CORRESP 1 filename1.htm

 

 

2024年2月26日

 

證券交易委員會

公司融資部門

100 內布拉斯加州 F 街

華盛頓特區20549-4561

 

注意 Melissa Walsh
  Stephen Krikorian

 

  關於: 馬拉松數字控股有限公司。
    2022年12月31日結束的第10-K表格
   

2023年9月30日結束的第10-Q表格

檔案編號001-36555

 

尊敬的Walsh女士和Krikorian先生:

 

這封信構成了Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc.(以下簡稱"公司")對您於2024年2月23日寄給公司首席財務(臨時代碼)官的評論信(以下簡稱"信函")以及涉及公司2022年12月31日結束的年度10-K報告(以下簡稱"2022 10-K")和公司2023年9月30日結束的季度10-Q報告(以下簡稱"2023 10-Q")的回應。除非另有說明,在此處使用的大寫字母首字母縮寫術語在2022年10-K和/或2023年10-Q中已有定義。爲方便起見,我們已複製每一條評論逐字逐句從您的信中,我們注意到與您的回應相關的內容,您的針對「來自合同客戶的收入」的註釋4(第11頁)的提到。請修訂說明,以說明如果爲真,您還向交易請求者提供這些服務,而不僅僅是比特幣網絡。

 

第10-Q表格,截至2023年9月30日的季度報告

 

基本報表註釋

注意事項4-來自與客戶的合同收入,第11頁。

 

1. 在您的運營商-5g收入政策中,第三個要點中指出的「合同始於公司驗證一個區塊的同時」以及最後兩個要點似乎與您的其他修訂披露重複。請刪除這些聲明,並考慮在討論非現金交易衡量的段落中披露每筆合同始於的交易價格爲固定價格。
   
  回應: 公司承認並同意工作人員的意見。請參閱附上的展示,這封信中我們修訂後的營業收入確認政策附註將被包括在截至2023年12月31日的10-k表格中,反映出所請求的修訂。

 

2. 我們記錄了您對先前評論9的建議修訂。在您的參與者營業收入政策中,請進一步詳細說明支付公式的描述,以解決以下問題:
       
   

澄清如何在UTC時間從午夜至午夜計算每日收益,避免在24:00 UTC發生的合同中重複計算。修改以披露,如果屬實,用於計算支付的基礎變量的測量期爲每日UTC時間從午夜開始的24小時。同時修改描述用於計算來自第三方挖礦池支付獎勵的基礎變量的測量期,僅當挖礦池成功驗證一個區塊時才支付獎勵;以及

       
    描述FPPS和PPS支付公式的各個組成部分及其計算方式,包括對區塊獎勵、交易費和礦池費用輸入的描述,如適用。澄清,如果屬實,PPS計算的區塊獎勵與FPPS計算的區塊獎勵相同。提供類似的描述,說明對於僅當挖礦池成功驗證一個區塊時才支付獎勵的第三方挖礦池,如何計算成功挖出區塊及交易費的部分所佔比例。
       
  回覆: 公司承認並接受工作人員的意見。請參閱本函附帶的展示文件,其中包含我們修訂後的營業收入確認政策腳註,該政策腳註將包含在截至2023年12月31日的10-K表格中,反映出所要求的修訂。

 

 

 

 

3. 您表明您的參與者收入政策是在24小時內多次續約的個別合同進行彙總。請根據ASC 606-10-25-9中的指導進行修改,不要暗示您的合同是基於合併的。
   
  回覆: 公司承認並同意員工的意見。請參閱附附信的修訂營業收入確認政策附註,該附註將被包括在截至2023年12月31日的第10-K表格中,以反映所要求的修訂。

 

4. 我們注意到您對先前評論13的擬議修訂披露。如先前要求的,請修訂您的參與者營業收入政策,引用披露中適用於變量考慮約束的閾值,該闡明詳見ASC 606-10-32-11。在這方面,您提議的修訂披露表明,因爲金額由池運營商在完成合同後的一天內確定和結算,所以變量考慮沒有受到約束,因此您可以合理確定變量考慮。如屬實,請修訂以指出,變量考慮是根據估計而非受到約束,因爲在隨後解決不確定性時,合同所確認的收入金額髮生重大逆轉的可能性不高。
   
  回覆: 公司承認並同意工作人員的意見。請參閱本函附件中的展示,其中包含我們修訂後的營業收入確認政策腳註,該腳註將包含在截至2023年12月31日的10-k表格中,反映所要求的修訂。

 

5. 在您提出的修訂後的參與者營業收入政策中,當您參與第三方礦池,只有在該礦池成功挖掘一個區塊時才會支付獎勵時,您指出,非現金支付會根據第三方礦池成功驗證區塊的情況而變化。請修改以指示造成非現金支付金額變化的公式輸入。

 

  回覆: 公司承認並同意員工的評論。請參見本函附帶的附件,以了解我們修訂後的營業收入確認政策腳註,該腳註將包含在截至2023年12月31日的10-k表格中,反映所請求的修訂。

 

6. 在您提出的修訂後的參與者營業收入政策中,當您參與僅在礦池成功挖掘一個區塊時才支付獎勵的第三方挖礦池時,您指出您已確定變量考慮並未受限制。您先前向我們表示,並披露,在進行哈希計算時,交易對價仍爲變量,且在礦池運營商成功挖出一個區塊之前,無法可靠估計而存在重大營業收入逆轉的風險,因此變量考慮在獲勝區塊時被限制,約定的時機是,約束被解除。 請澄清當您參與僅在礦池成功挖掘一個區塊時才支付獎勵的第三方挖礦池時,變量考慮是否受限制。如果沒有,請綜合分析更改決定依據的基礎。
   
  回覆: 公司承認並接受了監管機構的意見。請參閱本函附上的修訂的營業收入確認政策腳註展示,此腳註將包括在截至2023年12月31日的年度10-K表中,反映出所請求的修訂。

 

 

 

 

7. We note your proposed revised disclosures in your Participant revenue policy in response to prior comment 11 indicating that you measure noncash consideration on the date of contract inception (when you commence providing hash calculation services) based on the simple average daily spot rate of bitcoin. As previously requested, please clarify in your disclosure whether this average is computed using the spot prices on the same day of contract inception. That is, revise to state, if true, that the estimated fair value of noncash consideration is measured using the simple average daily spot rate of bitcoin on the date of contract inception. In addition, in regard to noncash consideration measurement, rather than stating that the date of contract inception is when you commence providing hash calculation services, please revise to clarify that the date of contract inception is the day you commence providing hash calculation services. Refer to the guidance in ASC 606-10- 32-21 indicating that the estimated fair value of the noncash consideration should be measured on the date of contract inception.
   
  Response: The Company acknowledges and agrees with the Staff’s comment. Please see attached exhibit to this letter of our revised revenue recognition policy footnote that will be included in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting the requested revision.

 

8. In response to prior comment 12, you indicate that the change in how noncash consideration is measured for your participation in pools that only pay rewards when the pool successfully mines a block would not have a material impact on your results of operations based on the immateriality of revenue from such pools. Please revise to disclose the error, how you are addressing the error, and the impact of the change on results of operations.
   
  Response: The Company acknowledges and agrees with the Staff’s comment. Please see attached exhibit to this letter of our revised revenue recognition policy footnote that will be included in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting the requested revision.

 

9. In response to prior comment 14, we note your proposed revised disclosures in your Participant revenue policy indicating that you recognize noncash consideration within a 24-hour period that control of the contracted service transfers to the mining pool operator. Clarify whether “within a 24-hour period” is the same day that control is transferred or the day after control is transferred. That is, tell us and disclose whether revenue is recognized on the same day that control of the contracted service transfers to the mining pool operator, which is the same day as contract inception. In this regard, you previously represented to us in your October 12, 2023 response to comment 2 that revenue is recognized at the point in time that the block is won for mining pools that pay rewards only when the pool successfully mines a block or over the period that hash rate is being contributed for mining pools that pay rewards based on a contractual formula. Please clarify when revenue is recognized and how that relates to the date on which control of the contracted service transfers and the date of contract inception.

 

  Response: The Company acknowledges and agrees with the Staff’s comment. Please see attached exhibit to this letter of our revised revenue recognition policy footnote that will be included in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflecting the requested revision.

 

In connection with responding to the Staff’s comments, the Company acknowledges that (i) it is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in its filing; (ii) Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and (iii) it may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.

 

We hope you find that these responses adequately address the Staff’s questions, but please contact the undersigned at salman.khan@mara.com and Zabi Nowaid, Esq., at zabi.nowaid@mara.com, if you have any further questions or would like to discuss our responses.

 

  Sincerely,
   
  /s/ Salman Khan
  Salman Khan
cc: Zabi Nowaid, Esq. Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

Exhibit

 

NOTE 3 – REVENUES

 

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606. The core principle of the revenue standard is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The following five steps are applied to achieve that core principle:

 

  Step 1: Identify the contract with the customer;

 

  Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract;

 

  Step 3: Determine the transaction price;

 

  Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and

 

  Step 5: Recognize revenue when the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

 

In order to identify the performance obligations in a contract with a customer, an entity must assess the promised goods or services in the contract and identify each promised good or service that is distinct. A performance obligation meets ASC 606’s definition of a “distinct” good or service (or bundle of goods or services) if both of the following criteria are met:

 

  The customer can benefit from the good or service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer (i.e., the good or service is capable of being distinct); and

 

  The entity’s promise to transfer the good or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract (i.e., the promise to transfer the good or service is distinct within the context of the contract).

 

If a good or service is not distinct, the good or service is combined with other promised goods or services until a bundle of goods or services is identified that is distinct.

 

The transaction price is the amount of consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring promised goods or services to a customer. The consideration promised in a contract with a customer may include fixed amounts, variable amounts, or both. When determining the transaction price, an entity must consider the effects of all of the following:

 

  Variable consideration

 

  Constraining estimates of variable consideration

 

  The existence of a significant financing component in the contract

 

  Noncash consideration

 

  Consideration payable to a customer

 

Variable consideration is included in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized under the accounting contract will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved.

 

The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis.

 

The transaction price allocated to each performance obligation is recognized when that performance obligation is satisfied, at a point in time or over time, as appropriate.

 

 

 

 

Application of the five-step model to the Company’s mining operations

 

The Company’s ongoing major or central operation is to provide bitcoin transaction verification services to the transaction requestor, in addition to the bitcoin network through a Company-operated mining pool as the operator (“Operator”) (such activity, “mining”) and to provide a service of performing hash calculations to third-party pool operators alongside collectives of third-party bitcoin miners (such collectives, “mining pools”) as a participant (“Participant”).

 

The following table presents the Company’s revenues disaggregated for those arrangements in which the Company is the Operator and Participant:

 

   Year ended December 31, 
(in thousands)  2023   2022   2021 
Revenues from contracts with customers               
Operator - Transaction fees  $       $5,231   $3,317 
Participant        4,652    20,903 
Total revenues from contracts with customers        9,883    24,220 
Operator - Block rewards and other revenue        107,870    134,943 
Total revenues  $   $117,753   $159,163 

 

Operator

 

As Operator, the Company provides transaction verification services to the transaction requestor, in addition to the bitcoin network. Transaction verification services are an output of the Company’s ordinary activities; therefore, the Company views the transaction requestor as a customer and recognizes the transaction fees as revenue from contracts with customers under ASC 606. The bitcoin network is not an entity such that it may not meet the definition of a customer; however, the Company has concluded that it is appropriate to apply ASC 606 by analogy to block rewards earned from the bitcoin network. The Company is currently entitled to the block reward of 6.25 bitcoin from the bitcoin network upon each successful validation of a block. The Company is also entitled to the transaction fees paid by the transaction requester payable in bitcoin for each successful validation of a block. The Company assessed the following factors in the determination of the inception and duration of each individual contract to validate a block and satisfaction of its performance obligation as follows:

 

  The transaction requestor and the bitcoin network each have a unilateral enforceable right to terminate their respective contracts at any time without penalty.

 

  For each of these respective contracts, contract inception and completion occur simultaneously upon block validation; that is, the contract begins upon, and the duration of the contract does not extend beyond, the validation of an individual blockchain transaction; and each respective contract contains a single performance obligation to perform a transaction validation service and that this performance obligation is satisfied at the point-in-time when a block is successfully validated.

 

  For each individual contract, the parties’ rights, the transaction price, and the payment terms are fixed and known as of the inception of each individual contract.

 

From September 2021 until May 2022, the Company engaged unrelated third-party mining enterprises (“pool participants”) to contribute hash calculations, and in exchange, remitted transaction fees and block rewards to pool participants on a pro rata basis according to each respective pool participant’s contributed hash calculations. The MaraPool wallet (owned by the Company as Operator) is recorded on the distributed ledger as the winner of proof of work block rewards and assignee of all validations and, therefore, the transaction verifier of record. The pool participants entered into contracts with the Company as Operator; they did not directly enter into contracts with the network or the requester and were not known verifiers of the transactions assigned to the pool. As Operator, the Company delegated mining work to the pool participants utilizing software that algorithmically assigned work to each individual miner. By virtue of its selection and operation of the software, the Company as Operator controlled delegation of work to the pool participants. This indicated that the Company directed the mining pool participants to contribute their hash calculations to solve in areas that the Company designated. Therefore, the Company determined that it controlled the service of providing transaction verification services to the network and requester. Accordingly, the Company recorded all of the transaction fees and block rewards earned from transactions assigned to MaraPool as revenue, and the portion of the transaction fees and block rewards remitted to MaraPool participants as cost of revenues.

 

 

 

 

In accordance with ASC 606-10-32-21, the Company measures the estimated fair value of the non-cash consideration (block reward and transaction fees) at contract inception, which is at the time the performance obligation to the requester and the network is fulfilled by successfully validating a block. The Company measures the non-cash consideration which is fixed as of the inception of each individual contract using the quoted spot rate for bitcoin determined using the Company’s primary trading platform for bitcoin at the time the Company successfully validates a block.

 

Expenses associated with providing bitcoin transaction verification services, such as hosting fees, electricity costs, and related fees are recorded as cost of revenues. Depreciation on digital asset mining equipment is also recorded as a component of cost of revenues.

 

Participant

 

The Company participates in third-party operated mining pools. When the Company is a Participant in a third-party operated mining pool, the Company provides a service to perform hash calculations to the third-party pool operators. The Company considers the third-party mining pool operators to be its customers under Topic 606. Contract inception and our enforceable right to consideration begins when we commence providing hash calculation services to the mining pool operators. Each party to the contract has the unilateral right to terminate the contract at any time without any compensation to the other party for such termination. As such, the duration of a contract is less than a day and may be continuously renewed multiple times throughout the day. The implied renewal option is not a material right because there are no upfront or incremental fees in the initial contract and the terms, conditions, and compensation amount for the renewal options are at the then market rates.

 

The Company is entitled to non-cash compensation based on the pool operator’s payout model. The payout methodologies differ depending on the type of third-party operated mining pool. Full-Pay-Per-Share (“FPPS”) pools pay block rewards and transaction fees, less mining pool fees and Pay-Per-Share (“PPS”) pools pay block rewards less mining pool fees but no transaction fees. For FPPS and PPS pools, the Company is entitled to non-cash consideration even if a block is not successfully validated by the mining pool operators.

 

The Company primarily participated in mining pools that used the FPPS payout method for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company is entitled to compensation once it begins to perform hash calculations for the pool operator in accordance with the operator’s specifications over a 24-hour period beginning mid-night UTC and ending 23:59:59 on a daily basis. We recognize non-cash consideration for each day hash calculation is provided to the pool operator and since contract inception also begins when we commence providing hash calculations, contract inception is the same day that we commence providing hash calculations to the pool operator. The non-cash consideration that we are entitled to for providing hash calculations to the pool operator under the FPPS payout method is made up of block rewards and transaction fees less pool operator expenses determined as follows:

 

The non-cash consideration in the form of a block reward is based on the total blocks expected to be generated on the Bitcoin Network for the daily 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 in accordance with the following formula: the daily hash calculations that we provided to the pool operator as a percent of the Bitcoin Network’s implied hash calculations as determined by the network difficulty, multiplied by the total Bitcoin Network block rewards expected to be generated for the same daily period.
   
The non-cash consideration in the form of transaction fees paid by transaction requestors is based on the share of total actual fees paid over the daily 24-hour period beginning midnight UTC and ending 23:59:59 in accordance with the following formula: total actual transaction fees generated on the Bitcoin Network during the 24-hour period as a percent of total block rewards the Bitcoin Network actually generated during the same 24-hour period, multiplied by the block rewards we earned for the same 24-hour period noted above.

 

 

 

 

The block reward and transaction fees earned by the Company is reduced by mining pool fees charged by the operator for operating the pool based on a rate schedule per the mining pool contract. The mining pool fee is only incurred to the extent we perform hash calculations and generate revenue in accordance with the pool operator’s payout formula during the same 24-hour period beginning mid-night UTC daily.

 

The above non-cash consideration is variable in accordance with paragraphs ASC 606-10-32-5 to 606-10-32-7, since the amount of block reward earned depends on the amount of hash calculations we perform; the amount of transaction fees we are entitled to depends on the actual Bitcoin Network transaction fees over the same 24-hour period; and the operator fees for the same 24-hour period are variable since it is determined based on the total block rewards and transaction fees in accordance with the pool operator’s agreement. While the non-cash consideration is variable, the payout is settled the next day on a daily basis and the Company has the ability to estimate the variable consideration with reasonable certainty, without the risk of significant revenue reversal because it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of revenue recognized from the contract will not occur when the uncertainty is subsequently resolved.

 

The Company measures the non-cash consideration based on the simple average daily spot rate of bitcoin determined using the Company’s primary trading platform for bitcoin over a 24-hour period beginning mid-night UTC and ending 23:59:59 on the date of contract inception (when we commence performance of hash calculations) which is the same day that control of the contracted service (hash calculations) is transferred to the pool operator.

 

We also participate in PPS pools that provide non-cash considerations similar to the FPPS pools except PPS pools did not include transaction fees, therefore, the non-cash consideration received by the Company was made up of block rewards less mining pool fees. The Company measured the non-cash consideration from PPS pool operators consistent with FPPS rewards as described above with the exception of transaction fees which PPS pools do not include.

 

While the Company primarily participated in FPPS and PPS pools, the Company also participated to a lesser extent in third-party mining pools that pay rewards only when the pool successfully validates a block. For these pools, the Company only earns a reward when the third-party pool successfully mines a block and its reward is the fractional share of the successfully mined block and transaction fees based on the proportion of hash calculations the Company performed for the mining pool operator to the total hash calculations performed by all mining pool participants in validating the block during the 24-hour period beginning at midnight UTC and ending 11:59:59 daily. Contract inception and our enforceable right to consideration begins when the Company commences the performance of hash calculations for the mining pool operator. The non-cash consideration is variable in accordance with paragraphs ASC 606-10-32-5 to 606-10-32-7 as it depends on whether the third-party mining pool successfully validates a block during each 24-hour period. However, as such amounts are determined and settled by the pool operator within one day of completing the contracts over the 24-hour period, the Company has the ability to estimate the variable consideration with reasonable certainty, without the risk of significant revenue reversal because it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of revenue recognized from the contract will not occur when the uncertainty is subsequently resolved. The Company’s policy was to measure the non-cash consideration on the date of contract inception (when we commence performance of hash calculations) based on the spot rate of bitcoin at the time the pool successfully validates a block which was not consistent with the measurement used to measure non-cash consideration for FPPS and PPS pools. During the three months ended December 31, 2023, the Company changed its measurement to the simple average daily spot rate of bitcoin determined using the Company’s primary trading platform for bitcoin on the date of contract inception (when we commence performance of hash calculations) which is the same day that control of the contracted service (hash calculations) is transferred to the pool operator. The change in measurement did not have a material impact to the results of operations for any of the periods presented.

 

Expenses associated with providing hash calculation services to third-party operated mining pools, such as hosting fees, electricity costs, and related fees, are recorded as cost of revenues. Depreciation on digital asset mining equipment is also recorded as a component of cost of revenues.