Bakkt, Inc 8-K, filed Jan 20, 2026
Bakkt, Inc. (BKKT)
About this 8-K
Bakkt, Inc filed this 8-K on January 20, 2026, reporting on events of January 16, 2026.
Items reported
- Item 1.01: Entered into a material agreement
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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| 30009 | ||
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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. ☐
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On January 16, 2026, Bakkt Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with each of The Benchmark Company, LLC, Virtu Americas LLC, Clear Street LLC, Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., Rosenblatt Securities Inc. and Roth Capital Partners, LLC (each, a “Sales Agent” and together, the “Sales Agents”), pursuant to which the Company may sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate sales price of $300,000,000 of its Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock” and such amount of shares of Common Stock, the “Shares”), through the Sales Agents. Sales of the Shares made pursuant to the Sales Agreement, if any, may be made by any method deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including sales made in ordinary brokers’ transactions on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of the sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices and block trades. Actual sales will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by the Company from time to time, including, among others, market conditions, the trading price per share of Common Stock, the timing, magnitude and need for capital for the events and transactions described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus Supplement (as defined below) and determinations by the Company of the appropriate sources of funding for the Company and its subsidiaries.
The offer and sales of the Shares, if any, made pursuant to the Sales Agreement, will be made under the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-288361) filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 2025 and declared effective on July 3, 2025, as supplemented by a prospectus supplement, dated January 20, 2026 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Prospectus Supplement”).
The Company is not obligated to, and it cannot provide any assurances that it will, make any sales of the Shares under the Sales Agreement. The Company will pay each Sales Agent a commission based upon the gross sales price per share of any Shares sold through such Sales Agent as agent under the Sales Agreement, as well as reimbursement of certain expenses described in the Sales Agreement. The Sales Agreement may be terminated by the Company at any time upon three business days’ prior written notice to the Sales Agents or by any Sales Agent with respect to itself at any time upon prior written notice to the Company.
This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy the Shares, nor shall there be an offer, solicitation or sale of the Shares in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state.
The foregoing description of the material terms of the Sales Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Sales Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference. The legal opinion of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, counsel to the Company, relating to the Shares is filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto and the consent of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is filed as Exhibit 23.1.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “will,” “likely,” “expect,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “outlook,” “grow,” “progress,” “potential” or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond the Company’s control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements relate only to events as of the date on which such statements are made and are based on information available to us as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Current Report on Form 8-K to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events.
The actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties indicated in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, the quarter ended June 30, 2025 and the quarter ended September 30, 2025, and the risks regarding the Company’s adoption of its Investment Policy set forth in Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on June 10, 2025. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements relate only to events as of the date on which such statements are made and are based on information available to us as of the date of this press release. Unless otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
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BAKKT HOLDINGS, INC. | |||||
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By: | /s/ Marc D’Annunzio | ||||
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Name: | Marc D’Annunzio | |||
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Title: | General Counsel and Secretary | |||
| Dated: January 20, 2026 | ||||||
Exhibit 5.1
January 20, 2026
Bakkt Holdings, Inc.,
One Liberty Plaza, One Liberty St., Ste. 305-306,
New York, New York 10006.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) of up to $300,000,000 of the Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Securities”), of Bakkt Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), issuable pursuant to the Sales Agreement, dated as of January 16, 2026 (the “Sales Agreement”), between the Company and The Benchmark Company, LLC, Virtu Americas LLC, Clear Street LLC, Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., Rosenblatt Securities Inc. and Roth Capital Partners, LLC, we, as your counsel, have examined such corporate records, certificates and other documents, and such questions of law, as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion.
Upon the basis of such examination, it is our opinion that the Securities have been duly authorized, and when the Securities have been duly issued and sold as contemplated by the Sales Agreement, the Securities will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
In rendering the foregoing opinion, we are not passing upon, and assume no responsibility for, any disclosure in any registration statement or any related prospectus or other offering material relating to the offer and sale of the Securities.
The foregoing opinion is limited to the Federal laws of the United States and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and we are expressing no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
We have relied as to certain factual matters on information obtained from public officials, officers of the Company and other sources believed by us to be responsible.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company for purposes of incorporating this opinion into the registration statement relating to the Securities and to the references to us under the heading “Legal Matters” in the prospectus supplement relating to the Securities. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act.
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP |
Exhibit 10.1
Certain personally identifiable information has been omitted from this exhibit pursuant to Item
601(a)(6) of Regulation S-K. [***] indicates that information has been redacted.
Bakkt Holdings, Inc.
Shares of Class A Common Stock
(par value $0.0001 per share)
Sales Agreement
January 16, 2026
The Benchmark Company, LLC
150 East 58th Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10155
Virtu Americas LLC
1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Clear Street LLC
4 World Trade Center
New York, New York 10006
Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC
3 Columbus Circle, 24th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc.
660 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10103
Rosenblatt Securities Inc.
40 Wall Street, 59th Floor
New York, New York 10005
Roth Capital Partners, LLC
888 San Clemente Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Bakkt Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with The Benchmark Company, LLC, Virtu Americas LLC, Clear Street LLC, Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., Rosenblatt Securities Inc. and Roth Capital Partners, LLC (each individually an “Agent” and, together the “Agents”), as follows.
1. Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell to or through the Agents, as sales agent or principal, shares of Class A common stock (the “Placement Shares”) of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”); provided, however, that in no event shall the Company issue or sell through the Agents such number or dollar amount of Placement Shares that would (a) exceed the number or dollar amount of shares of Class A Common Stock registered on the effective Registration Statement (as defined below) pursuant to which the offering is being made, (b) exceed the number of authorized but unissued shares of Class A Common Stock (less shares of Class A Common Stock issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of any outstanding securities of the Company or otherwise reserved from the Company’s authorized capital stock), (c) exceed the number or dollar amount of shares of Class A Common Stock permitted to be sold under Form S-3 (including General Instruction I.B.6 thereof, if applicable) or (d) exceed the number or dollar amount of shares of Class A Common Stock for which the Company has filed a Prospectus Supplement (as defined below) (the lesser of (a), (b), (c) and (d), the “Maximum Amount”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 on the amount of Placement Shares issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company and that the Agents shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The offer and sale of Placement Shares through the Agents will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to issue Class A Common Stock.
The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Securities Act Regulations”), with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-288361), as amended by a Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed with the Commission on December 10, 2025, including a base prospectus, relating to certain securities, including the Placement Shares to be issued from time to time by the Company, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder. The Company has prepared a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus included as part of the registration statement, which prospectus supplement relates to the Placement Shares to be issued from time to time by the Company (the “Prospectus Supplement”). The Company will furnish to the Agents, for use by the Agents, copies of the prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, relating to the Placement Shares to be issued from time to time by the Company. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement(s), including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act Regulations or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act Regulations, and any one or more additional effective registration statements on Form S-3 from time to time that will contain a base prospectus, and related prospectus or prospectus supplement, if applicable (which shall be a Prospectus Supplement), including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, with respect to or covering the Placement Shares, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The base prospectus or base prospectuses, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented, if necessary, by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form in which such prospectus or prospectuses and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act Regulations, together with the then-issued Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below), is herein called the “Prospectus.”
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Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein at such time (the “Incorporated Documents”), including, unless the context otherwise requires, the documents, if any, filed as exhibits to such Incorporated Documents. Any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission under the Exchange Act on or after the most recent date and time that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective, or the date of the Prospectus Supplement, Prospectus or such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as the case may be, and incorporated therein by reference. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include the most recent copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).
2. Placements. Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell Placement Shares hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify one of the Agents, which Agent the Company may select in its sole discretion from time to time (in each case, a “Designated Agent”) by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to by the parties) of the dollar amount or number of Placement Shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the dollar amount or number of Placement Shares that may be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made (a “Placement Notice”), the form of which is attached hereto as Schedule 1. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Schedule 2 hereto (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company listed on such schedule) and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from the Designated Agent set forth on Schedule 2 hereto, as such Schedule 2 may be amended from time to time. The Placement Notice shall be effective immediately upon receipt by the Designated Agent unless and until (i) the Designated Agent declines to accept the terms contained therein for any reason, in its sole discretion, which shall be promptly (in no event later than the end of the Trading Day (as defined below) following receipt of such Placement Notice) communicated in writing by the Designated Agent to the Company, (ii) the entire number or dollar amount of the Placement Shares thereunder has been sold, (iii) the Company suspends sales under or terminates the Placement Notice, which suspension or termination rights may be exercised by the Company in its sole discretion, (iv) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice and explicitly indicates that the parameters of the subsequent Placement Notice supersede those parameters contained in the earlier delivered Placement Notice or (v) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 13. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to the Designated Agent in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in the Fee and Expense Sharing Agreement, dated as of January 16, 2026 by and among the parties thereto. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor any Designated Agent will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to the Designated Agent and the Designated Agent does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control.
3. Sale of Placement Shares by the Designated Agent. Subject to the provisions of Section 5(a), the Designated Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and, in compliance with applicable U.S. state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), to sell the Placement Shares up to the number or dollar amount specified in, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of, such Placement Notice. The Designated Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day immediately following the
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Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder setting forth (i) the number or dollar amount of Placement Shares sold on such day and the exchange or marketplace on which such sales were conducted, (ii) the average price at which Placement Shares were sold on such day, (iii) the compensation payable by the Company to the Designated Agent pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and (iv) the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by the Designated Agent (as set forth in Section 5(b)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales (collectively, the “Sales Data”). Subject to the terms of the Placement Notice, the Designated Agent may sell Placement Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act Regulations, including without limitation sales made on or through the NYSE or on any other existing U.S. trading market for the Placement Shares, or, with the prior written consent of the Company, in negotiated transactions at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices and/or any other method permitted by law. “Trading Day” means any day that is a trading day for the NYSE.
4. Suspension of Sales. Consistent with standard market settlement practices, the Company or the Designated Agent may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 2, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 2 hereto), suspend any sale of Placement Shares (a “Suspension”); provided, however, that such Suspension shall not affect or impair any party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. While a Suspension is in effect, any obligation under Sections 7(k), 7(l), 7(m), 7(n), and 7(p) with respect to the delivery of certificates, opinions, or comfort letters to the Agents shall be waived. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against any other party unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Schedule 2 hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information, as determined by the Company upon the advice of counsel (which may be internal counsel), the Company and the Agents agree that (i) no sale of Placement Shares will take place, (ii) the Company shall not request the sale of any Placement Shares, and (iii) the Agents shall not be obligated to sell or offer to sell any Placement Shares.
5. Sale and Delivery to the Designated Agent; Settlement.
(a) Sale of Placement Shares. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Designated Agent’s acceptance of the terms of a Placement Notice, and unless the sale of the Placement Shares described therein has been declined, suspended or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Designated Agent, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law, rules and regulations to sell such Placement Shares up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Designated Agent will be successful in selling Placement Shares, (ii) the Designated Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Designated Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law, rules and regulations to sell such Placement Shares as required under this Agreement and (iii) the Designated Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Placement Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Designated Agent and the Company.
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(b) Settlement of Placement Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Shares will occur on the first (1st) Trading Day (or such other day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The Designated Agent shall notify the Company of each sale of Placement Shares no later than the opening of the Trading Day immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder. The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Shares sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by the Designated Agent, after deduction of (i) the Designated Agent’s commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, and (ii) any transaction fees imposed by any Governmental Authority (as defined below) in respect of such sales.
(c) Delivery of Placement Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Shares being sold by crediting the Designated Agent’s or its designee’s account (provided, that the Designated Agent shall have given the Company written notice of such designee and such designee’s complete account information at least one Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System, or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. The Designated Agent will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, each Settlement Date. If the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Shares on a Settlement Date, through no fault of the Agents, the Company agrees that in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 10(a) hereto, it will (i) hold the Designated Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonable and documented expense (including reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) and (ii) pay to the Designated Agent (without duplication) any commission or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.
(d) Limitations on Offering Size. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Placement Shares if, after giving effect to the sale of such Placement Shares, the aggregate gross sales proceeds of Placement Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lesser of (A) together with all sales of Placement Shares under this Agreement, the Maximum Amount and (B) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Designated Agent in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement at a price lower than the minimum price, if any, authorized from time to time by the Company’s board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee. Further, under no circumstances shall the Company cause or permit the aggregate offering amount of Placement Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement to exceed the Maximum Amount.
(e) Sales Through Agents. With respect to the offering and sale of Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement, the Company agrees that any offer to sell Placement Shares, any solicitation of an offer to buy Placement Shares, and any sales of Placement Shares shall only be effected by or through the Designated Agent on any single given day, and the Company shall in no event request that more than one Agent offer or sell Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement on the same day.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including the Incorporated Documents), the Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with the Agents that as of the date of this Agreement and as of each Applicable Time (as defined below), unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies a different date or time:
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(a) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for and comply with the conditions for the use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and declared effective under the Securities Act. The Prospectus Supplement will name the Agents as the agents in the section entitled “Plan of Distribution.” The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of Placement Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said Rule. Any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed, as applicable. Copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto and all of the Incorporated Documents that were filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement have been delivered to the Agents and their counsel, or are available through EDGAR. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of each Settlement Date and completion of the distribution of the Placement Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Placement Shares other than the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) to which the Agents have consented, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, or that is required by applicable law or the listing maintenance requirements of the NYSE. The Class A Common Stock is currently listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol “BKKT.” The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Class A Common Stock under the Exchange Act, delisting the Class A Common Stock from the NYSE, and the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from the NYSE to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of the NYSE. The Company is in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.
(b) No Stop Orders. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, nor any order preventing or suspending the use of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) or the Prospectus, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act has, to the actual knowledge of any of (1) the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, (2) the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and (3) the Company’s General Counsel and Secretary, in each case after reasonable inquiry of all officers, directors and employees of the Company under such Person’s (as defined below) direct supervision who would reasonably be expected to have knowledge or information with respect to the matter in question (the “Company’s Knowledge”), been initiated or threatened by the Commission.
(c) No Misstatement or Omission. The Registration Statement, when it became or becomes effective, did not, and will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto, on the date thereof and at each Applicable Time (as defined below), did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Incorporated Documents did not, and any further documents filed and incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such document or necessary to make the statements in such document, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company by the Agents specifically for use in the preparation thereof.
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(d) Conformity with Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, and the Incorporated Documents, when such documents were or are filed with the Commission under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or became or become effective under the Securities Act, as the case may be, conformed or will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable.
(e) Financial Information. The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly present in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the respective dates or for the respective periods therein specified. Such statements and related notes and schedules have been prepared in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (in effect as of the applicable date or period of time, “GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as may be set forth in the related notes included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with Regulation S-X. No other financial statements or supporting schedules or exhibits are required by Regulation S-X to be described or included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. All information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as defined in Regulation G) complies with Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K, to the extent applicable.
(f) Conformity with EDGAR Filing. The Prospectus delivered to the Agents for use in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement will be identical to the versions of the Prospectus created to be transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(g) Testing-the-Waters. The Company (a) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication and (b) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act or Rule 163B of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations.
(h) Organization. The Company and each of its subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) (each, a “Subsidiary,” collectively, the “Subsidiaries”), have been duly organized and are validly existing as corporations or other legal entities in good standing (or the foreign equivalent thereof) under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, in each case, to the extent the concept of good standing is applicable in such jurisdiction, except with respect to the Company’s subsidiaries where the failure to be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). The Company and each of its subsidiaries are duly qualified to do business and (to the extent applicable) are in good standing as foreign corporations or other legal entities in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required and have all corporate or similar power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to so qualify or have such corporate or similar power or authority would not (a) have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) impair in any material respect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate any transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (any such effect as described in clauses (a) or (b), a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to its most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K.
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(i) Subsidiaries. All the outstanding shares of capital stock (if any) or other equity securities of each Subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and (where applicable) nonassessable and, except to the extent set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are owned by the Company directly or indirectly through one or more wholly owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance, security interest, restriction upon voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(j) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is (a) in violation of its charter or by-laws (or analogous governing instrument, as applicable), (b) in default in any respect, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject or (c) in violation in any respect of any law, ordinance, governmental rule, regulation or court order, decree or judgment to which it or its property or assets may be subject except, in the case of clauses (b) and (c) above, for any such violation or default that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(k) No Material Adverse Effect. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there has not been (i) any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that would result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) any obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or the Subsidiaries, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) any material change in the capital stock (other than (A) the grant of additional options under the Company’s existing stock option plans, (B) changes in the number of outstanding Class A Common Stock of the Company due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for, or convertible into, Class A Common Stock outstanding on the date hereof, (C) as a result of the issuance of Placement Shares, (D) any repurchases of capital stock of the Company or (E) otherwise publicly announced) or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary, other than in each case above in the ordinary course of business or as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including any document incorporated by reference therein).
(l) eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(m) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth under the heading “Capitalization” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company, have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws, and conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. None of the outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock or Class V Common Stock were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. As of the date set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there were no authorized or outstanding shares of capital stock, options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights
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to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described above or accurately described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights in all material respects.
(n) S-3 Eligibility. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), the Company met the then applicable requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, including compliance with General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3, as applicable. The Company is not a shell company (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) and has not been a shell company for at least twelve (12) calendar months previously and if it has been a shell company at any time previously, has filed current Form 10 information (as defined in General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3) with the Commission at least twelve (12) calendar months previously reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.
(o) Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(p) Authorization of Placement Shares. The Placement Shares, when issued and delivered pursuant to the terms approved by the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof, or a duly authorized executive committee, against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim (other than any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim arising from an act or omission of the Agents or a purchaser), including any statutory or contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights, and will be registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act. The Placement Shares, when issued, will conform in all material respects to the description thereof set forth in or incorporated into the Prospectus.
(q) No Consents Required. Assuming after each Placement no holder of Class A Common Stock (or any of such holder’s affiliates or any other person who would be a beneficial owner of Class A Common Stock beneficially owned by the holder for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, including any “group” as defined thereunder of which the holder is a member) would beneficially own (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder) in excess of 9.99% of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock and except for the registration of the Placement Shares under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and the NYSE in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Placement Shares by the Agents and the listing of the Placement Shares on the NYSE, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, qualification or registration (each an “Authorization”) with, any court, governmental or regulatory agency or body, foreign or domestic, which has not been made, obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Placement Shares or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, suspension, termination or invalidation of any such Authorization or any other impairment of the rights of the holder or maker of any such Authorization.
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(r) Independent Public Accountants. KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) and Ernst & Young (“E&Y” and, together with KPMG, the “Prior Accountants”), who have each certified certain financial statements and related schedules of the Company and its Subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and have each audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and management’s assessment thereof, and Grant Thornton LLP (“Current Accountant” and together with the Prior Accountants, the “Accountants”) are each an independent public accountant within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(s) No Litigation. There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened, to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described.
(t) Certain Market Activities. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any of its officers, directors or its controlled affiliates has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed or intended to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which caused or resulted in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in violation of applicable law. The Placement Shares are “actively traded securities” exempted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.
(u) Broker/Dealer Relationships. Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary (as defined below) (i) is required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act or (ii) directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is a “person associated with a member” or “associated person of a member” (within the meaning set forth in the FINRA Manual).
(v) No Reliance. The Company has not relied upon the Agents or legal counsel for the Agents for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Placement Shares.
(w) Taxes. The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and paid all taxes shown thereon through the date hereof, to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith, except where the failure to do so would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any Subsidiary which has had, or would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any federal, state or other governmental tax deficiency, penalty or assessment which has been or might be asserted or threatened against it which would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have sufficient title in and (in the case of real property) to, or have valid and sufficient rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being owned by them that are material to the businesses of the Company or the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims, except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries or (ii) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(y) Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess the valid right to use all (a) valid and enforceable patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, Internet domain name registrations, copyrights, copyright registrations, licenses, trade secret rights (“Intellectual Property Rights”) and (b) inventions, software, works of authorships, trademarks, service marks, trade names, databases, formulae, know how, Internet domain names and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary confidential information, systems, or procedures) (collectively, “Intellectual Property Assets”) necessary to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted, and as proposed to be conducted and described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company and its Subsidiaries have not received any opinion from their legal counsel concluding that any activities of their respective businesses infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate, valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person, and have not received written notice of any challenge, which is to the Company’s Knowledge still pending, by any other person to the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries with respect to any Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets owned or used by the Company or its Subsidiaries. To the Company’s Knowledge, the Company and its Subsidiaries’ respective businesses as now conducted do not give rise to any infringement of, any misappropriation of, or other violation of, any valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person. All licenses for the use of the Intellectual Property Rights described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are valid, binding upon, and enforceable by or against the parties thereto in accordance to its terms. The Company has complied in all material respects with, and is not in breach nor has received any asserted or threatened claim of breach of, any intellectual property license, and the Company has no knowledge of any breach or anticipated breach by any other person to any intellectual property license. To the Company’s Knowledge, no claim has been made against the Company alleging the infringement by the Company of any patent, trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, trade secret, license in or other intellectual property right or franchise right of any person. The Company has taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard its Intellectual Property Rights, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of or payment of any additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of any other person in respect of, the Company’s right to own, use, or hold for use any of the Intellectual Property Rights as owned, used or held for use in the conduct of the business as currently conducted.
(z) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all foreign, federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or waste and protection of health and safety or the environment which are applicable to their businesses (“Environmental Laws”) other than any lack of compliance that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, there has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may otherwise be liable) upon any of the property now or previously owned or leased by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or upon any other property, in violation of any Environmental Laws; and to the Company’s Knowledge there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property of any toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances in violation of Environmental Laws.
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(aa) Accounting Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains a system of “internal control over financial reporting” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations) that complies in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurances that: (a) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (b) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (c) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (d) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (e) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective at the reasonable assurance level. Except as described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (x) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (y) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(bb) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its Subsidiaries maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as such is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations) that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company and its Subsidiaries in reports that they file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management to allow timely decisions regarding disclosures. The Company and its Subsidiaries have conducted evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(cc) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Each of the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer of the Company (or each former principal executive officer of the Company and each former principal financial officer of the Company as applicable) has made all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it or furnished by it to the Commission during the past 12 months. For purposes of the preceding sentence, “principal executive officer” and “principal financial officer” shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15.
(dd) Finder’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred any liability for any finder’s fees, brokerage commissions or similar payments in connection with the transactions herein contemplated, except as may otherwise exist with respect to the Agents pursuant to this Agreement.
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(ee) Labor Disputes. There is (a) no significant unfair labor practice complaint pending against the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, nor to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened against it or any of its subsidiaries, before the National Labor Relations Board, any state or local labor relation board or any foreign labor relations board, and no significant grievance or significant arbitration proceeding arising out of or under any collective bargaining agreement is so pending against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened against it or them and (b) no labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s Knowledge, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its Subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, in each of the cases contemplated by clauses (a) or (b) that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ff) Licenses or Permits. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate local, state, federal or foreign governmental or regulatory agencies or bodies that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Prospectus, including but not limited to their BitLicense issued by the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”), licensure as a money transmitter, and registration with the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a “money services business” under 31 C.F.R. § 1022.380 (collectively, the “Governmental Permits”), except where any failures to possess or make the same would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all such Governmental Permits, except where any failures to comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All such Governmental Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the validity or failure to be in full force and effect would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any written notification of any revocation, modification, suspension, termination or invalidation of any such Governmental Permit.
(gg) Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Placement Shares, will be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(hh) Operations. The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body with competent jurisdiction or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened.
(ii) Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. There are no transactions, arrangements and other relationships between and/or among the Company, and/or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its affiliates and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity (each, an “Off Balance Sheet Transaction”) that would reasonably be expected to affect materially the Company’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources, including those Off Balance Sheet Transactions described in the Commission’s Statement about Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations (Release Nos. 33-8056; 34-45321; FR-61), required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
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(jj) Underwriter Agreements. Other than with respect to this Agreement, the Company is not a party to any agreement with an agent or underwriter for any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction.
(kk) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Except as described in the Prospectus and for restrictions under law for any regulated subsidiary, no Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(ll) ERISA. To the knowledge of the Company, (i) each material employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and the Subsidiaries has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred which would result in a material liability to the Company with respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; and (iii) for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) equals or exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions, other than, in the case of (i), (ii) and (iii) above, as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(mm) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) (a “Forward-Looking Statement”) contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(nn) Agent Purchases. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Agents have informed the Company that the Agents may, to the extent permitted under applicable law and regulation, purchase and sell Class A Common Stock for their own account while this Agreement is in effect, provided, that the Company shall not be deemed to have authorized or consented to any such purchases or sales by the Agents.
(oo) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Placement Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(pp) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company and the Subsidiaries reasonably believe are adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material
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Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice from any insurer, agent of such insurer or the broker of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that any material capital improvements or any other material expenditures (other than premium payments) are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance.
(qq) No Improper Practices. (i) Neither the Company, the Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any of their respective executive officers has, in the past five years, made any unlawful contributions to any candidate for any political office (or failed fully to disclose any contribution in violation of law) or made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, municipal, or foreign office or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duty in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus; (ii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or, to the Company’s Knowledge, the Subsidiaries or any affiliate of any of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers and stockholders of the Company or, to the Company’s Knowledge, the Subsidiaries, on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; (iii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or the Subsidiaries or any affiliate of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders or directors of the Company or, to the Company’s Knowledge, the Subsidiaries, on the other hand, that is required by the rules of FINRA to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; (iv) there are no material outstanding loans or advances or material guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or the Subsidiaries to or for the benefit of any of their respective officers or directors or any of the members of the families of any of them required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; and (v) the Company has not offered, or caused any Agent to offer, Class A Common Stock to any person with the intent to influence unlawfully (A) a customer or supplier of the Company or the Subsidiaries to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or the Subsidiaries or (B) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or the Subsidiaries or any of their respective products or services, and, (vi) neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or the Subsidiaries has made any payment of funds of the Company or the Subsidiaries or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977), which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(rr) Status Under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto the Company was not, and the Company currently is not, an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
(ss) No Misstatement or Omission in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and as of each Applicable Time (as defined in Section 25 below), did not, does not and will not, through the completion of the Placement or Placements for which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is issued, include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any incorporated document deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified, or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agents specifically for use therein.
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(tt) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the issue and sale of the Placement Shares by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) (a) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, encumbrance, security interest, claim or charge upon any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, (b) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or analogous governing instruments, as applicable) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (c) result in the violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court or governmental or regulatory agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets except, in the case of clauses (a), (b) (with respect to the Company’s Subsidiaries that are not “significant subsidiaries”, as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act (“Significant Subsidiaries”)) and (c) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(uu) OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, directors, officers, or employees, nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any authorized agent, affiliate or other person authorized to act on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its Subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Placement Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (a) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (b) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (c) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(vv) Stock Transfer Taxes. On each Settlement Date, all material stock transfer or other taxes (other than income taxes) which are required to be paid in connection with the sale and transfer of the Placement Shares to be sold hereunder will be, or will have been, fully paid or provided for by the Company and all laws imposing such taxes will be or will have been fully complied with by the Company in all material respects.
(ww) IT Systems. The Company and its Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted. The Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the
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integrity, operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including personal data) used in connection with their businesses, and to the Company’s Knowledge there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability. The Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority with competent jurisdiction and internal policies relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and to the protection of such IT Systems from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
(xx) Export and Import Laws. Each of the Company and the subsidiaries, and, to the Company’s Knowledge, each of their affiliates and any director, officer, authorized agent or employee of, or other person authorized to act on behalf of, the Company has acted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable Export and Import Laws (as defined below) and there are no claims, complaints, charges, investigations or proceedings pending or expected or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened between the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and any governmental authority under any Export or Import Laws. The term “Export and Import Laws” means the Arms Export Control Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, the Export Administration Regulations, and all other laws and regulations of the United States government regulating the provision of services to non-U.S. parties or the export and import of articles or information from and to the United States of America, and all similar laws and regulations of any foreign government regulating the provision of services to parties not of the foreign country or the export and import of articles and information from and to the foreign country to parties not of the foreign country.
(yy) Money Transmitter Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries, as applicable, are duly registered to the extent required with all applicable state, federal and other governmental authorities with competent jurisdiction under applicable Money Transmitter Laws and Virtual Currency Business Laws in the United States and any other applicable non-U.S. jurisdictions relating to licensing or registration for their activities, except in each case as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries have been conducted in material compliance with all requirements under applicable Money Transmitter Laws and Virtual Currency Business Laws, except in each case as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s Knowledge, the Company and its subsidiaries are not subject to any enforcement actions, regulatory inquiries and investigations, threatened, ongoing, or settled enforcement, cautionary or other disciplinary matters, complaints or correspondence discussing actual or potential liabilities, requests for information, citations or notices of violation, and any significant proceedings before any governmental authority regarding its money transmitter or virtual currency business, except in each case as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this paragraph, (1) “Money Transmitter Laws” means all legal or regulatory requirements relating to the licensing or registration of a person that provides services relating to the acceptance of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency from one person and the transmission of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency to another location or person by any means, including through a financial agency or institution, a Federal Reserve Bank or other facility of one or more Federal Reserve Banks, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or both, an electronic funds transfer network or an informal value transfer system, or any other person engaged in the transfer of funds and (2) “Virtual Currency Business Laws” means all legal or regulatory requirements that may be enforced by any governmental authority for activities involving virtual currency, including, but not limited to, (i) receiving virtual currency for transmission or transmitting virtual currency, (ii) storing, holding, or maintaining custody or control of virtual currency on behalf of others, (iii) buying and selling virtual currency, (iv) performing exchange services or (v) controlling, administering or issuing a virtual currency.
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(zz) Statistical and Market Data. The statistical and market related data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree in all material respects with the sources from which they are derived.
(aaa) No Registration Rights. No person or entity has the right to require registration of shares of Class A Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries because of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or otherwise, except for persons and entities who have expressly waived such right in writing (including via email) or who have been given timely and proper written notice and have failed to exercise such right within the time or times required under the terms and conditions of such right. Except as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there are no persons with registration rights or similar rights to have any securities registered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under the Securities Act.
(bbb) No Acquisitions or Dispositions. Except as are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, letters of intent, term sheets, agreement, arrangements or understandings with respect to the direct or indirect acquisition or disposition by the Company of material interests in real or personal property.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Agents or to counsel for the Agents pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company, as applicable, to the Agents as to the matters set forth therein.
7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Agent that:
(a) Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by a Designated Agent under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act or similar rule), (i) the Company will notify the Agents promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated therein by reference, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or for additional information, (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon the Agents’ request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, that, upon the advice of the Company’s legal counsel, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Shares by the Agents (provided, however, that the failure of the Agents to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agents’ right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that the only remedy the Agents shall have with respect to the failure to make such filing shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement until such amendment or supplement is filed); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares or a security convertible into the Placement Shares (other than an Incorporated Document) unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Agents within a reasonable period of time before the proposed filing and the Agents have not reasonably objected in writing thereto prior to the time of the proposed filing to the Agents (provided, however, that (A) the failure of the Agents to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect the Agents’ right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and (B) the Company has no obligation to provide the Agents any such advanced copy or provide the Agents an opportunity to object to the same if the filing does not name the Agents or does not relate to the transactions herein provided; and provided, further, that the only remedy the Agents shall have with respect to the failure
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by the Company to obtain such consent shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to the Agents at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act or, in the case of any document to be incorporated therein by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the Exchange Act, within the time period prescribed (the determination to file or not file any amendment or supplement with the Commission under this Section 7(a), based on the Company’s reasonable opinion or reasonable objections, shall be made exclusively by the Company).
(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise the Agents, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued. The Company will advise the Agents promptly after it receives any request by the Commission for any amendments to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplements to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or for additional information related to the offering of the Placement Shares or for additional information related to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(c) Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by a Designated Agent under the Securities Act with respect to the offer and sale of the Placement Shares, (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act or similar rule), the Company will comply in all material respects with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, and to file on or before their respective due dates (taking into account any extensions available under the Exchange Act) all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If the Company has omitted any information from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to said Rule 430B and to notify the Agents promptly of all such filings if not available on EDGAR. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify the Agents to suspend the offering of Placement Shares during such period and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; provided, however, that the Company may delay any such amendment or supplement if, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, it is in the interests of the Company to do so, and shall provide the Agents with a written notice to that effect. Until such time as the Company shall have corrected such misstatement or omission or effected such compliance, the Company shall not instruct the Agents to resume the offering of Placement Shares.
(d) Listing of Placement Shares. Prior to the date of the first Placement Notice, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Shares to be listed on the NYSE.
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(e) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Agents and their counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are incorporated by reference therein) as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities as the Agents may from time to time reasonably request and, at the Agents’ request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Placement Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to the Agents to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
(f) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement covering a 12-month period that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 of the Securities Act. The Company’s compliance with the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7(f).
(g) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”
(h) Notice of Other Sales. Without the prior written consent of the Agents, or, alternatively, unless it gives the Agents at least two Business Days’ prior written notice, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Class A Common Stock (other than the Placement Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Class A Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Class A Common Stock during the period beginning on the date on which any Placement Notice is delivered to the Agents hereunder and ending on the final Settlement Date with respect to Placement Shares sold pursuant to such Placement Notice (or, if the Placement Notice has been terminated or suspended prior to the sale of all Placement Shares covered by a Placement Notice, the date of such suspension or termination); provided, however, that such restrictions will not apply in connection with the Company’s issuance or sale of (i) stock units, Class A Common Stock, options or warrants to purchase Class A Common Stock or Class A Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, vesting and/or settlement of options, warrants, stock units or other securities under the Company’s existing equity incentive plans, pursuant to any stock option, warrant, benefits or other equity-based or incentive compensation plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan (but not Class A Common Stock subject to a waiver to exceed plan limits in its dividend reinvestment plan) of the Company whether now in effect or hereafter implemented, (ii) Class A Common Stock issuable upon conversion of securities, including convertible notes, or the Company’s Class V common stock, or the exercise of warrants, options or other rights disclosed in filings by the Company available on EDGAR or otherwise in writing to the Agents, (iii) Class A Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Class A Common Stock as consideration for mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or strategic alliances occurring after the date of this Agreement which are not issued for capital raising purposes (which shall be determined solely by the Company in its reasonable judgment) and (iv) Class A Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s registration right or similar obligations to selling securityholders.
(i) Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during the pendency of a Placement Notice, advise the Agents promptly after it shall have received written notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document required to be provided to the Agents pursuant to this Agreement.
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(j) Due Diligence Cooperation. During the term of this Agreement, the Company will reasonably cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agents or their respective representatives in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices or remote digital access, as the Agents may reasonably request.
(k) Required Filings Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Company shall disclose, in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in its Annual Report on Form 10-K to be filed by the Company with the Commission from time to time, to the extent required by applicable law and Commission guidance, the number of the Placement Shares sold through the Agents under this Agreement, and the Net Proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement during the relevant quarter or, in the case of an Annual Report on Form 10-K, during the fiscal year covered by such Annual Report on Form 10-K and the fourth quarter of such fiscal year. The Company agrees that on or prior to such dates as the Securities Act shall require, the Company will (i) file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, which prospectus supplement will set forth, within the relevant period, the amount of Placement Shares sold through the Agents, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to the Agents with respect to such Placement Shares, and (ii) deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market; provided, however, that no such filing shall be required if the Company shall have disclosed such information in its most recent periodic report filed pursuant to the Exchange Act, and such disclosure is sufficient pursuant to the Exchange Act.
(l) Representation Dates; Certificate. (1) Prior to the date of the first Placement Notice and (2) each time the Company:
(i) files the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares or amends or supplements (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to an offering of securities other than the Placement Shares) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares;
(ii) files an Annual Report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act (including any Form 10-K/A containing amended financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed Form 10-K);
(iii) files a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or
(iv) files a Current Report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information “furnished” pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassification of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange Act (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a “Representation Date”); within five (5) Business Days (as defined below) of each Representation Date, the Company shall furnish the Agents (but in the case of clause (iv) above only if the Agents reasonably determine that the information contained in such Current Report on Form 8-K is material and inform the Company of such determination in writing) with a certificate substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(l). The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(l) shall be waived for any
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Representation Date occurring at a time a Placement Notice is not pending or a Suspension is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers instructions for the sale of Placement Shares hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date for which the requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(l) is not waived pursuant to the terms hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide the Agents with a certificate under this Section 7(l), then before the Company delivers the instructions for the sale of Placement Shares or the Agents sell any Placement Shares pursuant to such instructions, the Company shall provide the Agents with a certificate in conformity with this Section 7(l) dated as of the date that the instructions for the sale of Placement Shares are issued.
(m) Company Counsel Legal Opinions. (1) Prior to the date of the first Placement Notice and (2) within five (5) Business Days (as defined below) of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(l) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents (i) a written opinion and negative assurance letter of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, and (ii) a written opinion of Marc D’Annunzio, General Counsel of the Company (the “General Counsel”), in each case in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, substantially similar to the forms previously provided to the Agents and their counsel, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented (provided that such opinion letter shall only be required to be delivered on a Representation Date that is the commencement of the offering of Placement Shares, an amendment pursuant to Section 7(a), and an annual reporting date referenced in Section 7(l)(2)(ii)), substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agents and their counsel, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent periodic filings under the Exchange Act, each of Company Counsel and General Counsel may furnish the Agents with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that the Agents may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(m) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of the date of the Reliance Letter).
(n) Agents Counsel Legal Opinion. (1) Prior to the date of the first Placement Notice and (2) within five (5) Business Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(l) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received a written opinion and negative assurance letter of Reed Smith LLP (“Agents Counsel”), or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agents and their counsel, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented, provided, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent periodic filings under the Exchange Act, Agents Counsel may furnish the Agents with a Reliance Letter to the effect that the Agents may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(n) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of the date of the Reliance Letter).
(o) Comfort Letters. (1) Prior to the date of the first Placement Notice and (2) within five (5) Business Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(l) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall cause the applicable Accountants and any other applicable independent registered public accounting firm, as determined solely by the Company acting reasonably, to furnish the
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Agents letters (each, a “Comfort Letter”), dated the date such Comfort Letter is delivered, which shall meet the requirements set forth in this Section 7(o); provided, that if reasonably requested by the Agents, the Company shall cause a Comfort Letter from each applicable Accountant and any other applicable independent registered public accounting firm, as determined solely by the Company acting reasonably, to be furnished to the Agents within ten (10) Business Days of the date of such request following the occurrence of any material transaction or event requiring the filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K containing financial information, including the restatement of the Company’s financial statements, provided, however, that the requirement to provide such additional Comfort Letters shall be waived for any time a Placement Notice is not pending or a Suspension is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers instructions for the sale of Placement Shares hereunder and the next occurring Representation Date. The Comfort Letters shall be in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letters, the “Initial Comfort Letters”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letters with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letters had they been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letters.
(p) Market Activities; Compliance with Regulation M. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to the activities of the Agents, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or would constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of Class A Common Stock in violation of the Exchange Act or the Securities Act or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase Class A Common Stock in violation of Regulation M, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Placement Shares other than the Agents; provided, however, that this Section 7(p) shall not restrict the Company from bidding for and purchasing shares of Class A Common Stock in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act.
(q) Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, required to register as an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act.
(r) No Offer to Sell. Other than an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus approved in advance by the Company and the Agents in their capacity as agents hereunder, neither the Agents nor the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Agents in their capacity as such) will make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Placement Shares hereunder.
(s) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Agents, to qualify the Placement Shares for offering and sale, or to obtain an exemption for the Placement Shares to be offered and sold, under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Agents may designate and to maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect for so long as reasonably required for the distribution of the Placement Shares (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement); provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Placement Shares have been so qualified or exempt, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification or exemption, as the case may be, in effect for so long as reasonably required for the distribution of the Placement Shares (but in no event for less than one year from the date of this Agreement).
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(t) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries will maintain and keep accurate books and records reflecting their assets and maintain internal accounting controls in a manner designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP and including those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (iii) that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with management’s and the Company’s directors’ authorization, and (iv) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries will maintain such controls and other procedures that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.
(u) Secretary’s Certificate; Further Documentation. Prior to the date of the first Placement Notice, the Company shall deliver to the Agents a certificate of the Secretary of the Company and attested to by an executive officer of the Company, dated as of such date, certifying as to (i) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, (ii) the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Company, (iii) the resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the issuance of the Placement Shares and (iv) the incumbency of the officers duly authorized to execute this Agreement and the other documents contemplated by this Agreement. Within five (5) Business Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(l) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall have furnished to the Agents such appropriate further information, certificates and documents as the Agents may reasonably request and which are usually and customarily furnished by an issuer of securities in connection with a securities offering of the type contemplated hereby.
8. Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, including any fees required by the Commission, and the printing or electronic delivery of the Prospectus as originally filed and of each amendment and supplement thereto, in such number as the Agents shall reasonably deem necessary, (ii) the printing and delivery to the Agents of this Agreement and such other documents as may reasonably be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Shares, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates, if any, for the Placement Shares to the Agents, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any capital duties, stamp duties or other duties or taxes payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Placement Shares to the Agents, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the counsel, accountants and other advisors to the Company, (v) the documented fees and expenses of Agents including but not limited to the fees and expenses of the counsel to the Agents, payable upon the execution of this Agreement, (a) in an amount not to exceed $10,000 in the aggregate in connection with the execution of this Agreement, (b) in an amount not to exceed $75,000 in the aggregate per calendar quarter thereafter payable in connection with each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(l) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, and (c) in an amount not to exceed $10,000 for
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each program “refresh” (filing of a new registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement relating to the Placement Shares and/or an amendment of this Agreement) executed pursuant to this Agreement, (vi) the qualification or exemption of the Placement Shares under state securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(s) hereof, including filing fees, but excluding fees of the Agents’ counsel, (vii) the printing and delivery to the Agents of copies of any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto in such number as the Agents shall reasonably deem necessary, (viii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Agents of copies of the blue sky survey, (ix) the fees and expenses of the transfer agent and registrar for the Class A Common Stock, (x) the filing and other fees incident to any review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Placement Shares including the fees of the Agents’ counsel (subject to the cap, set forth in clause (v) above), and (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Placement Shares on the NYSE. The Company agrees to pay the fees and expenses of counsel to the Agents set forth in clause (v) above by wire transfer of immediately available funds directly to such counsel reasonably promptly following presentation of an invoice containing the requisite payment information prepared by such counsel.
9. Conditions to the Agents’ Obligations. The obligations of the Agents hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein (other than those representations and warranties made as of a specified date or time) in all material respects, to the due performance in all material respects by the Company of its obligations hereunder, to the completion by the Agents of a due diligence review satisfactory to the Agents in their reasonable judgment, and to the continuing reasonably satisfaction (or waiver by the Agents in their sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall have become effective and shall be available for the sale of all Placement Shares contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice.
(b) No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state Governmental Authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state Governmental Authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening in writing of any proceeding for such purpose; or (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or Incorporated Documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. The Agents shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the Agents’ reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Agents’ reasonable opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
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(d) Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, if any, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any Material Adverse Effect or any development that would cause a Material Adverse Effect, or a downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities) by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act) (a “Rating Organization”) or a public announcement by any Rating Organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities), the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a Rating Organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of the Agents (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Placement Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(e) Company Counsel Legal Opinions. The Agents shall have received the opinions and negative assurance letter required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinions is required pursuant to Section 7(m).
(f) Agents Counsel Legal Opinion. The Agents shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(n) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinions is required pursuant to Section 7(n).
(g) Comfort Letter. The Agents shall have received the Comfort Letter(s) required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) on or before the date on which such delivery of such Comfort Letter(s) is required pursuant to Section 7(o).
(h) Representation Certificate. The Agents shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(l) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(l).
(i) No Suspension. Trading in the Class A Common Stock shall not have been suspended on the NYSE and the Class A Common Stock shall not have been delisted from the NYSE.
(j) Other Materials. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(l), the Company shall have furnished to the Agents such appropriate further information, certificates and other documents as the Agents may reasonably request and which are usually and customarily furnished by an issuer of securities in connection with a securities offering of the type contemplated hereby. All such certificates and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof.
(k) Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.
(l) Approval for Listing. The Company shall have submitted a Supplemental Listing Application to the NYSE related to the Placement Shares.
(m) FINRA. If applicable, FINRA shall have raised no objection to the terms of this offering and the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Agents as described in the Prospectus.
(n) No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit the Agents to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 13(a).
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10. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Company Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent, its affiliates and their respective partners, members, directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Agent or any such affiliate within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and reasonable and documented expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any related Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and reasonable and documented expense whatsoever, as incurred, joint or several, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Authority, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 10(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be delayed or withheld; and
(iii) against any and all reasonable and documented expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Authority, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above,
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made solely in reliance upon and in conformity with the Agents Information (as defined below).
(b) Agents Indemnification. Each Agent, severally but not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors and officers, and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 10(a), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendments thereto), the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Agents and furnished to the Company in writing by the Agents expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Agents have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth in the tenth paragraph under the caption “Plan of Distribution-General” and the second paragraph under the caption “Plan of Distribution-Other Activities and Relationships” in the Prospectus (the “Agents Information”).
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(c) Procedure. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 10 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 10, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 10 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provision of this Section 10 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission materially prejudices substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable and documented costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (3) a conflict or potential conflict of interest exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (4) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action or counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, in each case, within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action; in each of which cases the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm (plus local counsel) admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such reasonable and documented out-of- pocket fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly after the indemnifying party or parties receives a written invoice related to fees, disbursements and other charges in reasonable detail. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 10 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (1) includes an express and unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (2) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for reasonable fees and expenses of counsel, for which it is entitled to be reimbursed under this Section 10, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 10(a)(ii) effected without its
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written consent if (1) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (2) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 60 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (3) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(e) Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 10 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable or insufficient from the Company or the Agents, the Company and the Agents will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted) to which the Company and the Agents may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Agents on the other hand. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Agents on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by the Agents (before deducting expenses) from the sale of Placement Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agents, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Agents, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and each Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 10(e) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense, or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 10(e) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 10(e), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 10(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10(e), an Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 10(e), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, any affiliates of an Agent and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of an Agent or any of its affiliates, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each director and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 10(e), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 10(e) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 10(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 10(c) hereof. The Agents’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10(e) are several in proportion to the respective number of Placement Shares they have sold hereunder, and not joint.
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11. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 10 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Agent, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Placement Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
12. Reporting Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Agents will use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver to the Company, for each interim and annual period during which Placement Shares are sold through the Agents or distributed pursuant to this Agreement, such aggregate Sales Data and other information reasonably requested by the Company to enable the Company to meet its reporting requirements under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any applicable requirements of the NYSE. Unless applicable securities laws or any applicable requirements of the NYSE otherwise require, the Company and Agents agree that the Agents’ report referred to in this Section 12 shall state the number and average price of Placement Shares issued on all Settlement Dates occurring during the interim or annual period, as applicable, and the aggregate gross and the aggregate net proceeds raised and the aggregate commission paid or payable, during the interim or annual period, as applicable.
13. Termination.
(a) Each Agent may terminate this Agreement with respect to itself, by written notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time (1) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, or any development or event that would have a Material Adverse Effect, in the sole reasonable judgment of such Agent is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Placement Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Placement Shares, (2) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of such Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Placement Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Placement Shares, (3) if trading in the Class A Common Stock has been suspended or limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or if trading generally on the NYSE has been suspended or limited, or minimum prices for trading have been fixed on the NYSE, (4) if any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market shall have occurred and be continuing, (5) if a major disruption of securities settlements or services in the United States shall have occurred and be continuing, or (6) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either U.S. Federal or New York authorities. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8 (Payment of Expenses), Section 10 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 11 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 18 (Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial) and Section 19 (Consent to Jurisdiction) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. If an Agent elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 13(a), such Agent shall provide the required notice as specified in Section 14 (Notices). For the avoidance of doubt, the termination by one Agent of its rights and obligations under this Agreement pursuant to this Section 13(a) shall not affect the rights and obligations of the other Agents under the Agreement.
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(b) The Company shall have the right, by giving three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8, Section 10, Section 11, Section 18 and Section 19 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. For the avoidance of doubt, the termination by the Company of this Agreement with respect to one Agent pursuant to this Section 13(b) shall not affect the rights and obligations of the other Agents under this Agreement.
(c) Each Agent shall have the right, by giving three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement with respect to itself in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8, Section 10, Section 11, Section 18 and Section 19 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. For the avoidance of doubt, the termination by one Agent of its rights and obligations under this Agreement pursuant to this Section 13(c) shall not affect the rights and obligations of the other Agents under this Agreement.
(d) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 13(a), (b), or (c) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 8, Section 10, Section 11, Section 18 and Section 19 shall remain in full force and effect. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Company shall not have any liability to an Agent for any discount, commission or other compensation with respect to any Placement Shares not otherwise sold by an Agent under this Agreement. To the extent this Agreement is terminated by one Agent or by the Company with respect to one Agent pursuant to Sections 13(a), (b) or (c) above, this Agreement shall terminate only with respect to such Agent and shall remain in full force and effect with respect to the Company and the other Agents, unless and until terminated pursuant to Sections 13(a), (b) or (c) above.
(e) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agents or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Shares, such Placement Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
14. Notices. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified, and if sent to the Agents, shall be delivered to:
The Benchmark Company, LLC
150 East 58th Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10155
Attention: Richard Messina, President
Email: [***]
and:
Virtu Americas LLC
1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
Attention: Virtu ATM
Email: [***]
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and:
Clear Street LLC
4 World Trade Center
New York, New York 10006
Attention: General Counsel
Email: [***]
Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC
3 Columbus Circle, 24th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Attention: Jerry Serowik
Email: [***]
Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc.
660 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10103
Attention: James Ridings
Email: [***]
Rosenblatt Securities Inc.
40 Wall Street, 59th Floor
New York, New York 10005
Attention: Joseph Gawronski
Email: [***]
Roth Capital Partners, LLC
888 San Clemente Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Attention: Roth ECM
Email: [***]
with a copy to:
Reed Smith LLP
200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 2600
Southeast Financial Center
Miami, Florida 33131
Attention: Constantine Karides, Esq., Lynwood Reinhardt, Esq.,
Michael S. Lee, Esq.
Email: [***]
and if to the Company, shall be delivered to:
Bakkt Holdings, Inc.
One Liberty Plaza
One Liberty Street, Suite 305-306
New York, New York 10006
Attention: Marc D’Annunzio
Email: [***]
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with a copy to:
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
125 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
Attention: Jared Fishman, Matt Goodman, Mario Schollmeyer
Email: [***]
Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally or by verifiable facsimile transmission on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) by Electronic Notice, as set forth below, (iii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iv) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). For purposes of this Agreement, “Business Day” shall mean any day on which the NYSE and the commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.
An electronic communication (“Electronic Notice”) shall be deemed written notice for purposes of this Section 14 if sent to the electronic mail address specified by the receiving party under separate cover. Electronic Notice shall be deemed received at the time transmitted, provided no bounce-back or error message is received by the sending party.
15. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and each Agent and their respective successors and the parties referred to in Section 10 hereof. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither the Company nor the Agents may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other parties; provided, however, that each Agent may assign its rights and obligations hereunder without obtaining the Company’s consent to an affiliate thereof that is a registered broker-dealer.
16. Adjustments for Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any share consolidation, stock split, stock dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Placement Shares.
17. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability; Waiver. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and each Agent; provided, however, that Schedule 2 of this Agreement may be amended by any party from time to time by sending a notice containing a revised Schedule 2 to the other parties in the manner provided in Section 14 and, upon such amendment, all references herein to Schedule 2 shall automatically be deemed to refer to such amended Schedule 2. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement. No implied waiver by a party shall arise in the absence of a waiver in writing signed by such party. No failure or delay in exercising any right, power, or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any right, power, or privilege hereunder.
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18. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL
BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
19. CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT, THAT SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM OR THAT THE VENUE OF SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS IMPROPER. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF (CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED) TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW.
20. Use of Information. The Agents may not use any information gained in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including in connection with their and their advisors’ due diligence, to advise any party with respect to transactions not expressly approved by the Company in writing.
21. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. Federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
22. Construction. The section and exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof. References herein to any law, statute, ordinance, code, regulation, rule or other requirement of any Governmental Authority shall be deemed to refer to such law, statute, ordinance, code, regulation, rule or other requirement of any Governmental Authority as amended, reenacted, supplemented or superseded in whole or in part and in effect from time to time and also to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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23. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Agents, and each Agent represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Placement Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Agents or by the Company, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents and warrants that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit 21 hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.
24. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) each Agent is acting solely as agent in connection with the public offering of the Placement Shares and in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, stockholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and the Agents, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not any Agent has advised or is advising the Company on other matters, and the Agents have no obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement;
(b) it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) neither the Agents nor their respective affiliates have provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and it has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;
(d) it is aware that each Agent and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions that may involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and each such Agent and its affiliates have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and
(e) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against an Agent or its affiliates for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the sale of Placement Shares under this Agreement and agrees that such Agents and its affiliates shall not have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company, employees or creditors of the Company, other than in respect of the Agents’ obligations under this Agreement to keep information provided by the Company to the Agents and their advisors confidential to the extent not otherwise publicly available.
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25. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:
“Applicable Time” means (i) each Representation Date, (ii) the time of each sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement and (iii) each Settlement Date.
“Governmental Authority” means (i) any federal, provincial, state, local, municipal, national or international government or governmental authority, regulatory or administrative agency, governmental commission, department, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, court, tribunal, arbitrator or arbitral body (public or private); (ii) any self-regulatory organization; or (iii) any political subdivision of any of the foregoing.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Placement Shares that (1) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (2) is a “road show” that is a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (3) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Placement Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Securities Act Regulations.
“Rule 164,” “Rule 172,” “Rule 405,” “Rule 415,” “Rule 424,” “Rule 424(b),” “Rule 430B,” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Securities Act Regulations.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; all references in this Agreement to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that, pursuant to Rule 433, are not required to be filed with the Commission) shall be deemed to include the copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; and all references in this Agreement to “supplements” to the Prospectus, shall include, without limitation, any supplements, “wrappers” or similar materials prepared in connection with any offering, sale or private placement of any Placement Shares by the Agents outside of the United States.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and each Agent, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and each Agent.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| BAKKT HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Karen Alexander | |
| Name: Karen Alexander | ||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | ||
ACCEPTED as of the date first-above written:
| THE BENCHMARK COMPANY, LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ John J. Borer III | |
| Name: John J. Borer III | ||
| Title: Senior Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking | ||
| VIRTU AMERICAS LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Joshua R. Feldman | |
| Name: Joshua R. Feldman | ||
| Title: Co-Head of Virtu Capital Markets | ||
| CLEAR STREET LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Ryan Gerety | |
| Name: Ryan Gerety | ||
| Title: Managing Director | ||
| COHEN & COMPANY CAPITAL MARKETS, A | ||
| DIVISION OF COHEN & COMPANY | ||
| SECURITIES, LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Jerry Serowik | |
| Name: Jerry Serowik | ||
| Title: Managing Director, Head of CCM | ||
| MACQUARIE CAPITAL (USA) INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ James Ridings | |
| Name: James Ridings | ||
| Title: Managing Director | ||
| By: | /s/ Mike Papsin | |
| Name: Mike Papsin | ||
| Title: Senior Vice President | ||
| ROSENBLATT SECURITIES INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Charles P. Roney | |
| Name: Charles P. Roney | ||
| Title: CCO | ||
| ROTH CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Aaron M. Gurewitz | |
| Name: Aaron M. Gurewitz | ||
| Title: Co-Chief Executive Officer & Head of Investment Banking | ||
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SCHEDULE 1
Form of Placement Notice
| From: | Bakkt Holdings, Inc. | |
| To: | [•] | |
| Attention: | [•] | |
| Subject: | Placement Notice | |
| Date: | [•], 202[•] | |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Sales Agreement among Bakkt Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), The Benchmark Company, LLC, Virtu Americas LLC, Clear Street LLC, Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., Rosenblatt Securities Inc. and Roth Capital Partners, LLC (the “Agents”), dated January 16, 2026, the Company hereby requests that [Identify Designated Agent] sell up to [•] of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, at a minimum market price of $[•] per share, during the time period beginning [month, day, time] and ending [month, day, time].
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SCHEDULE 2
Notice Parties
The Company
Marc D’Annunzio – [***]
with copies to:
Jared Fishman - [***]
Matt Goodman - [***]
Mario Schollmeyer - [***]
The Benchmark Company, LLC
Richard Messina, President - [***]
Virtu Americas LLC
Jeff Lumby - [***]
Joshua R. Feldman - [***]
Conor Lumby - [***]
With copies to:
[***]
Clear Street LLC
Andrew Overstreet - [***]
Ryan Gerety - [***]
Alex Reingold - [***]
Kenneth Bisono - [***]
With copies to:
[***]
Cohen & Company Capital Market
Jerry Serowik - [***]
With copies to:
[***]
Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc.
James Ridings - [***]
Rosenblatt Securities Inc.
Joseph Gawronski - [***]
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With copies to:
[***]
Roth Capital Partners, LLC
Roth ECM - [***]
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Exhibit 7(l)
Bakkt Holdings, Inc.
Form of Representation Date Certificate
The undersigned, the [•] of Bakkt Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), does hereby certify in such capacity and on behalf of the Company, and not in my individual capacity, pursuant to Section 7(l) of the Sales Agreement, dated January 16, 2026 (the “Sales Agreement”), among the Company, The Benchmark Company, LLC, Virtu Americas LLC, Clear Street LLC, Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., Rosenblatt Securities Inc. and Roth Capital Partners, LLC, (together, the “Agents”), as follows:
(i) Each of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 6 of the Sales Agreement (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are subject to qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality or Material Adverse Effect, are true and correct on and as of the date hereof with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof, except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were true and correct as of such date, and (B) to the extent such representations and warranties are not subject to any qualifications or exceptions, are true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof as if made on and as of the date hereof with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were so true and correct as of such date; and
(ii) The Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied in all material respects all conditions on its part required to be performed or satisfied pursuant to the Sales Agreement at or prior to the date hereof.
Each of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, counsel to the Company, and Reed Smith LLP, counsel to the Agents, is entitled to rely upon this certificate in connection with the respective opinions and/or negative assurance letters given by such firms pursuant to the Sales Agreement.
Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Sales Agreement.
| BAKKT HOLDINGS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Date: [•] | ||
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Exhibit 21
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus
None.
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