Note 4. Acquisitions

Acquisition of ESS Metron

On December 1, 2021, the Company acquired 100% of the equity interests of ESS Metron. ESS Metron is based in Denver, Colorado, operating from facilities totaling approximately 121,000 square feet. The facilities are subject to long-term lease agreements.

The acquisition-date fair value of the total consideration transferred was comprised of $25 million of cash, adjusted for net working capital and other items, and 715,413 shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value, with a fair value of approximately $26.7 million. Of the 715,413 shares of common stock, 645,248 were issued upon closing, and the remaining 70,165 were withheld as security for the sellers’ indemnification obligations for 18 months following the transaction closing date.

The ESS Metron Acquisition was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC 805, which requires recognition of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values on the date of acquisition. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has completed a preliminary allocation of the purchase consideration. Therefore, the allocation of the purchase price to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is based on provisional estimates and is subject to continuing management analysis, with assistance from third party valuation advisors. The Company expects to finalize the valuation of these assets and liabilities, and consideration transferred, as soon as practicable, but not later than one year from the acquisition date. Any changes to the preliminary estimates of the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed will be recorded as adjustments to those assets and liabilities and residual amounts will be allocated to goodwill.

During the period ended December 31, 2021, the Company continued reviewing its valuations of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the December 1, 2021 acquisition of ESS Metron based on new information obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date.

Any necessary adjustments will be finalized within one year from the date of acquisition (in thousands):

The $56.9 million total purchase price consideration consisted of $26.7 million fair value of Riot common shares issued, a $30.1 million cash payment (net of $3.7 million of Seller transaction costs). Goodwill represents the excess of total purchase consideration over the preliminary fair value of the underlying assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is attributable to the assembled workforce of experienced personnel at ESS Metron and synergies expected to be achieved from the combined operations of Riot and ESS Metron. The goodwill recognized is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. We assigned the goodwill to our Engineering segment. See Note 18, “Segment Information”.

In accordance with ASC 815, the Company determined that the 70,165 shares withheld meet the conditions necessary to be classified as equity because the consideration is indexed to the Company’s own equity, there are no exercise contingencies based on an observable market not based on its stock or operations, settlement is consistent with a fixed-for-fixed equity instrument, the agreement contains an explicit number of shares and there are no cash payment provisions. Additionally, based on these assessments, the Company determined the shares be recorded at fair value on the acquisition date similar to escrowed shares or securities and accounted for them in total consideration transferred. This consideration relates to representations and warranties of circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date and which the Company believes to be accurate, with future issuance of the share consideration deemed likely to occur.

The fair values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaid and other current assets, inventory and work-in-progress, accounts payable, accrued expenses, and warranty liability were determined to be the carrying values due to the short-term nature of the assets and liabilities. The fair value of the acquired trade receivables was determined to be the net realizable amount of the closing date book value of $9.9 million.

Contract assets consist of costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts and unearned revenue consists of billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts. The fair values of these assets and liabilities were determined to be the carrying values due to the short-term nature of the underlying project contracts incurring costs and the associated customer billings.

The fair value of property and equipment was estimated by applying the cost approach. The cost approach uses the replacement or reproduction cost as an indicator of fair value. The assumptions of the cost approach include replacement cost new, projected capital expenditures, and physical deterioration factors including economic useful life, remaining useful life, age, and effective age.

Intangible assets reflect the identifiable intangible assets acquired, consisting of customer relationships, a trademark and UL Listings. Customer relationships are assigned an estimated useful life of approximately 10 years based on the low attrition of the customer base, in part due to the customized nature of the Company’s products. Fair value of the customer relationships was estimated by applying an income approach – multi period excess earnings method. The fair value was determined by calculating the present value of estimated future operating cash flows generated from the existing customers less costs to realize the revenue. The Company applied a discount rate of 21%, which reflected the nature of the assets as they relate to the risk and uncertainty of the estimated future operating cash flows. Other significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the customer contracts include an assumed income tax rate of 25%.

Although ESS Metron has been in business for over 60 years, the trademark was only assigned a 10-year life due to the Company obtaining more data center customers where the longevity of the projects may be shorter than have been historically. Fair value of the trademark was estimated by applying the relief from royalty rate method. The fair value was determined by applying an estimated royalty rate to revenues, measuring the value the Company would pay in royalties to a market participant if it did not own the trademark and had to license it from a third party.

UL Listings were assigned a 12-year life. A UL Listing means that UL, LLC has tested representative samples of a product and determined that the product meets specific, defined requirements. These requirements are often based on UL’s published and nationally recognized Standards for Safety. Although the UL Listing certifications do not expire, due to technological improvements in similar products, particularly in the data center industry, a 12-year life was assumed. Fair value of the UL Listings was estimated by applying an estimated developer’s profit margin of approximately 4.5% to estimated costs to be incurred over an estimated six months to re-acquire the UL Listings. The Company applied a discount rate of 15%, which reflected the short time necessary to re-acquire the asset.

The right of use asset and operating lease liabilities consist of two operating leases of the manufacturing facility in Denver, CO. These leases have combined annual payments of approximately $0.9 million and have remaining lease terms of approximately 3.5 and 10 years.

The operating results of ESS Metron have been included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations since the acquisition date. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized $2.1 million of acquisition-related costs that were expensed as incurred.

The financial results of the acquisition have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the closing of the acquisition. From the December 1, 2021 acquisition date through December 31, 2021, ESS Metron’s total revenue and net income was approximately $4.2 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

Acquisition of Whinstone

On May 26, 2021, the Company acquired 100% of the equity interests of Whinstone US, Inc., the owner and operator of a Bitcoin mining and hosting facility, for approximately $460 million. The assets and operations of Whinstone increases the scale and scope of Riot’s operations, which is a foundational element in the Company’s strategy to become an industry-leading Bitcoin mining platform on a global scale.

The acquisition-date fair value of the total consideration transferred was comprised of $80 million of cash, adjusted for net working capital and other items, and 11.8 million shares of the Company’s common stock, no par value, with a fair value of approximately $326 million. As part of cash at closing, net debt outstanding from Whinstone to its parent (Seller) totaling approximately $38 million was repaid as part of cash paid and certain seller transaction costs were paid. The Company also agreed to pay Seller up to approximately $86 million (undiscounted) in additional consideration if certain future power credits are realized by Whinstone.

The purchase price was funded through a combination of existing cash and issuance of equity securities.

The Whinstone Acquisition was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC 805, which requires recognition of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values on the date of acquisition. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has completed a preliminary allocation of the purchase consideration. Therefore, the allocation of the purchase price to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is based on provisional estimates and is subject to continuing management analysis, with assistance from third party valuation advisors. The Company expects to finalize the valuation of these assets and liabilities, and consideration transferred, as soon as practicable, but not later than one year from the Acquisition Date. Any changes to the preliminary estimates of the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed will be recorded as adjustments to those assets and liabilities and residual amounts will be allocated to goodwill.

During the period ended December 31, 2021, the Company continued reviewing its valuations of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the May 26, 2021 acquisition of Whinstone based on new information obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date. During the period May 26, 2021 through December 31, 2021, due to further analysis of the operating forecast used in the acquisition date valuation, the Company recorded preliminary measurement period adjustments of approximately $90.3 million to decrease the value of its customer relationship intangible assets, $37.8 million to decrease the value of its acquisition date deferred tax liabilities and $0.2 million to increase its acquisition date right of use asset, with the corresponding adjustments to goodwill.

Any necessary adjustments will be finalized within one year from the date of acquisition ($ in thousands):

The $460.4 million total purchase price consideration consisted of $326.2 million fair value of Riot common shares issued, a $53.0 million cash payment (including $38.1 million of debt payoff and certain Seller transaction costs), an $83.0 million contingent purchase price payable to the Seller and other net items of $(1.7 million).

As part of the share purchase agreement Riot entered into with the Seller in connection with the Whinstone Acquisition, Riot is obligated to Seller to pay up to a maximum amount of $86 million, net of income taxes as defined under the stock purchase agreement (undiscounted) of additional consideration if certain power credits are received or realized by Whinstone. Those power credits arose from the February 2021 weather event. The purchase price included the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration at the Whinstone Acquisition Date of approximately $83 million. The fair value measurement is based on significant inputs not observable in the market and thus represents a Level 3 measurement as defined in ASC 820. The significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value are described in Note 14, “Fair Value Measurements”. These assumptions for the power credits whose utilization by Whinstone is contingent on ERCOT’s future power billings, include the timing of receipt or realization of the power credits, estimates of future power consumption, the discount rate and credit risk of the Company and the owing party (ERCOT).

The fair value of the acquired trade receivables was determined to be the net realizable amount of the closing date book value of $1.1 million.

The fair value of the acquired long-term other asset of approximately $83 million relates to the estimated amount of power credits due Whinstone from the February 2021 weather event. We estimated the fair value of the power credits to be the same as that of the contingent consideration arrangement because the Company is required to remit to the Seller in cash as additional consideration the amount of such power credits received or realized by Whinstone. See discussion above on contingent consideration.

The derivative asset acquired pertains to Whinstone’s Power Supply Agreement. Fair value of the contract of approximately $14 million was estimated by applying a discounted debt-free cash flow approach. This fair value measurement is based on significant inputs not observable in the market and thus represents a Level 3 measurement as defined in ASC 820. The significant assumptions used to estimate fair value of the derivative contract include a discount rate of 21%, which reflected the nature of the contract as it relates to the risk and uncertainty of the estimated future mark-to-market adjustments, forward price curves of the power supply, broker/dealer quotes and other similar data obtained from quoted market prices or independent pricing vendors.

The fair value of property and equipment was estimated by applying the cost approach. The cost approach uses the replacement or reproduction cost as an indicator of fair value. The assumptions of the cost approach include replacement cost new, projected capital expenditures, and physical deterioration factors including economic useful life, remaining useful life, age, and effective age.

The operating results of Whinstone have been included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations since the Acquisition Date. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized $19.1 million of acquisition-related costs that were expensed as incurred.

The financial results of the acquisition have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the closing of the acquisition. From the May 26, 2021 acquisition date through December 31, 2021, Whinstone’s total revenue and net income was approximately $24.5 million and $1.2 million, respectively.

Pro Forma Information (Unaudited)

The following unaudited pro forma financial information summarizes the combined results of operations for Riot, Whinstone and ESS Metron as if the companies were combined as of January 1, 2020. The unaudited pro forma information does not reflect the effect of costs or synergies that may result from the acquisition. The pro forma information excludes acquisition-related costs of $21.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. The pro forma information does not purport to be indicative of the results of operations that actually would have resulted had the combination occurred on January 1, 2020, or of future results of the consolidated entities. This unaudited pro forma information is presented for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of future operating results of the combined company (in thousands).

Asset Purchase Agreement with Prive Technologies LLC

On February 21, 2018, the Company and Kairos, completed an asset purchase under an agreement (the “Prive Purchase Agreement”) with Prive. Upon closing of the transaction, Kairos became the owner of Prive equipment used for the mining of cryptocurrency, including, but not limited to, 3,800 Bitmain Antminer S9s. The equipment was recorded for a purchase price of approximately $19.5 million as follows (in thousands):

As part of the Prive Purchase Agreement, 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock were held in escrow (the “Escrow Shares”). No value was assigned to the Escrow Shares at the time of the acquisition as they were contingent consideration. The Escrow Shares would have been released to the Sellers upon the Company generating net cash flow of at least $10.0 million from the equipment. If the Escrow Shares were not released to the Sellers on or before the two-year anniversary (February 2020) of the Prive Purchase Agreement, the Escrow Shares would be returned to the Company for cancellation. In February 2020, the conditions were not achieved and after receiving notification on March 4, 2020, the escrow agent returned and canceled the 200,000 shares.

Acquisition of Logical Brokerage Corp.

On March 26, 2018, the Company entered into an asset acquisition with Logical Brokerage Corp. The Company purchased 9.25 shares of Logical Brokerage, representing 92.5% of the outstanding capital stock of Logical Brokerage, for a cash purchase price of $0.6 million. Logical Brokerage, a futures introducing broker headquartered in Miami, Florida is registered with the CFTC and is a member of the NFA. The asset was recorded at the purchase price of $0.6 million, net of cash received with the asset acquisition of $0.1 million, plus any transaction costs. The CFTC license was recorded as intangible rights acquired.

The Company made the decision, effective as of December 31, 2019 not to pursue its RiotX / Logical Brokerage business development plan. Under the guidance of ASU 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, the Company determined that the discontinuation of RiotX / Logical Brokerage did not represent a strategic shift that would have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results. The Company accounted for the discontinuation as an impairment of an intangible asset acquired, and as of December 31, 2019, recorded an impairment expense of approximately $0.7 million and recorded an income tax benefit of approximately $0.1 million, which are reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.