   16,779,949   N/A 
Cost of Revenues –Trading and others      21,045   (21,045)  (100.0)%
Total cost of revenues  16,779,949   21,045   16,758,904   79633.7%
                 
Gross profit  8,250,000   570,410   7,679,590   1346.3 
Operating expenses  22,896,602   1,067,185   21,829,417   2045.5%
Loss from operations  (14,646,602)  (496,775)  (14,149,827)  2848.3%
Other income, net  117,918   (3,893,359)  4,011,277   (103.0)%
Loss from continuing operations  (15,823,825)  (4,390,134)  (11,433,691)  260.4%
Discontinued operations:                
Income  from discontinued operations  23,571   107,020   (83,449)  78.0%
Loss (gain) on disposal, net of taxes  (11,170,638)  6,793,570   (17,964,208)  (264.4)%
Net (loss) income  (26,970,892)  2,510,456   (29,481,348)  (1,174.3)%

Revenues

The Company’s revenue consists of Wuge digital door signs. Total revenues increased by approximately $25.0 million, to approximately $25.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to approximately $0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was mainly due to the company’s increased effort in promoting the Wuge digital door signs.


 

 

CostResults of RevenuesOperations

 

Year Ended December 31, 2023 vs. December 31, 2022

           Percentage 
  2023  2022  Change  Change 
Operating expenses  11,990,934   414,151   11,576,783   2,795.3%
Loss from operations  (11,990,934)  (414,151)  (11,576,783)  2,795.3%
Other income, net  104,419   -   104,419   100.0%
Loss before income tax from continuing operations  (11,886,515)  (414,151)  (11,472,364)  2,770.1%
Provision for income taxes  327,822   -   327,822   100.0%
Loss from continuing operations  (12,214,337)  (414,151)  (11,800,186)  2,849.2%
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest  (1,825,130)  -   (1,825,130)  (100.0)%
Loss from continuing operations attributable to GD Culture Group Limited  (10,389,207)  (414,151)  (9,975,056)  2,408.6%
Discontinued operations:                
Loss from discontinued operations  (2,132,049)  (26,347,195)  24,215,146   (91.9)%
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of taxes  (362)  (4,060,609)  4,060,247   (100.0)%
Net Loss  (14,346,748)  (30,821,955)  16,475,207   (53.5)%

Operating Expenses

The Company’s cost of revenues consists of cost of Wuge digital door signs. Total cost of revenuesoperating expenses include selling and marketing (“S&M”) expenses, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses, research and development (“R&D”) expenses. S&M expenses increased by approximately $16.8 million, to approximately $16.8$4.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021,2023, compared to approximately $0nil for the same period in 2020. Our total cost of revenues increase was attributable to the Company’s general increase in revenue for Wuge digital door signs.

Gross Profit

The Company’s gross profit increased by approximately $7.7 million, to approximately $8.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2021,2022. The increase was mainly due to the Company increased inputs on digital human and e-commerce live streaming marketing and advertising to improve its brand reputation, attract a large following on social media. G&A expenses increased by approximately $4.8 million from approximately $0.6$0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was due2022 to the increase in the sales of Wuge digital door signs.

Operating Expenses

The Company’s operating expenses include selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses, and recovery of doubtful accounts.

SG& A expenses increased by approximately $22.2 million, by approximately 3006.1%, from approximately $22.9$5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 20212023. The increase was mainly due to the combined impact of (i) the reduction of impairment of prepaid and other current assets, (ii) the expansion of our administrative associated personnel cost, and (iii) increase in operating and lease expenses for offices. R&D expenses increased to approximately 0.7$2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.2023, compared to nil for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was mainly due to the Company increased employee compensation.inputs on research and development about our artificial intelligence based digital human application, to create unconventional digital characters and customize digital humans to support the clients’ marketing efforts.

Other Income, Net

 

LossThe Company’s other income increased by approximately $104 thousand during the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to nil for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase was mainly due to the gain from Operationsdisposal of subsidiaries.

 

Loss from Continuing Operations

As a result of the foregoing, loss from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 20212023 was approximately $14.6$12.2 million, an increase of approximately $14.1 million, or approximately 2848.3%2,849.2%, from approximately $0.5loss from continuing operations of $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was mainly due to increased employee compensation.

Net Loss (Income)

The Company’s net loss increased by approximately $29.5 million, or 1174.3%, to approximately $27.0 million net loss for the year ended December 31, 2021, from approximately $2.5 million net income for the same period in 2020. The increase was mainly due to the disposal of certain subsidiaries and employee compensation. 


Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires our management to make assumptions, estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported, including the notes thereto, and related disclosures of commitments and contingencies, if any. We have identified certain accounting policies that are significant to the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. These accounting policies are important for an understanding of our financial condition and results of operation. Critical accounting policies are those that are most important to the portrayal of our financial conditions and results of operations and require management’s difficult, subjective, or complex judgment, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent periods. Certain accounting estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance to financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting the estimate may differ significantly from management’s current judgments. We believe the following critical accounting policies involve the most significant estimates and judgments used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Cash and cash equivalents2022.

The Company considers certain short-term, highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less, when purchased, to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents primarily represent bank deposits and fixed deposits with maturities of less than three months.

Investments

The Company purchases certain liquid short term investments such as money market funds and or other short term debt securities marketed by large financial institutions. These investments are not insured against loss of principal. These investments are accounted for as financial instruments that are marked to fair market value at the end of each reporting period. As result of their short maturities, and limited risk profile, at times, their amortized carrying cost may be the best approximation their fair value. 

Accounts receivable, net

Accounts receivable include trade accounts due from customers. An allowance for doubtful accounts may be established and recorded based on management’s assessment of potential losses based on the credit history and relationships with the customers. Management reviews its receivables on a regular basis to determine if the bad debt allowance is adequate, and adjusts the allowance when necessary. Delinquent account balances are written-off against allowance for doubtful accounts after management has determined that the likelihood of collection is not probable.

Inventories

Inventories are comprised of raw materials, work in progress and finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value using the weighted average method in Rong Hai. Management reviews inventories for obsolescence and cost in excess of net realizable value at least annually and records a reserve against the inventory when the carrying value exceeds net realizable value.

Prepayments

Prepayments are funds deposited or advanced to outside vendors for future inventory purchases. As a standard practice in China, many of the Company’s vendors require a certain amount to be deposited with them as a guarantee that the Company will complete its purchases on a timely basis. This amount is refundable and bears no interest. The Company has legally binding contracts with its vendors, which require any outstanding prepayments to be returned to the Company when the contract ends.

 


 

 

Fair value measurementNet Loss

The Company’s net loss decreased by approximately $16.5 million, or 59.4%, to approximately $14.3 million net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023, from approximately $30.8 million net loss for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was mainly due to the combined impact of (i) increase in digital human and e-commerce live streaming marketing and advertising, (ii) the expansion of our administrative associated personnel cost, (iii) increase in operating and lease expenses for offices, (iv) increase in researching and development about our artificial intelligence based digital human application and (v) the reduction of impairment of goodwill and prepaid and other current assets.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The Company prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires the Company to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that can significantly impact the amounts the Company reports as assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses and the related disclosures. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and other assumptions that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances. The Company’s actual results could differ significantly from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions. The Company has identified the following key accounting estimates:

 

The accounting standard regarding fair value of financial instruments and related fair value measurements defines financial instruments and requires disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments held by us. The Company considers the carrying amount of cash, notes receivable, accounts receivable, other receivables, prepayments, accounts payable, other payables and accrued liabilities, customer deposits, short term loans and taxes payable to approximate their fair values because of their short term nature.

The accounting standards define fair value, establish a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosures of fair value measurement and enhance disclosure requirements for fair value measures. The three levels are defined as follow:

Convertible Notes ReceivableLevel 1 inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

Level 2 inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the assets or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instruments.

Level 3 inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value.

Financial instruments included in current assets and current liabilities are reported in the consolidated balance sheets at face value or cost, which approximate fair value because of the short period of time between the origination of such instruments and their expected realization and their current market rates of interest.

 

Revenue recognitionThe Company evaluated the terms of the DigiTrax Convertible Notes and the Liquid Convertible Notes (as defined in Note 13 of the Consolidated Financial Statements) according to ASC 320 “Investments — Debt Securities” and concluded that the convertible notes should be classified as an available-for-sale security and measured at fair value. To evaluate the fair value of the available-for-sale security, the Company used the valuation methodology of income approach, which is determined by the future cash flow forecast. The fair value changes of these notes were recorded as accumulated other comprehensive income on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the year ended as of the reporting period.

 

On January 1, 2018,Lease

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Leases that transfer substantially all of the benefits and risks incidental to the ownership of assets are accounted for as finance leases as if there was an acquisition of an asset and incurrence of an obligation at the inception of the lease. All other leases are accounted for as operating leases. The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”has no significant finance leases.

The Company recognizes lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets on the balance sheet for leases. Operating lease right- of-use assets (the “ROU”) 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) using the modified retrospective method for contracts that were not completedare disclosed as of January 1, 2018.  This did not resultnon-current assets in an adjustment to retained earnings upon adoption of this new guidance as the Company’s revenue, otherconsolidated balance sheets. Current maturities of operating lease liabilities are classified as operating lease liabilities - current, and operating lease liabilities that will be due in more than warranty revenues, wasone year are disclosed as non-current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are initially recognized based on the amountpresent value of consideration we expectfuture lease payments at lease commencement. The operating lease right-of-use asset also includes any lease payments made prior to receivelease commencement and the initial direct costs incurred by the lessee and is recorded net of any lease incentives received. As the interest rates implicit in exchange for satisfying the performance obligations. However, the impactmost of the Company’s warranty revenue wasleases are not material asreadily determinable, the Company uses the incremental borrowing rates based on the information available at lease commencement to determine the present value of the datefuture lease payments. Operating lease expenses are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of adoption, and as a result, did not result in an adjustment.the lease.

 

The core principle underlying the revenue recognition ASU is that the Company will recognize revenueMost leases have initial terms ranging from 1 to represent the transfer of goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in such exchange. This will require the Company to identify contractual performance obligations and determine whether revenue should be recognized at a point in time or over time, based on when control of goods and services transfers to a customer.5.5 years. The Company’s revenue streams are primarilylease agreements did not include non-lease components. Lease expense for fixed lease payments is recognized aton a point in time except for the warranty revenues where the warranty periods are recognizedstraight-line basis over the warranty period, usually is a period of twelve months.

lease term. The ASU requires the use of a new five-step model to recognize revenue from customer contracts. The five-step model requires that the Company (i) identify the contract with the customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, including variable consideration to the extent that it is probable that aCompany’s lease agreements do not contain any significant future reversal will not occur, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the respective performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies the performance obligation. The application of the five-step model to the revenue streams compared to the prior guidance did not result in significant changes in the way the Company records its revenue. Upon adoption, the Company evaluated its revenue recognition policy for all revenue streams within the scope of the ASU under previous standards and using the five-step model under the new guidance and confirmed that there were no differences in the pattern of revenue recognition except its warranty revenues.

An entity will also be required to determine if it controls the goodsresidual value guarantees or services prior to the transfer to the customer in order to determine if it should account for the arrangement as a principal or agent. Principal arrangements, where the entity controls the goods or services provided, will result in the recognition of the gross amount of consideration expected in the exchange. Agent arrangements, where the entity simply arranges but does not control the goods or services being transferred to the customer, will result in the recognition of the net amount the entity is entitled to retain in the exchange.restricted covenants.

 


 

 

Revenue from equipmentThe Company evaluates the carrying value of ROU assets if there are indicators of impairment and systems, revenue from coating and fuel materials, and revenue from trading and others are recognized atreviews the date of goods delivered and title passed to customers, when a formal arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable, the Company has no other significant obligations and collectability is reasonably assured. Such revenues are recognized at a point in time after all performance obligations are satisfied under the new five-step model. In addition, training service revenues are recognized when the services are rendered and the Company has no other obligations, and collectability is reasonably assured. These revenues are recognized at a point in time. 

Prior to January 1, 2018, the Company allowed its customers to retain 5% to 10%recoverability of the contract price as retainage during the warranty period of 12 months to guarantee product quality. Retainage is considered as a payment term included as a part of the contract price, and was recognized as revenue upon the shipment of products. Due to nature of the retainage, the Company’s policy is to record revenue the full value of the contract without VAT, including any retainage, since the Company has experienced insignificant warranty claims historically. Due to the infrequent and insignificant amount of warranty claims, the ability to collect retainage was reasonably assured and was recognized at the time of shipment. On January 1, 2018, upon the adoption of ASU 2014-09 (ASC 606), revenues from product warranty are recognized over the warranty period over 12 months.

Payments received before all of the relevant criteria for revenue recognition are recorded as customer deposits.related asset group.

 

Gross versus Net Revenue ReportingThe Company reassesses of a contract is or contains a leasing arrangement and re-measures ROU assets and liabilities upon modification of the contract. The Company will derecognize ROU assets and liabilities, with difference recognized in the income statement on the contract termination.  

 

Starting from July 2016, in the normal course of the Company’s trading of industrial waste materials business, the Company directly purchases the processed industrial waste materials from the Company’s suppliers under the Company’s specifications and drop ships the materials directly to the Company’s customers. The Company would inspect the materials at its customers’ site, during which inspection it temporarily assumes legal title to the materials, and after which inspection legal title is transferred to its customers. In these situations, the Company generally collects the sales proceed directly from the Company’s customers and pay for the inventory purchases to the Company’s suppliers separately. The determination of whether revenues should be reported on a gross or net basis is based on the Company’s assessment of whether it is the principal or an agent in the transaction. In determining whether the Company is the principal or an agent, the Company follows the new accounting guidance for principal-agent considerations. Since the Company is the primary obligor and is responsible for (i) fulfilling the processed industrial waste materials delivery, (ii) controlling the inventory by temporarily assume legal title to the materials after inspecting the products from our vendors before passing the materials to our customers, and (iii) bearing the back-end risk of inventory loss with respect to any product return from the Company’s customers, the Company has concluded that it is the principal in these arrangements, and therefore report revenues and cost of revenues on a gross basis.Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

Recently Issue Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2018,October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive IncomeNo. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 220)805): ReclassificationAccounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2021-08), which clarifies that an acquirer of Certain Tax Effectsa business should recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities in a business combination in accordance with Topic 606, Revenue from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.Contracts with Customers. The new amendments in this Update affect any entity that is required to apply the provisions of Topic 220, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income, and has items of other comprehensive income for which the related tax effects are presented in other comprehensive income as required by GAAP. The amendments in this Update are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018,2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments, with early adoption permitted. The Company has evaluated and concluded that there’s no impact of the new guidance on the consolidated financial statements. The Company will adopt ASU 2021-08 since January 1, 2024.

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”, which clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments also clarify that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. This guidance also requires certain disclosures for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions. The new guidance is required to be applied prospectively with any adjustments from the adoption of the amendments recognized in earnings and disclosed on the date of adoption. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after 15 December 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated and concluded that there’s no impact of the amendments in this Update is permitted, including adoption in any interim period, (1) for public business entities for reporting periods fornew guidance on the consolidated financial statements. The Company will adopt ASU 2022-03 since January 1, 2024.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (ASU 2023-09), which financial statements have not yet been issued and (2) for all other entities for reporting periods for which financial statements have not yet been made available for issuance. The amendments in this Update should be applied either in the periodrequires disclosure of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporateincremental income tax information within the rate in the Tax Cutsreconciliation and Jobs Actexpanded disclosures of income taxes paid, among other disclosure requirements. ASU 2023-09 is recognized. We doeffective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company’s management does not believe the adoption of this ASU would2023-09 will have a material effectimpact on our consolidatedits financial statements.statements and disclosures.

 

We do not believe other recently issued but not yet effective accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on our consolidated balance sheets, statements of incomeoperations and comprehensive incomeloss and statements of cash flows.

 


Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

The Company has funded working capital and other capital requirements primarily by equity contributions, loans from shareholders, cash flow from operations, short term bank loans, loans from third parties and cash received from JM Global Holding Company through the reverse capitalization.contributions. Cash is required to repay debts and pay salaries, office expenses income taxes and other operating expenses. As of December 31, 2021,2023, our net working capital was approximately $25.2 million, over 3% of the Company’s current liabilities was from other payables – related parties due to major shareholders. Removing these liabilities, the Company had net working capital of $25.7 million and is expected to continue to generate cash flow from operations in the twelve months period.$8.7 million.

 

We believe that current levels of cash and cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet its anticipated cash needs for at least the next twelve months from the date the consolidated financial statements to be issued. However, it may need additional cash resources in the future if it experiences changed business conditions or other developments, and may also need additional cash resources in the future if it wishes to pursue opportunities for investment, acquisition, strategic cooperation or other similar actions. If it is determined that the cash requirements exceed the Company’s amounts of cash and cash equivalents on hand, the Company may seek to issue debt or equity securities or obtain additional credit facilityfacility.

 


The following summarizes the key components of the Company’s cash flows for the yearyears ended December 31, 20212023 and 2020.2022. 

 

 For the year ended
December 31,
 
 2021  2020  For the Years Ended
December 31,
 
      2023  2022 
Net cash used in operating activities $(5,511,052) $(2,101) $(13,240,484) $(886,221)
Net cash used in investing activities  (1,270,484)  (4,530,808)  (5,217,314)  (12,493,352)
Net cash provided by financing activities  22,795,762   3,059,195   23,088,425   - 
Effect of exchange rate change on cash  (2,424,613)  (11,136)
Net change in cash $13,589,613  $(1,484,850)
Effect of exchange rate change on cash and cash equivalents  155,783   (819,659)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents $4,786,410  $(14,199,222)

  

As of December 31, 20212023 and 2020,December 31, 2022, the Company had cash in the amount of $14,588,330$5,175,518 and $998,717,$389,108, respectively. As of December 31, 20212023 and 2020, $14,385,549December 31, 2022, $211,222 and $998,717 and$215,880 were deposited with various financial institutions located in the PRC, respectively. As of December 31, 20212023 and 2020, $202,7812022, $4,964,296 and $0$173,228 were deposited with one financial institution located in the United States, respectively.

 

Operating activities

 

Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $5.5$13.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021,2023, as compared to approximately $2,101$0.9 million net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2020.2022. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $14.3 million, as compared to $30.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities wasdecreased by $28.8 million, mainly due to the reduction of impairment of prepaid and other current assets and goodwill for approximately $24.6 million and reduction of loss from disposal of discontinued operations or subsidiaries of $4.2 million and changes in operating assets and liabilities decreased approximately $0.5 million, mainly caused by the decrease of approximately $0.4$2.2 million other receivables,of change in customer deposits and $0.3 million of change in deferred tax liability, partially net off by the increase of approximately $27.6$1 million of prepayments,change in other payable-related parties, the increase of approximately $1.2 million of change in prepaid and other current assets and the increase of approximately $6.6$0.3 million of customer deposits, and the increase of approximately $2.2 million of taxes payable.change in other assets.

 

Investing activities

Net cash used in investing activities was approximately $1.3$5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021,2023, as compared to approximately $4.5$12.5 million net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020. 2022. Net cash used in investing activities was decreased by approximately $7.3 million, mainly due to the decrease of the net cash impact from the disposal of discontinued operations or subsidiaries amounted to approximately $12.9 million, partially offset by purchase of intangible assets with the amount of $2.9 million and investment in convertible notes of Liquid Marketplace Corp and DigiTrax Entertainment Inc. with the amount of $2.5 million.

Financing activities

Net cash provided by investingfinancing activities was $23.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to nil net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 20212022. Net cash provided by financing activities was mainly due to approximately $0.3$12.5 million spending on purchase of equipmentissuance of common stock, $5.1 million proceeds from issuance of pre-funded warrants and $1.0 millioncontribution by disposalnoncontrolling  interest shareholder with the amount of discontinued operations.$5.5 million.

 


 

 

Financing activitiesRisks

 

Net cash provided by financing activities was approximately $22.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to approximately $3.1 million net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 was due to approximately $0.3 million proceeds from short-term loans – bank and $22.5 million proceeds from issuance of common stock. Credit Risk

 

Risks

Credit Risk

Credit risk is one of the most significant risks for the Company’s business.

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and accounts receivable. Cash held at major financial institutions located in the PRC are not insured by the government. While we believe that these financial institutions are of high credit quality, it also continually monitors their credit worthiness.

 

Accounts receivable are typically unsecured and derived from revenue earned from customers, thereby exposed to credit risk. Credit risk is controlled by the application of credit approvals, limits and monitoring procedures. The Company manages credit risk through in-house research and analysis of the Chinese economy and the underlying obligors and transaction structures. To minimize credit risk, the Company normally require prepayment from the customers prior to begin production or delivery products. The Company identifies credit risk collectively based on industry, geography and customer type. This information is monitored regularly by management.

 

In measuring the credit risk of our sales to our customers, the Company mainly reflects the “probability of default” by the customer on its contractual obligations and considers the current financial position of the customer and the exposures to the customer and its likely future development.

 

Liquidity Risk

 

The Company is also exposed to liquidity risk which is risk that it is unable to provide sufficient capital resources and liquidity to meet its commitments and business needs. Liquidity risk is controlled by the application of financial position analysis and monitoring procedures. When necessary, the Company will turn to other financial institutions and the owners to obtain short-term funding to meet the liquidity shortage.

 

Inflation Risk

 

The Company is also exposed to inflation risk Inflationary factors, such as increases in raw material and overhead costs, could impair our operating results. Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of operations to date, a high rate of inflation in the future may have an adverse effect on our ability to maintain current levels of gross margin and operating expenses as a percentage of sales revenue if the selling prices of our products do not increase with such increased costs.

 

Foreign Currency Risk

 

A majority of the Company’s operating activities and a significant portion of the Company’s assets and liabilities are denominated in RMB, which is not freely convertible into foreign currencies. All foreign exchange transactions take place either through the Peoples’ Bank of China (“PBOC”) or other authorized financial institutions at exchange rates quoted by PBOC. Approval of foreign currency payments by the PBOC or other regulatory institutions requires submitting a payment application form together with suppliers’ invoices and signed contracts. The value of RMB is subject to changes in central government policies and to international economic and political developments affecting supply and demand in the China Foreign Exchange Trading System market. 


 

 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

Disclosure in response to this Item is not required for a smaller reporting company. 

 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

Reference is made to Pages F-1 through F-31F-37 comprising a portion of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

 

None.On October 9, 2023, the Company notified its independent registered public accounting firm, Enrome LLP, its decision to dismiss Enrome LLP as the Company’s auditor. The report of Enrome LLP on the financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and the related statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), changes in stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. The decision to change the independent registered public accounting firm was recommended and approved by the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of the Company. Since the engagement of Enrome LLP in September 2022 and through October 9, 2023, the date of dismissal, (a) there were no disagreements with Enrome LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Enrome LLP, would have caused it to make reference thereto in its reports on the financial statements for such years and (b) there were no “reportable events” as described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

On October 12, 2023, the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of GD Culture Group Limited (the “Company”) approved the appointment of HTL as its new independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements. During the two most recent fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 and any subsequent interim periods through the date hereof prior to the engagement of HTL, neither the Company, nor someone on its behalf, has consulted HTL regarding:

(i)either: the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed; or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and either a written report was provided to the Company or oral advice was provided that the new independent registered public accounting firm concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or

(ii)any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement as defined in paragraph 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K or a reportable event as described in paragraph 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officers, President and Chief Financial Officer (the “Certifying Officers”), we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on the foregoing, our Certifying Officers concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of the end of the period covered by this Report.


 

Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and other procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Certifying Officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

Management’s Report on Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

 

As required by the SEC rules and regulations for the implementation of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our consolidated financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:

 

(1)(1)pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of our company,

 

(2)(2)provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and

 

(3)(3)provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.


 

A “material weakness” is defined under the SEC rules as a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by our internal controls. As a result of its review, management concluded that we had material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting process consisting of the following:

 

Inadequate U.S. GAAP expertise. The current accounting staff is inexperienced in applying U.S. GAAP standard as they are primarily engaged in ensuring compliance with PRC accounting and reporting requirement for our consolidated operating entities, and thus require substantial training. The current staff’s accounting skills and understanding as to how to fulfill the requirements of U.S. GAAP-based reporting, including subsidiary financial statements consolidation, are inadequate.

 


No formal plan to provide applicable training for our financial and accounting staff to enhance our understanding of U.S. GAAP and internal control over financial reporting.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect errors or misstatements in our consolidated financial statements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree or compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting at December 31, 2021.2023. In making these assessments, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013). Based on our assessments and those criteria, management determined that our internal control over financial reporting was not effective at December 31, 20212023 due to the material weaknesses identified by our management as described above.

 

Management Plan to Remediate Material Weaknesses

 

We plan to engage outside consultant to supplement efforts to improve our internal control over financial reporting;

 

We plan to acquire applicable training for our financial and accounting staff to enhance our understanding of U.S. GAAP and internal control over financial reporting

 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) during the most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 9B. Other Information

 

None.

 

Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

 

Not applicable.

 


 

 

PART III

 

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

 

The following table sets forth the name, age and position of each of our executive officers and directors as of the date of this report:

  

Name Age Position
Wei XuXiao Jian Wang 5935 Chief Executive Officer,, President, and Chairman of the Board, and Director
Yi LiZihao Zhao 4429 Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
Jianan LiangLu Cai 4633 Chief Operating Officer
Bibo LinShuang Zhang 3854 Vice President and Director
Mingyue Cai (1)(2)(3) 4346 Director, Chairman of the Compensation Committee
Chengwei MoShuaiheng Zhang (1)(2)(3) 4760 Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee 
Siyang HuYi Zhong (1)(2)(3) 39Director
Fei Gan (1)(2)(3)4132 Director, Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

(1)Member of our Audit Committee
  
(2)Member of our Compensation Committee
  
(3)Member of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

Business Experience and Directorships

 

The following describes the backgrounds of the director nominees.director. Our board of directors has determined that (a) other than Messrs. Wei XuXiao Jian Wang and Bibo Lin,Shuang Zhang, all of our directors are independent directors as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market’s listing standards governing members of boards of directors, and (b) the members of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent under applicable SEC rulesrules.

 

Mr. Wei XuXiao Jian Wang

 

Mr. Wei Xu Xiao Jian Wang was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and a director of the Company, on January 3, 2020, aseffective April 21, 2023. Mr. Wang was the Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2020, as theVice President of the CompanyBusiness Development at Foregrowth Inc. in Vancouver, Canadam, where he formulated and executed comprehensive business plans, achieving defined sales targets and driving market expansion, conducted training sessions for financial advisors, equipping them with in-depth knowledge of compliance requirements, market insights, and product features, and conducted extensive research and due diligence on October 29, 2020,potential alternative investment opportunities, resulting in successful acquisitions and as the Chief Executive Officer on January 21, 2022.partnerships. Prior to that, Mr. Xu is the inventor of QR code patentWang was a Private Banking Consultant and the creator of Code Chain interface. He founded and has served as the chairman of the board of directoran Interbank Commercial Paper Trader at Lingkong Group, a Chinese company that engagesChina Minsheng Bank in systems applications and products in data processing, since August 2006. In July 2019,Chongqing, China. Mr. Xu founded Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd., a game developing company that combines IoT and e-commerce that is based on ChainCode interface. From July 1994 to July 2006, Mr. Xu was the COO of NEC IT Management Co., Ltd., the Chinese subsidiary of NEC Japan, a company that provides information technology solutions including but not limited to SAP, SCM and Matrixlink. Mr. XuWang received his bachelor’sBachelor of Science in Mathematics degree from University of British Columbia in business administration in China from Fudan University in 1992.2012.

 

Ms. Yi LiZihao Zhao

 

Ms. Yi Li Mr. Zihao Zhao was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Company, oneffective April 25,21, 2023. Mr. Zhao was a senior audit assistant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, PWC, Shanghai from 2016 to 2019. From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Li served as FinancialMr. Wang received his Bachelor of Science in Taxation degree from Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting of Shanghai Supersharp International Co., Ltd. From 2007 to 2009, Ms. Li served asand Finance Officer of the HongKong OneByOne Trading & Accessories Co., Ltd. Ms. Li worked as the Financial Manager at Shanghai Yitex Garment Co., Ltd. from 2010 to 2015. Ms. Li served as the Chief Financial Officer of Shanghai Difeng Group since 2015 till now. Ms. Li received her Bachelor degree of International Business and MBA from Auckland Institute of Studies.in 2016.

 


 

 

Mr. Jianan LiangMs. Lu Cai

 

Mr. Jianan LiangMs. Lu Cai was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of the Company, on March 17, 2021. Mr. Liang is the general managereffective February 9, 2023. Ms. Lu Cai, has over 10 years of salesextensive experience in China of Akamai Information Technology Co., Ltd.financial management and consulting. Since October 2012, Mr. LiangJuly 2020, Ms. Lu Cai has been in chargethe Chief Executive Officer of the business development of Akamai in China in connection with cloud-based acceleration services and security services for global network applications and content distribution for Chinese e-commerce, high-tech and financial services companies’ business development overseas. Mr. Liang has also been the Vice President (Business) of China Soft Power Technology Group HoldingsBeijing Boda Shengshi Financial Consulting Co., Ltd. since December 2015, where heLtd, a firm that offers initial public offering and pre-marketing consulting services in China. From July 2017 to May 2020, Ms. Lu Cai was in charge of establishing and maintaining partnerships with international operators to provide international submarine cable transmission and cloud infrastructure services, and to help customers expand their businesses based on the Internet. Additionally, Mr. Liang has served as Seniora Vice President of SINO-TONE Beijing Supply and Marketing Big Data Group since July 2017, where he was responsible for providing the cloud computing technologies required for business's digital transformation. From October 2010 to October 2012, he served as the head of HP China solution sales, responsible for the sales performance of software products and services of China HP Imaging and Printing Group in China, and formulating sales strategies for Customers provide one-stop services (hardware, software and services). From January 2009 to October 2010, he was the sales and marketing director of Hong Kong Ludao TelecomConsulting Co., Ltd., responsible for selecting agent products and formulating sales strategies. From October 2003 to January 2009, he was the general sales manager of Captaris China, responsible for achieving sales performance goalsLtd, a consulting firm based in China, expanding market share, and establishing a pipeline relationship with the company's global partners in the Chinese market for the first time. From October 2001 to October 2003, Mr. Liang served as a product technical expert for Microsoft China Co., Ltd., where he was responsible for providing product technical pre-sales support to industry customers, including carrying out in-depth solution development and customization. Mr. Jianan Liang holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Harbin Institute of Technology,Beijing, China. Mr. Liang has alsoMs. Lu Cai graduated from the China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS) senior executive business management program. Mr. Liang has served as senior sales managers in various renowned companies that are listed in the United States, Canada, China and Hong Kong. With nearly 20 years of experience in sales, technology and team management, Mr. Liang accumulated numerous partners and customer relationships in several government agencies, large state-owned enterprises, local industry leaders and multinational companies, including the world's leading e-commerce companies, international financial insurance companies, high-tech product manufacturers, instant social APPs and other Internet integrated service providers. He has provided comprehensive products and technical solutions, including but not limited to cloud services, network security, content distribution (CDN), big data analysis, Internet of Things, etc.Beijing Foreign Studies University.

 

Mr. Bibo LinMs. Shuang Zhang

 

Mr. LinMs. Shuang Zhang was appointed as the Vice President and a director of the Company, on February 25, 2021effective October 4, 2022. Ms. Shuang Zhang, co-founded Highlight Media in 2016 and has been its Chief Executive Officer since 2017. During her tenure as a director on March 30, 2021. Mr. Lin is the founderChief Executive Officer, Ms. Zhang managed the planning, creation and Presidentpublication of Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd., a VIEbooks about the company history of the Company. Mr. Lin has extensive experienceindustry leaders in information technology and Blockchain technology.China, published in top financial publications in China. From September 20182015 to May 2019, Mr. Lin2016, Ms. Zhang was the CEOdirector of Chengdu Yuan Malian Technology Co., Ltd., a PRCpublic relations at Ctrip, an online travel company that engaged in technical support of Internet of Things.China. From December 20172004 to July 2018, Mr. Lin2015, Ms. Zhang was the CEOeditor-in-chief of Sichuan Hongming Technology Development Co., Ltd., a PRC company that engagedChina Business News, responsible for editing, performance, and quality control. Ms. Zhang received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Heilongjiang University in China in 1991 and her Master of Business Administration degree from the developmentAntai College of Management and maintenanceEconomics of Internet application software. From February 2015 to January 2018, Mr. Lin was the CEO of Chengdu Huasu Internet Technology Service Co., Ltd., a PRC company that engaged in Internet consulting and Internet project development planning. From February 2014 to January 2015, Mr. Lin was the Vice President at Sichuan Tiangou Technology Co., Ltd., a PRC company that operated e-commerce. Prior to that, Mr. Lin worked for Alibaba Sichuan as a sales manager for 7 years.Shanghai Jiaotong University.

  

Mr. Mingyue Cai

 

Mr. Cai was appointed as a director and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Audit Committee of the Company on February 25, 2020. Mr. Cai has been the Vice President at Yitu Safety Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., a PRC company engages in artificial intelligence development and application. From November 2009 to August 2017, he was an administrative director at Rugao Port Group Co., Ltd., a PRC company that focuses on port logistics, industrial park construction and timber, coal and ore trade. From June 2004 to October 2009, Mr. Cai worked as a manager at Shanghai Rishan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., a PRC company that distribute and retail environmentally friendly cleaning products. Mr. Cai has a bachelor’s degree in administrative management.

 

Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang

Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang was appointed as a director and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Audit Committee of the Company, effective February 9, 2023. Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang, has more than 40 years of working experience in management. Since September 2019, Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang has been the general manager at Sunwoda Huizhou New Energy Co., Ltd., a high-tech enterprise with research and development, design, production and sale of lithium-ion battery cell and module and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunwoda Electronic Co., Ltd., a company listed on the Growth Enterprise Market of Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 2011. From October 1994 to July 2013, Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang was the general manager and vice chairman of the board at Shenzhen SEG Co., Ltd., a company listed on the main board of Shenzhen Stock Exchange that are engaged in development of electronic information industry and electronic product trading market. From July 2013 to December 2015, Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang was the vice general manager at Shenzhen SI Semiconductors Co., Ltd., a power semiconductor device manufacturer. From December 2015 to September 2019, Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang was the general manager and chairman of the board of Shenzhen SEG Longyan Energy Technology CO., Ltd., a subsidiary of Shenzhen SEG Co., Ltd. Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang received his bachelor degree In mechanical engineering from Xidian University and his master degree in computer science from Tsinghua University.


 

 

Mr. Chengwei MoYi Zhong

 

Mr. Chengwei Mo is the head of Greater China Region at Hong Kong Intellectual Property Exchange Ltd. Mr. Chengwei Mo has more than 20 years of experience as a finance executive. He was CEO of Beijing Wenjinsuo Internet Information Services Limited from 2017 to 2019, prior to which he was the General Manager of Beijing Zhongtianyichuang Investment Management Limited. He also served as the accounting manager of Yichuang Yingshi Investment Management (Beijing) Limited and a several other information technology companies. Mr. Mo holds a Master degree in business management from Chinese Academy of Sciences and a bachelor degree in automatic engineering from Wuhan Technology University.

Mr. Siyang Hu

 Mr. Siyang Hu is the Chief Operating Officer of Highsharp, an electronics company in China. Mr. Hu has been engaged in the electrical engineer and semi-conductor technology for more than ten years and has held senior management positions in many companies. He has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Highsharp since 2016 and sales manager at Samsung (Shanghai) between 2008 and 2010. His responsibilities at Highsharp include the day-to-day management of the Shenzhen branch, market survey of client needs, supplier development and maintenance and product manufacturing.

Mr. Fei Gan

Mr. Fei GanYi Zhong was appointed as a director and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Audit Committee of the Company, oneffective February 11, 2021.17, 2023. Mr. GanYi Zhong, is the co-founder of Silverstone Investment, a top financial quantitative trading company.experienced in fund in management. Since 2014, Mr. GanYi Zhong has been engageda fund manager at Huajian Securities in Shenzhen China, where he managed long-short equity portfolio, analyzed market trends, economic data and company financials to make investment decisions. From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Yi Zhong was a fund manager assistant at Hongouruibo Investment Fund in Shenzhen China, where Mr. Yi Zhong participated in the financial technologymanagement of a global equity portfolio, developed and big data industry for more than ten yearsimplemented investment strategies that effectively balance risk and has held senior management positionsreward. Mr. Yi Zhong received his bachelor’s degree in many companies. He has served as the vice presidentbusiness administration from University of Silverstone Investment since 2008, the CEO of Shenzhen Columbus Data Technology Co., Ltd. since 2017 and the CEO of Hefei Bitu Technology Co., Ltd. since 2020.Toronto. 

 

No Classification of Directors

 

In accordance with our existing charter, our board of directors is divided into two classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a two-year term.

 

As discussed above, in connection with the Business Combination, our board of directors has been reconstituted and comprised of six members. Our board of directors believes it is in the best interests of the Company for the board of directors to have no separate classification, such that each director serves a one-year term until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until such director’s successor is elected or qualified. If Proposal 4 is approved at the special meeting, all six directors that our board of directors has nominated to serve on the board will serve until the first annual meeting of stockholders following the Business Combination.

 

Director Independence

 

Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent as long as we are not a controlled company. We anticipate that a majority of our board of directors will be independent as of the closing of the Business Combination. An “independent director” is defined under the Nasdaq rules generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. We anticipate that our board of directors will determine that Mr. Mingyue Cai, Mr. Chengwei Mo, Mr. Fei GanShuaiheng Zhang and Mr. Siyang HuYi Zhong are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

 


Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight

 

The board of directors does not have a lead independent director. Currently Mr. Wei XuXiao Jian Wang serves as our Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board.

 

Committees of the Board of Directors

 

The standing committees of our board of directors currently consists of an Audit Committee and a Compensation Committee, and after the Business Combination will also consist of a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of the committees will report to the board of directors as they deem appropriate and as the board may request.

 


Audit Committee 

 

Our Audit Committee currently consists of Mr. Chengwei Mo,Shuaiheng Zhang, Mr. Siyang Hu, Mr. Fei GanYi Zhong and Mr. Mingyue Cai, with Mr. Chengwei MoShuaiheng Zhang serving as the chairman of the Audit Committee. We believe that each of these individuals qualify as independent directors according to the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect to audit committee membership. We also believe that Mr. Chengwei MoShuaiheng Zhang qualifies as our “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 401(h) of Regulation S-K. Our board of directors has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee, which is attached as an exhibit to this Report.

 

The audit committee’s duties, which are specified in our Audit Committee Charter, include, but are not limited to:

 

 reviewing and discussing with management and the independent auditor our annual audited financial statements, and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included in our Form 10-K;
   
 discussing with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements;
   
 discussing with management major risk assessment and risk management policies;

 

 monitoring the independence of the independent auditor;
   
 verifying the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law;
   
 reviewing and approving all related-party transactions;
   
 inquiring and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
   
 pre-approving all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor, including the fees and terms of the services to be performed;
   
 appointing or replacing the independent auditor;
   
 determining the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work;
   
 establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies; and

 


Compensation Committee

 

Our Compensation Committee currently consists of Mr. Mingyue Cai, Mr. Siyang Hu, Mr. Fei GanShuaiheng Zhang, and Mr. Chengwei Mo,Yi Zhong, with Mr. Mingyue Cai serving as the chairman of the Compensation Committee. We anticipate that each of the members of our Compensation Committee will be independent under the applicable Nasdaq listing standards. Our board of directors has adopted a written charter for the Compensation Committee, which is attached as an exhibit to this Report.


 

The compensation committee’s duties, which are specified in our Compensation Committee Charter, include, but not limited to:

 

 reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer’s based on such evaluation;
   
 reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers;
   
 reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;
   
 implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
   
 assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
   
 approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees;
   
 producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
   
 reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

 

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

 

Our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will be responsible for, among other matters: (1) identifying individuals qualified to become members of our board of directors, consistent with criteria approved by our board of directors; (2) overseeing the organization of our board of directors to discharge the board’s duties and responsibilities properly and efficiently; (3) identifying best practices and recommending corporate governance principles; and (4) developing and recommending to our board of directors a set of corporate governance guidelines and principles applicable to us.

    

Our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee currently consists of Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang, Mr. Yi Zhong and Mr. Mingyue Cai, Mr. Siyang Hu, Mr. Fei Gan and Mr. Chengwei Mo, with Mr. Fei GanYi Zhong serving as the chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. We anticipate that each of the members of our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will be independent under the applicable Nasdaq listing standards. Our board of directors has adopted a written charter for the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, which is available on our corporate website at www.ccnctech.com.

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

None of our executive officers currently serves, and in the past year has not served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors.


Delinquent Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting ComplianceReports

 

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our officers, directors and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of our common stock to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. These reporting persons are also required to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. Based solely upon a review of such Forms, we believe that during the year ended December 31, 2020 there were no delinquent filers.2023, Mr. Xiao Jian Wang, Mr. Zihao Zhao, Ms. Lu Cai, Mr. Mingyue Cai, Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang and Mr. Yi Zhong did not file the required Section 16 reports on time. In particular, Mr. Xiao Jian Wang failed to timely file a Form 3 in connection with his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and a director of the Company on April 21, 2023. Mr. Zihao Zhao failed to timely file a Form 3 in connection with his appointment as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company on April 21, 2023. Ms. Lu Cai failed to timely file a Form 3 in connection with her appointment as the Chief Operating Officer of the Company on February 9, 2023. Mr. Mingyue Cai failed to timely file a Form 3 in connection with his appointment as a director of the Company on February 25, 2020. Mr. Shuaiheng Zhang failed to timely file a Form 3 in connection with his appointment as a director of the Company on February 9, 2023. Mr. Yi Zhong failed to timely file a Form 3 in connection with his appointment as a director of the Company on February 17, 2023.

 

Code of Ethics

 

We have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all of our employees, including our chief executive officer, chief financial officer and principal accounting officer. Our Code of Ethics is attached as an exhibit to this Report. If we amend or grant a waiver of one or more of the provisions of our Code of Ethics, we intend to satisfy the requirements under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding the disclosure of amendments to or waivers from provisions of our Code of Ethics that apply to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer by posting the required information on our website at the above address.


 

Item 11. Executive Compensation

 

The following table provides disclosure concerning all compensation paid for services to CCNCGDC in all capacities for our fiscal years ended December 31, 20212023 and 20202022 provided by (i) each person serving as our principal executive officer (“PEO”), (ii) each person serving as our principal financial officer (“PFO”) and (iii) our two most highly compensated executive officers other than our PEO and PFO whose total compensation exceeded $100,000 (collectively with the PEO, referred to as the “named executive officers” in this Executive Compensation section).

 

Summary Compensation Table

Name and Principal Position Fiscal
Year
  Salary
($)
  Bonus
($)
  Stock
Awards
($)
  Option
Awards
($)
  Other
Compensation
($)
  Total
($)
 
                      
Wei Xu (1)  2021   10,000               -               -                  -             -   10,000 
(CEO, President and Chairman of the Board)  2020   10,000   -   -   -   -   10,000 
                             
Yimin Jin (2)  2021   66,667   -   -   -   -   66,667 
(Former CEO)  2020   100,000   -   -   -   -   100,000 
                             
Weidong (David) Feng (3)  2021   33,333   -   -   -   -   33,333 
(Former CEO)  2020   -   -   -   -   -   - 
                             
Tingjun Yang (4)  2021   18,750   -   -   -   -   18,750 
(Former CEO)  2020   -   -   -   -   -   - 
                             
Yi Li (5)  2021   30,000   -   -   -   -   30,000 
(CFO)  2020   30,000   -   -   -   -   30,000 
Jianan Liang (6)  2021   23,750                   23,750 
(COO)  2020   -                   - 
Bibo Lin (7)  2021   10,000                   10,000 
(Vice President and director)  2020   8,333                   8,333 
Summary Compensation Table 
Name and Principal Position Fiscal
Year
  Salary
($)
  Bonus
($)
  Stock
Awards
($)
  Option
Awards
($)
  Other
Compensation
($)
  Total
($)
 
                      
Xiao Jian Wang (1) 2023   34,725   65,275   -   -   -   100,000 
(CEO, President, Chairman of the Board, and Director) 2022   -   -   -   -   -   - 
                            
Zihao Zhao(2) 2023   20,833   -   -   -   -   20,833 
(CFO) 2022          -          -          -          -   -   - 
                            
Cai Lu (3) 2023   -   -   -   -          -   - 
(COO) 2022   -   -   -   -   -   - 
                            
Shuang Zhang (4) 2023   -   -   -   -   -   - 
(Vice President and Director) 2022   7,500   -   -   -   -   7,500 
                            
Hongxiang Yu (5) 2023   -   -   -   -   -   - 
(Former CEO, President and Chairman of the Board) 2022   7,500   -   -   -   -   7,500 
                            
Wei Xu (6) 2023   7,500   -   -   -   -   7,500 
(Former CEO, President and Chairman of the Board) 2022   10,000   -   -   -   -   10,000 
                            
Tingjun Yang (7) 2023   -   -   -   -   -   - 
(Former CEO) 2022   -   -   -   -   -   - 
                            
Yi Li (8) 2023   -   -   -   -   -   - 
(Former CFO) 2022   30,000   -   -   -   -   30,000 
                            
Jianan Liang (9) 2023   -   -               - 
(Former COO) 2022   7,500   -   -   -       7,500 
                            
Tianxiang Zhu (10) 2023   -   -   -   -       - 
(Former COO) 2022   15,000   -   -   -       15,000 
                            
Bibo Lin (11) 2023   -   -   -   -       - 
(Former Vice President and Former director) 2022   7,500   -   -   -       7,500 

  

(1)Mr. Xiao Jian Wang was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and a director of the Company, effective April 21, 2023.

(2)Mr. Zihao Zhao was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective April 21, 2023.

(3)Ms. Cai Lu was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer on February 9, 2023.

(4)Mr. Shuang Zhang was appointed as the Vice President and a director of the Company, effective October 4, 2022.


(5)Mr. Hongxiang Yu was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and a director of the Company, effective October 4, 2022. On April 21, 2023, Mr. Yu tendered his resignation as the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Board and a director of the Company.

(4)Mr. Shuang Zhang was appointed as the Vice President and a director of the Company, effective October 4, 2022.

(6)Mr. Wei Xu was appointed as a director of the Company on January 3, 2020, as the Co-Chairman of the Board on February 25, 2020.2020, as the President on October 29, 2020, and the CEO on January 21, 2022. the President of the Company onOn October 29, 2020.

(2)Ms. Yimin Jin was appointed as the Co-CEO of the Company on April 15, 2019.4, 2022, Mr. Jin was also a director of the Company. On April 7, 2021, Mr. JinXu tendered his resignation as a director and Co-Chairman of the Board of Director of the Company. On September 7, 2021, Mr. Jin tendered his resignation as Co-ChiefChief Executive Officer, President, Chairman of the Company.

  

(3)

Ms. Weidong (David) Feng was appointed as the Co-CEO of the Company on February 1, 2021. On October 1, 2021, Mr. Feng tendered his resignation as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

(4)(7)Ms.Mr. Tingjun Yang was appointed as the CEO of the Company on September 7, 2021. On January 21, 2022, Mr. Yang tendered his resignation as Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

 


(5)(8)Ms. Yi Li was appointed as the CFO of the Company on April 25, 2019. On April 21, 2023, Mr. Li tendered his resignation as the CFO of the Company

 

(6)(9)  Mr. Jianan Liang was appointed as the COO of the Company on March 17, 2021. On April 5, 2022, Mr. Liang tendered his resignation as the COO of the Company.
(10)Mr. Tianxiang Zhu was appointed as the COO and a director of the Company on April 5, 2022. On November 10, 2022, Mr. Tianxiang Zhu tendered his resignation as the Chief Operating Officer and a director of the Company.

 

(7)(11)Mr. Bibo Lin was appointed as the Vice President of the Company on February 25, 2020 and as the director on March 30, 2021. On October 4, 2022, Mr. Lin tendered his resignation as the Vice President and a director of the Company.

 

Grants of Plan Based Awards in the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 20202023

 

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021,2023, no shares of common stock were granted to our officers and directors under the plan.

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

 

None.

 

Employment Contracts, Termination of Employment, Change-in-Control Arrangements

 

We have entered into employment agreements with each of our executive officers, respectively, (each an “Employment Agreement,” collectively, the “Employment Agreements”). Under these agreements, each of our executive officers is employed for a specified time period. We may terminate employment for cause, at any time, without advance notice or remuneration, for certain acts of the executive officer, such as conviction or plea of guilty to a crime, or misconduct or a failure to perform agreed duties. The executive officer may resign at any time with a three-month advance written notice.

 

The officers also agreed to enter into additional confidential information and invention assignment agreements and are subject to certain non-compete and non-solicitation restrictions for a period one year following termination. 

 


Director Compensation

 

The following table represents compensation earned by our non-executive directors in 2021.2023.

 

Name Fees
earned
in cash
($)
  Stock
awards
($)
  Option
awards
($)
  All other
compensation
($)
  Total
($)
 
Qihai Wang (1) $2,500            -            -            -  $2,500 
Manli Long (2) $1,250   -   -   -  $1,250 
Min Zhu (3) $1,250   -   -   -  $1,250 
Yajing Li (4) $2,500   -   -   -  $2,500 
Mingyue Cai (5) $10,000   -   -   -  $10,000 
Chengwei Mo (6) $7,500   -   -   -   7,500 
Siyang Hu (7) $3,333   -   -   -   3,333 
Fei Gan (8) $8,750   -   -   -   8,750 
Jin Wang (9) $5,833   -   -   -   5,833 
NameFees
earned
in cash
($)
Stock
awards
($)
Option
awards
($)
All other
compensation
($)
Total
($)
Mingyue Cai  (1)$    -    -    -    -$    -
Junhong He (2)$----$-
Jing Zhang (3)$----$-
Shuaiheng Zhang (4)--
Yi Zhong (5)--

  

(1)

Mr. Qihai Wang was appointed as a director of the Company on April 24, 2019. Mr. Wang resigned from her position on March 30, 2021.

(2)Ms. Manli Long was appointed as a director of the Company on April 08, 2019. Ms. Long resigned from her position on February 11, 2021.
(3)Ms. Min Zhu was appointed as a director of the Company on March 22, 2019. Mr. Zhu resigned from her position on February 11, 2021.
(4)Ms. Yajing Li was appointed as a director of the Company on November 16, 2020. Mr. Li resigned from her position on March 29, 2021.
(5)Mr. Mingyue Cai was appointed as a director of the Company on February 25, 2020.
  
(6)(2)Mr. Chengwei Mo was appointed as a director of the Company on March 30, 2021.


(7)Mr. Siyang HuMs. Junhong He was appointed as a director of the Company on September 2, 2021.15, 2022. Ms. He resigned from her position on February 17, 2023.
  
(8)(3)Ms. Jing Zhang was appointed as a director of the Company on September 15, 2022. Ms. Zhang resigned from her position on February 9, 2023.  

(4)Mr. Fei GanShuaiheng Zhang was appointed as a director of the Company on February 11, 2021.9, 2023.

(9)(5)Mr. Jin WangYi Zhong was appointed as a director of the Company on February 11, 2021. Mr. Wang resigned from her position on September 2, 2021.17, 2023.

 

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

 

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 31, 2022April 1, 2024 based on information obtained from the persons named below, with respect to the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock, by:

 

 each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;
   
 each of our executive officers and directors that beneficially owns shares of our common stock; and
   
 all our executive officers and directors as a group.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them.

 

The percentage ownership information shown in the table below is based on that there were 38,429,6177,887,411 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2022.April 1, 2024. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is Room 1, 2nd810 Seventh Avenue, 22nd Floor, No 119 South Zhaojuesi Road, Chenghua District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 610047.New York, NY 10019.

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner 

Amount
and

Nature of

Beneficial

Ownership

  

Percent
of

Class

 
Directors and Named Executive Officers      
Wei Xu, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board (1)  3,940,184   10.25%
Yi Li, Chief Financial Officer  -   - 
Jianan Liang, Chief Operating Officer  -   - 
Bibo Lin, Vice President and Director  1,200,000   3.12%
Mingyue Cai, Director  -   - 
Fei Gan, Director  -   - 
Chengwei Mo, Director  -   -%
Siyang Hu, Director  -   - 
All officers and directors as a group (8 persons):  5,140,184   13.38%
         
5% Beneficial Owner        
Yimin Jin (1)  4,334,705   11.28%
Hong Kong Kisen Co., Limited  2,300,000   5.98%
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
 
  Percent
of Class
 
Directors and Named Executive Officers      
Xiao Jian Wang, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board  -   - 
Zihao Zhao, Chief Financial Officer  -   - 
Lu Cai, Chief Operating Officer  -   - 
Shuang Zhang, Vice President and Director  90,000   1.14 %
Mingyue Cai, Director  -   - 
Shuaiheng Zhang, Director  -   - 
Yi Zhong, Director  -   - 
All officers and directors as a group (7 persons):  90,000   1.14%
         
5% Beneficial Owner        
None     

(1)Wei Xu individually holds 3,940,184 shares of common stock. Yimin Jin individually holds 4,334,705 shares of common stock. Pursuant to a Voting-in-Concert Agreement by and between Wei Xu and Yimin Jin dated July 26, 2021, if the parties are unable to reach a unanimous consent in relation to the matters requiring action in concert, a decision made by more than 50% of the voting rights of the parties will be deemed a decision unanimously passed by all parties and will be binding on all parties. The Voting-in-Concert Agreement has a term of one year.

    

Changes in Control

 

There has been no change in control during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.2023.


 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions 

 

Except for the employment agreements previously entered into between us and certain of our named executive officers, and the related party transaction described below, none of our directors or named executive officers, nor any person who owned of record or was known to own beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding Shares of our common stock, nor any associate or affiliate of such persons or companies, has any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction, or in any proposed transaction, which has materially affected or will affect us.

 

Other payable – related parties:


 

Related party balances

Name of related party Relationship Nature December 31,
2023
  December 31,
2022
 
Shanghai Highlight Asset Management Co. LTD(1) A company in which the then shareholder hold shares Advances $-  $195,732 
Zihao Zhao Chief Finance Officer Accrued compensations  20,833   - 
Total     $20,833  $195,732 

 

a.(1)Other receivable – related party:In connection with the disposal of Highlight Media on September 26, 2023, the balance of other payable -related parties as of December 31, 2022 was settled as well.

 

Name of related party Relationship December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
Chengdu Yuan Code Chain Technology Co. Ltd A company controlled by former shareholder of the Company $513,387  $230,134 
Marchain (Shanghai) Network Technology Co., LTD A company controlled by  shareholder of the Company  78,423   - 
Chenghua District Code To Code To Commerce And Trade Department A company controlled by  employee of the Company  19,138   - 
           
Total    610,948   230,134 

TheFor the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company advanced fundsrecorded compensation expenses to its officers amounted to $120,833 and nil, for their services provided to the related party for technical services.Company.

 

b.Other payables – related parties:

Name of related party Relationship December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
         
Chuanliu Ni Chief Executive Officer and director of a former subsidiary $325,907  $325,907 
Zhong Hui Holding Limited Shareholder of the Company  140,500   140,500 
Qihai Wang Shareholder of the Company  -   24,729 
           
Total   $466,407  $491,136 

The above payables represent interest free loans and advances. These loans and advances are unsecured and due on demand.

Director Independence

Nasdaq listing standards require that a majority of our board of directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Chengwei Mo, Mr. Siyang Hu,Shuaiheng Zhang, Mr. Mingyue Cai and Mr. Fei GanYi Zhong are “independent directors” as defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.


Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

WWC, P.C., (“WWC”)HTL was appointed by the Company to serve as its independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.2023. During the period from October 11, 2022 to October 9, 2023, Enrome LLP, (“Enrome”) served as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company. The following is a summary of fees paid or to be paid to HTL or Enrome for services rendered.

Audit FeesFees.. Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by WWCFriedman in connection with regulatory filings. The aggregate fees billed or to be billed by WWC, P.C. for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC Forfor the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 totaled nil and $105,000, respectively. The aggregate fees billed or to be billed by Enrome for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 totaled $40,500 and $140,000, respectively. The aggregate fees billed or to be billed by HTL for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements, review of the financial information included in our Forms 10-Q for the respective periods and other required filings with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 totaled $225,000 and $225,000, respectively.2023 was $20,000. The above amounts include interim procedures and audit fees, as well as attendance at audit committee meetings.

Audit-Related FeesFees.. Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards. During the year ended December 31, 2021,2023 and 2022, we did not pay HTL, Enrome or WWC, P.C. for consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.

Tax Fees. We paiddid not pay HTL, Enrome or WWC, $5,000P.C. for preparation of our 2020 US Income Tax Returns in 2021.tax services for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

All Other Fees. We did not pay Enrome or WWC, P.C. for other services for the yearyears ended December 31, 20212023 and 2020.2022.

Pre-Approval Policy

Our audit committee was formed upon the consummation of our initial public offering. As a result, the audit committee did not pre-approve all of the foregoing services, although any services rendered prior to the formation of our audit committee were approved by our board of directors. Since the formation of our audit committee, and on a going-forward basis, the audit committee has and will pre-approve all auditing services and permitted non-audit services to be performed for us by our auditors, including the fees and terms thereof (subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in the Exchange Act which are approved by the audit committee prior to the completion of the audit).

 


 

 

PART IV

 

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a)The following documents are filed as part of this Report:
  
(1)Financial Statements
  
(2)Financial Statements Schedule

 

All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the amounts are immaterial and not required, or the required information is presented in the financial statements and notes thereto in is Item 15 of Part IV below.

 

(3)Exhibits

 

We hereby file as part of this Report the exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index. Exhibits which are incorporated herein by reference can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington D.C. 20549. Copies of such material can also be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates or on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.www.sec.gov.

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Number Description of Document
3.1 Articles of Incorporation, filed as exhibit 3.1 to the registration statement on Form S-1 filed on May 10, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference
3.2 Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation, filed as exhibit 3.2 to the registration statement on Form S-1 filed on May 10, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference
3.3 Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation, filed as exhibit 3.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on May 18, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
3.4 Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation, filed as exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on November 8, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
3.5Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation, filed as exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on January 10, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
3.6Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, filed as exhibit 3.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on May 18, 2020January 10, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
4.1*Description of Securities
4.14.2 Form of Registered Warrant, filed as exhibit 4.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
4.24.3 Form of Investor Warrant, filed as exhibit 4.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
4.34.4 Form of Lock-up Agreement, filed as exhibit 4.4 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
4.5Form of Placement Agent Warrant, filed as exhibit 4.3 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
4.44.6 Form of Lock-up Agreement,Pre-funded Warrants, filed as exhibit 4.4Exhibit 4.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021May 4, 2023 and incorporatedincorporate herein by reference
10.14.7 Employment Agreement between the Company and Yimin Jin dated April 15, 2019,Form of Unregistered Warrant, filed as exhibit 10.1Exhibit 4.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on April 15, 2019May 17, 2023 and incorporate herein by reference
4.8Form of Placement Agent Warrant, filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on May 17, 2023 and incorporate herein by reference
4.9Form of Pre-funded Warrants, filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on November 3, 2023 and incorporate herein by reference
4.10Form of Amended and Restated Form of Registered Warrants, filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on November 17, 2023 and incorporate herein by reference


10.1Termination Agreement dated February 23, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 24, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.2 Share Purchase Agreement by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd., dated April 14, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on April 14, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.3Technical Consultation and Service Agreement, by and between Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd., dated June 21, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on June 27, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.4Equity Pledge Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd., dated June 21, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on June 27, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.5Equity Option Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd., dated June 21, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on June 27, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.6Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Yuanma Food and Beverage Management Co., Ltd., dated June 21, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on June 27, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.7Share Purchase Agreement by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated September 16, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on September 19, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.8Technical Consultation and Service Agreement, by and between Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated September 16, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 5, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.9Equity Pledge Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated September 16, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 5, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.10Equity Option Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated September 16, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 5, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.11Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated September 16, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 5, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference


10.12Agreement to Assign Technical Consultation and Service Agreement, by and between Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated February 27, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 27, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.13Agreement to Assign Equity Pledge Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd.,  dated February 27, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 27, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.14Agreement to Assign Equity Option Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated February 27, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 27, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.15Agreement to Assign Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement, by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd., dated February 27, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.4 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 27, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.16Termination Agreement by and among Makesi IoT Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. and the shareholders of Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd., dated September 28, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on September 30, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.17Employment Agreement between the Company and Yi Li dated April 25, 2019, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on April 26, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference
10.310.18 Employment ContractAgreement between the Company and Bibo Lin,Xiangtian Zhu, dated April 5, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on April 5, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.19Employment Agreement between the Company and Hongxiang Yu, dated October 4, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.5 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 5, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.20Employment Agreement between the Company and Shuang Zhang, dated October 4, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.6 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 5, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.21Employment Agreement between the Company and Lu Cai, dated February 25, 2020,9, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 9, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.22Director Offer Letter to Junhong He, dated September 19, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the current reportCurrent Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 26, 2020September 19, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference
10.410.23 Employment Contract betweenDirector Offer Letter to Jing Zhang, dated September 19, 2022, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on September 19, 2022 and Weidong (David) Fengincorporated herein by reference
10.24Director Offer Letter to Shuaiheng Zhang, dated February 1, 2021,9, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 9, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.25Director Offer Letter to Yi Zhong, dated February 17, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current reportCurrent Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 1, 202117, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.5Employment Contract between the Company and Jianan Liang dated March 17, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on March 17, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.6Director Offer Letter between the Company and Mr. Qihai Wang, dated April 25, 2019, filed as exhibit 10.5 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on April 26, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference

 


 

 

10.710.26 Director Offer Letter between the Company and Wei Xu,Form of Placement Agency Agreement, dated January 3, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.6 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.8Director Offer Letter between the Company and Mingyue Cai, dated February 25, 2020,May 1, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current reportCurrent Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 26, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.9Director Offer Letter between the Company and Yajing Li, dated November 16, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on November 17, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.10Director Offer Letter between Code Chain New Continent Limited and Fei Gan, dated February 11, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 11, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.11Director Offer Letter between Code Chain New Continent Limited and Jin Wang, dated February 11, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 11, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.12Share Purchase Agreement dated January 3, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.13Technical Consultation and Services Agreement dated January 3, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.14Equity Pledge Agreement dated January 3, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.15Equity Option Agreement dated January 3, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.4 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.16Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement dated January 3, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.5 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.17Agreement to Assign Technical Consultation and Service Agreement dated January 11, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 11, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.18Agreement to Assign Equity Option Agreement dated January 11, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 11, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.19Agreement to Assign Equity Pledge Agreement dated January 11, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.4 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 11, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.20Agreement to Assign Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Supporting Agreement dated January 11, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.5 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on January 11, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.21Share Purchase Agreement dated November 30, 2018, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on December 03, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference
10.22Consulting Services Agreement dated November 30, 2018, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on December 03, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference
10.23Equity Pledge Agreement dated November 30, 2018, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on December 03, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference
10.24Call Option Agreement dated November 30, 2018, filed as exhibit 10.4 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on December 03, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference
10.25Voting Rights Proxy Agreement dated November 30, 2018, filed as exhibit 10.5 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on December 03, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference
10.26Operating Agreement dated November 30, 2018, filed as exhibit 10.6 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on December 03, 2018May 4, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.27 Form of RD Securities Purchase Agreement to Assign Call Option Agreementbetween the Company and certain Purchasers, dated April 30, 2020,May 1, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the current reportCurrent Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on May 1, 20204, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.28 Form of PIPE Securities Purchase Agreement to Assign Consulting Services Agreementbetween the Company and certain Purchasers, dated April 30, 2020,May 1, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the current reportCurrent Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on May 1, 20204, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.29 Form of Amendment to RD Securities Purchase Agreement to Assign Equity Pledge Agreementbetween the Company and certain Purchasers, dated April 30, 2020,May 16, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.410.1 to the current reportCurrent Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on May 1, 202017, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.30 Form of Amendment to PIPE Securities Purchase Agreement to Assign Voting Rights Proxy Agreementbetween the Company and certain Purchasers, dated April 30, 2020,May 16, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.510.2 to the current reportCurrent Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on May 1, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference


10.31Agreement to Assign Operating Agreement dated April 30, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.6 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on May 1, 202017, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.3210.31 Share Purchase Agreement byEmployment agreement between GD Culture Group Limited and Among Code Chain Code Chain New Continent Limited, Jiazhen Li, Long Liao and Chunyong Zheng, dated June 30, 2020, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on July 6, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference
10.33Placement Agency Agreement, dated as of February 18, 2021, by and between the Company and Univest Securities, LLC, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.34Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 18, 2021, by and between the Company and certain Investors, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.35Asset Purchase Agreement dated February 23, 2021, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed on March 1, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference
10.36Amended and Restated Asset Purchase AgreementXiao Jian Wang, dated April 16, 2021 (incorporated by reference to21, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on April 19, 2021)21, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.3710.32 Amendment to the AmendedEmployment agreement between GD Culture Group Limited and Restated Asset Purchase AgreementZihao Zhao, dated May 28, 2021 (incorporated by reference toApril 21, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on June 1, 2021)April 21, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.3810.33 English Translation of the Joint VentureSoftware Purchase Agreement, between the Company and Zhongyou Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. dated June 1, 2021 (incorporated by reference to22, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on June 7, 2021)27, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.3910.34 AssetShare Purchase Agreement, dated July 28, 2021 (incorporated by reference toJune 26, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on August 3, 2021)June 28, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.4010.35 Asset PurchaseTermination Agreement, dated September 27, 2021 (incorporated by reference to26, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on October 1, 2021)September 26, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.4110.36 TerminationPlacement Agency Agreement, dated February 23, 2022 (incorporated by reference toNovember 1, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on February 24, 2022)November 3, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.37Form of Securities Purchase Agreement between the Company and certain Purchasers, dated October 31, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on November 3, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.38Form of Amendment to the Securities Purchase Agreement, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on November 17, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.39Warrant Exchange Agreement, dated November 1, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on November 3, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.40Amended and Restated Equity Purchase Agreement, dated November 10, 2023, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on November 13, 2023 and incorporated herein by reference
10.41Placement Agency Agreement, dated March 22, 2024, filed as exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on March 26, 2024 and incorporated herein by reference
10.42 Voting-in-ConcertForm of Securities Purchase Agreement bybetween the Company and between Wei Xu and Yimin Jin,certain Purchasers, dated JulyMarch 22, 2024, filed as exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company filed on March 26, 20212024


14.1 Code of Business and Ethics, filed as exhibit 14.1 to the registration statement on Form S-1 filed on June 16, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference

19.1*

Insider Trading Policies
21.1* List of Subsidiaries
23.1*Consent of Enrome LLP
23.2*Consent of HTL International, LLC
31.1 Certification of the Chief Executive Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).*
31.2 Certification of the Chief Financial Officer required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a).*
32.1 Certification of the Chief Executive Officer required by 18 U.S.C. 1350.*
32.2 Certification of the Chief Financial Officer required by 18 U.S.C. 1350.*
97.1*Policy Relating to Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation
99.1 Form of Audit Committee Charter, filed as exhibit 99.1 to the registration statement on Form S-1 filed on June 16, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference
99.2 Form of Compensation Committee Charter, filed as exhibit 99.2 to the registration statement on Form S-1 filed on June 16, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference
101.INS Inline XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document.
101.PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

 

*Filed herewith

 

**Furnished herewith

 

Item 16. Form 10–K Summary

None.


 

 

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

 

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

 Page
ReportsReport of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmsFirm - HTL International, LLC (PCAOB ID: 7000)F-2
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm - Enrome LLP (PCAOB ID: 6907)F-4
Consolidated Financial Statements: 
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 20212023 and 20202022F-3F-6
Consolidated Statements of (Loss) IncomeOperations and Comprehensive (Loss) IncomeLoss For the years ended December 31, 20212023 and 20202022F-4F-7
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity For the years ended December 31, 20212023 and 20202022F-5F-8
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows For the years ended December 31, 20212023 and 20202022F-6F-10
Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsF-7F-11

  


F-1

 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
GD Culture Group Limited

To:The Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Code Chain New Continent Limited

 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheetssheet of Code Chain New ContinentGD Culture Group Limited (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020,2023, and the related consolidated statements of income (loss)operations and comprehensive loss, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the two-year periodyear ended December 31, 2021,2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial positionpositions of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020,2023 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the two-year periodyear ended December 31, 2021,2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.America (“U.S. GAAP”).

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee that: (i) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements, and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Accounting for Convertible Notes Receivable

The Company entered into purchase agreements for convertible notes receivable in an aggregate amount of $2,500,000 during the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company evaluated the terms of the convertible notes according to ASC 320 “Investments — Debt Securities” and concluded that the convertible notes should be classified as an available-for-sale security and measured at fair value.

F-2

We identified the accounting for convertible notes receivable as a critical audit matter due to the material balance on the balance sheet and significant judgement and assumptions were used by the Management regarding the classification and valuation of the convertible notes receivable during the year, which in turn led to a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence relating to Management’s assessment of the likelihood that the Company’s intent and ability to hold the convertible notes receivable till maturity, as well as the likelihood of collection in the near term.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included the following:

-We obtained an understanding of the Management’s process in evaluation of the classification and the fair value of the convertible notes receivable, and reviewed the terms of convertible notes purchase agreements which was consistent with the accounting memo prepared by the Management.

-To test the fair value of the convertible notes receivable, our audit procedures included evaluating the assumptions underlying the fair value calculation prepared by the Management, obtaining an understanding of the investee’s business activities and evaluated their intent and ability to hold the convertible notes to maturity without early conversion or redemption. Evaluating the reasonableness of Management’s assessment related to the likelihood of collection in the near term involved consideration of whether the factors in the assessment were consistent with (i) the current and past performance of the investees, (ii) external market and industry data, and (iii) evidence obtained in other areas of the audit.

-We also evaluated the financial statements disclosures included in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements.

/s/ HTL International, LLC
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2023.
Houston, Texas
April 2, 2024

F-3

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To:The Board of Directors and Stockholders of
GD Culture Group Limited

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of GD Culture Group Limited and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022, and the related consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relaterelated to accounts or disclosures that arewere material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit mattersmatter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit mattersmatter below, providing a separate opinionsopinion on the critical audit mattersmatter or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Critical Audit Matter Description

F-4

Goodwill-Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. (“Highlight Media”)

As described in Note 3 and Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company acquired Highlight Media. The goodwill arising on this acquisition amounted to $2.12 million as of December 31,2022.

Management assessed goodwill for potential impairment as of December 31 2022 by comparing the carrying amount of the cash-generating unit to which goodwill has been allocated with the recoverable amount determined by assessing the value-in-use (“VIU”) by preparing a discounted cash flow forecast. Preparing a discounted cash flow forecast involves the exercise of significant management judgement, in particular in forecasting revenue growth and operating profit and in determining an appropriate discount rate

Goodwill is tested for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired. The Company has elected to perform quantitative assessment. In the quantitative assessment, the Company’s evaluation of goodwill and relatedfor impairment if any, involves the comparison of the fair value of each reporting unitHighlight Media to itsthe carrying value. The Company usesused the discounted cash flow model to estimate fair value, which requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions related to discount rates and forecasts of future revenues and operating margins. Changes in these assumptions which may include but are not limited to macroeconomic factors, political risks, product adoption or obsoletion rates, and effectiveness of sales channels maycould have a significant impact on either the fair value, and related potentialthe amount of any goodwill impairment charge. Based on the quantitative assessment performed, if any. The Company’s reporting unit, Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”) generatedit is more likely than not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount. During the year ended December 31, 2022, no impairment charge on goodwill arising on this acquisition of Highlight Media was recognized based on the quantitative assessment performed.

We identified goodwill impairment for the Highlight Media as a substantial proportioncritical audit matter because it is the material to the consolidated financial statements of the Company’s consolidated revenuesCompany and gross margins via the sales of digital door signs. The value of goodwill related to Wuge is derived from the sales generated by this unit. As a resultcertain significant judgments in respect of the significant judgmentsassumption made which are inherently uncertain and could be subject to management bias made by management to estimate the fair value of Wuge for which there is limited historical datathe Highlight Media and the judgments involved in selecting significant business assumptionsdifference between its fair value and carrying value. This required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to forecast future revenue and operating margin for Wuge,involve our fair value specialists, when performing audit procedures to evaluate the reasonableness of management’s estimates and assumptions required a high degreerelated to selection of auditor judgmentthe discount rate and an increased effort.forecasts of future revenue and operating margin.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures relatedrelating to the determination ofdiscount rate and forecasts of future revenue and operating margin used by management to estimate the fair value contributed by Wugeof the Highlight Media included the following, among others:

We evaluated management’s ability to accurately forecast future revenue and operating margin by comparing actual results to management’s historical forecasts for the sales of Wuge’s products. We also developed our own independent analysis and estimate of revenues and profits and applied them and a discounted cash flow model to evaluate the fair value of goodwill. To support our independent model we enquired of management regarding their assumptions, searched for market data, used historical data, and performed sensitivity and scenario analysis to test different outcomes from the model.

/s/ WWC, P.C.We evaluated management’s ability to accurately forecast future revenues and operating margins by comparing actual results to management’s forecasts.
 
 We evaluated the reasonableness of the (1) valuation methodology and (2) discount rate by:

a.Testing the source information underlying the determination of the discount rate and the mathematical accuracy of the calculation;
WWC, P.C. 
Certified Public Accountantsb.Developing a range of independent estimates and comparing those to the discount rate selected by management.

/s/ Enrome LLP 
Certified Public Accountants
PCAOB ID: 11716907 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since October 26, 2018.September 23,2022.

San Mateo, CaliforniaSingapore 
March 31, 20222023 

F-5

 

GD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

  December 31,  December 31, 
  2023  2022 
ASSETS      
CURRENT ASSETS      
Cash and cash equivalents $5,175,518  $389,108 
Accounts receivable, net  -   194,520 
Other receivables, net  9,459   1,026,293 
Convertible notes receivable  2,602,027   - 
Prepaid and other current assets  1,290,890   - 
Total current assets  9,077,894   1,609,921 
         
EQUIPMENT, NET  12,511   502 
         
RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS  1,561,058   - 
         
OTHER ASSETS        
Goodwill  -   2,190,485 
Intangible assets, net  3,307,949   - 
Other assets  250,740   - 
Total other assets  3,558,689   2,190,485 
Total assets $14,210,152  $3,800,908 
         
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
CURRENT LIABILITIES        
Accounts payable $-  $127,475 
Other payables and accrued liabilities  23,338   2,099 
Other payable - related parties  20,833   195,732 
Lease liabilities - current  358,998   - 
Taxes payable  -   8,478 
Total current liabilities  403,169   333,784 
         
OTHER LIABILITIES        
Lease liabilities – non-current  1,317,678   - 
Deferred tax liabilities  327,822   - 
Total other liabilities  1,645,500   - 
Total liabilities  2,048,669   333,784 
         
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES  -   - 
         
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively  -   - 
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 5,453,416 and 1,844,877(1) shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively  545   184 
Additional paid-in capital  77,530,221   60,124,087 
Statutory reserves  -   4,467 
Accumulated deficit  (69,358,225)  (56,841,074)
Accumulated other comprehensive income  175,306   179,460 
Total GD Culture Group Limited shareholders’ equity  8,347,847   3,467,124 
Noncontrolling interest  3,813,636   - 
Total shareholders’ equity  12,161,483   3,467,124 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $14,210,152  $3,800,908 

 

(1)Giving retroactive effect to the 1-for-30 reverse stock split effective on November 9, 2022.

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

  December 31,  December 31, 
  2021  2020 
ASSETS        
CURRENT ASSETS        
Cash and cash equivalents $14,588,330  $998,717 
Short term investment  -   3,295,070 
Accounts receivable, net  -   1,071,590 
Other receivables, net  728,361   555,433 
Other receivable - related party  610,948   230,134 
Inventories  3,714   1,047,274 
Prepayments  -   4,780,975 
         
Total current assets  15,931,353   11,979,193 
         
PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET  283,896   82,833 
         
RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS  22,733   69,038 
         
OTHER ASSETS        
    Prepayments for purchases of equipment  27,706,681   - 
Goodwill  6,590,339   11,650,157 
Intangible assets, net  255   1,226,521 
Deferred tax assets  -   127,377 
Discontinued operations – non-current assets  -   - 
Total other assets  34,297,275   13,004,055 
         
Total assets $50,535,257  $25,135,119 
         
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
         
CURRENT LIABILITIES        
Short term loans - bank $-  $475,103 
Accounts payable  3,543,839   1,126,091 
Other payables and accrued liabilities  5,005,271   21,883 
Other payables - related parties  466,407   491,136 
Customer deposits  7,171,255   900,522 
Lease liabilities - current  13,338   101,292 
Taxes payable  2,246,418   72,639 
Discontinued operations - current liabilities  -   - 
Total current liabilities  18,446,528   3,188,666 
         
OTHER LIABILITIES        
Lease liabilities – non-current  8,738   - 
Discontinued operations – non-current liabilities  -   33,698 
Total other liabilities  8,738   33,698 
         
Total liabilities  18,455,266   3,222,364 
         
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES  -   - 
         
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively  -   - 
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized, 46,077,110 and 29,176,026 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively  4,608   2,918 
Additional paid-in capital  83,034,373   20,022,427 
Stock subscriptions receivable  (25,165,728)  - 
(Accumulated deficit) retained earnings  (26,019,119)  951,773 
Accumulated other comprehensive income  225,857   935,637 
Total shareholders’ equity  32,079,991   21,912,755 
         
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $50,535,257  $25,135,119 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 


F-6

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENTGD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF LOSS (INCOME)OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(INCOME)

  For the year ended
December 31,
 
  2021  2020 
REVENUES      
Wuge digital door signs $25,029,949  $- 
Trading and others  -   591,455 
TOTAL REVENUES  25,029,949   591,455 
         
COST OF REVENUES        
Wuge digital door signs  16,779,949   - 
Trading and others  -   21,045 
TOTAL COST OF REVENUES  16,779,949   21,045 
         
GROSS PROFIT  8,250,000   570,410 
         
OPERATING EXPENSES (INCOME)        
Selling, general and administrative  22,896,602   737,140 
Provision (recovery of) for doubtful accounts  -   330,045 
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES  22,896,602   1,067,185 
         
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS  (14,646,602)  (496,775)
         
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)        
Interest income  51,233   6,253 
Interest expense  (96)    
Other income (expense), net  66,781   (3,899,612)
         
Total other  income (expense), net  117,918   (3,893,359)
         
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS  (14,528,684)  (4,390,134)
         
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES  1,295,141   - 
         
LOSS FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS  (15,823,825)  (4,390,134)
         
Discontinued operations:        
         
Income from discontinued operations, net of taxes  23,571   107,020 
(Loss) gain on disposal, net of taxes  (11,170,638)  6,793,570 
         
Net (loss) income  (26,970,892)  2,510,456 
         
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME        
Foreign currency translation adjustment  (709,780)  1,767,904 
         
COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME $(27,680,672) $4,278,360 
         
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES        
Basic and diluted  39,748,733   28,452,328 
         
Loss per share from continuing operations        
Basic and diluted  (0.40)  (0.15)
         
(Loss) / earnings per share from discontinued operations        
Basic and diluted  (0.28)  0.24 
         
(Loss) / earnings per share available to common shareholders        
Basic and diluted $(0.68) $0.09 

  For the years ended
December 31,
 
  2023  2022 
       
OPERATING EXPENSES      
Selling and marketing expenses  4,682,804   - 
General and administrative expenses  5,235,630   414,151 
Research and development expenses  2,072,500   - 
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES  11,990,934   414,151 
         
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS  (11,990,934)  (414,151)
         
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)        
Interest income  4,500   - 
Interest expense  (81)  - 
Gain from disposal of subsidiaries  100,000   - 
TOTAL OTHER INCOME, NET  104,419   - 
         
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS  (11,886,515)  (414,151)
         
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES  327,822   - 
         
LOSS FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS  (12,214,337)  (414,151)
Net loss from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interest  (1,825,130)  - 
Net loss from continuing operations attributable to shareholders of common stock  (10,389,207)  (414,151)
         
Discontinued operations:        
Loss from discontinued operations, net of taxes  (2,132,049)  (26,347,195)
Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of taxes  (362)  (4,060,609)
         
NET LOSS  (14,346,748)  (30,821,955)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest  (1,825,130)  - 
Net loss attributable to shareholders of common stock  (12,521,618)  (30,821,955)
         
Other comprehensive gain or loss        
- Foreign currency translation adjustment  48,655   (46,397)
- Unrealized gain on available-for-sale investments, net of tax  102,027   - 
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE GAIN (LOSS), net of tax  150,682   (46,397)
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS, net of tax $(14,196,066) $(30,868,352)
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest  (1,670,294)  - 
Comprehensive loss attributable to shareholders of common stock  (12,525,772)  (30,868,352)
         
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON STOCKS        
Basic and diluted  3,227,302   1,531,316 
         
Loss per share from continuing operations        
Basic and diluted $(3.22) $(0.27)
Loss per share from discontinued operations        
Basic and diluted $(0.66) $(19.86)
Loss per share available to common stockholders        
Basic and diluted $(3.88) $(20.13)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 


F-7

GD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

For the year ended December 31, 2023

  Attributable to GD Culture Group Limited Shareholders       
              Additional  Accumulated Deficit  Accumulated Other  Total GD Culture Group Limited  Non  Total 
  Preferred Stock  Common Stock  Paid-in  Statutory     Comprehensive  Shareholders’  controlling  Shareholders’ 
  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Capital  Reserves  Unrestricted  Income  Equity  Interest  Equity 
BALANCE, January 1, 2023  -   -   1,844,877  $184  $60,124,087  $4,467  $(56,841,074) $179,460   3,467,124  $-  $3,467,124 
Reclassification of statutory reserves due to disposal          -           -   -   -   -   (4,467)  4,467   -   -   -   - 
Net loss  -   -   -   -   -   -   (12,521,618)  -   (12,521,618)  (1,825,130)  (14,346,748)
Issuance of common stock for cash, net of offering costs  -   -   2,590,772   259   12,515,193   -   -   -   12,515,452   -   12,515,452 
Issuance of common stock for acquisition right, title, and interest in and to the certain software  -   -   187,500   19   749,981   -   -   -   750,000   -   750,000 
The cancellation of the common stock  -   -   (133,333)  (13)  (947,987)  -   -   -   (948,000)  -   (948,000)
Contribution by noncontrolling interest shareholder  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   5,483,930   5,483,930 
Issuance of 1,876,103 pre-funded warrants for cash, net of offering costs  -   -   -   -   5,089,043   -   -   -   5,089,043   -   5,089,043 
Exercise of pre-funded warrants  -   -   963,600   96   (96)  -   -   -   -   -   - 
Fair value changes of on available-for-sale investments  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   102,027   102,027   -   102,027 
Foreign currency translation  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (106,181)  (106,181)  154,836   48,655 
BALANCE, December 31, 2023  -  $-   5,453,416  $545  $77,530,221  $-  $(69,358,225) $175,306  $8,347,847  $3,813,636  $12,161,483 

F-8

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENTGD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

  For the year ended December 31, 2020 
  Preferred Stock  Common Stock  Additional
Paid-in
  Retained Earnings  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
    
  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Capital  Statutory
Reserves
  Unrestricted  Income (Loss)  Total 
BALANCE, January 1, 2020               -               -   20,821,661   2,082   8,350,861               -   (1,558,683)  (832,267)  5,961,993 
Net income  -   -   -   -   -   -   2,510,456   -   2,510,456 
Issuance of shares for acquisition  -   -   4,000,000   400   7,199,600   -   -   -   7,200,000 
Issuance of common stock for cash  -   -   5,367,297   537   6,203,979   -   -   -   6,204,516 
The cancellation of the common stock          (1,012,932)  (101)  (1,732,013)              (1,732,114)
Foreign currency translation  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   1,767,904   1,767,904 
BALANCE, December 31, 2020  -  $-   29,176,026  $2,918  $20,022,427  $-  $951,773  $935,637  $21,912,755 

For the year ended December 31, 2021   
  Preferred     Additional  Stock  Retained Earnings  Accumulated Other    
  Stock  Common Stock  Paid-in  Subscription  Statutory     Comprehensive    
  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Capital  Receivable  Reserves  Unrestricted  Income (Loss)  Total 
BALANCE, January 1, 2021          -             -   29,176,026   2,918   20,022,427          -                  -   951,773   935,637   21,912,755 
Net loss  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (26,970,892)  -   (26,970,892)
Issuance of common stock for Bonus  -   -   925,494   92   2,563,526   -               2,563,618 
Issuance of common stock for purchase Bitcoin mining machines  -   -   1,587,800   159   6,159,841   -               6,160,000 
Issuance of common stock for purchase digital currency mining machines          7,647,493   765   16,441,346   -               16,442,111 
Issuance of shares for cash  -   -   4,166,666   417   22,539,579   -   -   -   -   22,539,996 
Issuance of common stock for employee compensation  -   -   3,000,000   300   16,923,550   -   -   -   -   16,923,850 
The cancellation of the common stock  -   -   (426,369)  (43)  (1,615,896)  -   -   -   -   (1,615,939)
Stock subscription receivable from issuance of common stock                      (25,165,728)              (25,165,728)
Foreign currency translation  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (709,780)  (709,780)
BALANCE, December 31, 2021  -  $-   46,077,110  $4,608  $83,034,373  $(25,165,728) $-  $(26,019,119) $225,857  $32,079,991 

 

For the year ended December 31, 2022

              Additional  Stock  Accumulated Deficit  Accumulated Other    
  Preferred Stock  Common Stock  Paid-in  Subscription  Statutory     Comprehensive    
  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Capital  Receivable  Reserves  Unrestricted  Income  Total 
BALANCE, January 1, 2022  -   -   1,543,793   154   83,038,827   (25,165,728)  -   (26,019,119)  225,857   32,079,991 
Net loss  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (30,821,955)  -   (30,821,955)
Issuance of common stock for acquisition Yuan Ma  -   -   256,000   26   7,679,974   -   -   -   -   7,680,000 
Issuance of common stock for acquisition Highlight Media  -   -   300,000   30   2,249,970   -   4,467   -   -   2,254,467 
The cancellation of the common stock  -   -   (254,916)  (26)  (32,844,684)  -   -   -   -   (32,844,710)
Stock subscription receivable from issuance of common stock  -   -   -   -   -   25,165,728   -   -   -   25,165,728 
Foreign currency translation  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   (46,397)  (46,397)
BALANCE, December 31, 2022             -  $          -   1,844,877  $184  $60,124,087  $-  $4,467  $(56,841,074) $179,460  $3,467,124 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 


F-9

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENTGD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 For the year ended
December 31,
  For the years ended
December 31,
 
 2021  2020  2023  2022 
          
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:             
Net (loss) income $(26,970,892) $2,510,456 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:        
Goodwill impairments  -   3,896,818 
Depreciation of plant and equipment  59,089   19,869 
Net Loss $(14,346,748) $(30,821,955)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:        
Depreciation of equipment  1,679   718 
Amortization of intangible assets  1,240,281   141   345,155   - 
Issuance of common stock for employee compensation  16,923,850     
Issuance of common stock for Bonus  2,563,618     
Disposal of the company  11,170,638   (7,904,367)
Deferred tax provision  -   (82,511)
Goodwill impairment  1,163,001     
Lease expenses of right-of-use assets  106,159   - 
Impairment of prepaid and other current assets  -   20,082,123 
(Gain)/loss from the disposal of discontinued operations or subsidiaries  (99,638)  4,060,609 
Impairment of goodwill  2,070,753   6,590,339 
        
Change in operating assets and liabilities                
Notes receivable  -   43,481 
Accounts receivables  (420,731)  1,208,262 
Accounts receivable  97,804   (158,392)
Other receivables  469,542   (473,468)  (14,283)  1,540 
Other receivable - related party  (371,035)  (204,127)  -   189,320 
Inventories  (591,636)  219,956   -   (2,946)
Prepayments  (27,626,241)  (402,639)
Prepaid and other current assets  (1,291,192)  (66,823)
Other assets  (250,740)  - 
Accounts payable  2,746,201   633,215   (127,297)  291,234 
Other payables and accrued liabilities  5,362,044   31,269   10,457   227,636 
Customer deposits  6,582,582   395,197   68,531   (2,116,847)
Lease liabilities  2,587   37,859   9,459   - 
Taxes payable  2,186,050   68,488   (8,478)  (484)
Other payable - related parties  (139,927)  837,717 
Deferred tax liability  327,822   - 
        
Net cash used in operating activities  (5,511,052)  (2,101)  (13,240,484)  (886,211)
                
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:                
Net increase in cash from acquisition of Wuge  -   288,788 
Net decrease in cash from disposal of discontinued operations  (961,706)  (470,576)
Net increase in cash from acquisition of Highlight Media  -   215,880 
Net increase (decrease) in cash from disposal of discontinued operations or subsidiaries  199,980   (12,702,666)
Purchase of intangible assets  -   (1,160,053)  (2,903,104)  - 
Purchase of financial products  -   (3,116,123)
Purchase of equipment  (308,778)  (72,844)  (14,190)  (6,566)
Purchase of convertible notes  (2,500,000)  - 
        
Net cash used in investing activities  (1,270,484)  (4,530,808)  (5,217,314)  (12,493,352)
                
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:                
Proceeds from issuance of common stock  22,539,996   2,609,894   12,515,452   - 
Proceeds from short-term loans of discontinued operations  255,766   449,301 
Proceeds from issuance of pre-funded warrants  5,089,043   - 
Contribution by noncontrolling interest shareholder  5,483,930   - 
                
Net cash provided by financing activities  22,795,762   3,059,195   23,088,425   - 
                
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE ON CASH  (2,424,613)  (11,136)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGE ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS  155,783   (819,659)
                
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH  13,589,613   (1,484,850)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS  4,786,410   (14,199,222)
                
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR  998,717   2,483,567   389,108   14,588,330 
                
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF YEAR $14,588,330  $998,717  $5,175,518  $389,108 
                
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:                
Cash paid for income tax $-  $22,211  $-  $- 
Cash paid for interest $7,804  $18,235  $-  $1,022 
                
NON-CASH TRANSACTIONS OF INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES                
Issuance of common stock for Bonus  2,563,618   - 
Issuance of common stock for purchase Bitcoin mining machines  6,160,000   - 
Issuance of common stock for purchase digital currency mining machines  16,442,111   - 
Issuance of common stock for employee compensation  16,923,850   - 
Issuance of common stock for acquisition right, title, and interest in and to the certain software $750,000  $- 
Issuance of common stock for acquisition of Yuan Ma $-  $7,680,000 
Issuance of common stock for acquisition of Highlight Media $-  $2,250,000 
The cancellation of the common stock  1,615,939   1,732,114  $948,000  $32,844,710 
Initial recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities  22,076   134,990 
Exercise of pre-funded warrants $96  $- 
Fair value changes of convertible notes receivable $102,027  $- 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 


F-10

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENTGD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Note 1 – Nature of business and organization

 

GD Culture Group Limited (“GDC” or the “Company”), formerly known as Code Chain New Continent Limited, (the “Company” or “CCNC”), formerly known as TMSR Holding Company Limited and JM Global Holding Company, wasis a blank check company incorporated in Delaware on April 10, 2015.Nevada corporation and a holding company. The Company currently conducts its operations on virtual content production (the “Virtual Content Production”) through the Company and two subsidiaries, AI Catalysis corp. (“AI Catalysis”) and Shanghai Xianzhui Technology Co., Ltd. (“SH Xianzhui”). The Company focuses its business mainly on: 1) AI-driven digital human creation and customization; 2) Live streaming and e-commerce, and, 3) Live Streaming Interactive Game. The Company has relentlessly been focusing on serving its customers and creating value for them through the continual innovation and optimization of its products and services. Currently, the Company’s subsidiaries, Citi Profit Investment Holding Limited (“Citi Profit BVI”), Highlights Culture Holding Co., Limited (“Highlight HK”), Shanghai Highlight Entertainment Co., Ltd. (“Highlight WFOE”) are holding companies with no material operations.

SH Xianzhui was formedincorporated by Highlight WFOE and other two shareholders on August 10, 2023. SH Xianzhui is principally engaged in the provision of social media marketing agency service. Highlight WFOE owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest of SH Xianzhui. On October 27, 2023, the Company entered into an equity purchase agreement with Highlight WFOE and Beijing Hehe Property Management Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Hehe”), which was amended on November 10, 2023 (such equity purchase agreement, as amended, the “Agreement” for the purpose of acquiring, through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stockthis section “Investment in JV”), pursuant to which the Highlight WFOE agreed to purchase reorganization, exchangeable share transaction or other similar business transaction, one or more operating businesses or assets. On June 20, 2018, CCNC completed a reincorporation13.3333% equity interest in SH Xianzhui from Beijing Hehe and as a result, the Company changed its state of incorporation from Delawareagreed to Nevada (the “Reincorporation”). The Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of CCNC Nevada became the governing instruments of the Company, resulting in a 2-for-1 forward stock split of the Company’s common stock (the “Forward Split). The Reincorporation and Forward Split were approved by shareholders holding the majority of the outstanding shares of common stock of CCNC Delaware on June 1, 2018 at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

On February 6, 2018, China Sunlong Environmental Technology Inc. (“China Sunlong”) consummated the business combination with the Company pursuant to a Share Exchange Agreement (the “Share Exchange Agreement”) dated as of August 28, 2017 by and among (i) the Company; (ii) Zhong Hui Holding Limited; (iii) China Sunlong; (iv) each of the shareholders of China Sunlong named on Annex I of the Share Exchange Agreement (the “Sellers”); and (v) Chuanliu Ni, a Chinese citizen who is the Chief Executive Officer and director of China Sunlong, in the capacity as the representative for the Sellers. Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, the Company acquired from the Sellers all of the issued and outstanding equity interests of China Sunlong in exchange for 17,990,856 newly-issuedissue 400,000 shares of common stock of the Company, tovalued at $2.7820 per share, the Sellers. 1,799,088 of these newly-issued shares are held in escrow for 18 months from theaverage closing datebid price of the Business Combinationcommon stock of GDC as a security for China Sunlong andof the Sellers’ indemnification obligations under the Share Exchange Agreement. This transaction is accounted for as a “reverse merger” and recapitalization atfive trading days immediately preceding the date of the consummation ofAgreement, to Beijing Hehe or its assigns. On January 11, 2024, the transaction sinceCompany issued the shareholders of China Sunlong owns the majority of the outstanding400,000 shares of the Company immediately following the completion of the transaction and the Company’s operations was the operations of China Sunlong following the transaction. Accordingly, China Sunlong was deemedits common stock to be the accounting acquirer in the transactionBeijing Hehe and the transaction was completed. Up to the date of the financial statements were issued, the Company owns 73.3333% of the total equity interest of SH Xianzhui.

AI Catalysis is a Nevada corporation, incorporated on May 18, 2023. AI Catalysis is expected to bridge the realms of the internet, media, and artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies. Positioned at the crossroads of traditional and streaming media, AI Catalysis plans to elevate the experience of media with AI-based interactive and smart content, aiming to transform the whole media landscape. At present, AI Catalysis primarily focused on the application of AI digital human technology with the sectors of e-commerce and entertainment to improve the interaction experiences online. AI Catalysis strives to deliver stable interactive livestreaming products to AI Catalysis’ users. AI Catalysis foresees future expansion to a variety of business sectors with AI applications in different scenarios. AI Catalysis plans to enter into the livestreaming market with a focus on e-commerce and livestreaming interactive game.

Prior to September 28, 2022, the Company also conducted business through Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”). Makesi WFOE had a series of contractual arrangement with Wuge that established a variable interest entity (the “VIE”) structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the primary beneficiary of Wuge. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, GDC treated Wuge as the consolidated affiliated entity and has consolidated Wuge’s financial statements prior to September 28, 2022. Wuge focused its business on research, development and application of Internet of Things (IoT) and electronic tokens Wuge digital door signs. On September 28, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge to terminate the VIE Agreements and to cancel the shares previously issued to the shareholders of Wuge, based on the average closing price of $0.237 per share of the Company during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the termination agreement. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Wuge as a recapitalizationconsolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of China Sunlong. The financial statements of China Sunlong prior to February 6, 2018 are prepared on the basis as if the reorganization became effective as of the beginning of the first period presentedWuge in the accompanyingCompany’s consolidated financial statements of the Company.

China Sunlong is a holding company incorporated on August 31, 2015, under the laws of the Cayman Islands. China Sunlong has no substantive operations other than holding all of the outstanding share capital of Shengrong Environmental Protection Holding Company Limited (“Shengrong BVI”). Shengrong BVI is a holding company incorporated on June 30, 2015, under the laws of the British Virgin Islands. Shengrong BVI has no substantive operations other than holding all of the outstanding share capital of Hong Kong Shengrong Environmental Technology Limited (“Shengrong HK”). Shengrong HK is also a holding company holding all of the outstanding equity of Shengrong Environmental Protection Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd. (“Shengrong WFOE”).

The Company previously focused on industrial solid waste recycling and comprehensive utilization. The Company’s main products are high efficiency permanent magnetic separators and comprehensive utilization systems for industrial solid wastes. The Company’s headquarter is located in Hubei Province, in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC” or “China”). All of the Company’s business activities are carried out by the wholly owned operating Chinese company, Hubei Shengrong Environmental Protection Energy-Saving Science and Technology Ltd. (“Hubei Shengrong”) prior to May 1, 2018.

On April 11, 2018, the Company, Shengrong WFOE and Hubei Shengrong, both of which are the Company’s indirectly owned subsidiaries (collectively “Purchasers”), entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Long Liao, Chunyong Zheng, Wuhan Modern Industrial Technology Research Institute, and Hubei Zhonggong Materials Group Co., Ltd. (collectively “Sellers” ) and Wuhan HOST Coating Materials Co., Ltd. (“Wuhan HOST”), a company incorporated in China engaging in the research, development, production and sale of coating materials. Pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, as supplemented on August 16, 2018, the Purchasers acquired all of the outstanding equity interests of Wuhan Host. In exchange for the transfer of 100% equity interest of Wuhan Host, Purchasers shall pay a total consideration of $11.2 million, of which $4.7 million or RMB equivalent shall be paid in cash and $6.0 million shall be paid in shares of common stock, of CCNC (“Share Consideration”). The Parties agree the Share Consideration shall be an aggregate of 1,012,932 shares of common stock of which is based on the closing price of US$4.64 on March 27, 2018.

On March 31, 2017, China Sunlong completed its acquisition of 100% of the equity in TJComex International Group Corporation (“TJComex BVI”). At the closing of such acquisition, the selling shareholders of TJComex BVI received 5,935 shares of China Sunlong Common Stock valued at $926.71 per share for 100% of their equity in TJComex BVI. TJComex BVI owns 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of TJComex Hong Kong Company Limited (“TJComex HK”), a Hong Kong limited liability company, which owns 100% equity interest of Tianjin Corro Technological Consulting Co., Ltd. (“TJComex WFOE”), a wholly foreign owned enterprise incorporated under the laws of the PRC. Pursuant to certain contractual arrangements, TJComex WFOE controls Tianjin Commodity Exchange Co., Ltd. (“TJComex Tianjin”), a limited liability company incorporated under the law of the PRC. TJComex Tianjin is engaged in general merchandise trading business and related consulting services, and its headquarter is located in the city of Tianjin, PRC.U.S. GAAP.

 


F-11

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

On April 2, 2018,Prior to June 26, 2023, the Company disposed of itshad a subsidiary TJComex BVI in consideration of (i) its minimum contribution to the Company’s results of operation and (ii) the unsatisfactory synergy between the TJComex BVI business and the rest of the Company’s business. The Company’s decision to dispose of TJComex BVI is to (i) improve the Company’s overall financial condition and results of operations, (ii) reduce the complexity of the Company’s business, (iii) focus the Company’s resources on the solid waste recycling business as well as developing environmental control business opportunities; and (iv) make it possible for the Company to pursue acquisition opportunities for more compatible businesses. TJComex BVI was disposed to Chuanliu Ni, a Chinese citizen who is the director of China Sunlong.

As of April 2, 2018, the net assets of TJComex BVI were $16,598 and is being recorded as a loss from disposal of subsidiary in the consolidated financial statements for the period ending December 31, 2018. As TJComex BVI operating revenue was less than 1% of the Company’s revenue and the disposal did not constitute a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results, the results of operations for TJComex BVI were not reported as discontinued operations under the guidance of Accounting Standards Codification 205.

On October 10, 2017, Hubei Shengrong established a wholly owned subsidiary, Fujian Shengrong Environmental Protection Energy-Saving Science and Technology Ltd. (“Fujian Shengrong”), with registered capital of RMB 10,000,000 (approximately USD 1,518,120). Fujian Shengrong has no operations prior to May 30, 2018. On May 30, 2018, Hubei Shengrong and two unrelated entities entered into certain Capital Transfer and Contribution Agreement pursuant toTMSR HK, which these two entities shall contribute cash of approximately USD 5.0 million (RMB 32.0 million) into Fujian Shengrong and Hubei Shengrong shall contribute approximately USD 1.3 million (RMB 8.0 million) which is the consideration for certain technology consulting services to be provided by Hubei Shengrong to the two entities. Upon completion of the contribution, the total registered capital of Fujian Shengrong increased to RMB 40.0 million (approximately USD 6.3 million) and Hubai Shengrong owns 20% and the two entities collectively own 80% of the100% equity interest in Makesi WFOE. Makesi WFOE had a series of Fujian Shengrong. In August 2018, Hubei Shengrong transferred 20% equity interest of Fujian Shengrong to Shengrong WFOE. The Company will account for the investment in Fujian Shengrong using the cost method. Since Shengrong WFOE did not provide any cash contribution to Fujian Shengrong or technology services, the investment balance under the cost method investment on Decemeber 31, 2021 is $0.

On November 30, 2018, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreementcontractual arrangement with Jirong HuangShanghai Yuanma Food and Qihuang Wang (collectively “Sellers”) and Jiangsu Rong Hai Electric Power FuelBeverage Management Co., Ltd. (“Rong Hai”Yuanma”), that established a company incorporated in China engaging inVIE structure. For accounting purposes, Makesi WFOE was the saleprimary beneficiary of fuel materials and harbor cargo handling services. Pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, CCNC shall issue an aggregate of 4,630,000 shares of CCNC’s common stock to the Rong Hai Shareholders, in exchange for Rong Hai Shareholders’ agreement to enter into, and their agreement to cause Rong Hai to enter into, certain VIE Agreements (the “Rong Hai VIE Agreements”) with Shengrong WFOE, through which Shengrong WFOE shall have the right to control, manage and operate Rong Hai in return for a service fee approximately equal to 100% of Rong Hai’s net income (“Acquisition”). On November 30, 2018, Shengrong WFOE, the Company’s indirectly owned subsidiary, entered into a series of VIE Agreements with Rong Hai and the Rong Hai Shareholders. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide Shengrong WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possessYuanma. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, GDC treated Yuanma as the sole equity holder of Rong Hai, including absolute rightsconsolidated affiliated entity and has consolidated Yuanma’s financial results in GDC’s financial statements prior to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Rong Hai. Rong Hai has the necessary license to carry out coal trading business in China. The Acquisition closed on November 30, 2018. Starting on November 30, 2018, the Company’s business activities added coal wholesales and sales of coke, steels, construction materials, mechanical equipment and steel scrap, of which business activities are carried out in Nantong, Jiang Su Province, PRC.

On December 27, 2018, the Company, entered into an Equity Purchase Agreement with Hopeway International Enterprises Limited., a private limited company duly organized under the laws of British Virgin Islands (the “Hopeway”). Pursuant to the Equity Purchase Agreement, Shengrong WOFE shall sell 100% equity interests in Hubei Shengrong to Hopeway in exchange for Hopeway’s agreement to irrevocably forfeit and cancel 8,523,320 shares of common stock of the Company, constituting all the shares owned by Hopeway. The transaction contemplated by the Equity Purchase Agreement is hereby referred as Disposition. The Company’s decision to dispose of Hubei Shengrong is due to the planning mandates of Wuhan Municipal Government 2018 which manufactures should move away from city’s downtown area. Therefore, due to the policy change, Hubei Shengrong is forced to close the existing facility, relocate and build a new facility, which is expected to take approximately 7-8 years. As a result, Hubei Shengrong will not be able to keep the production running and will generate no income in the foreseeable future. Management believed it is very difficult, if possible at all, to continue manufacturing of solid waste recycling systems. As such, the Company has been actively seeking to dispose Hubei Shengrong while retaining the research and development and sale of solid waste recycling systems business. Upon closing of the Disposition, Hopeway will become the sole shareholder of Hubei Shengrong and as a result, assume all assets and obligations of Hubei Shengrong except the research and development team and intellectual property rights in connection with the solid waste recycling systems business shall be assigned to Shengrong WFOE as part of the Disposition. As Shengrong WFOE has significant continuing involvement in the sale of solid waste recycling systems business and the processed industrial waste materials trading business, this restructuring did not constitute a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. Therefore, the results of operations for Hubei Shengrong were not reported as discontinued operations under the guidance of Accounting Standards Codification 205.


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

In April 2019, TMSR Holdings Limited (“TMSR HK”), our indirect wholly owned subsidiary, was incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong.

In August 2019, Tongrong Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (“Tongrong WFOE”), our indirect wholly owned subsidiary, was incorporated under the laws of PRC.

In August 2019, Citi Profit Investment Holding Limited (“Citi Profit”), an exempted company formed under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, became our wholly owned subsidiary.

TMSR HK, Tongrong WFOE and Citi Profit are all holding companies that do not have any substantive business operations.

On January 3, 2020, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”) and all the shareholders of Wuge, including Wei Xu, Bibo Lin, Jiangsu Lingkong Network Joint Stock Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu, and Anhui Shuziren Network Technology Co., Ltd., which is also controlled by Wei Xu. Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, on January 24, 2020, the Company issued an aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of TMSR’s common stock to the shareholders of Wuge, in exchange for Wuge’s shareholders’ agreement to enter into, and their agreement to cause Wuge to enter into, certain VIE agreements (the “Wuge VIE Agreements”) with Tongrong WFOE, through which Tongrong WFOE has the right to control, manage and operate Wuge in return for a service fee equal to 100% of Wuge’s net income.

On April 30, 2020, Tongrong WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements with Shengrong WFOE, Rong Hai and shareholders of Rong Hai, pursuant to which Shengrong WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the Rong Hai VIE Agreements to Tongrong WFOE. The Rong Hai VIE Agreements and the Assignment Agreements grant Tongrong WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Rong Hai, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Rong Hai. The assignment does not have any impact on Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Effective May 18, 2020, the Company changed its corporate name from “TMSR Holding Company Limited” to “Code Chain New Continent Limited” pursuant to a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada. In connection with the name change, effective May 18, 2020, the ticker symbol of the Company’s common stock and warrants changed from “TMSR” and “TMSRW” to “CCNC” and “CCNCW”, respectively.

June 26, 2023. On June 30, 2020, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with Jiazhen Li, former CEO of the Company (the “Buyer”), Long Liao and Chunyong Zheng, who are former shareholders of Wuhan HOST Coating Materials Co., Ltd., an indirect subsidiary of the Company, (collectively the “Payees”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company agreed to sell, and the Buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of China Sunlong (the “Sunlong Shares”). The Payees have a prior relationship with the Buyer and have agreed to be responsible for the payment of the purchase price on behalf of Buyer. The purchase price for the Sunlong Shares shall be $1,732,114, payable in consideration of cancellation of 1,012,932 shares of the Company owned by the Payees (the “CCNC Shares”). The CCNC Shares are valued at $1.71 per share, based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on June 30, 2020. The CCNC Shares were cancelled on August 31, 2020.

In December 2020, Makesi Iot Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Makesi WFOE”), our indirect wholly owned subsidiary, was incorporated under the laws of PRC.

On January 11, 2021, Makesi WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements (the “Assignment Agreements”) with Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and Wuge Shareholders, pursuant to which Tongrong WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE Agreements to Makesi WFOE (the “Assignment”). The VIE Agreements and the Assignment Agreements grant Makesi WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Wuge, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Wuge. The Assignment does not have any impact on Company’s consolidated financial statements.

On March 30, 2021, the Company26, 2023, GDC entered into a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company (the “Buyer”), and Qihai Wang, former director of the Company (the “Payee”).Company. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell, and the Buyerbuyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (the “Tongrong Shares”)equity interest in TMSR HK. The sale of Tongrong WFOE. The Payee agreedTMSR HK did not have any material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Prior to be responsible forSeptember 26, 2023, the paymentCompany also conducted business through Shanghai Highlight Media Co., Ltd. (“Highlight Media”). Highlight WFOE had a series of contractual arrangement with Highlight Media. For accounting purposes, Highlight WFOE was the purchase priceprimary beneficiary of Highlight Media. Accordingly, under U.S. GAAP, GDC treated Highlight Media as the consolidated affiliated entity and has consolidated Highlight Media’s financial results in GDC’s financial statements prior to September 26, 2023. Highlight Media was an integrated marketing service agency, focusing on behalfenterprise brand management, crisis public relations, intelligent public opinion monitoring, media PR, financial and economic we-media operation, digital face application, large-scale exhibition services and other businesses. On September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Highlight Media and the shareholders of Buyer. The purchase price forHighlight Media to terminate the Tongrong Shares shall be $2,464,411, payableVIE Agreements and sold the interest in the formVIE Agreements. As a result of cancelling 426,369 shares of common stock ofsuch termination, the Company owned byno longer treats Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the Payee (the “CCNC Shares”). The CCNC Shares are valued at $5.78 per share, based on the average closing pricefinancial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s common stock during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the agreement from February 12, 2021 to March 26, 2021. On March 31, 2021, the Company closed the sale of the Tongrong Shares and caused the CCNC Shares to be cancelled. Tongrong WFOE contractually controls Rong Hai. The disposition of Tongrong WFOE included disposition of Rong Hai.consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the activities of CCNCGDC and each of the following entities:

 

Name Background Ownership
China Sunlong3Citi Profit BVI A Cayman IslandsBritish Virgin Island company Incorporated in April 2019 100% owned by the Company
Shengrong BVI3

A British Virgin Island company

Incorporated on June 30, 2015

100% owned by China Sunlong
Citi Profit BVI

A British Virgin Island company

Incorporated on April 2019 

100% owned by the Company
Shengrong HK3

A Hong Kong company

Incorporated on September 25, 2015 

100% owned by Shengrong BVI
TMSR HK 

A Hong Kong company

●  Incorporated onin April 2019

●  Disposed on June 26, 2023

 100% owned by Citi Profit BVI
Shengrong WFOE3Highlight HK 

●  A Hong Kong company

●  Incorporated in November 2022

100% owned by Citi Profit BVI
Makesi WFOE

●  A PRC limited liability company and deemed a wholly foreign owned enterprise (“WFOE”)(WFOE)

●  Incorporated in December 2020

●  Disposed on June 26, 2023

 100% owned by ShengrongTMSR HK

● 

Incorporated on March 1, 2016

Registered capital of USD 12,946 (HKD100,000), fully funded

Purchase and sales of high efficiency permanent magnetic separator and comprehensive utilization system

Trading of processed industrial waste materials

TongrongHighlight WFOE4 

A PRC limited liability company and deemed a wholly foreign owned enterprise (“WFOE”)(WFOE)

●  Incorporated on August 2019in January 2023

 100% owned by TMSRHighlight HK
Makesi WFOE

A PRC limited liability company and deemed a wholly foreign owned enterprise (“WFOE”)

Incorporated on December 2020

100% owned by TMSR HK
Hubei Shengrong2Yuanma 

A PRC limited liability company

Incorporated●  Acquired on January 14, 2009

100% owned by Shengrong WFOE
Registered capital of USD 4,417,800 (RMB 30,000,000), fully funded

Production and sales of high efficiency permanent magnetic separator and comprehensive utilization system.

Trading of processed industrial waste materials

Wuhan HOST3

A PRC limited liability company

Incorporated on October 27, 2010

Registered capital of USD 750,075 (RMB 5,000,000), fully funded

100% owned by Shengrong WFOE
Research, development, production and sale of coating materials.
Shanghai Host Coating Materials Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai HOST”)3

A PRC limited liability company

Incorporated on December 11, 2014

Registered capital of USD 3,184,371 (RMB 20,000,000), to be fully funded by November 2024

80% owned by Wuhan HOST


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

No operations and no capital contribution has been made as of
December 31, 2018
Wuhan HOST Coating Materials Xiaogan Co., Ltd. (“Xiaogan HOST”)3

A PRC limited liability company

Incorporated on December 25, 2018

Registered capital of USD 11,595,379 (RMB 80,000,000), to be fully funded by December 2028

No operations and no capital contribution has been made as of
December 31, 2018

90% owned by Wuhan HOST
Jiangsu Rong Hai Electric Power Fuel Co., Ltd. (“Rong Hai”) 4

June 21, 2022

●  

A PRC limited liability company

IncorporatedDisposed on May 20, 2009

Registered capital of USD 3,171,655 (RMB 20,180,000), fully funded

Coal wholesales and sales of coke, steels, construction materials, mechanical equipment and steel scrap

VIE of Tongrong WFOE
Wuge

A PRC limited liability company

Incorporated on July 4, 2019June 26, 2023

 VIE of Makesi WFOE
TJComex BVI1Wuge 

  A PRC limited liability company

  Acquired on January 3, 2023

●  Disposed on September 28, 2022

VIE of Makesi WFOE
Highlight Media

●  A British Virgin IslandPRC limited liability company

●  Acquired on September 16, 2022

●  Disposed on September 26, 2023

VIE of Highlight WFOE
AI Catalysis

●  A Nevada company

●  Incorporated on March 8, 2016 in May 2023

 100% owned by China Sunlongthe Company
TJComex HK1SH Xianzhui 

A Hong Kong company

Incorporated on March 19, 2014 

100% owned by TJComex BVI
TJComex WFOE1A PRC limited liability company and deemed a wholly foreign owned enterprise (“WFOE”)100% owned by TJComex HK
Incorporated on March 10, 2004
Registered capital of USD 200,000
TJComex Tianjin1

A PRC limited liability company

●  Incorporated on November 19, 2007in August 2023

 100%73.3333% owned by TJComexHighlight WFOE
Registered capital of USD 7,809,165 (RMB 55,000,000)
General merchandise trading business and related consulting services

1Disposed on April 2, 2018
2Disposed on December 27, 2018

3

4

Disposed on June 30, 2020

Disposed on March 31, 2021

 


F-12

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Contractual Arrangements

 

Rong Hai wasWuge, Yuanma and Wuge isHighlight Media were controlled through contractual agreements in lieu of direct equity ownership by the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Such contractual arrangements consist of a series of five agreements, consulting services agreement, equity pledge agreement, call option agreement, voting rights proxy agreement, and operating agreement (collectively the “Contractual Arrangements”).

 

Material terms of each of the Rong Hai VIE Agreementsagreements with Wuge are described below. The VIE agreements with Wuge were terminated and the Company disposed Tongrong WFOE and Rong HaiWuge as of March 31, 2021.September 28, 2022.

 

Consulting Services Agreement

Pursuant to the consulting services agreement between Rong Hai and Shengrong WFOE dated November 30, 2018 and the agreement to assign consulting services agreement among Rong Hai, Shengrong WFOE and Tongrong WFOE dated April 30, 2020, Tongrong WFOE has the exclusive right to provide consulting services to Rong Hai relating to Rong Hai’s business, including but not limited to business consulting services, human resources development, and business development. Tongrong WFOE exclusively owns any intellectual property rights arising from the performance of this agreement. Tongrong WFOE has the right to determine the service fees based on Rong Hai’s actual operation on a quarterly basis. 

This consulting services agreement took effect upon execution and shall remain in full force and effective until Rong Hai’s valid operation term expires. Tongrong WFOE may, at its discretion, decide to renew or terminate this consulting services agreement.

Equity Pledge Agreement.

Under the equity pledge agreement among Shengrong WFOE, Rong Hai and the shareholders of Rong Hai dated November 30, 2018, and the agreement to assign equity pledge agreement among Rong Hai, Shengrong WFOE and Tongrong WFOE dated April 30, 2020, the shareholders pledged all of their equity interests in Rong Hai to Tongrong WFOE to guarantee Rong Hai’s performance of relevant obligations and indebtedness under the consulting services agreement. In addition, the shareholders of Rong Hai have completed the registration of the equity pledge under the agreement with the competent local authority. If Rong Hai breaches its obligation under the consulting services agreement, Tongrong WFOE, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests.

This equity pledge agreement took effect upon execution and shall remain in full force and effective until Rong Hai and Tongrong WFOE’s satisfaction of all contractual obligations and settlement of all secured indebtedness. Upon Tongrong WFOE’s request, Rong Hai shall extend its operation period to sustain the effectiveness of this equity pledge agreement. 

Call Option Agreement

Under the call option agreement among Shengrong WFOE, Rong Hai and the shareholders of Rong Hai dated November 30, 2018 and the agreement to assign call option agreement among Rong Hai, Shengrong WFOE and Tongrong WFOE dated April 30, 2020, each of the shareholders of Rong Hai irrevocably granted to WFOE or its designee an option to purchase at any time, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or a portion of his equity interests in Rong Hai. Also, Tongrong WFOE or its designee has the right to acquire any and all of its assets of Rong Hai. Without Tongrong WFOE’s prior written consent, Rong Hai’s shareholders cannot transfer their equity interests in Rong Hai, and Rong Hai cannot transfer its assets. The acquisition price for the shares or assets will be the minimum amount of consideration permitted under the PRC law at the time of the exercise of the option.

This call option agreement took effect upon execution. Rong Hai and Tongrong WFOE shall not terminate this call option agreement under any circumstances for any reason unless it is early terminated by Tongrong WFOE or by the requirements under the applicable laws. This call option agreement shall be terminated provided that all equity interest or assets under this option is transferred to Tongrong WFOE or its designee.

Voting Rights Proxy Agreement

Under the voting rights proxy agreement among Shengrong WFOE and the shareholders of Rong Hai dated November 30, 2018 and the agreement to assign voting rights proxy agreement among Rong Hai, Shengrong WFOE and Tongrong WFOE dated April 30, 2020, each shareholder of Rong Hai irrevocably appointed Shengrong WFOE as its attorney-in-fact to exercise on such shareholder’s behalf any and all rights that such shareholder has in respect of his equity interests in Rong Hai, including but limited to the power to vote on its behalf on all matters of Rong Hai requiring shareholder approval in accordance with the articles of association of Rong Hai.

The voting rights proxy agreement took effect upon execution of and shall remain in effect indefinitely for the maximum period of time permitted by law in consideration of Tongrong WFOE.


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Operating Agreement

Pursuant to the operating agreement among Shengrong WFOE, Rong Hai and the shareholders of Rong Hai dated November 30, 2018 and the agreement to assign operating agreement among Rong Hai, Shengrong WFOE and Tongrong WFOE dated April 30, 2020, Rong Hai and the shareholders of Rong Hai agreed not to enter into any transaction that could materially affect Rong Hai’s assets, obligations, rights or operations without prior written consent from Tongrong WFOE, including but not limited to the amendment of the articles of association of Rong Hai. Rong Hai and its shareholders agree to accept and follow our corporate policies provided by Tongrong WFOE in connection with Rong Hai’s daily operations, financial management and the employment and dismissal of Rong Hai’s employees. Rong Hai agreed that it should seek guarantee from Tongrong WFOE first if any guarantee is needed for Rong Hai’s performance of any contract or loan in the course of its business operation.

This operating agreement took effect upon execution and shall remain in full force and effective until Rong Hai’s valid operation term expires. Either party of Tongrong WFOE and Rong Hai shall complete approval or registration procedures for the extension of its business term three months prior to the expiration of its business term, for the purpose of the maintenance of the effectiveness of this operating agreement.

Material terms of each of the Wuge VIE Agreements are described below:

Technical Consultation and Services Agreement.

 

Pursuant to the technical consultation and services agreement between Wuge and Tongrong WFOETechnology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., a then indirect subsidiary of the Company (“Tongrong WFOE”), dated January 3, 2020, Tongrong WFOE has the exclusive right to provide consultation services to Wuge relating to Wuge’s business, including but not limited to business consultation services, human resources development, and business development. Tongrong WFOE exclusively owns any intellectual property rights arising from the performance of this agreement. Tongrong WFOE has the right to determine the service fees based on Wuge’s actual operation on a quarterly basis. This agreement will be effective as long as Wuge exists. Tongrong WFOE may terminate this agreement at any time by giving a 30 days’ prior written notice to Wuge.

 

Equity Pledge Agreement.

 

Under the equity pledge agreement among Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge Shareholders dated January 3, 2020, the shareholders of Wuge Shareholders pledged all of their equity interests in Wuge to Tongrong WFOE to guarantee Wuge’s performance of relevant obligations and indebtedness under the technical consultation and services agreement. In addition, the shareholders of Wuge Shareholders will complete the registration of the equity pledge under the agreement with the competent local authority. If Wuge breaches its obligation under the technical consultation and services agreement, Tongrong WFOE, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests. This pledge will remain effective until all the guaranteed obligations are performed or the shareholders of Wuge Shareholders cease to be shareholders of Wuge.

 

Equity Option Agreement.

 

Under the equity option agreement among Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge Shareholders dated January 3, 2020, each of the shareholders of Wuge Shareholders irrevocably granted to Tongrong WFOE or its designee an option to purchase at any time, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or a portion of his equity interests in Wuge. Also, Tongrong WFOE or its designee has the right to acquire any and all of its assets of Wuge. Without Tongrong WFOE’s prior written consent, Wuge’s shareholders cannot transfer their equity interests in Wuge and Wuge cannot transfer its assets. The acquisition price for the shares or assets will be the minimum amount of consideration permitted under the PRC law at the time of the exercise of the option. This pledge will remain effective until all options have been exercised.

 

Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement.

 

Under the voting rights proxy and financial support agreement among Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge Shareholders dated January 3, 2020, each Wuge Shareholder irrevocably appointed Tongrong WFOE as its attorney-in-fact to exercise on such shareholder’s behalf any and all rights that such shareholder has in respect of his equity interests in Wuge, including but not limited to the power to vote on its behalf on all matters of Wuge requiring shareholder approval in accordance with the articles of association of Wuge. The proxy agreement is for a term of 20 years and can be extended by Tongrong WFOE unilaterally by prior written notice to the other parties.

 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

On January 11, 2021, Makesi WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements (the “Assignment Agreements”) with Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge, Shareholders, pursuant to which Tongrong WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE Agreementsagreements to Makesi WFOE (the “Assignment”).WFOE. The VIE Agreementsagreements and the Assignment Agreements grantassignment agreements granted Makesi WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Wuge, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Wuge. The Assignmentassignment did not have any impact on Company’s consolidated financial statements.

On September 28, 2022, Makesi WFOE terminated the VIE agreements with Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge.

Material terms of each of the VIE agreements with Yuanma are described below. The Company disposed TMSR HK, Makesi WFOE and Yuanma on June 26, 2023.

F-13

Technical Consultation and Services Agreement.

Pursuant to the technical consultation and services agreement between Makesi WFOE and Yuanma dated June 21, 2022, Makesi WFOE has the exclusive right to provide consultation services to Yuanma relating to Yuanma’s business, including but not limited to business consultation services, human resources development, and business development. Makesi WFOE exclusively owns any intellectual property rights arising from the performance of this agreement. Makesi WFOE has the right to determine the service fees based on Yuanma’s actual operation on a quarterly basis. This agreement will be effective for 20 years and can be extended by Makesi WFOE unilaterally by prior written notice to the other parties. Makesi WFOE may terminate this agreement at any time by giving a 30 days’ prior written notice to Yuanma. If any party breaches the agreement and fails to cure within 30 days from the written notice from the non-breach party, the non-breach party may (i) terminate the agreement and request the breaching party to compensate the non-breaching party’s loss or (ii) request special performance by the breaching party and the breaching party to compensate the non-breaching party’s loss.

Equity Pledge Agreement.

Under the equity pledge agreement among Makesi WFOE, Yuanma and Yuanma Shareholders dated June 21, 2022, Yuanma Shareholders pledged all of their equity interests in Yuanma to Makesi WFOE to guarantee Yuanma’s performance of relevant obligations and indebtedness under the technical consultation and services agreement. In addition, Yuanma Shareholders will complete the registration of the equity pledge under the agreement with the competent local authority. If Yuanma breaches its obligation under the technical consultation and services agreement, Makesi WFOE, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests. This pledge will remain effective until all the guaranteed obligations are performed or the Yuanma Shareholders cease to be shareholders of Yuanma.

Equity Option Agreement.

Under the equity option agreement among Makesi WFOE, Yuanma and Yuanma Shareholders dated June 21, 2022, each of Yuanma Shareholders irrevocably granted to Makesi WFOE or its designee an option to purchase at any time, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or a portion of his equity interests in Yuanma. Also, Makesi WFOE or its designee has the right to acquire any and all of its assets of Yuanma. Without Makesi WFOE’s prior written consent, Yuanma’s shareholders cannot transfer their equity interests in Yuanma and Yuanma cannot transfer its assets. The acquisition price for the shares or assets will be the minimum amount of consideration permitted under the PRC law at the time of the exercise of the option. This pledge will remain effective until all options have been exercised.

Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement.

Under the voting rights proxy and financial support agreement among Makesi WFOE, Yuanma and Yuanma Shareholders dated June 21, 2022, each Yuanma Shareholder irrevocably appointed Makesi WFOE as its attorney-in-fact to exercise on such shareholder’s behalf any and all rights that such shareholder has in respect of his equity interests in Yuanma, including but not limited to the power to vote on its behalf on all matters of Yuanma requiring shareholder approval in accordance with the articles of association of Yuanma. The proxy agreement is for a term of 20 years and can be extended by Makesi WFOE unilaterally by prior written notice to the other parties.

On June 26, 2023, the Company sold all the issued and outstanding equity interest in TMSR HK.

Material terms of each of the VIE agreements with Highlight Media are described below. The VIE agreements with Highlight Media were terminated and the Company disposed Highlight Media as of September 26, 2023.

F-14

Technical Consultation and Services Agreement.

Pursuant to the technical consultation and services agreement between Highlight Media and Makesi WFOE dated September 16, 2022, Makesi WFOE has the exclusive right to provide consultation services to Highlight Media relating to Highlight Media’s business, including but not limited to business consultation services, human resources development, and business development. Makesi WFOE exclusively owns any intellectual property rights arising from the performance of this agreement. Makesi WFOE has the right to determine the service fees based on Highlight Media’s actual operation on a quarterly basis. This agreement will be effective as long as Highlight Media exists. Makesi WFOE may terminate this agreement at any time by giving a 30 days’ prior written notice to Highlight Media.

Equity Pledge Agreement.

Under the equity pledge agreement among Makesi WFOE, Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media dated September 16, 2022, the shareholders of Highlight Media pledged all of their equity interests in Highlight Media to Makesi WFOE to guarantee Highlight Media’s performance of relevant obligations and indebtedness under the technical consultation and services agreement. In addition, the shareholders of Highlight Media will complete the registration of the equity pledge under the agreement with the competent local authority. If Highlight Media breaches its obligation under the technical consultation and services agreement, Makesi WFOE, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests. This pledge will remain effective until all the guaranteed obligations are performed or the shareholders of Highlight Media cease to be shareholders of Highlight Media.

Equity Option Agreement.

Under the equity option agreement among Makesi WFOE, Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media dated September 16, 2022, each of the shareholders of Highlight Media irrevocably granted to Makesi WFOE or its designee an option to purchase at any time, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or a portion of his equity interests in Highlight Media. Also, Makesi WFOE or its designee has the right to acquire any and all of its assets of Highlight Media. Without Makesi WFOE’s prior written consent, Highlight Media’s shareholders cannot transfer their equity interests in Highlight Media and Highlight Media cannot transfer its assets. The acquisition price for the shares or assets will be the minimum amount of consideration permitted under the PRC law at the time of the exercise of the option. This pledge will remain effective until all options have been exercised.

Voting Rights Proxy and Financial Support Agreement.

Under the voting rights proxy and financial support agreement among Makesi WFOE, Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media dated September 16, 2022, each Highlight Media Shareholder irrevocably appointed Makesi WFOE as its attorney-in-fact to exercise on such shareholder’s behalf any and all rights that such shareholder has in respect of his equity interests in Highlight Media, including but not limited to the power to vote on its behalf on all matters of Highlight Media requiring shareholder approval in accordance with the articles of association of Highlight Media. The proxy agreement is for a term of 20 years and can be extended by Makesi WFOE unilaterally by prior written notice to the other parties.

On February 27, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements with Makesi WFOE, Highlight Media and Highlight Shareholders, pursuant to which Makesi WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE agreements to Highlight WFOE. The VIE agreements and the assignment agreements grant Highlight WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Highlight Media, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Highlight Media. The assignment does not have any impact on Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

On September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE terminated the VIE agreements with Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media.

As of the date of this report, the Company primary operations are focused on the Wuge business that islive streaming market with focus on e-commerce and live streaming interactive game in the United States through its subsidiaries AI Catalysis and SH Xianzhui. All Wuge digital door sign space. All prior energy or industrial solid waste recyclingsigns business and any comprehensive environmental solutions businessHighlight Media enterprise brand management service have been discontinued and disposed. Substantially all of the Company’s primary operations are conducted in the PRC.

 

F-15

Note 2 – Summary of significant accounting policies

Basis of presentation

 

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for information pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Principles of consolidation

 

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of CCNCGDC and its wholly owned subsidiaries and VIEs.VIEs. All intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated upon consolidation.

Use of estimates and assumptions

 

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. Significant accounting estimates reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements include the useful lives of intangible assets revenues, deferred revenues and plant and equipment, impairment of long-lived assets, collectability of receivables, inventoryfair value of convertible notes, discount rate used to measure present value of lease liabilities and valuation allowance and realization offor deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Foreign currency translation and transaction

 

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

The reporting currency of the Company is the U.S. dollar. The PRC subsidiaries of the Company in China conductsconduct its businesses in the local currency, Renminbi (RMB), as its functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at the unified exchange rate as quoted byset forth in the People’s BankH.10 statistical release of Chinathe Federal Reserve Board at the end of the period. The resultsstatement of operations accounts are translated at the average translation rates and the equity accounts are translated at historical rates. Translation adjustments resulting from this process are included in accumulated other comprehensive income. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the results of operations as incurred.

 

Translation adjustments included in accumulated other comprehensive income amounted to $225,857$73,279 and $935,638$179,460 as of December 31, 20212023 and 2020,2022, respectively. The balance sheetsheets amounts, with the exception of shareholders’ equity as ofat December 31, 20212023 and 20202022 were translated at 6.387.10 RMB and 6.526.38 RMB to $1.00, respectively. The shareholders’ equity accounts were stated at their historical rate. The average translation rates applied to statementstatements of incomeoperations accounts for the years ended December 31, 20212023 and 20202022 were 6.457.08 RMB and 6.906.73 RMB to $1.00, respectively. Cash flows are also translated at average translation rates for the periods, therefore, amounts reported on the statementstatements of cash flows will not necessarily agree with changes in the corresponding balances on the consolidated balance sheet. sheets.

 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The PRC government imposes significant exchange restrictions on fund transfers out of the PRC that are not related to business operations. These restrictions have not had a material impact on the Company because it has not engaged in any significant transactions that are subject to the restrictions.

Investments

 

The Company purchases certain liquid short term investments such as money market funds

F-16

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and demand deposits placed with commercial banks or other short term debt securities marketed by financial institutions. These investments are not insured against loss of principal. These investments are accounted for as financial instruments that are marked to fair market value at the end of each reporting period. Forinstitutions and highly liquid investments that are heldreadily convertible to maturity debt instruments, which have shortknown amounts of cash and with original maturities from the date of purchase of three months or less. All cash and limited risk profiles, amortized cost may be the best approximation of their fair valuecash equivalents are unrestricted as to withdrawal and used for such investments.

Accounts receivable, netuse.

 

Accounts receivable include trade accounts due from customers. An allowance for doubtful accounts may be establishedPrepaid and recorded based on management’s assessment of potential losses based on the credit historyother current assets

Prepaid and relationships with the customers. Management reviews its receivables on a regular basis to determine if the bad debt allowance is adequate, and adjusts the allowance when necessary. Delinquent account balancesother current assets are written-off against allowance for doubtful accounts after management has determined that the likelihood of collection is not probable.

Inventories

Inventories are comprised of raw materials and work in progress and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value using the weighted average method in Wuge. Management reviews inventories for obsolescence and cost in excess of net realizable value at least annually and recognize an impairment charge against the inventory when the carrying value exceeds net realizable value. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, no obsolescence and cost in excess of net realizable value were recognized.

Prepayments

Prepayments are funds deposited or advancedadvances paid to outside vendors for future inventory or services to be received. As a standard practice in China, many of the Company’s vendors require a partial or full payment prior to production and shipment of finished goods This amount is refundable and bears no interest.purchases. The Company has legally binding contracts with its vendors, which require any outstanding prepayments to be returned to the Company when the contract ends.

 

PlantConvertible Notes Receivable

The Company evaluated the terms of the DigiTrax Convertible Notes and equipmentthe Liquid Convertible Notes (as defined in Note 13) according to ASC 320 “Investments — Debt Securities” and concluded that the convertible notes should be classified as an available-for-sale security and measured at fair value. To evaluate the fair value of the available-for-sale security, the Company used the valuation methodology of income approach, which is determined by the future cash flow forecast. The fair value changes of the convertible notes receivable were recorded as other comprehensive income.

 

Plant and equipmentEquipment

Equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization.depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method after consideration of the estimated useful lives of the assets and estimated residual value. The estimated useful lives and residual value are as follows:

  Useful Life 

Estimated

Residual

Value

 
Building5 – 20 years          5%
Office equipment and furnishing 5 years  5%
Production equipment3-10 years5%
Automobile5 years5%
Leasehold improvementsShorter of the remaining lease terms or estimated useful lives0%

 

The cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization of assets sold or otherwise retired are eliminated from the accounts and any gain or loss is included in the consolidated statements of incomeoperations and comprehensive income.loss. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to earnings as incurred, while additions, renewals and betterments, which are expected to extend the useful life of assets, are capitalized. The Company also re-evaluates the periods of depreciation and amortization to determine whether subsequent events and circumstances warrant revised estimates of useful lives.


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Intangible assets

 

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets represent land use rights and patents and software licenses, and theythat are stated at cost, less accumulated amortization. Research and development costs associated with internally developed patents are expensed when incurred. Amortization expense is recognized on the straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. All land in the PRC is owned by the government; however, the government grants “land use rights.” The Companysoftware has obtained the rights to use various parcels of land. The patents have finite useful lives and areis amortized using a straight-line method that reflects the estimated pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are to be consumed. The Company amortizes the cost of the land use rights and patents,software, over their useful life using the straight-line method. The Company also re-evaluates the periods of amortization to determine whether subsequent events and circumstances warrant revised estimates of useful lives. The estimated useful lives arelife is as follows:

  Useful Life
Land use rights50 years
Patents10 - 20 years
Software 5 years

GoodwillF-17

Lease

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Leases that transfer substantially all of the benefits and risks incidental to the ownership of assets are accounted for as finance leases as if there was an acquisition of an asset and incurrence of an obligation at the inception of the lease. All other leases are accounted for as operating leases. The Company has no significant finance leases.

 

The Company recognizes lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets on the balance sheet for leases. Operating lease right- of-use assets (the “ROU”) are disclosed as non-current assets in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Current maturities of operating lease liabilities are classified as operating lease liabilities - current, and operating lease liabilities that will be due in more than one year are disclosed as non-current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are initially recognized based on the present value of future lease payments at lease commencement. The operating lease right-of-use asset also includes any lease payments made prior to lease commencement and the initial direct costs incurred by the lessee and is recorded net of any lease incentives received. As the interest rates implicit in most of the leases are not readily determinable, the Company uses the incremental borrowing rates based on the information available at lease commencement to determine the present value of the future lease payments. Operating lease expenses are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

Most leases have initial terms ranging from 1 to 5.5 years. The Company’s lease agreements did not include non-lease components. Lease expense for fixed lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any significant residual value guarantees or restricted covenants.

The Company evaluates the carrying value of ROU assets if there are indicators of impairment and reviews the recoverability of the related asset group.

The Company reassesses of a contract is or contains a leasing arrangement and re-measures ROU assets and liabilities upon modification of the contract. The Company will derecognize ROU assets and liabilities, with difference recognized in the income statement on the contract termination.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration paid of an acquisition over the fair value of the net identifiable assets of the acquired subsidiary at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is not amortized and is tested for impairment at least annually, more often when circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. Goodwill is carried at cost less accumulated impairment losses. In accordance with ASC 350 IntangiblesGoodwill and Other, the Company may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. In the qualitative assessment, the Company considers factors such as macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance of the reporting unit, and other specific information related to the operations, business plans and strategies of the reporting unit, including consideration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the qualitative assessment, if it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than the carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is performed. The Company may also bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to perform the quantitative impairment test. If impairment exists,the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill is immediately written offnot considered to be impaired. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, and the lossamount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value is recognized inas impairment. Application of a goodwill impairment test requires significant management judgment, including the consolidated statementsidentification of income. Impairment losses onreporting units, allocation of assets, liabilities and goodwill are not reversed.

Impairment for long-lived assetsto reporting units, and determination of the fair value of each reporting unit.

 

F-18

Impairment for Long-lived Assets

Long-lived assets, including plant, equipment, intangible assets and intangibleROU assets with finite lives are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances (such as a significant adverse change to market conditions that will impact the future use of the assets) indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable.recoverable individually or as a group at the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows that are largely independent of the cash flows of the other assets and liabilities. The Company assesses the recoverability of the assets (or group of assets) based on the undiscounted future cash flows the assets (or group of assets) are expected to generate and recognize an impairment loss when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset (or group of assets) plus net proceeds expected from disposition of the asset (or group of assets), if any, are less than the carrying value of the asset.asset (or group of assets). If an impairment is identified, the Company would reduce the carrying amount of the asset (or group of assets) to its estimated fair value based on a discounted cash flows approach or, when available and appropriate, to comparable market values. The carrying amount of the asset (or the long-lived assets in the asset group on a pro rata basis using the relative carrying amounts) is reduced to the extent not lower than the fair value of the asset. The adjusted carrying amounts after an impairment charge represent the new cost basis and is depreciated over their remaining useful lives.

 

Fair value measurement

The accounting standard regarding fair value of financial instruments and related fair value measurements defines financial instruments and requires disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments held by the Company. The Company considers the carrying amount of cash, short term held to maturity investments, notes receivable, accounts receivable, other receivables, prepayments, accounts payable, other payables and accrued liabilities customer deposits, short term loans and taxes payable to approximate their fair values because of their short term nature.

 

The accounting standards define fair value, establish a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosures of fair value measurement and enhance disclosure requirements for fair value measures. The three levels are defined as follow:

Level 1 inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.

 

Level 2 inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the assets or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instruments.

 

Level 3 inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value.

 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Financial instruments included in current assetsAs of December 31, 2023 and current2022, the carrying values of cash, accounts receivable, other receivables, accounts payable, other payables and accrued liabilities are reported inapproximate their fair values due to the consolidated balance sheets at face value or cost, which approximate fair value becauseshort-term nature of the short periodinstruments. Fair value of time between the origination of such instruments and their expected realization and their current market rates of interest.

Customer deposits

Wuge typically receives customer deposits for services to be rendered from its customers. As Wuge delivers the services, it will recognize these deposits to results of operationsconvertible notes receivable has been discussed in accordance to its revenue recognition policy. 

Revenue recognitionNote 21.

 

Revenue recognition

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) using the modified retrospective method for contracts that were not completed as of January 1, 2018. This did not result in an adjustment to retained earnings upon adoption of this new guidance as the Company’s revenue, other than retainage revenues, was recognized based on the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for satisfying the performance obligations. However, the impact of the Company’s retainage revenue was not material as of the date of adoption, and as a result, did not result in an adjustment.

 

The core principle underlying the revenue recognition ASUASC 606 is that the Company will recognize revenue to represent the transfer of goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in such exchange. This will require the Company to identify contractual performance obligations and determine whether revenue should be recognized at a point in time or over time, based on when control of goods and services transfers to a customer. The Company’s revenue streams are primarily recognized at a point in time except for the retainage revenues where the retainage periods are recognized over the retainage period, usually is a period of twelve months.time.

 

F-19

The ASUASC 606 requires the use of a new five-step model to recognize revenue from customer contracts. The five-step model requires that the Company (i) identify the contract with the customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, including variable consideration to the extent that it is probable that a significant future reversal will not occur, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the respective performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies the performance obligation. The application of the five-step model to the revenue streams compared to the prior guidance did not result in significant changes in the way the Company records its revenue. Upon adoption, the Company evaluated its revenue recognition policy for all revenue streams within the scope of the ASUASC 606 under previous standards and using the five-step model under the new guidance and confirmed that there were no differences in the pattern of revenue recognition except its retainage revenues.

 

An entity will also be required to determine if it controls the goods or services prior to the transfer to the customer in order to determine if it should account for the arrangement as a principal or agent. Principal arrangements, where the entity controls the goods or services provided, will result in the recognition of the gross amount of consideration expected in the exchange. Agent arrangements, where the entity simply arranges but does not control the goods or services being transferred to the customer, will result in the recognition of the net amount the entity is entitled to retain in the exchange.

 

The Company, as a principal, provides services to clients under separate contracts, generating revenue. The pricing terms specified in the contracts are fixed. An obligation to perform is identified in contracts with clients. Revenue from equipment and systems, revenue from coating and fuel materials, and revenue from trading and others areis recognized atover the date of goods delivered and title passed to customers, when a formal arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable, the Company has no other significant obligations and collectability is reasonably assured. Such revenues are recognized at a pointperiod in time after all performance obligations are satisfied under the new five-step model. In addition, training service revenues are recognized whenwhich the services are rendered and the Company has no other obligations, and collectability is reasonably assured. These revenues are recognized at a point in time.earned.

 

Revenues from digital doors signs are recognized at a point in time when legal title and control over the sign is transferred to the customer. Management has determined that for the sales of digital door signs there is a single performance obligation that is met when the aforementioned control is transferred. Typically, customers make payment for the product in advance; the Company will record the payment as contract liabilities under the liability account customer deposits until the Company delivers the product by transferring control. The Company recognized $900,522 from customer deposits into revenues during the year ended December 31, 2021 resulting from the sale of digital door signs.

Payments received prior to the relevant criteria for revenue recognition are met, are recorded as customer deposits.

The Company’s disaggregate revenue streams are summarized as follows:

  For the year ended
December 31,
 
  2021  2020 
Revenues –Wuge digital door signs $25,029,949  $- 
Revenues – Trading and others  -   591,455 
Total revenues $25,029,949  $591,455 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Research and Development (“R&D”) Expenses

 

Research and development expenses include salaries and other compensation-related expenses paid to the Company’s research and product development personnel while they are working on R&D projects, as well as raw materials usedThe Company did not have any revenue streams from continuing operations for the R&D projects. R&D expenses incurred by the Company are included in the selling, generalyears ended December 31, 2023 and administrative expenses. 

Income taxes2022.

 

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with U.S. GAAP for income taxes. The charge for taxation is based on the results for the fiscal year as adjusted for items, which are non-assessable or disallowed. It is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

 

Deferred taxes areis accounted for using the asset and liability method in respect of temporary differences arising from differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and the corresponding tax basis used in the computation of assessable tax profit. In principle, deferred tax liabilities are recognized for all taxable temporary differences. Deferred tax assets are recognized to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available against which deductible temporary differences can be utilized. Deferred tax is calculated using tax rates that are expected to apply to the period when the asset is realized or the liability is settled. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income statement, except when it is related to items credited or charged directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Current income taxes are provided for in accordance with the laws of the relevant taxing authorities.

 

An uncertain tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. Penalties and interest incurred related to underpayment of income tax are classified as income tax expense in the period incurred. The Company incurred no such penalties and interest for the yearyears ended December 31, 20212023 and 2020.2022. As of December 31, 2021,2023, the Company’s PRC tax returns filed for 2018, 2019 and 20202023 remain subject to examination by any applicable tax authorities.

Earnings per share

 

F-20

Interest

Interest income is mainly generated from bank deposits and other interest earning financial assets and is recognized on an accrual basis using the effective interest method.

Net Loss per Common Stock

Basic earningsloss per share areis computed by dividing incomeloss available to common shareholdersstockholders of the Company by the weighted average common sharesstocks outstanding during the period. Diluted earningsloss per share takes into account the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common sharesstocks were exercised and converted into common shares.stocks. 

In May 2023 and November 2023 in connection with the placement agency agreements (see Note 17), the Company issued and sold pre-funded warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 844,351 and 1,876,103 shares of common stock, at the exercise price of $8.35 and $3.019 per share, of which $8.349 and $3.018 was pre-funded and paid to the Company upon issuance of the pre-funded warrants, respectively. The remaining exercise price of the pre-funded warrants is $0.001 per share. The pre-funded warrants are exercisable by the holders at any time and do not expire. On November 1, 2023, in connection with the Warrant Exchange Agreements (see Note 17), the holders of May 2023 Unregistered Warrants (as defined in Note 17) surrendered the May 2023 Unregistered Warrants, and the Company cancelled the May 2023 Unregistered Warrants and issued to these holders pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 577,260 shares of the Company’s common stock with no consideration.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, 1,807,951 pre-funded warrants representing 1,807,951 shares of the Company’s common stock were exercised for no consideration. The remaining pre-funded warrants are immediately exercisable after issuance and do not expire. As the remaining shares underlying the pre-funded warrants are issuable for nominal consideration of $0.001 per share, 1,489,763 in common stocks underlying the unexercised pre-funded warrants were considered outstanding for purposes of the calculation of loss per share as of December 31, 2023.

8,134,043 and 9,079,348 and 10,500,000 of outstanding warrants (excluding the Pre-funded Warrants and Exchange Warrants) which isare equivalent to convertible of 3,904,879 and 4,539,674 and 5,250,000 common sharesstocks were excluded from the diluted earningsloss per share calculation due to its anti-dilutiveantidilutive effect for the yearyears ended December 31, 20212023 and 2020,2022, respectively.Nil and 824,000 of outstanding options were excluded from the diluted earningsloss per share calculation due to its anti-dilutiveantidilutive effect for the yearyears ended December 31, 20212023 and 2020.2022.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss is defined as the changes in equity of the Company during a year from transactions and other events and circumstances excluding transactions resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. Accumulated other comprehensive income of the Company includes the foreign currency translation adjustments and unrealized gains or loss on available-for-sale investments.

Reclassification

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no impact on net loss or and financial position.

 

Recently issued accounting pronouncementsF-21

 

Recently Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2018,October 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive IncomeNo. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 220)805): ReclassificationAccounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2021-08), which clarifies that an acquirer of Certain Tax Effectsa business should recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities in a business combination in accordance with Topic 606, Revenue from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.Contracts with Customers. The new amendments in this Update affect any entity that is required to apply the provisions of Topic 220, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income, and has items of other comprehensive income for which the related tax effects are presented in other comprehensive income as required by GAAP. The amendments in this Update are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018,2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments, with early adoption permitted. The Company has evaluated and concluded that there’s no impact of the new guidance on the consolidated financial statements. The Company adopted ASU 2021-08 since January 1, 2024.

In June 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-03, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions”, which clarifies that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and, therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The amendments also clarify that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. This guidance also requires certain disclosures for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions. The new guidance is required to be applied prospectively with any adjustments from the adoption of the amendments recognized in earnings and disclosed on the date of adoption. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after 15 December 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated and concluded that there’s no impact of the amendments in this Update is permitted, including adoption in any interim period, (1) for public business entities for reporting periods fornew guidance on the consolidated financial statements. The Company adopted ASU 2022-03 since January 1, 2024.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (ASU 2023-09), which financial statements have not yet been issued and (2) for all other entities for reporting periods for which financial statements have not yet been made available for issuance. The amendments in this Update should be applied either in the periodrequires disclosure of adoption or retrospectively to each period (or periods) in which the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporateincremental income tax information within the rate in the Tax Cutsreconciliation and Jobs Actexpanded disclosures of income taxes paid, among other disclosure requirements. ASU 2023-09 is recognized.effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The CompanyCompany’s management does not believe the adoption of this ASU would2023-09 will have a material effectimpact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidatedits financial statements.statements and disclosures.

 

The Company does not believe other recently issued but not yet effective accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets, statements of incomeoperations and comprehensive incomeloss and statements of cash flows.

 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 3 – Business combinationCombination and restructuringRestructuring

 

TJ Comex BVIHighlight Media

On April 2, 2018, the Company disposed of its subsidiary, TJComex BVI, in consideration of (i) its minimum contribution to the Company’s results of operation and (ii) the unsatisfactory synergy between the TJComex BVI business and the rest of the Company’s business. The Company’s decision to dispose TJComex BVI is to (i) improve the Company’s overall financial condition and results of operations, (ii) reduce the complexity of the Company’s business, (iii) focus the Company’s resources on the solid waste recycling business as well as developing environmental control business opportunities; and (iv) make it possible for the Company to pursue acquisition opportunities for more compatible business. TJComex BVI was disposed to Chuanliu Ni, a Chinese citizen who is the Chief Executive Officer and director of China Sunlong, for no consideration.

As of April 2, 2018, the net assets of TJComex BVI were $16,598 and will be recorded as a loss from disposal of subsidiary in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018. As TJComex BVI operating revenue was less than 1% of the Company’s revenue and the disposal did not constitute a strategic shift that will have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results, the results of operations for TJComex BVI were not reported as discontinued operations under the guidance of Accounting Standards Codification 205.

Wuge

On January 3, 2020,September 16, 2022, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement with Sichuan Wuge Network Games Co., Ltd. (“Wuge”)Highlight Media and all the shareholders of WugeHighlight Media (“WugeHighlight Media Shareholders”). Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, the Company agreed to issue an aggregate of 4,000,0009,000,000 shares of CCNC’sthe Company’s common stock to the WugeHighlight Media Shareholders, in exchange for WugeHighlight Media Shareholders’ agreement to enter into, and their agreement to cause WugeHighlight Media to enter into, certain VIE agreements (“VIE Agreements”) with TongrongMakesi WFOE the CompanysCompany’s indirectly owned subsidiary, through which TongrongMakesi WFOE shall have the right to control, manage and operate WugeHighlight Media in return for a service fee equal to 100% of Wuge’sHighlight Media’s net income (the “Acquisition”). On January 3, 2020, TongrongSeptember 16, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into a series of VIE Agreements with WugeHighlight Media and the WugeHighlight Media Shareholders. The VIE Agreements are designed to provide TongrongMakesi WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Wuge,Highlight Media, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Wuge. Wuge has all necessary license to carry out its businessHighlight Media. Highlight Media, founded in China.Wuge2016, is a technology company in development stage. It was incorporated in China in July 2019. Wuge Manor, the game Wuge is developing, is the world’s first game that combines Internet of Things (IoT)an integrated marketing service agency, focusing on enterprise brand management, crisis public relations, intelligent public opinion monitoring, media PR, financial and e-commerce that is based on Code Chain platform. Through the game, players will be able to have access to hundreds of vendorseconomic we-media operation, digital face application, large-scale exhibition services and business owners in over 100 cities in China, participate in activities those businesses set up and collect points, which can be redeemed as equipment in the game or coupons usable when making purchase at that business. In addition, Wuge produced electronic tokens that can be stored in the Code Chain system to purchase virtual property based on real estate.other businesses. The Acquisition closed on January 24, 2020.September 29, 2022.

On February 27, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements (the “Assignment Agreements”) with Makesi WFOE, Highlight Media and Highlight Shareholders, pursuant to which Makesi WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE Agreements to Highlight WFOE (the “Assignment”). The VIE Agreements and the Assignment Agreements grant Highlight WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Highlight Media, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Highlight Media. The Assignment does not have any impact on Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

F-22

The Company’s acquisition of WugeHighlight Media was accounted for as a business combination in accordance with ASC 805.805 Business Combinations. The Company has allocated the purchase price of WugeHighlight Media based upon the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed on the acquisition date. Other current assets and current liabilities were valued using the cost approach. Management of the Company is responsible for determining the fair value of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, plant and equipment, and intangible assets identified as of the acquisition date and considered a number of factors including valuations from independent appraisers. Acquisition-related costs incurred for the acquisitions are not material and have been expensed as incurred in general and administrative expense.expenses.

 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The following table summarizes the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, which represents the net purchase price allocation at the date of the acquisition of WugeHighlight Media based on a valuation performed by an independent valuation firm engaged by the Company:

Total consideration at fair value $2,250,000 
  Fair Value 
Cash $47,498 
Other current assets  107,828 
Equipment  1,205 
Other noncurrent assets  - 
Goodwill  2,121,947 
Total asset  2,278,478 
Accounts payable  14,170 
Taxes Payable  363 
Other Payable  13,945 
Total liabilities  28,478 
Net asset acquired $2,250,000 

 

Total consideration at fair value$7,200,000

  Fair Value 
Cash $228,788 
Other current assets  20,834 
Plant and equipment  6,024 
Other noncurrent assets  8,097 
Goodwill  7,343,209 
Total asset  7,606,952 
Total liabilities  (406,952)
Net asset acquired $7,200,000 

Approximately $7.3 millions$2.1 million of goodwill arising from the acquisition consists largely of synergies expected from combining the operations of the Company and Wuge. Highlight Media. None of the goodwill is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes. The Company recognized an impairment charge of approximately $1.16 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. Management determined that fair value was less than the carrying value because it revised its previous forecasts for sales and related costs as result of the potential for other market entrants, potential political risk from changing regulations by the PRC government, potential increases in costs because of inflation, and the impact of the COVID 19 global pandemic. Management using its revised figures, conducted a discounted cash flow analysis whereby the future cash flows where discounted by a weighted average cost of capital that was developed by considering the Company’s own debt cost and equity cost, and adjusting based on the cost of capital of other market participants, and then derived a fair value that was less than the carrying value; accordingly, the Company recorded an impairment charge to reduce the goodwill to the new fair value.

 

Note 4 – Variable interest entityInterest Entity

 

Wuge

On November 30, 2018,January 3, 2020, Tongrong WFOE entered into Contractual Arrangementscontractual arrangements with Rong HaiWuge and its shareholders upon executing of the “Purchase Agreement”.shareholders. The significant terms of these Contractual Arrangementscontractual arrangements are summarized in “Note 1 - Nature of business and organization” above. As a result, the Company classifies Rong Hai as VIE.

On January 3, 2020, Tongrong WFOE entered into Contractual Arrangements with Wuge and its shareholders upon executing of the “Purchase Agreement”. The significant terms of these Contractual Arrangements are summarized in “Note 1 - Nature of business and organization” above. As a result, the Company classifiesclassified Wuge as VIE.

 

On January 11, 2021, Makesi WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements (the “Assignment Agreements”) with Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge, Shareholders, pursuant to which Tongrong WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE Agreementsagreements to Makesi WFOE (the “Assignment”).WFOE. The VIE Agreementsagreements and the Assignment Agreements grantassignment agreements granted Makesi WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Wuge, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Wuge. The Assignment doesassignment did not have any impact on Company’s consolidated financial statements.

On September 28, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Wuge and the shareholders of Wuge to terminate the VIE agreements and to cancel the shares previously issued to the shareholders of Wuge, based on the average closing price of $0.237 per share of the Company during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the termination agreement. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Wuge as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Wuge in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

 

F-23

Yuanma

On March 30, 2021,June 21, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Yuanma and its shareholders. The significant terms of these contractual arrangements are summarized in “Note 1 - Nature of business and organization” above. As a result, the Company classified Yuanma as VIE.

On June 26, 2023, GDC entered into a share purchase agreement with a buyer unaffiliated with the Company (the “Buyer”), and Qihai Wang, former director of the Company (the “Payee”).Company. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the Buyerbuyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares (the “Tongrong Shares”) of Tongrong WFOE. The Payee agreed to be responsible for the paymentequity interest in TMSR HK, which hold 100% of the purchase price on behalf of Buyer.equity interests in Makesi WFOE. The purchase price for the Tongrong Shares shall be $2,464,411, payable in the form of cancelling 426,369 shares of common stock of the Company ownedtransaction contemplated by the Payee (the “CCNC Shares”).Agreement was $100,000. The CCNC Shares are valued at $5.78 per share, based on the average closing pricesale of the Company’s common stock during the 30 trading days immediately prior to the date of the agreement from February 12, 2021 to March 26, 2021. On March 31, 2021, the Company closedTMSR HK included the sale of Makesi WFOE and Yuanma, which has any material impact on the Tongrong Shares and caused the CCNC Shares to be cancelled. Tongrong WFOE contractually controls Jaingsu Rong Hai Electric Power Fuel Co., Ltd. (“Rong Hai”), a variable interest entity of the Company. The disposition of Tongrong WFOE included disposition of Rong Hai.Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

Highlight Media


On September 16, 2022, Makesi WFOE entered into contractual arrangements with Highlight Media and its shareholders. The significant terms of these contractual arrangements are summarized in “Note 1 - Nature of business and organization” above. As a result, the Company classifies Highlight Media as VIE.

 

On February 27, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a series of assignment agreements with Makesi WFOE, Highlight Media and Highlight Shareholders, pursuant to which Makesi WFOE assign all its rights and obligations under the VIE agreements to Highlight WFOE. The VIE agreements and the assignment agreements granted Highlight WFOE with the power, rights and obligations equivalent in all material respects to those it would possess as the sole equity holder of Highlight Media, including absolute rights to control the management, operations, assets, property and revenue of Highlight Media. The assignment did not have any impact on Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIESOn September 26, 2023, Highlight WFOE entered into a termination agreement with Highlight Media and the shareholders of Highlight Media to terminate the VIE Agreements and sell the interest in the VIE Agreements for a purchase price of $100,000. As a result of such termination, the Company no longer treats Highlight Media as a consolidated affiliated entity or consolidates the financial results and balance sheet of Highlight Media in the Company’s consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

A VIE is an entity that has either a total equity investment that is insufficient to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, or whose equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest, such as through voting rights, right to receive the expected residual returns of the entity or obligation to absorb the expected losses of the entity. The variable interest holder, if any, that has a controlling financial interest in a VIE is deemed to be the primary beneficiary and must consolidate the VIE. Highlight WFOE is deemed to have a controlling financial interest and be the primary beneficiary of Highlight Media and Makesi WFOE is deemed to have a controlling financial interest and be the primary beneficiary of Wuge and Yuanma because it hasHighlight WFOE and Makesi WFOE have both of the following characteristics:

(1)The power to direct activities at Highlight Media, Wuge and Yuanma that most significantly impact such entity’s economic performance, and

 

(1) The power to direct activities at Wuge that most significantly impact such entity’s economic performance, and

(2)The obligation to absorb losses of, and the right to receive benefits from Highlight Media, Wuge and Yuanma that could potentially be significant to such entity.

 

(2) The obligation to absorb losses of, and the right to receive benefits from Rong Hai and Wuge that could potentially be significant to such entity.

Accordingly, the accounts of Rong HaiHighlight Media, Wuge and WugeYuanma are consolidated in the accompanying financial statements pursuant to ASC 810-10, Consolidation. In addition, theirWuge’s financial positions and results of operations are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements beginning on November 30, 2018.prior to September 28, 2022, Yuanma’s financial positions and results of operations are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements prior to June 26, 2023 and Highlight Media’s financial positions and results of operations are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements prior to September 26, 2023.

 

The carrying amount of the VIE’s assets and liabilities are as follows:

  December 31,  December 31, 
  2021  2020 
       
Current assets $17,258,309  $9,600,157 
Property, plants and equipment  284,151   1,268,272 
Other noncurrent assets  1,825,048   196,415 
Goodwill  6,590,339   11,650,157 
Total assets  25,957,847   22,715,001 
         
Current liabilities  15,825,043   8,766,619 
Non-current liabilities  8,738   33,698 
Total liabilities  15,833,781   8,800,317 
Net assets $10,124,066  $13,914,684 

F-24

  December 31,  December 31, 
  2021  2020 
       
Short-term loan $-  $475,103 
Accounts payable  3,202,771   1,037,723 
Other payables and accrued liabilities  1,622,689   103,323 
Other payables – related party  2,841,242   6,090,841 
Tax payables  973,748   57,815 
Customer Advances  7,171,255   900,522 
Lease liabilities  13,338   101,292 
Total current liabilities  15,825,043   8,766,619 
Lease liabilities - noncurrent  8,738   33,698 
Total liabilities $15,833,781  $8,800,317 

The summarized operating results of the VIE’s are as follows:

  For the year ended
December 31,
 
  2021 
    
Operating revenues $25,029,949 
Gross profit  8,370,246 
Income from operations  5,016,668 
Net income $3,721,527 

All goodwill related to Ronghai was removed from the Company’s financial position upon disposition of that entity.


 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTSAs of December 31, 2023, the Company did not have any VIE operations. The operations results from VIE operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 have been reflected in discontinued operations as disclosed in Note 20.

 

Note 5 – Accounts receivableCash and Cash Equivalents

Cash at banks represents cash balances maintained at commercial banks. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not have any cash equivalents. The Company maintains bank accounts receivable – related partyin the United States and institutions in PRC.

  December 31,  December 31, 
  2023  2022 
Cash at Banks $5,175,518  $389,108 

 

Accounts receivable consistNote 6 – Prepaid and Other Current Assets

Prepaid and other current assets consisted of the following:following as of December 31, 2023:

  December 31, 
  2023 
Prepayments of digital human services $797,500 
Prepayments of live streaming services  487,587 
Other prepayments  5,803 
Total Prepaid and other current assets $1,290,890 

 

  December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
       
Accounts receivable $                 -  $1,670,526 
Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts  -   (598,936)
Total accounts receivable, net $-  $1,071,590 

Note 7 – Accounts Receivable

 

Accounts receivable consisted of the following as of December 31, 2023 and 2022:

  December 31,
2023
  December 31,
2022
 
Accounts receivable $       -  $197,640 
Less: allowance for doubtful accounts  -   (3,120)
Total accounts receivable, net $-  $194,520 

Movement of the allowance for doubtful accounts is as follows:

  December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
       
Beginning balance $  $ 
Beginning balance from Wuhan HOST                      -   - 
Beginning balance from Rong Hai  -   24,055 
Depositing ending balance of Hubei Shengrong  -   - 
Addition  -   542,087 
Recovery and reversals  -   - 
Exchange rate effect  -   32,794 
Ending balance $-  $598,936 

Note 6 – Inventories

Inventories consist of the following:

  December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
       
Raw materials $             -  $- 
Finished goods  3,714   1,047,274 
Total inventories $3,714  $1,047,274 

Note 7 – Plant and equipment, net

Plant and equipment consist of the following:

  December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
       
Office equipment and furniture  124,248   76,605 
Automobile  219,895   272,902 
Subtotal  344,143   349,507 
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization  (60,247)  (266,674)
Total $283,896  $82,833 

Depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 amounted to $59,089 and $19,869, respectively.

  December 31,
2023
  December 31,
2022
 
Beginning balance $3,120  $- 
Addition  -   3,120 
Disposal of Highlight Media  (3,120)  - 
Ending balance $-  $3,120 

 


F-25

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIESNote 8 – Other Receivables

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Other receivables as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 consisted of the following:

  December 31,
2023
  December 31,
2022
 
Receivable from disposal of Wuge $-  $948,000 
Others  9,459   78,293 
Total other receivables, net $9,459  $1,026,293 

The balance of $948,000 on December 31, 2022 is the consideration required to be received upon disposal of Wuge. It was settled on March 9, 2023 by cancellation of 133,333 shares of the Company’s common stock, after giving effect to the reverse stock split which became effective on November 9, 2022, that were previously issued to Wuge shareholders.

 

Note 9 – Equipment, net

Equipment, net consisted of the following as of December 31, 2023 and 2022:

  December 31,
2023
  December 31,
2022
 
Office equipment and furniture $14,190  $10,039 
Less: accumulated depreciation  (1,679)  (9,537)
Total $12,511  $502 

Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 amounted to $1,679 and $718, respectively.

Note 810 – Intangible assets,Assets, net

 

Intangible assets consistconsisted of the following:following as of December 31, 2023:

  December 31,
2023
 
Software $3,653,104 
Subtotal  3,653,104 
Less: accumulated amortization  (345,155)
Total $3,307,949 

The Company’s intangible assets include a software of $750,000 purchased from a third party by issuance of 180,000 of the Company’s common stock (as disclosed in Note 17) and software of $2,903,104 purchased by the Company in cash. The Company amortizes its software over their estimated useful lives and reviews these assets for impairment.

 

  December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
       
Development of technology $784,227  $1,226,072 
Software  612   598 
Less: accumulated amortization  (784,584)  (149)
Net intangible assets $255  $1,226,521 

Amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 amounted to $1,240,281 and $141, respectively.2023 was $345,155.

 

Note 911 – Goodwill

 

In connection with the disposal of Highlight Media and Wuge, the goodwill recognized from acquisition of Highlight Media and Wuge were impaired in full. The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by business units arefor the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows

  Rong Hai  Wuge  Total 
Balance as of December 31, 2020 $3,896,817  $7,753,340  $11,650,157 
Goodwill impairments      (1,163,001)  (1,163,001)
Disposal of the company  (3,896,817)  -   (3,896,817)
Balance as of December 31, 2021 $-  $6,590,339  $6,590,339 

Refer to Notes 3 and 4 above for details on the circumstances that led to impairment of Wuge and Ronghai, respectively.

Note 10 – Related party balances and transactions

Related party balancesfollows:

a.Other receivable – related party:

Name of related party Relationship December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
         
Chengdu Yuan Code Chain Technology Co. Ltd A company controlled by former shareholder of the Company $513,387  $230,134 
Marchain (Shanghai) Network Technology Co., LTD A company controlled by shareholder of the Company  78,423   - 
Chenghua District Code To Code To Commerce And Trade Department A company controlled by  employee of the Company  19,138   - 
           
Total    610,948   230,134 

The Company advanced funds to the related party for technical services.

b.Other payables – related parties:

Name of related party Relationship December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
         
Chuanliu Ni Chief Executive Officer and director of a former subsidiary $325,907  $   325,907 
Zhong Hui Holding Limited Shareholder of the Company  140,500   140,500 
Qihai Wang Shareholder of the Company  -   24,729 
           
Total   $466,407  $491,136 

The above payables represent interest free loans and advances. These loans and advances are unsecured and due on demand.

  Highlight Media  Wuge  Total 
Balance as of December 31, 2021 $-  $6,590,339  $6,590,339 
Goodwill acquired through acquisition  2,190,485   -   2,190,485 
Goodwill impairments  -   (6,590,339)  (6,590,339)
Balance as of December 31, 2022 $2,190,485  $-  $2,190,485 
Goodwill impairments  (2,190,485)  -   (2,190,485)
Balance as of December 31, 2023 $-  $-  $- 

 


F-26

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIESNote 12 – Related Party Transactions

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Other payable – related parties:

Name of related party Relationship Nature December 31,
2023
  December 31,
2022
 
Shanghai Highlight Asset Management Co. LTD(1) A company in which the then shareholder hold shares Advances $-  $195,732 
Zihao Zhao Chief Finance Officer Accrued compensations  20,833   - 
Total     $20,833  $195,732 

(1)In connection with the disposal of Highlight Media on September 26, 2023, the balance of other payable -related parties as of December 31, 2022 was settled as well.

For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded compensation expenses to its officers amounted to $120,833 and nil, for their services provided to the Company.

 

Note 1113TaxesConvertible Notes Receivable

 

Income taxThe Company’s convertible notes receivable consisted of the following as of December 31, 2023:

  December 31,
2023
 
Convertible notes receivable $2,602,027 
Total $2,602,027 

On June 1, 2023 and August 17, 2023, the Company purchased two convertible notes issued by DigiTrax Entertainment Inc. (the “DigiTrax”) for an aggregated of $1,000,000 (the “DigiTrax Convertible Notes”). Each DigiTrax Convertible Note will be due on one year after the original issuance (the “DigiTrax Convertible Note Maturity Date”). The Company has the right to receive interest on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding principal amount of these notes at the rate of 10% per annum. Accrued and unpaid interest will be due and payable on conversion, repayment, redemption, maturity or default. At any time (after six months) after the issuance until the notes are no longer outstanding, the notes shall be convertible, in whole or part, into shares of common stock of DigiTrax at a price of $1.4 per share. In the event DigiTrax consummates a public offering of any capital stock and is able to receive gross proceeds of at least $10,000,000 (“Qualified Offering”) prior to the DigiTrax Convertible Note Maturity Date and there’s no event of default, all then outstanding principal and accrued but unpaid interest under the DigiTrax Convertible Notes should convert into the number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of DigiTrax common stock based on the lesser of (i) $1.4 per share, or (ii) seventy percent (70%) of the price per share of DigiTrax common stock that is subject to the Qualified Offering.

On June 2, 2023 and August 17, 2023, the Company purchased two convertible notes issued by Liquid Marketplace Corp. (the “Liquid”) for an aggregated of $1,500,000 (the “Liquid Convertible Notes”). Each Liquid Convertible Note will be due on one year after the original issuance (the “Liquid Convertible Note Maturity Date”). The Company has the right to receive interest on the aggregate unconverted and then outstanding principal amount of these notes at the rate of 8% per annum. Accrued and unpaid interest will be due and payable on conversion, repayment, redemption, maturity or default. At any time after the issuance until the notes are no longer outstanding, the notes shall be convertible, in whole or part, into shares of common stock of Liquid at a price of $0.25 per share. In the event Liquid consummates a public offering of any capital stock and is able to receive gross proceeds of at least $10,000,000 (“Qualified Offering”) prior to the Liquid Convertible Note Maturity Date and there’s no event of default, all then outstanding principal and accrued but unpaid interest under the Liquid Convertible Notes should convert into the number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Liquid common stock based on the lesser of (i) $0.25 per share, or (ii) seventy percent (70%) of the price per share of Liquid common stock that is subject to the Qualified Offering.

 

F-27

The Company evaluated the terms of the DigiTrax Convertible Notes and the Liquid Convertible Notes according to ASC 320 and concluded that these notes should be classified as an available-for-sale security and measured at fair value.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded unrealized gains on the fair value changes of these notes amounted to $102,027 in other comprehensive income in relation to above convertible notes in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding balance of the convertible notes were $2,602,027.

Note 14 – Leases

Leases are classified as operating leases or finance leases in accordance with ASC 842 Leases. The Company’s operating leases mainly related to the rights to use building and office facilities. For leases with terms greater than 12 months, the Company records the related asset and liability at the present value of lease payments over the term. Certain leases include rental escalation clauses, renewal options and/or termination options, which are factored into the Company’s determination of lease payments when appropriate.

December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
Weighted average remaining lease term:
Operating lease4.81 yearsN/A
Weighted average discount rate:
Operating lease7.56%N/A

The balances for the operating leases where the Group is the lessee are presented as follows within the consolidated balance sheets:

  December 31,
2023
  December 31,
2022
 
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net      
Operating lease $1,561,058  $         - 
         
Lease liabilities        
Current portion of operating lease liabilities  358,998   - 
Non-current portion of operating lease liabilities  1,317,678   - 
  $1,676,676  $- 

Future lease payments under operating leases as of December 31, 2023 were as follows:

  Operating Leases 
    
FY2024 $412,267 
FY2025  386,829 
FY2026  394,566 
FY2027  402,457 
FY2028  410,506 
Total lease payments $2,006,625 
Less: imputed interest  329,949 
Present value of lease liabilities (1) $1,676,676 

(1)Present value of future operating lease payments consisted of current portion of operating lease liabilities and non-current portion of operating lease liabilities, amounting to $358,998 and $1,317,678, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2023.

F-28

Note 15 – Taxes

Income tax

United States

 

CCNCGDC was organized in the state of Delaware in April 2015 and re-incorporated in the state of Nevada in June 2018. CCNC’s U.S. net operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 amounted to approximately $24.7 million.2015. As of December 31, 2021, CCNC’s2023 and 2022, GDC’s net operating loss carry forward for United States income taxes was approximately $5.2 million.$6.3 million and $4.6 million, respectively. The net operating loss carry forwards are available to reduce future years’ taxable income through year 2038.2039. Management believes that the realization of the benefits from these losses appears uncertain due to the Company’s operating history and continued losses in the United States. Accordingly, the Company has provided a 100% valuation allowance on the deferred tax asset to reduce the asset to zero. Management reviews this valuation allowance periodically and makes changes accordingly.

 

On December 22, 2017, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (“The 2017 Tax Act”) was enacted in the United States. Under the provisions of the Act, the U.S. corporate tax rate decreased from 34% to 21%. The 2017 Tax Act imposed a global intangible low-taxed income tax (“GILTI”), which is a new tax on certain off-shore earnings at an effective rate of 10.5% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 (increasing to 13.125% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025) with a partial offset for foreign tax credits. The Company determined that there areis no impact of GILTI for the yearyears ended December 31, 20192023 and 2018,2022, which the Company believes that it will be imposed a minimum tax rate of 10.5% and to the extent foreign tax credits are available to reduce its US corporate tax, which may result in no additional US federal income tax being due.

Cayman Islands

China Sunlong is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and are not subject to tax on income or capital gains under current Cayman Islands law. In addition, upon payments of dividends by China Sunlong to its shareholders, no Cayman Islands withholding tax will be imposed.

 

British Virgin Islands

 

ShengrongCiti Profit BVI and TJComex BVI areis incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and are not subject to tax on income or capital gains under current British Virgin Islands law. In addition, upon payments of dividends by these entities to their shareholders, no British Virgin Islands withholding tax will be imposed.

 

Hong Kong

TMSR HK isand Highlight HK are incorporated in Hong Kong and are subject to Hong Kong Profits Tax on the taxable income as reported in its statutory financial statements adjusted in accordance with relevant Hong Kong tax laws. The applicableTMSR and Highlight HK are subject to Hong Kong profit tax at a rate isof 8.25% for assessable profits on the first HK$2 million and 16.5% for any assessable profits in Hong Kong.excess of HK$2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company did not make any provisions for Hong Kong profit tax as there were no assessable profits derived from or earned in Hong Kong since inception. Under Hong Kong tax law, TMSR HK is exempted from income tax on its foreign-derived income and there are no withholding taxes in Hong Kong on remittance of dividends.

 

PRC


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

PRC

Makesi WFOE, Highlight WFOE, Highlight Media, Yuanma and WugeSH Xianzhui are governed by the income tax laws of the PRC and the income tax provision in respect to operations in the PRC is calculated at the applicable tax rates on the taxable income for the periods based on existing legislation, interpretations and practices in respect thereof. Under the Enterprise Income Tax Laws of the PRC (the “EIT Laws”), Chinese enterprises are subject to income tax at a rate of 25% after appropriate tax adjustments.

DeferredF-29

The current and deferred components of income tax assetsexpenses from continuing operations appearing in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss are as follows:

 

Bad debt allowances must be approved by the Chinese tax authority prior to being deducted as an expense item on the tax return.

  December 31,  December 31, 
  2023  2022 
Current tax $-  $- 
Deferred tax  327,822   - 
Total $327,822  $        - 

 

SignificantThe principal components of the Company’s deferred income tax assets wereand liabilities as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:

  December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
       
Net operating losses carried forward – U.S. $5,191,512  $303,560 
Net operating losses carried forward – PRC  -   - 
Bad debt allowance  -   127,377 
Valuation allowance  (5,191,512)  (303,560)
Deferred tax assets, net $-  $127,377 
  December 31,  December 31, 
  2023  2022 
Deferred tax assets      
Net operating losses carried forward $6,295,697  $4,574,581 
Lease liability  352,102   - 
Valuation allowance  (6,647,799)  (4,574,581)
Deferred tax assets, net $-  $- 
Deferred tax liabilities        
Right - Of - Use assets $327,822  $- 
Deferred tax liabilities, net $327,822  $- 

Value added tax

Enterprises or individuals who sell commodities, engage in repair and maintenance or import and export goods in the PRC are subject to a value added tax in accordance with PRC laws. The value added tax (“VAT”) standard rates are 6% to 17% of the gross sales price and changed to 6% to 16% of gross sales starting in May 2018. The VAT standard rates changed to 6% to 13% of the gross sales prices starting in April 2019. A credit is available whereby VAT paid on the purchases of semi-finished products or raw materials used in the production of the Company’s finished products can be used to offset the VAT due on sales of the finished products and services.

 

Taxes payable consisted of the following:

 December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
      December 31,
2023
 

December 31,
2022

 
VAT taxes payable $973,748  $1,589  $      -  $8,478 
Income taxes payable  1,272,670   70,914 
Other taxes payable  -   136 
        
Total $2,246,418  $72,639  $-  $8,478 

 


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 12 – Leases

Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, “Leases” (Topic 842), and elected the package of practical expedients that does not require us to reassess: (1) whether any expired or existing contracts are, or contain, leases, (2) lease classification for any expired or existing leases and (3) initial direct costs for any expired or existing leases. The Company adopted the practical expedient that allows lessees to treat the lease and non-lease components of a lease as a single lease component. The impact of the adoption on January 1, 2019 increased the right-of-uses and lease liabilities by approximately $58,000.

The Company had a conference room lease agreement with a 2-year lease term starting in April 2020 until April 2022 , The Company had a staff quarter lease agreement with a 2-year lease term starting in March 2021 until March 2023 and another staff quarter lease agreement with a 3-year lease term starting in July 2021 until July 2024. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, the Company recognized lease labilities of approximately $58,000, with corresponding Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets of the same amount based on the present value of the future minimum rental payments of the new lease, using an effective interest rate of 4.75%, which is determined using an incremental borrowing rate.

The weighted average remaining lease term of its existing leases is 1 years.

The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

For the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, rent expenses amounted to $21,444 and $32,698, respectively.

The five-year maturity of the Company’s lease obligations is presented below:

Twelve months ended December, 31 Operating
lease
amount
 
2022 $14,649 
2023  6,844 
2024  3,513 
Total lease payments  25,006 
Less: interest  (2,930)
Present value of lease liabilities $22,076 

Note 1316 – Concentration of riskRisk

Credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrationsconcentration of credit risk consist primarilyprincipally of cash deposits. Accounts at each institution are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to $250,000. At December 31, 2023 and accounts receivable. 2022, the Company had $4,458,402 and nil in excess of the FDIC insured limit, respectively.

As of December 31, 20212023 and 2020, $14,385,5492022, $211,222 and $998,717 and$215,880 were deposited with various financial institutions located in the PRC, respectively. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, $202,781 and $0 were deposited with one financial institution located in the U.S., respectively. While management believes that these financial institutions are of high credit quality, it also continually monitors their credit worthiness.

Accounts receivable are typically unsecured and derived from revenue earned from customers, thereby exposed to credit risk. The risk is mitigated by the Company’s assessment of its customers’ creditworthiness and its ongoing monitoring of outstanding balances.F-30

Note 1417 – Equity

Statutory Reserves and Restricted net assetsNet Assets

The Company’s abilityIn accordance with the PRC Regulations on Enterprises with Foreign Investment, an enterprise established in the PRC with foreign investment is required to pay dividends is primarily dependent on the Company receiving distributionsmake appropriations to certain statutory reserves, namely a general reserve fund, an enterprise expansion fund, a staff welfare fund and a bonus fund, all of fundswhich are appropriated from net profit as reported in its subsidiaries. Relevant PRC statutory laws and regulations permit payments of dividends by Tongrong WFOE only out of its retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. The results of operations reflected in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP differ from those reflected in the statutory financial statements of Tongrong WFOE.

Tongrong WFOE, Wuge and Rong Hai areaccounts. A foreign invested enterprise is required to set asideallocate at least 10% of theirits annual after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutorya general reserve fundsfund until such reserve funds reachfund has reached 50% of its respective registered capital. In addition, Shengrong WFOE may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standardsAppropriations to the enterprise expansion fund and staff welfare and bonus and welfarefunds are at the discretion of the board of directors for the foreign invested enterprises. For other subsidiaries incorporated in the PRC, the general reserve fund at its discretion. Wuge and Rong Hai may allocate a portion of its after-tax profitswas appropriated based on 10% of net profits as reported in each subsidiary’s PRC accounting standardsstatutory accounts. General reserve and statutory surplus funds are restricted to a discretionary surplusset-off against losses, expansion of production and operation and increasing registered capital of the respective company. Staff welfare and bonus fund at its discretion.and statutory public welfare funds are restricted to capital expenditures for the collective welfare of employees. The reserves are not allowed to be transferred to the Company in terms of cash dividends, loans or advances, nor are they allowed for distribution except under liquidation. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the PRC statutory reserve funds amounted to niland the discretionary funds are not distributable as cash dividends. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned company out of China is subject to examination by the banks designated by State Administration of Foreign Exchange.$4,467, respectively.


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Company’s ability to pay dividends is primarily dependent on the Company receiving distributions of funds from its subsidiaries. RelevantIn addition, under PRC statutory laws and regulations, permit payments of dividends by Makesi WFOE only out of its retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance withthe Company’s PRC accounting standards and regulations. The results of operations reflected in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP differ from those reflected in the statutory financial statements of Makesi WFOE.

Makesi WFOE and Wuge are required to set aside at least 10% of their after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds until such reserve funds reach 50% of its registered capital. In addition, Makesi WFOE may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to enterprise expansion fund and staff bonus and welfare fund at its discretion. Wuge may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a discretionary surplus fund at its discretion. The statutory reserve funds and the discretionary funds are not distributable as cash dividends. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned company out of China is subject to examination by the banks designated by State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

As a result of the foregoing restrictions, Makesi WFOE and Wugesubsidiaries are restricted in their ability to transfer their net assets to the Company. Foreign exchange and other regulation in the PRC may further restrict Makesi WFOE and Wuge from transferring funds to China SunlongCompany in the form of dividends,dividend payments, loans or advances. Amounts of net assets restricted include paid up capital and advances. Asstatutory reserve funds of the Company’s PRC totaling $1,083,267 and $492,315 as of December 31, 20212023 and 2020, amounts restricted are the net assets of Makesi WFOE and Wuge which amounted to $4,519,455 and $(216,935),2022, respectively.

 

Stock split

On June 1, 2018,Furthermore, cash transfers from the Company’s shareholder approved a 2 for 1 stock splitPRC subsidiaries to the Company’s subsidiaries outside of the PRC are subject to the PRC government control of currency conversion. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of the Company’s common stock at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The stock split was affected on June 20, 2018, pursuantPRC subsidiaries to the completion of the reincorporation from Delawareremit sufficient foreign currency to Nevada. All shares and per share amounts used herein and in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been retroactively restated to reflect the stock split.

Common stock

On June 23, 2018, the Company issued an aggregate of 26,693 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, to certain non-U.S. purchasers at a purchase price of $5.00 per share for aggregate proceeds of $133,335 pursuant to certain securities purchase agreement dated April 20, 2018 and June 22, 2018. The issuances were pursuant to the exemption from registration under Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

On February 12, 2019, the Company’s warrant holders converted 294,971 of the Company’s warrants into 52,077 shares of the Company’s common stock using cashless exercises method.

On February 20, 2019, the Company’s warrant holders converted 415,355 of the Company’s warrants into 54,826 shares of the Company’s common stock using cashless exercises method.

On March 11, 2019, the Board granted an aggregate of 131,330 shares of restricted common stock, with a fair value of $261,347, determined using the closing price of $1.99 on March 11, 2019, to repay the debt the Company owed to two unrelated third parties. As the carrying value of the debt equaled to the fair value of the 131,330 common shares at $1.99 per share, no gainpay dividends or loss were recognized upon this debt settlement.

On March 15, 2019, the Board granted an aggregate of 142,530 shares of restricted common stock, with a fair value of $290,761, determined using the closing price of $2.04 on March 15, 2019, to repay the debt the Company owed to one unrelated third party. As the carrying value of the debt equaled to the fair value of the 142,530 common shares at $2.04 per share, no gain or loss were recognized upon this debt settlement.

On April 4, 2019, the Company entered into certain securities purchase agreement with certain “non-U.S. Persons” as defined in Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell 1,492,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, at a per share purchase price of $2.00. The net proceedsother payments to the Company, from this offering were approximately $2.9 million.or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations.

Common Stock

On November 20,2019, the company wrote off 947,037 common shares.

On December 23, 2019, the Company entered into certain securities purchase agreement (the “SPA”) with certain “non-U.S. Persons” (the “Purchasers”) as defined in Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell 3,692,859 shares of its common stock (“Common Stock”), par value $0.0001 per share, at a per share purchase price of $1.00. The net proceeds to the Company from this offering will be approximately $3.66 million.


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

On January 3, 2020,April 14, 2022, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “April 2022 SPA”) with WugeYuan Ma, and all the shareholders of Wuge (“Wuge Shareholders”). WugeYuanma Shareholders. Yuanma Shareholders are Wei Xu, Bibo Lin,the then Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Company, and Jiangsu Lingkong Network Joint Stock Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Wei Xu, and Anhui Shuziren Network Technology Co., Ltd., which iswas controlled by Wei Xu. Pursuant to the April 2022 SPA, TMSR shallthe Company agreed to issue an aggregate of 4,000,0007,680,000 shares of TMSR’s common stock of the Company, valued at $1.00 per share, to the WugeYuanma Shareholders, in exchange for WugeYuanma Shareholders’ agreement to enter into and their agreement to cause WugeYuan Ma to enter into certain VIE agreements (“VIE Agreements”)Agreements with Tongrong Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. (“WFOE”),Makesi WFOE, the Company’s indirectly owned subsidiary, through which WFOE shall have the right to control, manage and operate Wuge in return forestablish a service fee equal to 100% of Wuge’s net income (“VIE structure (the “Yuan Ma Acquisition”). On January 24, 2020,June 13, 2022, the Company completedheld a special meeting of stockholders and approved the Acquisition and issuedissuance of the Shares7,680,000 shares of common stock to Wei Xu. On June 21, 2022, pursuant to the WugeApril 2022 SPA, Makesi WFOE entered into a series of VIE Agreements with Yuan Ma and Yuanma Shareholders, and the 7,680,000 shares of common stock were issued to Wei Xu and the transaction contemplated in the April 2022 SPA was completed.

On September 16, 2022, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “September 2022 SPA”) with Highlight Media, and all the shareholders of Highlight Media (“Highlight Media Shareholders”).

Pursuant to the September 2022 SPA, the Company agreed to issue an aggregate of 9,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $0.25 per share, to the Highlight Media Shareholders, in exchange for Highlight Media’s and Highlight Media Shareholders’ agreement to enter into the VIE Agreements with Makesi WFOE, to establish a VIE (variable interest entity) structure (the “Highlight Media Acquisition”). On September 29, 2022. the common stock of the Company were issued to the Highlight Media Shareholders. The Highlight Media Acquisition was completed.

 

On June 30, 2020, Code Chain New Continent Limited (the “Company”) entered into a share purchase agreement (the “Agreement”) with Jiazhen Li, former CEO of the Company (the “Buyer”), Long Liao and Chunyong Zheng, who are former shareholders of Wuhan HOST Coating Materials Co., Ltd., an indirect subsidiary of the Company, (collectively the “Payees”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company agreed to sell and the Buyer agreed to purchase all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of China Sunlong Environmental Technology Inc., a Cayman Islands company and a subsidiary of the Company (the “Sunlong Shares”). The Payees have a prior relationship with the Buyer and have agreed to be responsible for the payment of the purchase price on behalf of Buyer. The purchase price for the Sunlong Shares shall be $1,732,114, payable in consideration of cancellation of 1,012,932 shares of the Company owned by the Payees (the “CCNC Shares”). The CCNC Shares are valued at $1.71 per share, based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on June 30, 2020.

F-31

 

On August 11, 2020, pursuant to certain securities purchase agreements dated May 1, 2020,November 4, 2022, the Company issued 1,674,428 sharesfiled a Certificate of its common, at a per share purchase price of $1.50,Amendment to the eleven investors. The gross proceeds to the Company from this private placement were approximately $2.51 million.

On February 22, 2021, pursuant to a securities purchase agreementArticles of Incorporation (the “Purchase Agreement”“Certificate of Amendment”) with two institutional investors, the Company , closed (a)Nevada Secretary of State to effect a registered direct offering (the “Registered Direct Offering”) forreverse stock split of the sale of (i) 4,166,666outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per shares, of the Company at a ratio of one-for-thirty (30), which became effective at 12:01 a.m. on November 9, 2022 (the “Shares”“Reverse Stock Split”). Upon effectiveness of the Reverse Stock Split, every thirty (30) outstanding shares of common stock were combined into and (ii)automatically become one share of common stock. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split and all such fractional interests will be rounded up to the nearest whole number of shares of common stock. The authorized shares prior to and following the Reverse Stock Split will remain the same at 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per shares, and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per shares. The Reverse Stock Split does not alter the par value of the Company’s common stock or modify any voting rights or other terms of the common stock.

On May 1, 2023, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement (the “May 2023 Placement Agency Agreement”), with Univest Securities, LLC (the “Placement Agent” or “Univest”), pursuant to which, the Placement Agent agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to sell the Company’s common stock in a registered investor warrants,direct offering (the “May 2023 RD Offering”), and a concurrent private placement (the “May 2023 PIPE Offering”, together with a termthe RD Offering, collectively the “May 2023 Offering”). The Placement Agent has no obligation to buy any of five years, exercisable immediately upon issuance,the securities from the Company or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.

On May 4, 2023, the Company sold an aggregate of 310,168 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 1,639,362an aggregate of 844,351 shares of common stock are sold to certain purchasers (the “May 2023 Offering Purchasers”), pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated May 1, 2023, as amended on May 16, 2023 (the “May 2023 Securities Purchase Agreement”). The purchase price of each share of common stock is $8.35. The purchase price of each pre-funded warrant is $8.349, which equals the price per share of common stock being sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.001. The pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 844,351 shares of common stock were exercised in full in May 2023.

In connection with the May 2023 Offering, the Company paid Univest a total cash fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received in the offering. The net proceeds from the May 2023 Offering, after deducting Placement Agent discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, are approximately $8.5 million (assuming the warrants are not exercised). The Company used the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

On June 22, 2023, the Company entered into a software purchase agreement with Northeast Management LLC, a seller unaffiliated with the Company. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company agreed to purchase, and the seller agreed to sell all of seller’s right, title, and interest in and to the certain software. The purchase price of the software shall be $750,000, payable in the form of issuance of 187,500 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at $4.00 per share. The Company plans to use the software to develop video games. On June 26, 2023, the Company issued the shares to the seller’s designees and the transaction was completed.

On November 1, 2023, the Company entered into a placement agency agreement (the “November 2023 Placement Agency Agreement”), with Univest, pursuant to which, Univest agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to sell the Company’s common stock in a registered direct offering and a concurrent private placement (the “November 2023 Offering”). Univest has no obligation to buy any of the securities from the Company or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.

F-32

Pursuant to the November 2023 Offering, (i) an aggregate of 1,436,253 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, (ii) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,876,103 shares of common stock (the “Registered Investor“November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants”, and the common stock underlying such warrants, the “November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price of $6.72 per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including a reduction in the exercise price, in the event of a subsequent offering at a price less than the then current exercise price, to the same price as the price in such offering (a “Price Protection Adjustment”) (the “Registered Investor Warrants”), and (b) a concurrent private placement (the “Private Placement” and collectively with the Registered Direct Offering, the “Offering”) for the sale of unregistered investor(iii) registered warrants with a term of five and one-half years, first exercisable on the date that is the earlier of (i) six months after the date of issuance or (ii) the date on which the Company obtains stockholder approval approving the sale of all of the securities offered and sold under the Purchase Agreement (the “Stockholder Approval”) to purchase up to an aggregate of up to 2,527,3043,312,356 shares of common stock (the “Unregistered Investor“November 2023 Registered Warrants”, and the common stock underlying such warrants, the “November 2023 Registered Warrant Shares”) at an exerciseare sold to certain purchasers (the “November 2023 Offering Purchasers”), pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated October 31, 2023 (the “October 2023 Securities Purchase Agreement”). The purchase price of $6.72each common stock is $3.019. The purchase price of each November 2023 Pre-funded Warrant is $3.018, which equals the price per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including (x) a Price Protection Adjustment and (y)common stock being sold in the eventNovember 2023 Offering, minus $0.001. The November 2023 Pre-funded Warrants will be exercisable immediately after issuance and will expire five (5) years from the exercise price is more than $6.10, a reductiondate of issuance. The November 2023 Registered Warrants will be exercisable immediately and will expire five (5) years from the exercise price to $6.10, upon obtaining the Stockholder Approval (the “Unregistered Investor Warrants”). date of issuance.

The Shares, the Registered Investor Warrants, the Unregistered Investor Warrants, the Registered Investor Warrant Shares and the Unregistered Investor Warrant Shares are collectively referred to as the “Securities.” The Company received grosstotal proceeds from the saleNovember 2023 Offering was approximately $10.0 million. Offering costs of the Securitiesapproximately $1.0 million, consisting of $24,999,996, before deducting placement agentapproximately $0.7 million underwriting commissions and $0.3 million other professional fees, and other Offering expenses.were charged into additional paid-in capital. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from thisthe Offering for working capital and general businesscorporate purposes.

On February 23, 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with Sichuan RiZhanYun Jisuan Co., Ltd. (the “Seller”), which was amended and restated on April 16, 2021, and further amended on May 28, 2021. Pursuant to the asset purchase agreement, the Company purchased a total of 10,000 Bitcoin mining machines (the “Assets”) for a total purchase price of RMB 40,000,000 or US$6,160,000 based on the exchange rate as of April 8, 2021 (the “Purchase Price”), payable in the form of 1,587,800 shares of common stock of the Company, valued at US$3.88 per share, which is the closing bid price of the common stock of the Company on the Nasdaq Stock Market on April 8, 2021. The Seller shall cause revenue and any other source of income from the operation of the Assets to be paid to the Company, payable in cryptocurrency to be deposited into a cryptocurrency wallet held by the Company on a daily basis. The Company shall issue to the Seller or its designees RMB 5,000,000 or US$770,000 worth of common stock of the Company (the “Bonus Shares”) if the Assets generate an average net profit per day/10,000 machines (the “Daily Profit”) on behalf of the Company during the one-year period from March 19, 2021 to March 19, 2022 (the “Valuation Period”) equals to RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 and if the Assets generate an average net profit per month/10,000 machines (the “Monthly Profit”) on behalf of the Company during the Valuation Period equals to RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000. If the Daily Profit is more than RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 and the Monthly Profit is more than RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000, the Company shall issue to the Seller or its designees additional shares of common stock in proportion to the amount that is in excess. If the Daily Profit is less than RMB 200,000 or US$30,800 or the Monthly Profit is less than RMB 6,000,000 or US$924,000, the Company shall not issue to the Seller or its designees any Bonus Shares and such month is deemed a “Re-evaluated Month”. At the end of the Valuation Period, the Monthly Profit of such Re-evaluated Month(s) shall be aggregated (the “Aggregate Profit”), and the Company shall issue RMB5,000,000 or US$770,000 worth of common stock of the Company for every RMB6,000,000 or US$924,000 in Aggregate Profit on a pro rata basis. Such Daily Profit and Monthly Profit shall be determined on a monthly basis on the first day of the next month. Such Bonus Shares and additional shares, when applicable, shall be issued on the fifteenth day of the next month.  For any month that has 28 days or 31 days, the Monthly Profit is calculated based on the actual number of days in the month. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no share pursuant to this Agreement shall be issued earlier than May 24, 2021 in any event. The total number of shares of common stock, including the Bonus Shares, issuable to the Seller or its designees pursuant to the Agreement shall in no event be more than 19.99% of the total shares issued and outstanding of Company as of the February 23, 2021, the date of the asset purchase agreement.


CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

On June 1, 2021, the Company issued to a designee of the Seller 2,513,294 shares of common stock, consisted of (i) the Purchase Price in the form of 1,587,800 shares of common stock and (ii) 925,494 Bonus Shares, valued at US$2.51 per share, which is the closing bid price of the common stock of the Company on the Nasdaq Stock Market on May 12, 2021, for meeting and exceeding the Daily Profit and Monthly Profit benchmark.

On July 28, 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement with certain seller(the “Seller”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to purchase from the Seller digital currency mining machines for a total purchase price of RMB 106,388,672.43, or US$ 16,442,109.95 (based on the exchange rate between RMB and USD of 1: 6.4705 as of July 8, 2021), payable in the form of 7,647,493 shares of common stock of the Company(“CCNC Shares”). The CCNC Shares are valued at $2.15 per share. The Company plans to use the assets to further develop its digital currency mining operation.

Warrants and options

 

In November and December 2023, holders of 963,600 of the November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants exercised their option to purchase 963,600 shares of the Company’s common stock, leaving 912,503 of November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants are still outstanding.

The May 2023 Offering and the November 2023 Offering were being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement (No. 333-254366) on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 26, 2021, and related prospectus supplement.

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the total outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock was 5,453,416 and 1,844,877, respectively.

Warrants and Options

On July 29, 2015, the Company sold 10,000,000 units at a purchase price of $5.00 per unit (“Public Units”) in its initial public offering.offering (the “IPO”). Each Public Unit consists of one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value, and one warrant.warrant (the “Public Warrants”). Each warrant will entitlePublic Warrants entitled the holder to purchase one-half of one share of common stock at an exercise price of $2.88 per half share ($5.75 per whole share). Warrants may be exercised only for a whole number of shares of common stock. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. The warrants will becomePublic Warrants became exercisable on 30 days after the consummation of its initial Business Combination with China Sunlong on February 6, 2018. The warrants will expirePublic Warrants expired on February 5, 2023. The warrants will be redeemable by the Company at a price of $0.01 per warrant upon 30 days prior written notice after the warrants become exercisable, only in the event that the last sale price of the common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third business day prior to the date on which notice of redemption is given.

 

The sponsor of the Company purchased, simultaneously with the closing of the Public OfferingIPO on July 29, 2015, 500,000 units (“Private Units”) at $5.00 per unit in a private placement for an aggregate price of $2,500,000. Each unitPrivate Unit consists of one share of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value, and one warrant (the “Private Warrants”). Each Private Unit purchased is substantially identical to the units sold in the Public Offering.IPO. Therefore, the 500,000 Private Warrants included in the Private Units became exercisable on February 6, 2018 and expired on February 5, 2023.

 

The Company sold to the underwriter (and/or its designees), for $100, as additional compensation, an option (“the Option”) to purchase up to a total of 800,000 units exercisable at $5.00 per unit (or an aggregate exercise price of $4,000,000) upon the closing of the Public Offering. Since the option is notIPO. The Option became exercisable until the earliest on the closing the initial Business Combination the option will effectively represent the right to purchase up to 800,000 shares of common stock and 800,000 warrants to purchase 400,000 shares at $5.75 per full share for an aggregate maximum amount of $6,300,000. The units issuable upon exercise of this option are identical to those issued in the Public Offering.

In July 2016, the board of directors of the Company appointed two new directors. In August 2016, the sponsor of the Company granted an option to each of the two new directors to acquire 12,000 shares of common stock at a price of $4.90 per share vested immediately and exercisable commencing six months after closing of the initial Business Combination and expiring five years from the closing of the initial Business Combination.

The aforementioned warrants and options are deemed to be effective on February 6, 2018 the date of the consummation of its initial business combination with China Sunlong, as the Company was deemed to be the accounting acquiree in the transaction and the transaction was treated as a recapitalization of China Sunlong.expired on February 5, 2023.

The summary of warrant activity is as follows:

        Weighted  Average 
        Average  Remaining 
  Warrants
Outstanding
  Exercisable
Shares
  Exercise
Price
  Contractual
Life
 
December 31, 2020  9,079,348   4,539,674  $5.75   2.13 
Granted/Acquired  -   -  $-   - 
Forfeited  -   -  $-   - 
Exercised  -   -  $-   - 
December 31, 2021  9,079,348   4,539,674  $5.75   1.11 

 


F-33

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIESAfter the 1-for-30 reverse stock split effective on November 9, 2022, all options, warrants and other convertible securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to the reverse stock split were adjusted by dividing the number of shares of common stock into which the options, warrants and other convertible securities are exercisable or convertible by thirty (30) and multiplying the exercise or conversion price thereof by thirty (30), all in accordance with the terms of the plans, agreements or arrangements governing such options, warrants and other convertible securities and subject to rounding to the nearest whole share.

On February 18, 2021, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “February 2021 Securities Purchase Agreement”) with certain purchasers, pursuant to which, on February 22, 2021, the Company sold (i) 138,889 shares of common stock, (ii) registered warrants (the “February 2021 Registered Warrants”) to purchase an aggregate of up to 54,646 shares of common stock and (iii) unregistered warrants (the “February 2021 Unregistered Warrants”) to purchase up to 84,244 shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of common stock in a registered direct offering (the “February 2021 Registered Direct Offering”) and a concurrent private placement (the “February 2021 Private Placement,” and together with the February 2021 Registered Direct Offering, the “February 2021 Offering”). The terms of the February 2021 Offering were previously reported in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 18, 2021 and the closing of the Offering was reported in a Form 8-K filed with the Commission on February 22, 2021.

The February 2021 Registered Warrants have a term of five years and are exercisable immediately at an exercise price of $201.60 per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including a reduction in the exercise price, in the event of a subsequent offering at a price less than the then current exercise price, to the same price as the price in such offering (a “Price Protection Adjustment”).

The February 2021 Unregistered Warrants have a term of five and one-half years and are first exercisable on the date that is the earlier of (i) six months after the date of issuance or (ii) the date on which the Company obtains stockholder approval approving the sale of the securities sold under the February 2021 Securities Purchase Agreement, to purchase an aggregate of up to 84,244 shares of common stock. The February 2021 Unregistered Warrants have an exercise price of $201.60 per share, subject to adjustments thereunder, including (x) a Price Protection Adjustment and (y) in the event the exercise price is more than $183.00, a reduction of the exercise price to $183.00, upon obtaining such stockholder approval.

The Company paid the Placement Agent a cash fee of $2,310,000, including $2,000,000 in commission which was equal to eight percent (8.0%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in February 2021 Offering, $250,000 in non-accountable expense which was equal to one percent (1%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the February 2021 Offering, and $60,000 in accountable expenses. Additionally, the Company issued to the Placement Agent warrants to purchase up to 6,945 shares of common stock (the “February 2021 Placement Agent Warrants”), with a term of five years first exercisable six months after the date of issuance and at an exercise price of $180.00 per share.

Pursuant to the February 2021 Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company is required to hold a meeting of our stockholders not later than April 29, 2021 to seek such approval as may be required from our stockholders (the “Stockholder Approval”), in accordance with applicable law, the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the Nevada Revised Statutes with respect to the issuance of the securities in the Offering, including the Warrants sold in the Private Placement, so that the issuance by us of shares of common stock in excess of the 231,802 shares (19.99% of the shares of common stock outstanding as of February 17, 2021, the date prior to entering into the February 2021 Securities Purchase Agreement) in the aggregate (the “Issuable Maximum”), will be in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules 5635(a) and 5635(d) as described herein, and investors in the Offering will be able to exercise the Warrants prior to six months after the closing of the Offering.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

F-34

 

On April 29, 2021, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders and approved the issuance of shares of common stock in excess of the 231,802 shares. The exercise price of the Unregistered Warrants was reduced to $183.00.

On May 1, 2023, pursuant to the May 2023 Placement Agency Agreement as described above, Pre-Funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 844,351 shares of common stock are sold to May 2023 Offering Purchasers. The purchase price of each Pre-funded Warrant is $8.349. In connection with the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, “Pre-funded” refers to the fact that the purchase price of the warrants in the offering includes almost the entire exercise price that will be paid under the Pre-funded Warrants, except for a nominal remaining exercise price of $0.001. The purpose of the Pre-funded Warrants is to enable Purchasers that may have restrictions on their ability to beneficially own more than 4.99% (or, upon election of the holder, 9.99%) of the Company’s outstanding common stock following the consummation of the offering the opportunity to make an investment in the Company without triggering their ownership restrictions, by receiving Pre-funded Warrants in lieu of the Company’s common stock which would result in such ownership of more than 4.99% (or 9.99%), and receive the ability to exercise their option to purchase the shares underlying the Pre-funded Warrants at such nominal price at a later date. In the RD Offering, each Pre-funded Warrant is exercisable for one share of our common stock, with an exercise price equal to $0.001 per share, at any time that the Pre-funded Warrant is outstanding. The Pre-funded Warrants will be exercisable immediately after issuance and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The holder of a Pre-funded Warrant will not be deemed a holder of our underlying common stock until the Pre-funded Warrant is exercised.

In connection with the May 2023 Offering, unregistered warrants to purchase up to 1,154,519 shares of common stock (the “May 2023 Unregistered Warrants”) are also sold to the May 2023 Offering Purchasers. The May 2023 Unregistered Warrants are exercisable immediately after issuance and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The Exercise Price of the May 2023 Unregistered Warrants is $8.35 per share, subject to adjustment as provided in the form of May 2023 Unregistered Warrants.

In concurrent with the November 2023 Offering, on November 1, 2023, the Company entered into certain warrant exchange agreements (the “Warrant Exchange Agreements” with May 2023 Offering Purchasers. Pursuant to the Warrant Exchange Agreements, the holders of May 2023 Unregistered Warrants shall surrender the May 2023 Unregistered Warrants, and the Company shall cancel the May 2023 Unregistered Warrants and shall issue to these holders pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 577,260 shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Exchange Warrants”). The Exchange Warrants were issued to holders on November 3, 2023 and the warrant exchange closed on the same day.

The Placement Agent of the May 2023 Offering also received warrants to purchase up to 115,452 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $10.02 per share (the “May 2023 Placement Agent Warrants”), which represents 120% of the May 2023 Offering price of each share of common stock. The Placement Agent’s warrants will have substantially the same terms as the May 2023 Unregistered Warrants.

In connection with the November 2023 Offering, 1,876,103 shares of the November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants and 3,312,356 shares of the November 2023 Registered Warrants were sold to November 2023 Offering Purchasers. Each November 2023 Pre-funded Warrant is exercisable for one share of the Company’s common stock, with an exercise price equal to $0.001 per share, at any time that the November 2023 Pre-funded Warrant is outstanding. The November 2023 Pre-funded Warrants will be exercisable immediately after issuance and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The holder of a November 2023 Pre-funded Warrant will not be deemed a holder of the Company’s underlying common stock until the November 2023 Pre-funded Warrant is exercised. The November 2023 Registered Warrants will be exercisable immediately and will expire five (5) years from the date of issuance. The exercise price of the November 2023 Registered Warrants is $3.019, subject to adjustment as provided in the form of November 2023 Registered Warrants. As of December 31, 2023, 963,600 of the November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants were exercised, leaving 912,503 of November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants are still outstanding.

The Placement Agent of the November 2023 Offering also received warrants purchase up to 331,236 shares of common stock (equal to 5.0% of the aggregate number of common stocks, and shares of common stock underlying the November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants, and the number of shares of common stock underlying the November 2023 Registered Warrants) at an exercise price of $3.623 per share (the “November 2023 Placement Agent Warrants”), which represents 120% of November 2023 Offering price, for an aggregate purchase price of one hundred U.S. dollars (US$100), which warrant shall be exercisable at any time during the period commencing six (6) months after commencement of sales in the November 2023 Offering through the fifth (5th) anniversary of issuance. The Placement Agent’s Warrants are not covered by the shelf registration statement (No. 333-254366) on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the SEC on March 26, 2021, and related prospectus supplement.

F-35

The summary of warrant activity is as follows:

  Warrants  

Exercisable

Into Number of

  Weighted Average Exercise  Average Remaining Contractual 
  Outstanding  Shares  Price  Life 
December 31, 2022  4,539,674   151,323   172.5   0.10 
Granted  7,056,758   7,056,758  $3.73   4.80 
Expired  164,675   5,488  $172.5   0.10 
Exercised  1,807,951   1,807,951   0.001   - 
December 31, 2023  9,623,806   5,394,642  $19.45   4.54 

The summary of option activity is as follows:

 

     Weighted  Average 
     Average  Remaining 
  Options
Outstanding
  Exercise
Price
  Contractual
Life
 
December 31, 2020  824,000  $5.00   2.13 
Granted/Acquired  -  $-   - 
Forfeited  -  $-   - 
Exercised  -  $-   - 
December 31, 2021  824,000  $5.00   1.11 
  Options  

Exercisable

Into Number of

  Weighted Average Exercise  Average Remaining Contractual 
  Outstanding  Shares  Price  Life 
December 31, 2022  824,000   27,467  $150.00   0.10 
Granted  -   -  $-   - 
Expired  824,000   27,467  $150.00   0.10 
Exercised  -   -   -   - 
December 31, 2023  -   -  $-   - 

 

Note 1518 – Commitments and contingencies

Contingencies

 

Contingencies

From time to time, the Company may be subject to certain legal proceedings, claims and disputes that arise in the ordinary course of business. Although the outcomes of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted, the Company does not believe these actions, in the aggregate, will have a material adverse impact on its financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

 

Note 1619 – Segment reportingReporting

 

The Company follows ASC 280, Segment Reporting, which requires that companies disclose segment data based on how management makes decision about allocating resources to segments and evaluating their performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker, who has been identified as the Company’s chief executive officer, evaluates performance and determines resource allocations based on a number of factors, the primary measure being income from operations.

 

The Company’s has disposedAs of Tongrong WFOE and Rong Hai. TheDecember 31, 2023, the Company’s remain business segment and operations is Wuge.Virtual Content Production. The Company’s consolidated results of operations and consolidated financial position from continuing operations are almost all attributable to Wuge;Virtual Content Production; accordingly, management believes that the consolidated balance sheets and statement of operations provide the relevant information to assess Wuge’sVirtual Content Production’s performance.

The following represents assets and revenues by segments:

Total assets as of December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
Rong Hai and Tongrong WFOE $-  $15,006,063 
Wuge  19,367,508   2,304,566 
CCNC, Citi Profit BVI ,TMSR HK and Makesi WFOE  31,167,749   7,824,490 
Total Assets $50,535,257  $25,135,119 

Total revenues of December 31,
2021
  December 31,
2020
 
Rong Hai and Tongrong WFOE $-  $- 
Wuge  25,029,949   591,455 
CCNC, Citi Profit BVI,TMSR HK and Makesi WFOE  -   - 
Total Assets $25,029,949  $591,455 

 


F-36

 

 

CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENT LIMITED AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1720 – Discontinued Operations

 

The following depicts the result of operations for the discounted operations of Wuhan Host, Shengrong WOFE, Tongrong WOFEHighlight Media and Rong HaiWuge for the years ended December 31, 20212023 and 2020. 2022, respectively.

  

For the Years Ended
December 31,

 
  2023  2022 
REVENUES      
Enterprise brand management services $165,993  $153,304 
Wuge digital door signs  -   7,616,615 
TOTAL REVENUES  165,993   7,769,919 
         
COST OF REVENUES        
Enterprise brand management services  88,658   97,770 
Wuge digital door signs  -   5,527,950 
TOTAL COST OF REVENUES  88,658   5,625,720 
GROSS PROFIT  77,335   2,144,199 
         
OPERATING EXPENSES        
Selling, general and administrative  2,209,894   8,225,301 
Provision for doubtful accounts  -   20,085,243 
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES  2,209,894   28,310,544 
         
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS  (2,132,559)  (26,166,345)
         
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)        
Interest income  49   65,274 
Interest expense  (248)  (1,022)
Other income, net  709   70,831 
Total other income, net  510   135,083 
         
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES  (2,132,049)  (26,031,262)
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES  -   315,933 
         
NET LOSS  (2,132,049)  (26,347,195)

Note 21 – Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value

The resultsfollowing tables presents information about the Company’s assets and liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of operations for Shengrong HKDecember 31, 2023 and China Sunlong have been included in2022 and indicates the resultsfair value hierarchy of discontinued operations upthe valuation techniques the Company utilized to June 30, 2020, which is the date when they were disposed and removed from balance sheet.determine such fair value.

  December 31,
2023
  

Quoted Prices

In Active

Markets

(Level 1)

  

Significant

Other

Observable

Inputs

(Level 2)

  

Significant

Other

Unobservable

Inputs

(Level 3)

 
Assets            
Notes receivable - DigiTrax Convertible Notes $1,048,219  $     —  $     —  $1,048,219 
Notes receivable - Liquid Convertible Notes  1,553,808         1,553,808 
Total $2,602,027  $  $  $2,602,027 

 

  December 31,  December 31, 
Results of Operations 2021  2020 
REVENUES      
Fuel materials $4,890,734  $11,261,428 
TOTAL REVENUES  4,890,734   11,261,428 
   -   - 
COST OF REVENUES  -   - 
Fuel materials  4,690,388   10,727,309 
TOTAL COST OF REVENUES  4,690,388   10,727,309 
   -     
GROSS PROFIT  200,346   534,119 
   -     
OPERATING EXPENSES (INCOME)  -     
Selling, general and administrative  160,254   990,601 
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES  160,254   990,601 
   -     
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS  40,092   (456,482)
   -     
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)  -   - 
Interest income  75   1,870 
Interest expense  (7,708)  (18,235)
Investment income  -   14,292 
Other income (expense), net  8   (1)
Total other income (expense), net  (7,625)  (2,074)
         
INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES  32,467   (458,556)
   -     
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES (TAX BENEFIT)  8,896   (60,515)
   -     
NET INCOME (LOSS) $23,571  $(398,041)

F-37

 

The Company evaluated the DigiTrax Convertible Notes and the Liquid Convertible Notes according to ASC 320 and concluded that these note receivables should be classified as available-for-sale security and measured at fair value. To evaluate the fair value of the available-for-sale security, the Company used the valuation methodology of income approach, which is determined by the future cash flow forecast. The interest accrued on these notes were recorded as interest income on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, while increasing the fair value of these notes at each reporting date. As a result of the unobservable inputs, the available-for-sale security was classified as Level 3 as of December 31, 2023.

There were no assets/liabilities measured at fair value as of December 31, 2022.

There were no transfers among the three hierarchies for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Note 1822 – Subsequent events

 

On January 21, 2022,11, 2024, the BoardCompany issued the 400,000 shares of Directors (the “Board”) of Code Chain New Continent Limited (the “Company”) determinedits common stock to remove Tingjun Yang from his positionsBeijing Hehe and the transaction is completed. Up to the date of the Chief Executive Officer and a directorconsolidated financial statements were issued, the Company owns 73.3333% of the Company, effective immediately. The determination was not duetotal equity interest of SH Xianzhui.

On February 15, 2024 and March 19, 2024, holders of 513,841 of the November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants exercised their option to any disagreement with management on any matter related topurchase 513,841 shares of the Company’s operations, policies, or practices.common stock, leaving 398,662 of November 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants still outstanding.

 

On the same day, the Board approved the appointment of Wei Xu, the President and Chairman of the Board of the Company, to be the Chief Executive Officer.

As previously disclosed in the report on Form 8-K filed by the Company on August 3, 2021,In March 2024, the Company entered into an asset purchasea placement agency agreement (the “Asset Purchase“March 2024 Placement Agency Agreement”), with certain seller (the “Seller”) on July 28, 2021,Univest, pursuant to which, Univest agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to sell the Company’s common stock in a registered direct offering and a concurrent private placement (the “March 2024 Offering”). Univest has no obligation to buy any of the securities from the Company agreedor to arrange for the purchase fromor sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.

Pursuant to the Seller digital currency mining machines (the “Assets”) for a total purchase priceMarch 2024 Offering, an aggregate of RMB 106,388,672.43, or US$ 16,442,109.95 (based on the exchange rate between RMB and USD of 1: 6.4705 as of July 8, 2021), payable in the form of 7,647,493810,277 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, were sold to certain purchasers (the “CCNC Shares”“March 2024 Offering Purchasers”), pursuant to a securities purchase agreement, dated March 22, 2024 (the “March 2024 Securities Purchase Agreement”) at a price of $1.144 per common stock, for aggregated proceeds of approximately $0.9 million. The Company paid Univest a cash fee equal to 4.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the March 2024 Offering. The Company also issued warrants to Univest to purchase up to 40,514 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $1.373 per share, (the “March 2024 Placement Agent Warrants”). The CCNC SharesMarch 2024 Placement Agent Warrants and the common stock underlying the March 2024 Placement Agent Warrants were valued at $2.15 per share.not registered under the Securities Act, pursuant to the registration statement of March 2024 Offering. The CCNC SharesMarch 2024 Placement Agent Warrants were issued pursuant to four assigneesan exemption from the registration requirements of the Seller on AugustSecurities Act provided in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder.

On March 26, 2021.2024, holders of 865,376 November 2023 Registered Warrants exercised their options to purchase 709,877 shares of the Company’s common stock.

On February 23, 2022, the Company entered into a termination agreement (the “Termination Agreement) with the Seller to terminate the Asset Purchase Agreement and forfeit the transaction. The parties agreed that the CCNC Shares shall be cancelled within 15 business days from the date of the Termination Agreement.F-38

As previously disclosed in the report on Form 8-K filed by the Company on October 1, 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”) with Shenzhen Jindeniu Electronics Limited (the “Seller”) on September 27, 2021, pursuant to which the Company agreed to purchase from the Seller certain storage servers for cloud computing, for a total purchase price of US$15,922,303.

On March 7, 2022, the Company terminated the Asset Purchase Agreement. Considerations to the transaction, including advanced payments by the company, have been returned to respective parties and the transaction is deemed void.

The Company has evaluated all material subsequent events that occurred after December 31, 2021 and up through March 31, 2022, and has determined that all events that require disclosure have been detailed above.


 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on March 31, 2022.April 2, 2024.

 

 CODE CHAIN NEW CONTINENTGD CULTURE GROUP LIMITED
  
 By:/s/ Wei XuXiao Jian Wang
  Name:Wei XuXiao Jian Wang
  Title:Chief Executive Officer, President and
Chairman of the Board
(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 By:/s/ Yi LiZihao Zhao
  Name:Yi LiZihao Zhao
  Title:Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
(Principal Financial Officer and
Principal Accounting Officer)

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name Position Date
     
/s/ Wei XuXiao Jian Wang Chief Executive Officer, President and
Chairman of the Board of Directors
 March 31, 2022April 2, 2024
Wei XuXiao Jian Wang (Principal Executive Officer)  
     
/s/ Yi LiZihao Zhao Chief Financial Officer and Secretary March 31, 2022April 2, 2024
Yi LiZihao Zhao (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)  
     
/s/ Chengwei MoShuang ZhangVice President and DirectorApril 2, 2024
Shuang Zhang
/s/ Yi Zhong Director March 31, 2022April 2, 2024
Chengwei MoYi Zhong
/s/ Shuaiheng ZhangDirectorApril 2, 2024
Shuaiheng Zhang    
     
/s/ Mingyue Cai Director March 31, 2022April 2, 2024
Mingyue Cai
/s/ Fei GanDirectorMarch 31, 2022
Fei Gan
/s/ Siyang HuDirectorMarch 31, 2022
Siyang Hu    

 

 

6768

 

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