Correspondence 0001104659-23-044228 from SOLAI Ltd (SLAI)
SOLAI Ltd
Date: April 12, 2023 · CIK: 0001517496 · Accession: 0001104659-23-044228
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 001-36206
Show Raw Text
CORRESP
1
filename1.htm
Simpson Thacher &
Bartlett
icbc
tower, 35th floor
3 garden
road, central
hong
kong
telephone:
+852-2514-7600
facsimile:
+852-2869-7694
Direct Dial Number
+852-2514-7620
E-mail
Address
ygao@stblaw.com
April 12, 2023
CONFIDENTIAL AND VIA EDGAR
Division of Corporation Finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Attention: Ms. Kathleen Collins
Ms. Megan
Akst
Re: BIT
Mining Limited
Form 20-F for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021
Filed April 7, 2022
File No. 001-36206
Ladies and Gentlemen:
On behalf of our client, BIT Mining Limited, a
company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), we respond to the comments contained in the
letter from the staff (the “Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”),
dated March 22, 2023 (the “March 22 Comment Letter”) relating to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the Commission on April 7, 2022 (the “Annual Report”).
Set forth below are the Company’s responses
to the Staff’s comments in the March 22 Comment Letter. The Staff’s comments are retyped below in bold italic font for
your ease of reference.
michael
j.c.M. ceulen
marjory
j. ding
daniel
fertig
adam
C. furber
YI
GAO
ADAM
S. GOLDBERG
MAKIKO
HARUNARI
Ian
C. Ho
JONATHAN
HWANG
anthony
d. king
jin
hYUK park
kathryn
kING sudol
christopher
k.s. wong
resident
partners
simpson
thacher & bartlett, hong kong is an affiliate of simpson thacher & bartlett llp with offices in:
New
York
Beijing
Brussels
Houston
LONDON
Los
Angeles
Palo
Alto
SÃO
PAULO
TOKYO
Washington,
D.C.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
April 12, 2023 -2- Division of Corporation Finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Form 20-F for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021
Cryptocurrency Assets, page F-18
1. We
note your response to prior comment 2 where you state that you use the price quoted each
day at 0:00 UTC to determine the fair value used for impairment assessment. We do not believe
your accounting policy complies with ASC 350-30-35-19, which states in part, “If the
carrying amount of an intangible asset exceeds its fair value, an entity shall recognize
an impairment loss in an amount equal to that excess.” As such, we believe your accounting
policy represents an “error in previously issued financial statements” that should
be corrected.
The
Company respectfully acknowledges the Staff’s comment and has evaluated the materiality of the error from qualitative
and quantitative perspectives in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 99, Materiality, and SAB
108, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial
Statements. Based on the evaluation, the error is not material to the previously issued financial statements. The Company
decided to correct the error prospectively by revising the previously issued financial statements and include disclosures in its
annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 as follows:
Revision of Previously Issued
Financial Statements
During the preparation of this Annual
Report, the Company identified and corrected an immaterial error related to the impairment calculation of cryptocurrency assets. The
Company has been historically calculating the impairment of cryptocurrency assets on a daily basis using a spot price at a standard cutoff
time. The Company determined such a method was not in compliance with ASC 350-30-35-19 which requires the recognition of impairment when
carrying value exceeds fair value. The Company further determined that the intraday lowest quoted price should be utilized in calculating
impairment of the Company’s cryptocurrency assets.
In
accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 99, Materiality, and SAB 108, Considering the Effects
of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements, the Company evaluated the materiality
of the error from qualitative and quantitative perspectives, and concluded that the error was immaterial to the Consolidated
Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021 and Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss, Changes in Shareholders’ Equity and
Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2021. The following tables present the impact of this error on the Company’s financial
statements as of December 31, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2021:
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
April 12, 2023 -3- Division of Corporation Finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
As of December 31, 2021
Consolidated Balance Sheet
Amounts in thousands U.S. dollars (“US$”)
As Reported
Effect of
Adjustment
As Revised
Cryptocurrency assets
$ 55,077
$ (1,887 )
$ 53,190
Total current assets
95,143
(1,887 )
93,256
Total assets
296,116
(1,887 )
294,229
Accumulated deficit and statutory reserve
(384,867 )
(1,887 )
(386,754 )
Total shareholders' equity
207,150
(1,887 )
205,263
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
296,116
(1,887 )
294,229
For the year ended December 31, 2021
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss
Amounts in thousands of U.S. dollars (“US$”), except for number of shares and per share (or ADS) data
As Reported
Effect of
Adjustment
As Revised
Net gain on disposal of cryptocurrency assets
$ 6,717
$ 4,675
$ 11,392
Impairment of cryptocurrency assets
(31,757 )
(6,562 )
(38,319 )
Operating loss from continuing operations
(68,350 )
(1,887 )
(70,237 )
Loss before income tax from continuing operations
(63,925 )
(1,887 )
(65,812 )
Net loss from continuing operations
(63,566 )
(1,887 )
(65,453 )
Net loss
(72,487 )
(1,887 )
(74,374 )
Net loss attributable to BIT Mining Limited
(60,516 )
(1,887 )
(62,403 )
Losses per share for Class A and Class B ordinary shares outstanding-Basic and Diluted:
Net loss from continuing operations
(0.08 )
(0.01 )
(0.09 )
Net loss
(0.09 )
(0.01 )
(0.10 )
Losses per American Depositary Share ("ADS*") (1 ADS represents 100 Class A ordinary shares)-Basic and Diluted:
Net loss from continuing operations
(8.32 )
(0.30 )
(8.62 )
Net loss
(9.72 )
(0.30 )
(10.02 )
* American Depositary Shares, which are traded
on the NYSE. Each ADS represents one hundred Class A ordinary shares of the Company.
Note: Losses per ADS have been retrospectively
adjusted for the ADS Ratio Change from the former ADS Ratio of 1 ADS to 10 Class A ordinary shares, to the current ADS Ratio of
1 ADS to 100 Class A ordinary shares, effective on December 23, 2022.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
April 12, 2023 -4- Division of Corporation Finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
For the year ended December 31, 2021
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
Amounts in thousands U.S. dollars (“US$”)
As Reported
Effect of
Adjustment
As Revised
Net loss
$ (72,487 )
$ (1,887 )
$ (74,374 )
Impairment of cryptocurrency assets
31,757
6,562
38,319
Net gain on disposal of cryptocurrency assets
(6,717 )
(4,675 )
(11,392 )
For the year ended December 31, 2021
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders' Equity
Amounts in thousands U.S. dollars (“US$”)
Accumulated
deficit
and statutory reserve
Total shareholders'
equity
Net loss for the year (as reported)
$ (60,516 )
$ (72,487 )
Net loss for the year (effect of adjustment)
(1,887 )
(1,887 )
Net loss for the year (as revised)
(62,403 )
(74,374 )
Balance as of December 31, 2021 (as reported)
(384,867 )
207,150
Balance as of December 31, 2021 (effect of adjustment)
(1,887 )
(1,887 )
Balance as of December 31, 2021 (as revised)
(386,754 )
205,263
The Company also proposes to revise
and include the following accounting policy on cryptocurrency assets in its future filings:
“Cryptocurrencies held are accounted
for as intangible assets with indefinite useful lives. An intangible asset with an indefinite useful life is not amortized but assessed
for impairment quarterly, or more frequently, when events or changes in circumstances occur, principally decreases in the quoted prices
of the cryptocurrencies, indicating that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived asset is impaired. In determining if an
impairment has occurred, the Company considers the intraday lowest quoted price of one unit of cryptocurrency asset since acquiring the
cryptocurrency asset. If the then current carrying value of the unit of cryptocurrency exceeds the fair value so determined, an impairment
loss has occurred with respect to those units of cryptocurrencies in the amount equal to the difference between their carrying values
and the fair value determined. To the extent an impairment loss is recognized, the loss establishes the new cost basis of the asset.
Subsequent reversal of impairment losses is not permitted.”
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
April 12, 2023 -5- Division of Corporation Finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Revenue Recognition
Mining Pool Services, page F-24
2. We
note your response to prior comment 3 in your March 1, 2023 letter, which you provided
to clarify your response to comment 9 in your December 30, 2022 letter. Please tell
us the following:
• Such
responses appear to indicate that you have concluded under ASC 606, step 2 that you have
a single promise – to validate a block – and therefore a single performance obligation.
Please confirm whether our understanding is correct.
• Such
responses also appear to indicate that you believe under ASC 606-10-25-4 a contract is wholly
unperformed until you validate a block. Please confirm whether our understanding is correct.
If our understanding is correct, please revise the ASC 606-10-25-4 analysis provided in your
December 30, 2022 response to comment 9 to clarify, if true, that you have concluded
computing power is not a good or service you promised to provide under your contract. Also
clarify what the phrase “transaction verification services” refers to in that
response as the sentence that references it also refers to computing power and to validating
a block.
• Such
responses further appear to indicate that you have concluded that a contract both commences
and is completed when you validate a block. Please confirm whether our understanding is correct.
The Company respectfully submits the following:
• The Company confirms that it has concluded that under ASC 606, step
2 that the mining pool service arrangement has a single promise, which is to validate a block, and therefore a single performance obligation.
• The Company confirms that it has concluded that under ASC 606-10-25-4
a contract is wholly unperformed until a block is validated. The Company revises the ASC 606-10-25-4 analysis provided in December 30,
2022 response to comment 9 with respect to the following paragraph:
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
April 12, 2023 -6- Division of Corporation Finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
“The Company has considered ASC 606-10-25-4 and concluded
that a contract does not exist upon the Company initially providing computing power to the blockchain to solve an algorithm because upon
commencing the transaction validation service and before successfully verifying a block (that is, before the transfer of the promised
performance obligation which is a successful block validation), the Company still has the unilateral right to terminate the service without
compensating the blockchain.”
The above paragraph should be revised as follows:
“The
Company has considered ASC 606-10-25-4 and concluded that a contract does not exist upon the Company initially providing computing power
to the blockchain to solve an algorithm because upon providing the computing power and before successfully verifying a block (that is,
before the transfer of the promised performance obligation which is a successful block validation), the Company still has the unilateral
right to terminate the service without compensating the blockchain. Computing power is not a good or service the Company
promised to provide under the arrangement with the blockchain. Instead, transaction verification service, or the service to validate
blocks, is the promised service under the arrangement.”
• The Company confirms that it has concluded that a contract both commences
and is completed when the Company validates a block.
3. As
the preceding comment indicates, we continue to evaluate your conclusions related to contract
inception and contract duration. However, we believe that your accounting policy to measure
noncash consideration at a point other than contract inception does not comply with ASC 606-10-32-21
and should be corrected.
The Company respectfully acknowledges the Staff’s
comment.
With regard to the measurement of
the noncash considerations in the mining pool service arrangements, the Company has carefully evaluated the Staff comment and
determined that its current practice to measure noncash consideration at a point other than contract inception does not comply with
ASC 606-10-32-21. Based on a recalculation of the fair value of noncash considerations at contract inception, the Company determined
that the error is both quantitatively and qualitatively immaterial to the financial statements for the year ended December 31,
2021.
The Company has corrected the error in accounting policy by measuring the noncash considerations at contract inception for the year ended
December 31, 2022. Furthermore, the Company decided not to revise the 2021 financial statements when filing its annual report on Form
20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 because the error does not impact the consol