Riot Platforms, Inc. Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Significant accounting policies (Policy)

Significant accounting policies (Policy)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Significant accounting policies [Abstract]

Cash, cash equivalents and investments:

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of acquisition to be cash equivalents. From time to time, the Company's cash account balances exceed the balances as covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance System. The Company has never suffered a loss due to such excess balances.

The Company invests excess cash from time to time in highly-liquid debt and equity investments of highly-rated entities which are classified as trading securities. The purpose of the investments is to fund research and development, product development, United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") clearance-related activities and general corporate purposes. Such amounts are recorded at market values using Level 1 inputs in determining fair value and are classified as current, as the Company does not intend to hold the investments beyond twelve months. Investment securities classified as trading are those securities that are bought and held principally for the purpose of selling them in the near term, with the objective of preserving principal and generating profits. These securities are reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported as an element of other (expense) income in current period earnings. The Company's Board of Directors has approved an investment policy covering the investment parameters to be followed with the primary goals being the safety of principal amounts and maintaining liquidity of the fund. The policy provides for minimum investment rating requirements as well as limitations on investment duration and concentrations. Based upon market conditions, the investment guidelines have been tightened to increase the minimum acceptable investment ratings required for investments and shorten the maximum investment term. As of September 30, 2013, 16% of the investment portfolio was in cash and cash equivalents, which is presented as such on the accompanying balance sheet, and the remaining funds were invested in short-term marketable securities with none individually representing more than 10% of the portfolio and none with maturities past June 2014. To date, the Company's cumulative realized market loss from the investments has not been significant. For the nine months ended September 30, 2013, there was approximately $115,000 in unrealized loss, $53,000 realized loss, and $13,000 in management fees. For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, there was approximately $1,329 in unrealized income, $82 realized loss, and $2,576 in management fees.

Fair value of financial instruments

Fair value of financial instruments:

The Company accounts for financial instruments under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification Topic (ASC) 820, Fair Value Measurements. This statement defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in generally accepted accounting principles, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. To increase consistency and comparability in fair value measurements, ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three levels as follows:

	Level 1- quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

	Level 2 - observable inputs other than Level 1, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, and model-derived prices whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable; and

	Level 3 - assets and liabilities whose significant value drivers are unobservable.

Observable inputs are based on market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs are based on the Company's market assumptions. Unobservable inputs require significant management judgment or estimation. In some cases, the inputs used to measure an asset or liability may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is required to be classified using the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Such determination requires significant management judgment. There were no financial assets or liabilities measured at fair value, with the exception of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

The carrying amounts of the Company's financial instruments (other than cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as discussed above) approximate fair value because of their variable interest rates and/or short maturities combined with the recent historical interest rate levels.

Recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements

Recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements:

The Company has evaluated all recently issued accounting pronouncements and believes such pronouncements do not have a material effect on the Company's financial statements.

Income (loss) per share

Income (loss) per share:

ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, requires dual presentation of basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) with a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator of the basic EPS computation to the numerator and denominator of the diluted EPS computation. Basic EPS excludes dilution. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the earnings of the entity.

Basic net earnings (loss) per share includes no dilution and is computed by dividing net earnings (loss) available to shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. The increase in the weighted average number of common shares outstanding in the period ended September 30, 2013, as compared to the same 2012 period resulted from common shares issued in the 2013 public offering. Diluted net earnings (loss) per share reflect the potential dilution of securities that could share in the Company's earnings (loss). The effect of securities that could potentially dilute basic earnings in the future were not included in the current computations of diluted net earnings (loss) per share, because to do so would have been anti-dilutive. Accordingly, the weighted average shares outstanding have not been adjusted for dilutive shares. Outstanding stock options and warrants are not considered in the calculation, as the impact of the potential common shares (totaling approximately 5,843,000 shares and 867,000 shares as of September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively) would be to decrease the net loss per share.

Following shareholder approval at May 22, 2012 annual meeting, the Board of Directors authorized a reverse stock split of the Company's common stock at a ratio of one-for-six, whereby each six shares of common stock were combined into one share of common stock (the "Reverse Stock Split"). The Reverse Stock Split was implemented and effective on June 20, 2012. All historical references to shares and share amounts in this report have been retroactively revised to reflect the Reverse Stock Split.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for cash and cash equivalents, including the policy for determining which items are treated as cash equivalents. Other information that may be disclosed includes (1) the nature of any restrictions on the entity's use of its cash and cash equivalents, (2) whether the entity's cash and cash equivalents are insured or expose the entity to credit risk, (3) the classification of any negative balance accounts (overdrafts), and (4) the carrying basis of cash equivalents (for example, at cost) and whether the carrying amount of cash equivalents approximates fair value. Disclosure of accounting policy for investments in financial assets, including marketable securities (debt and equity securities with readily determinable fair values), investments accounted for under the equity method and cost method, securities borrowed and loaned, and repurchase and resale agreements. For marketable securities, the disclosure may include the entity's accounting treatment for transfers between investment categories and how the fair values for such securities are determined. Also, for all investments, an entity may describe its policy for assessing, recognizing and measuring impairment of the investment.

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- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for computing basic and diluted earnings or loss per share for each class of common stock and participating security. Addresses all significant policy factors, including any antidilutive items that have been excluded from the computation and takes into account stock dividends, splits and reverse splits that occur after the balance sheet date of the latest reporting period but before the issuance of the financial statements.

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