Legacy Hosting Customer Disputes
Rhodium
On May 2, 2023, Whinstone US, Inc. (“Whinstone”) filed a petition against Rhodium 30MW, LLC (“Rhodium 30MW”), Rhodium JV, LLC (“Rhodium JV”), Air HPC LLC (“Air HPC”), and Jordan HPC, LLC (“Jordan HPC” and, together with Rhodium 30MW, Rhodium JV, and Air HPC, collectively, the “Defendants”) in Case No. CV41873 in the 20th District Court (the “District Court”) of Milam County, Texas. In its amended petition filed May 3, 2023, Whinstone asserted breach of contract claims for Rhodium JV and Air HPC’s failure to pay certain hosting and service fees under the now-terminated Whinstone-Rhodium hosting agreements and sought a declaration regarding the rights and obligations under certain hosting agreements with the Defendants and that no power credits are owed to any Rhodium entity under any agreement. Whinstone sought recovery of more than $26 million, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, expenses, and pre- and post-judgment interest. On June 12, 2023, Defendants answered and, along with non-parties Rhodium Encore LLC, Rhodium 2.0 LLC, and Rhodium 10mw LLC (collectively, the “Rhodium Non-Parties” and, together with Defendants, collectively, “Rhodium”), filed contingent counterclaims for breach of contract and moved to compel arbitration for alleged unpaid energy sale credits and lost profits. On August 14, 2023, Whinstone filed a second amended petition to include a declaration regarding the rights and obligation under the now-terminated water agreement between Whinstone and various Rhodium entities.
On September 13, 2023, the District Court compelled Whinstone’s claims against Defendants to arbitration over Whinstone’s objection and stayed the lawsuit pending such arbitration.
On December 11, 2023, Rhodium submitted an arbitration demand to the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), seeking damages and specific performance of unspecified contracts. Rhodium amended its demand on June 4, 2024 to include additional claims and disclosed it seeks at least $67 million in damages. Whinstone does not believe Rhodium’s claims have any merit, and will vigorously contest such claims, as appropriate. Whinstone also objects to the AAA’s jurisdiction and authority to entertain the claims and decide any issues of arbitrability. Subject to those objections, Whinstone submitted counterclaims to the AAA on December 29, 2023 against Rhodium JV and Air HPC for breach of contract, seeking recovery of at least $20 million in past-due revenue share payments, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, expenses, and pre- and post-judgment interest. A permanent arbitrator has been appointed, and a final hearing has been set for January 20, 2025. Because this litigation is still at this early stage, the Company cannot reasonably predict the outcome of such ongoing proceedings, or the magnitude of such an outcome, at this time.
SBI Crypto Co.
On April 5, 2023, SBI Crypto Co., Ltd. (“SBI”) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (Case No. 6:23-cv-252), which it later amended, against Whinstone alleging breach of contract, fraud, and negligent bailment claims related to a colocation services agreement between Whinstone and SBI that was terminated in 2021. On July 21, 2023, Whinstone filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint, which was denied on October 25, 2023. SBI seeks recovery of at least $15.0 million in lost profits and at least $16.0 million for equipment damage, plus reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, expenses, costs, and pre- and post-judgment interest. Whinstone believes many of the claims are barred or waived, and that all of SBI’s claims substantively lack merit, and Whinstone plans to vigorously contest the same, as appropriate. While a preliminary investigation of the merits of SBI’s claims has commenced, because this litigation is still at this early stage, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the outcome of such ongoing litigation, or the magnitude of such an outcome, at this time.
GMO
On June 13, 2022, GMO Gamecenter USA, Inc. and its parent, GMO Internet, Inc., (collectively “GMO”) filed a complaint against Whinstone alleging breach of contract under a terminated colocation services agreement between GMO and Whinstone, seeking damages in excess of $150.0 million for lost profit and profit sharing payments GMO alleges it was owed from Whinstone. The case is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Case No. 1:22-cv-05974-JPC). Whinstone has responded to GMO’s claims and raised counterclaims of its own, alleging GMO itself breached the terminated colocation services agreement, seeking a declaratory judgment and damages in excess of $25.0 million. On October 19, 2023, GMO filed its fourth amended complaint claiming an additional $496.0 million in damages, for loss of future profits and future profit sharing payments GMO alleges would have been received through the term of the agreement, based on Whinstone’s allegedly wrongful termination of the colocation services agreement as of June 29, 2023. While the Company believes that GMO’s claims lack merit, because this