At the same time, some forks or airdrops may be technologically very different from existing supported coins. For example, new airdrops or coins may be built upon different cryptographic algorithms (RSA instead of Elliptic Curve), may have new transaction formats, block formats, multi-signature features, or other changes. The larger the changes, the higher the cost to support and maintain.
In general, if a new fork is costly, but has sufficient value to BitGo customers, BitGo will use its best efforts to enable BitGo customers access to the new coin. However, it may affect the timing under which BitGo can do so.
Timing
New airdrops and forks usually are introduced with some notification before the airdrop or fork occurs. However, sometimes these notification periods can be very short - less than 8 weeks. Additionally, airdrops can be done in such a way that the airdrop later will “expire”, giving implementers only short windows of time to claim the airdrop before the value is lost.
Unfortunately, BitGo cannot guarantee to support new forks or airdrops within any short timeframe. Business obligations, developer availability, and cost are all material factors, and safety, testing, quality, and service are our primary objectives. While BitGo will do its best to make value available to its customers, we cannot guarantee a specific timeframe when the exact considerations of future forks can be so varied.
Finally, should BitGo elect not to support a fork at one point in time, it does not mean that BitGo will never support that Fork. For example, upon launch, a Fork may not meet the stability market capitalization, or liquidity thresholds for BitGo to support. In the future, should the Fork become viable, BitGo may, at its sole discretion, elect to support the Fork or Airdrop.
Policy
In the event of an upcoming modification to the Bitcoin Network or other applicable Network that could potentially result in a Digital Asset Network Fork or Airdrop, BitGo will use best commercial efforts to provide the value of the forked Digital Asset to Client. However, BitGo’s first concern is always security of Your existing Digital Assets. BitGo, at its sole discretion, may or may not decide to make new Digital Assets available to Client. Additionally, it may take significant time for BitGo to implement or provide access to any new Digital Asset created as a result of a Fork. Client indemnifies BitGo as Custodian against any direct losses incurred by BitGo due to the inability of BitGo to access any Digital Asset for the benefit of Client created as a result of a Fork or Airdrop, in relation to the Digital Assets held by BitGo for Client, subject to the liability provisions in Section 24(b) of the Agreement.
In the event that BitGo does consider a Fork to be technically safe with sufficient market value and liquidity, but Client desires access to the Fork in advance of the timing that BitGo can provide due to cost or timing considerations, BitGo will, in good faith with Client, determine a product plan to enable Client to access the value of the Fork or airdrop such that the Client, at its sole expense, could access the coin.
BitGo reserves the right to agree with Client updates to this policy and the criteria for measuring the viability of a Fork or Airdrop from time to time based on new technological, legal, or environmental factors that may emerge.
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