Akso Health (AHG) 20-F2020 FY Annual report (foreign)

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Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

o Yes   x No

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

o Yes   x No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

x Yes   o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

x Yes   o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. x

†The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. o

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

o Item 17   o Item 18

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

o Yes   x No

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

o Yes   o No

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INTRODUCTION

In this annual report on Form 20-F, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references to:

·                                         “ADSs” refer to our American depositary shares, each of which represents one ordinary share;

·                                         “APR” or “annual percentage rate” refers to the rate that is charged to borrowers, including a nominal interest rate and a loan facilitation or management service fee, expressed as a single percentage number that represents the actual annualized cost of borrowing over the term of a loan;

·                                         “big data” refers to voluminous structured and unstructured data from multiple sources and in multiple formats;

·                                         “borrower” refers to borrower on our online marketplace, unless specified otherwise;

·                                         “CAGR” refers to compound annual growth rate;

·                                         “Changan Insurance” refers to Changan Property & Casualty Insurance Co., Ltd. or its affiliates;

·                                         “China” or the “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this annual report on Form 20-F only, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan;

·                                         “Hexin Digital” refers to Hexin Digital Technology Co., Ltd.;

·                                         “Hexin E-commerce” refers to Hexin E-Commerce Co. Ltd.;

·                                         “Hexin Financial Technology” refers to Hexin Financial Technology Group Co. Ltd.;

·                                         “Hexin Group” refers to Hexin Information Services Co., Ltd. (“Hexin Information”) and Hexin Financial Information Services (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (“Hexin Financial Information”);

·                                         “Hexin Jinke” refers to Hexin Jinke Group Co., Ltd.;

·                                         “Hexin Yongheng” refers to Beijing Hexin Yongheng Technology Development Co., Ltd.;

·                                         “Hexindai,” “we,” “us,” “our company”, “the Company” and “our” refer to Hexindai Inc., an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability, and its subsidiaries, and, in the context of describing our operations and combined and consolidated financial information, also include its variable interest entities;

·                                         “investor” refers to individual investor on our online marketplace, unless specified otherwise;

·                                         “M3+ Net Charge-off Rates” refers to, with respect to loans facilitated during a specified time period or the “vintage”, (i) the total balance of outstanding principal of loans that became delinquent for over three months during a specified period and the remainder of the expected interest for the life of such loans, divided by (ii) the total initial principal of the loans facilitated in such vintage;

·                                         “marketplace lending” refers to any marketplace for facilitating lending and borrowing, where individuals or corporates borrow money from, or lend money to, other individuals or corporates without the use of a credit-intermediating financial institution;

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·                                         “ordinary shares” refer to our ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share;

·                                         “our variable interest entities” or “VIEs” refer to Hexin E-commerce, its branches and wholly-owned subsidiaries, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital;

·                                         “RMB” and “Renminbi” refer to the legal currency of China;

·                                         “US$,” “U.S. dollars,” “$” and “dollars” refer to the legal currency of the United States;

·                                         “Wusu Company” refers to Wusu Hexin Yongheng Commercial and Trading Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Wusu Hexin Internet Small Loan Co., Ltd.);

·                                         “Xiaobai Maimai” refers to our new form of social e-commerce mobile platform offering high-quality and affordable branded products; and

·                                         “Zhengxuan Guarantee” refers to Shanxi Zhengxuan Finance Guarantee Co., Ltd.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

·                                our goals and strategies;

·                                our future business development, financial condition and results of operations;

·                                the expected growth of the credit industry, and marketplace lending in particular, in China;

·                                our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our marketplace’s products and services;

·                                our expectations regarding our marketplace’s bases of borrowers and investors;

·                                our plans to invest in our platform;

·                                our relationships with our strategic cooperation partners;

·                                competition in our industry;

·                                relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry; and

·                                the development of COVID-19 in the PRC and globally.

We would like to caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and you should read these statements in conjunction with the risk factors disclosed in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors.” Those risks are not exhaustive. We operate in an evolving environment. New risks emerge from time to time and it is impossible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements except as required under applicable law. You should read this annual report on Form 20-F and the documents that we reference in this annual report on Form 20-F completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect.

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PART  I

ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not applicable.

ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION

A.                                    Selected Financial Data

We were incorporated and commenced operations in March 2014. The following summary consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and summary consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2019 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report on Form 20-F beginning on page F-1. The following summary consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2016 and 2017, and summary consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2016, 2017 and 2018 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements not included in this annual report on Form 20-F. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, or US GAAP. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for future periods. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” below.

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The following table presents our summary consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

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The following table presents our summary consolidated balance sheet data as of March 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Exchange Rate Information

Our business is conducted in China, and our financial records are maintained in RMB, our functional currency. However, we use the U.S. dollar as our reporting currency; therefore, periodic reports made to shareholders will include current period amounts translated into U.S. dollars using the then-current exchange rates, for the convenience of the readers. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to RMB in this annual report on Form 20-F were made at a rate of RMB7.0808 to US$1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 Statistical release of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as of March 31, 2020, the last business day of the fiscal year of 2020. Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rate at each reporting period end date. Equity is translated at historical rates. Income and expense accounts are translated at the average rate of exchange during the reporting period. The resulting translation adjustments are reported under accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Gains and losses resulting from the translations of foreign currency transactions and balances are reflected in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

We make no representation that any RMB or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of RMB into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. On August 7, 2020, the exchange rate was RMB6.9670 to US$1.00.

The following table sets forth information concerning exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollar for the periods indicated.

Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release

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Notes:

(1)              Annual averages are calculated using the average of month-end rates of the relevant year. Monthly averages are calculated using the average of the daily rates during the relevant period.

B.                                    Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C.                                    Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

D.                                    Risk Factors

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

Our operating history is limited and the industry landscape is constantly evolving, which poses risks and challenges to our business.

We launched our business in March 2014 and have a limited operating history. The Chinese consumer marketplace lending industry is new and constantly evolving. We operate in a competitive and uncertain environment with many risks, challenges, unforeseeable expenses, difficulties, delays and complications, including, among others, the PRC regulatory landscape. The general consumer lending marketplace industry in China may ultimately not support our business, especially if the PRC regulatory environment changes in ways that do not favor our development. As a relatively new industry, there may be limited public information about comparable companies available for potential investors to review in making a decision about whether to invest in our company.

Borrowers may not view marketplace lending obligations facilitated on our platform as having the same consequences of default as other credit obligations arising under more traditional loans provided by banks or other commercial financial institutions. Any default on borrowers’ payment obligations may adversely affect investors’ confidence in the loan products on our online marketplace, which may lead to less available loan capital and materially and adversely affect our business.

We are a business under development, and our prospects of success should be considered in the context of these risks and uncertainties. For example, considering the regulatory environment and its impact on the online lending information intermediaries, we have ceased to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019. As we explore new businesses, we may encounter unanticipated expenses, challenges and technical difficulties and they may result in material delays in the operation of our business. We may not be able to successfully address all such risks and uncertainties or execute our corporate strategies. If we fail to do so, such failure could materially harm our business, which would impair the value of our ADSs.

We may not be able to maintain the fast growth rate we had experienced in the past and may not be able to manage our growth effectively.

Prior to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, both the volume of credit loans facilitated on our marketplace and the number of users, including borrowers and investors, had undergone rapid growth. However, we have experienced a decrease in both the number of borrowers and loan volume facilitated on our marketplace in the fiscal years ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, and we may not be able to grow at all, in any of these key performance metrics in the future. As we have a limited operating history and our business has changed in recent years, our past financial performance may not be a sound basis on which to evaluate our business prospects and future financial performance.

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We may be unable to grow our business as we continue to encounter the risks, uncertainties and challenges in the development of our business, including, among other things:

·                                navigating an opaque regulatory and competitive environment;

·                                attracting new and retaining repeat borrowers and, where applicable, investors that use our marketplace;

·                                increasing the volume of loans through our marketplace and the associated service fees that we receive;

·                                increasing our market share and introducing new loan and investment products and services;

·                                fostering a healthy traffic of consumer loan transactions by boosting and balancing demand and supply on our marketplace;

·                                developing and upgrading our credit assessment technology to enhance our risk management capabilities and increase the effectiveness and convenience of the system;

·                                maintaining and scaling our online marketplace and updating our mobile application system to enhance operational efficiency;

·                                maintaining our relationship with, or finding replacement of third-party service providers in a strengthened regulatory environment;

·                                enhancing the infrastructure for our technology to support growth of our business;

·                                optimizing use of human and technology resources;

·                                effectively maintaining and scaling our financial and risk management controls and procedures;

·                                managing and controlling the expenses incurred by a public company, including but not limited to legal, accounting and other compliance costs;

·                                constantly monitoring and upgrading the security of our systems and protecting the confidential information we have gathered;

·                                minimizing risks of litigation, regulatory and administrative proceedings, claims of intellectual property infringement, privacy infringement and other claims; and

·                                attracting, utilizing and retaining qualified management members and employees.

Inability to successfully achieve any of these initiatives may cause material and adverse effects to our business and results of operations.

Our expansions into new businesses may expose us to regulatory uncertainties, if such new businesses are not successful, our future results of operations and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

As part of our growth strategy, we enter into new businesses from time to time by leveraging our large borrower base and technology to generate additional revenues streams. Expansions into new businesses may present operating, marketing and compliance challenges that differ from those that we currently encounter.

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According to iResearch, the social e-commerce industry is rapidly growing, in which social e-commerce only accounted for 0.1% of the overall online shopping market in 2015, but increased to 7.8% in 2018. Further, the industry size of the new form of social e-commerce industry in China was approximately RMB84.2 billion (US$11.9 billion) in 2018, and is expected to grow to RMB564.4 billion (US$79.7 billion) in 2021. In May 2020, we launched Xiaobai Maimai, a new form of social e-commerce mobile application platform offering high-quality and affordable branded products, and rewards users with a small commission for every purchase, share or recommendation of a product made to friends. It offers a wide variety of high-quality products in the household goods, food and drinks, and luxury categories. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview.” The success of Xiaobai Maimai will depend on, among others, our abilities to anticipate and understand consumer demands and preferences, to price merchandise competitively, to acquire users cost-effectively, to ensure the quality, proper handling and reliable delivery of products by third-party delivery companies, and to manage inventory risk. We need to partner with qualified suppliers and source high quality products from them on favorable pricing terms from these suppliers. We also need to deliver the products to customers timely and reliably at the fulfillment stage and address customer complaints effectively at the after-sales stage. Given our limited experience and lack of familiarity in the e-commerce industry, it may expose us to challenges and risks which we may not be able to successfully address, which could significantly harm our business, results of operations, growth prospects and financial condition.

During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, we entered into multiple investment, cooperation and financing arrangements with various third-parties, including Musketeer Group Inc., Phoenix Intelligent Credit Group Ltd., and a consumer credit reporting agency in China. As the implementation of our business strategies, as well as the development of new businesses, require significant time, financial and other resources and involve substantial risks, we may not be able to successfully implement our strategies, launch or develop such new businesses in time, or achieve the expected benefits. We may also encounter unexpected technological difficulties in developing and implementing new technologies and, as a result, may incur substantial costs or services disruptions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We cannot assure you that our new business initiatives will be successful. To support our growth and expansion into new businesses, we may need to devote management, operating, financial and human resources which may divert our attention from our existing businesses, incur upfront costs, and implement a variety of new and upgraded management, operating, financial and human resource systems, procedures and controls. We may also need to incur additional costs to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations that apply to such new businesses. There is no assurance that we will be able to implement all these systems, procedures and control measures successfully or address the various challenges in expanding our future businesses and operations effectively. Any failure of our efforts to pursue new business opportunities could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations. If we fail to attract users, our future results of operations and growth prospects may be adversely affected. In addition, if we have to incur more costs in order to attract new users, our profitability may be adversely affected. We cannot assure you that we will be able to address these new challenges and continue to provide exceptional quality services. If we are not able to solve these issues, we may not be able to compete effectively.

In May 2018, we incorporated Tianjin Haohongyuan Technology Co., Ltd. (“Tianjin Haohongyuan” ), a wholly-owned subsidiary in China, for the purpose of providing loan assistance functions such as borrower assessment to fengjr.com, a P2P marketplace of Phoenix Intelligent Credit Group Ltd. Tianjin Haohongyuan does not engage in online lending information intermediary or online peer-to-peer lending services. It merely helps fengjr.com extend loans to borrowers by introducing potential borrowers and providing preliminary risk assessment services as well as other services. As a result, we do not view Tianjin Haohongyuan as an “online lending information intermediary” as defined under the Notice on Regulating and Rectifying the “Cash Loan” Business, or Circular 141. However, we cannot assure you that regulatory authorities would take the same view and do not require Tianjin Haohongyuan to comply with various regulatory requirements under Circular 141.

In December 2018, we established a designated trust, or Trust 1, with a leading trust company in China, or the Trust Company, as part of our strategy to diversify the funding sources. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement between Hexin E-Commerce and the Trust Company, the Trust Company facilitates personal credit loans through Trust 1 for an initial aggregate principal amount of RMB300 million (US$42.4 million) to borrowers under the loan assistance program referred by us. As of March 31, 2020, Trust 1 had facilitated personal credit loans of RMB42.3 million (US$6.0 million). Pursuant to the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, a P2P marketplace shall not issue loans to borrowers unless otherwise stipulated by laws and regulations. Although we expand our funding sources via a licensed trust company which is not banned by the current PRC laws and regulations, we cannot rule out the possibility that such business model would be deemed as a violation of the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures.

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If our Xiaobai Maimai platform is unable to provide good customer experience, our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.

If our Xiaobai Maimai platform does not provide good consumer experience, it could damage our reputation, diminish the value of our brand, undermine the trust and credibility we have established, have a negative impact on our ability to attract new consumers or retain our current consumers, and our business and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected. Our ability to provide good customer experience depends on a variety of factors. These factors include, among others, our ability to continue to offer authentic products at competitive prices, to source products in response to evolving customer tastes and demands, to ensure the quality of our products and services and to provide flexible payment options. For example, If we are unable to develop and maintain good relationships with suppliers that would allow us to obtain a sufficient amount and variety of authentic and quality products on acceptable commercial terms, we may be unable to meet customer demands for these products or to offer these products at attractive prices.

The third-party merchants in our marketplace business rely on a number of contracted third-party delivery logistics service providers to deliver the products sold on our platform to the customers. The products on our platform are supplied by the merchants, who are separately responsible for sourcing and coordinating the delivery of the products sold on Xiaobai Maimai with the third-party delivery logistics service providers. As we do not directly control or manage the operations of these third-party logistics service providers, we may not be able to guarantee their performance. Interruptions to or failures in the delivery services could prevent the timely or proper delivery of our products. These interruptions or failures may be due to unforeseen events that are beyond our control or the control of our third-party logistics and delivery service providers, such as inclement weather, health epidemics, natural disasters, transportation disruptions or labor unrest. Delivery of our products could also be affected or interrupted by the merger, acquisition, insolvency or shut-down of the delivery companies the third-party merchants engage to make deliveries, especially those local companies with relatively small business scales. If our products are not delivered on a timely basis or are delivered in a damaged state, customers may refuse to accept the products purchased on our platform and have less confidence in our platform, and our business and reputation could suffer. We cannot assure you that our merchants will be able to find alternative cost-effective logistics service providers to offer satisfactory delivery services in a timely manner, or at all, which could cause our business and reputation to suffer or cause merchants to move to other platforms and have a negative impact on our financial conditions. In addition, if our third-party logistics service providers fail to comply with applicable rules and regulations in China, our delivery services may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, the delivery personnel of contracted third-party delivery service providers directly interact with our customers on our behalf. We need to effectively manage these third-party logistics service providers to ensure the quality of customer services. Any failure to provide high-quality delivery services to our customers may negatively impact the shopping experience of our customers, damage our reputation, and cause us to lose customers.

If our customer service representatives, sales representatives or maintenance engineers and technicians fail to provide satisfactory service, it may compromise our ability to provide effective customer service and enjoyable user engagement, which may in turn cause damage to our reputation, loss of customers or direct economic loss. In addition, any negative publicity or poor feedback regarding our customer service may diminish consumer confidence in us and the value of our brand, and in turn cause us to lose customers and market share.

In addition, we rely on our technology infrastructure to offer a good customer experience and to attract and retain customers on Xiaobai Maimai. Any failure to properly upgrade our technology infrastructure to serve the growing number of customers, maintain the satisfactory performance, security and integrity of our Xiaobai Maimai platform and systems, may materially and adversely affect our business and reputation.

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If our Xiaobai Maimai platform is unable to offer products that attract new customers and new purchases from existing customers, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

According to iResearch, the industry size of the new form of social e-commerce industry in China was approximately RMB84.2 billion (US$11.9 billion) in 2018, and is expected to grow to RMB564.4 billion (US$79.7 billion) in 2021. The future growth of the Xiaobai Maimai platform depends on our ability to continue to attract new customers as well as to increase the spending and repeat purchase rate of existing customers. Constantly changing consumer preferences and product trends have affected, and will continue to affect the online and offline product retail industry in China. Consequently, we need to anticipate and understand the emerging lifestyle and consumer demands and preferences and to anticipate product trends that will appeal to and attract existing and potential customers. Some of the other social e-commerce platforms may be able to secure more favorable terms from suppliers, devote greater resources to marketing, adopt more aggressive pricing and devote substantially more sources to their websites and system development than us. Customers may also choose to shop elsewhere if we cannot match the prices offered by other websites or physical stores. If we are unable to meet customers’ demands by offering a variety of authentic and quality products at attractive prices, our customers may lose interest in us and visit our platform less frequently or even stop visiting our platform, which in turn may materially and adversely affect our business, growth prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

We may incur liability or become subject to administrative penalties for counterfeit or unauthorized merchandise sold on Xiaobai Maimai, or for merchandise sold on Xiaobai Maimai that infringe on third-party intellectual property rights, or for other misconduct.

Our Xiaobai Maimai platform sources merchandise from third-party suppliers. Although we have adopted measures to verify the authenticity and authorization of merchandise sold on Xiaobai Maimai and to avoid potential infringement on third-party intellectual property rights in the course of sourcing and selling merchandise, we may not always be successful in these efforts. In the event that any counterfeit, unauthorized or infringing merchandise is sold on our platform, we could face claims for which we may be held liable. We have not in the past received claims alleging our infringement on third parties’ rights, and if we receive such claims in the future irrespective of their validity, we could incur significant costs and efforts in either defending against or settling such claims. If there is a successful claim against us, we might be required to pay substantial damages or refrain from further sale of the relevant merchandise. If we negligently participate or assist in infringement activities associated with counterfeit goods, we may be subject to potential liability under PRC law including injunctions to cease infringing activities, rectification, compensation, administrative penalties, and even criminal liability. Moreover, such third-party claims or administrative penalties could result in negative publicity and our reputation could be severely damaged. Any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

We may not be able to maintain or increase the volume of loan transactions facilitated through our marketplace, and our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.

Prior to the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, we had experienced rapid growth in the volume of loan transactions facilitated on our marketplace. However, we have experienced a decrease in both the number of borrowers and loan volume facilitated on our marketplace in the fiscal years ended March 31, 2019 and 2020.

Furthermore, we receive on a day-to-day basis a large amount of loan applications from online and offline sources, however a large amount of applications do not meet our minimum criteria. If there are insufficient qualified loan requests, investors may be unable to deploy their capital in a timely or efficient manner and may seek other investment opportunities. Considering the regulatory environment and its impact on the online lending information intermediaries, we have ceased to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019. If there are insufficient investor commitments, borrowers may be unable to obtain capital through our marketplace and may turn to other sources for their borrowing needs and investors who wish to transfer their investments prior to maturity may not be able to do so in a timely manner.

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The overall transaction volume may be affected by several factors, including changes in the regulatory environment, our brand recognition and reputation, the interest rates offered to borrowers and investors relative to market rates, the effectiveness of our risk control, the repayment rate of borrowers on our marketplace, the efficiency of our platform, the macroeconomic environment and other factors. If any of our current user acquisition channels becomes less effective, if we are unable to continue to use any of these channels or if we are not successful in using new channels, we may not be able to attract new borrowers and investors in a cost-effective manner or convert potential borrowers and investors into active borrowers and investors and may even lose our existing borrowers and investors to our competitors. If we are unable to attract qualified borrowers and sufficient investor commitments or if borrowers and investors do not continue to participate in our marketplace at the current rates, we might be unable to increase our loan transaction volume and revenues as we expect, and our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

We may not be able to attract sufficient loan capital from our investors to meet the demands of the borrowers on our consumer lending marketplace.

Our business involves the matching of borrowers and investors through our consumer lending marketplace. The growth and success of our future operations depend on the availability of adequate lending capital to meet borrower demand for loans on our marketplace. In order to maintain the requisite level of funding for the loans facilitated on our marketplace to meet borrower demand, we may need to optimize the investor composition of our marketplace to include more investors generally and also a certain number of institutional investors, which usually invest larger amounts compared to individual investors. To the extent there is an insufficient number of investors willing to accept the risk of default posed by potential borrowers, our marketplace will be unable to fulfil all of the loan requests. Considering the regulatory environment and its impact on the online lending information intermediaries, we have ceased to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019. If adequate funds are not available to meet borrowers’ demand for loans when they arise, the volume of loans facilitated on our marketplace may be significantly impacted. To the extent that it is necessary to obtain additional lending capital from investors, such lending capital may not be available to our marketplace on acceptable terms or at all. If our marketplace is unable to provide potential borrowers with loans or fund the loans on a timely basis due to insufficient lending capital on our marketplace, we may experience a loss of market share or slower than expected growth, which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Limited liquidity for the loans on our consumer lending marketplace may adversely affect the appeal of our marketplace to investors.

The loan products we facilitate on our marketplace are designed specifically for our marketplace. Transactions for our loan products are only permitted on our marketplace. In addition, the market for trading of pre-existing investment commitments among investors on our marketplace is limited. We allow investors to transfer their pre-existing investment commitments to other willing investors after certain terms and conditions are met. If investors cannot transfer their loans or exit with as much flexibility as they desire, they may lose interest in our online marketplace and may not invest as much on our platform, or at all.

Regulatory uncertainties relating to the online microlending industry may materially affect the results of operations and growth prospects of our microlending business.

In August 2017, we established Wusu Company, through which we started to conduct our online microlending business. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Our Products and Services — Microlending.” We have been continuing to contribute resources to our microlending business up to September 30, 2019, since when the principal business scope of Wusu Company has been changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export. Commencing from October 2019, we discontinued engaging in new microlending businesses. The microlending industry is rapidly evolving with significant regulatory uncertainties, and our microlending business may be subject to a variety of laws and regulations in the PRC with ambiguous and inconsistent application and interpretation. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—The laws and regulations governing the marketplace lending service industry and microlending companies in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If our practice is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial conditions and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.” As a result, we cannot assure you that our investment and exploration in microlending would not be subject to legal risks. At the end of November 2019, the Online Financial Risk Special Rectification Work Leadership Team and the Online Risk Special Rectification Work Leadership Team issued guidelines outlining the transformation of P2P platforms into micro-lending companies, which had shown that Chinese regulators were encouraging P2P lending platforms to transform into micro-lending companies. In December 2019, we initiated our efforts on applying for a micro-lending license in China. As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we are still in the process of applying for an online microlending company license for Hexin E-Commerce. Since the change of Wusu Company’s business scope, we cannot carry out any new microlending business without the microlending license. However, for the loans which were issued prior to the expiration of the license, we are entitled to the credit right over such loans until its maturity. If, however, the authorities were to determine that our historical microlending business was in violation of the relevant PRC laws and regulations, we may be subject to fines and other administrative penalties imposed by the authorities and our business and reputation could be adversely affected.

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Our risk management system comprising our policy framework, credit assessment and fraud detection technology and protocols may not be adequate and may adversely affect the reliability of our consumer lending marketplace, and in turn damage our reputation, business and results of operations.

The success of our online marketplace relies heavily on our ability to detect, assess and control credit risk, and therefore to prevent fraud. We have stringent risk management protocols in place to effectively assess borrower applicants’ credit risk to prevent fraud and minimize the risk of non-payment. From the point of receiving borrower applications we request for the borrower applicant’s personal information supported by documentation, and we apply our strict internal control process to verify the information against public information and data provided by third-party suppliers. In order to prevent fraud and assess the creditworthiness of each borrower, we conduct physical interviews and enhanced due diligence, as needed, to verify the borrower applicant’s information and his or her intent. Any suspicious borrower applications would be eliminated. Once sufficient information is gathered, our proprietary credit assessment technology consolidates and processes the information and produces a credit score and grade.

The information and data we use may not be sufficient to allow us to adequately capture a borrower applicant’s credit risk. Such information and data include, among others, demographic information, credit history with us and with other financial institutions, and employment information and blacklists maintained by other forums and organizations. We constantly update and optimize our risk management system but the system may have loopholes or defects which may prevent us from effectively identifying risks, or the data provided may be inaccurate or stale or insufficient, such that we may misjudge the risk and misalign the risk profile and loan price. The information may also not be sufficient for prediction of future non-payment. Such risks and errors may erode investor confidence in our marketplace and therefore harm our reputation and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

If any of the primary information provided by borrowers and data obtained from third-party external sources we use for credit and risk assessment is inaccurate or fraudulently provided, our assessment may not sufficiently capture the credit risk of the loan.

Borrowers supply a variety of information that is included in the listings of loans on our marketplace. We do not verify all the information we receive from borrowers, and such information may be inaccurate or incomplete. For example, we often do not verify a borrower’s home ownership status or intended use of loan proceeds, and the borrower may use loan proceeds for other purposes with increased risk than as originally provided. Moreover, investors do not, and will not, have access to detailed financial information about borrowers. If investors invest in loans through our marketplace based on information supplied by borrowers that is inaccurate, misleading or incomplete, those investors may not receive their expected returns and our reputation may be harmed. Moreover, inaccurate, misleading or incomplete borrower information could also potentially subject us to liability as an intermediary under the PRC Contract Law. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending—Regulations on Loans between Individuals.”

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Due to the lack of a nationwide centralized credit reporting system in China, we have had to rely on our own data collection efforts to gather as much relevant credit information about a borrower applicant as possible. We collect third-party data from and cross-check information gathered against the People’s Bank of China, or the PBOC, credit reporting platforms, credit bureaus, data vendors, industry forums and big data analytics companies. If the data points from which our credit assessment system derives the credit score and grade are inaccurate, incomplete or outdated, as we do not have the means to verify the third party data we obtain, the outcome may not accurately reflect the credit risk of the borrower. This could adversely affect the effectiveness of our control over our default rates, which could in turn harm our reputation and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We do not prohibit our borrowers from incurring other debt or impose financial covenants on borrowers during the term of the loan, which will increase the risk of non-payment on our loans.

Subsequent to our assessment, a borrower applicant may:

·                                become delinquent in payment obligations;

·                                default on a pre-existing debt obligation;

·                                commit to further indebtedness; and/or

·                                experience events bringing about adverse financial effects.

We do not prohibit our borrowers from incurring additional indebtedness, nor do we impose any financial covenants on the borrowers during the term of the loan. Further we have no means to independently determine whether a borrower applicant has outstanding loans on other consumer lending marketplaces. We are faced with the risk that borrowers borrow money from our platform to pay off loans on other consumer lending marketplaces, creating a snowball effect of debt. Any additional indebtedness may impair the borrower’s ability to observe his or her payment obligations on the loan product we facilitated, and therefore adversely affect the relevant investor’s returns. If a borrower becomes insolvent or bankrupt or otherwise run into financial distress, any unsecured loan (including those obtained through our marketplace) will rank pari passu to each other and the borrower may cherry-pick among his or her creditors and our investor may suffer losses. For secured loans, the ability of other secured investors to exercise remedies against the assets of the borrower may impair the borrower’s ability to repay the loan to our investor. Investors may lose their confidence in us and our reputation and business may be adversely affected.

We may not be able to completely prevent fraudulent activity on our marketplace, which may have a material adverse effect on our brand, reputation, business and results of operations.

Fraudulent activity on our online marketplace, including organized fraud schemes and impostor borrowers fraudulently inducing investors to lend capital, could lead to regulatory intervention, cause a material damage to our brand, reputation and market share, and require us to take extra anti-fraud measures. The occurrence of fraudulent activity will cause us to incur costs and divert management attention, affecting our business and results of operations. Although we had not experienced any material business or reputational harm as a result of fraudulent activities in the past, we cannot assure you that we will not experience any fraudulent activities in the future which may cause harm to our business or reputation. We believe our risk management system has stringent controls and checks in place to minimize the incidence of fraud on our marketplace. However we have limited resources and our technology and our risk management system may not be able to completely prevent and detect all potential fraudulent activities.

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We are subject to cybersecurity risks. If our systems are under malicious attack by sophisticated criminals including by way of hacking, cyber-attacks, infiltration of computer viruses, physical or e-sabotage, we may not be able to protect our business operations or the confidential information gathered on our databases.

We are an attractive target for cyber-attacks in order for criminals to gain access to our confidential and valuable information collected from borrowers and investors. We and our third-party system security service providers take measures to prevent such attacks and protect our databases of confidential information, but these measures may be breached accidentally or maliciously by unauthorized access. If confidential information about our users and our offline cooperation partner were stolen and used for criminal purposes, we could be exposed to liability for loss of information and be subject to time-consuming and expensive litigation and negative publicity. In addition, the Administrative Measures for the Security of the International Network of Computer Information Network, effective on December 30, 1997 and amended on January 8, 2011, requires us to report any data or security breaches to the local offices of the PRC Ministry of Public Security within 24 hours of any such breach. The Cyber Security Law of the PRC which became effective on June 1, 2017 requires that when we discover that our network products or services are subject to risks such as security defects or bugs, we shall take remedial measures immediately, including but not limited to, informing users of the specific risks and reporting such risks to the relevant competent departments. We have been connected to the Real-time Monitoring System of the National Internet Emergency Response Center since November 2019, positioning us to better and timely comply with government regulations. In June 2020, we connected our credit business assets database and began sharing credit data with the PBOC Credit Reference Center, the central bank’s directly administered credit information agency. However, the connections may expose us to additional cybersecurity risks and may result in more unauthorized access to confidential information. Any security breach, whether actual or perceived, would harm our reputation, and could cause us to lose borrowers, investors and our offline cooperation partner and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Our relationships with our users and our offline cooperation partner may be damaged, negatively affecting our business and credibility of our marketplace.

Technology employed by hackers constantly evolve, so that the security measures and our third-party system security service providers may not be able to fully anticipate attacks and implement necessary prevention measures or in time.

We utilize highly technical and specific software and algorithms that require maintenance and constant updates, any undetected errors or bugs may adversely affect our credit assessment and risk management system, and thereby affecting our business.

The software and algorithms we use for our credit assessment system, credit decision-making system, data storage security system, online marketplace platform and other internal systems are highly technical and complex. These algorithms and software are essential to our smooth operation and risk management framework. We and our third-party service providers constantly monitor, maintain, and update them. However, to the extent that such software and algorithms, now or in the future, contain undetected errors, bugs, design defects or are outdated, our borrowers and investors may experience problems on our marketplace, and we may have trouble running our systems and programs for our business and operations. We may be unable to launch our new products, services or upgrades, and our ability to protect borrower and investor confidential information as well as our own intellectual property may be compromised. Any such errors, bugs or system failures may harm our brand and reputation, cause loss to borrowers or investors, and expose us to liability for damages, adversely affecting our business and results of operations.

Our third-party guarantee arrangements may not be sufficient to meet the overall default risk.

From the inception of our business to January 2017, we maintained a risk reserve liability policy. We set aside 1% and 2% of the total loan amounts and the accrued interest of the secured loan and credit loan transactions, respectively, for the risk reserve liability. If a borrower defaulted on a loan payment, we withdrew funds from the custody account of the risk reserve account to repay the affected investors the principal and accrued interest for the defaulted loans. The risk reserve liability policy aims to protect investors up to the full amount of the investment and accrued interest. However, if borrowers’ default rates are high, the balance of the risk reserve liability may not be able to cover all the relevant investors’ losses.

On January 25, 2017, we entered into a framework agreement with Changan Insurance, a third-party insurance provider, to provide insurance to investors covering the risk of borrowers’ non-payment, effective from February 1, 2017 (the “Insurance Agreement”). We terminated the risk reserve liability policy and no longer set aside a sum to meet the contingent pay-outs. On February 1, 2018, we renewed the insurance arrangement with Changan Insurance by entering into a new framework agreement with Changan Insurance (the “2018 Insurance Agreement”), along with a memorandum on the 2018 Insurance Agreement with Changan Insurance and an insurance services fee agreement which set forth (i) a loan default risk premium equal to 2% of the loan principal and accrued interest of credit loans and (ii) a service fee equal to 2% of the loan principal. However, the insurance arrangement may not be sufficient to cover the losses of affected investors. If the insurance provider decides an investor is not entitled to compensation, the investor may demand that we compensate him or her for the loss. In addition, as a result of our shift in focus from secured loans to credit loans, investors may be exposed to a higher risk of borrowers’ default due to the unsecured nature of these loans, which in turn may increase the incidence of investors’ claims against us. Our relationship with investors and our reputation may be adversely affected.

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We terminated our cooperation with Changan Insurance on November 30, 2018, and did not renew the 2018 Insurance Agreement. According to the confirmation letter issued by Changan Insurance, Changan Insurance will settle all outstanding insurance claims according to the terms of the 2018 Insurance Agreement.

On November 19, 2018, we entered into a guarantee plan (the “Guarantee Plan”) with Zhengxuan Guarantee, which is controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council to provide investors on our platform with guarantee that protects them against the potential default risk of non-paying borrowers. Starting from December 1, 2018, we require all borrowers to obtain guarantee through Zhengxuan Guarantee for all new loans facilitated on our marketplace. Borrowers pay 4.5% and 0.5% of the principal amount to Zhengxuan Guarantee as guarantee fee and service fee, respectively. If a default were to occur, Zhengxuan Guarantee would compensate the investors with an amount up to the loan residual principal and three months of accrued interest, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Guarantee Plan and the agreements between the borrowers and Zhengxuan Guarantee. The Guarantee Plan continues to be in place for our existing microlending business.

We solely rely on Zhengxuan Guarantee to provide guarantee to investors over the default risk of non-paying borrowers. If Zhengxuan Guarantee decides to terminate our cooperation arrangement or decides not to renew such arrangement after its expiry, our operations and reputation may be adversely affected. Furthermore, if we cannot adequately manage the default risk of non-paying borrowers, Zhengxuan Guarantee could cease cooperation with us, forcing us to search for a new guarantee provider, guarantee company or other third party institution. In addition, if the Chinese regulatory authority introduces new policies that would cause Zhengxuan Guarantee to cease to provide guarantee for our products, we would be forced to search for a new guarantee provider, guarantee company or other third party institution.

If there is an increasing incidence of non-payment and the loans in default exceed the insured amount or the amount Zhengxuan Guarantee is willing to compensate, affected investors may not be able to recover part or all of their investments and this may adversely affect our reputation.

Investors receive their principal and interest payments as and when borrowers observe their scheduled payment obligations, or in the case of a borrower’s default during the period from March 2014 to January 2017, from the risk reserve liability. After we transitioned to the third-party insurance arrangement, in the event of borrower default, investors receive their principal and interest payments from Changan Insurance from January 2017 to November 2018, and from Zhengxuan Guarantee from December 2018 onwards. In the future, if there is an increasing incidence of non-payment and the loans in default exceed the insured amount or the amount Zhengxuan Guarantee is able or willing to compensate, affected investors may not be able to recover part or all of their investments, and this may adversely affect our reputation.

Under the risk reserve liability policy, we set aside 1% and 2% of the principal amount and accrued interest of secured loans and credit loans, respectively, to meet the risk reserve liability. Under the 2018 Insurance Agreement, the same amount of 2% of the principal amount and accrued interest of credit loans is paid by the borrower as premium for the insurance policy provided by Changan Insurance. Under the Guarantee Plan, borrowers pay 4.5% and 0.5% of the principal amount to Zhengxuan Guarantee as guarantee fee and service fee, respectively. If Zhengxuan Guarantee is unwilling to compensate the investor or cannot offset the defaulting borrower’s payment obligations and, as a result, an investor suffers loss, he or she may lose confidence in our online marketplace. As a result, our reputation may be harmed and we may not be able to attract and retain investors to participate in our marketplace.

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If the total addressable market for loans we facilitate on our marketplace is in reality smaller than our estimate, our revenues may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.

A variety of factors affect our estimate of the total addressable market, including among others, market demand, the PRC regulatory environment, competition, general economic and socio-political conditions and the short history of China’s consumer lending industry. We believe our total addressable market consists primarily of the emerging middle class seeking medium-sized credit loans of RMB20,000 (US$2,825) to RMB160,000 (US$22,596). According to iResearch, the “emerging middle class” comprises largely of the “emerging affluent” and “new middle-class” in China, the population segment with wealth value (the value of financial assets plus real assets (principally housing) owned by households, minus debts) of US$10,000 to US$1 million. We consider the emerging middle class to have generally more stable financial status and more sound financial knowledge, and therefore more reliable in loan repayment. According to iResearch, the “emerging affluent” and “new middle-class” population is the primary driver of the private consumption market for premium goods and services, and is projected to grow quickly in size. The unsecured medium-sized online marketplace personal loan market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% from RMB410.3 billion (US$57.9 billion) in 2018 to RMB528.4 billion (US$74.6 billion) in 2023. However, if the actual demand is in reality smaller than our estimate, our operational strategies may not be sufficiently effective such that our revenues, business and results of operation may be negatively affected.

Interest rates may increase and negatively affect our transaction volume.

If interest rates increase, investors and borrowers may be deterred from investing and borrowing from our online marketplace. The transaction volume facilitated on our marketplace may decline, which may negatively affect our business and results of operations. Therefore, our business could be adversely affected by potential interest rate increases in China.

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We may be unable to promote and maintain our brand and reputation effectively and in a cost-efficient manner, which will adversely affect our business and operations.

Our brand and reputation are integral to our online acquisition of borrowers and investors, and we intend to invest in marketing and brand promoting efforts, especially in connection with the growth of our multi-channel marketplace and introduction of new loan products and investment products. The success of our marketing efforts and user experience on our marketplace are integral to our ability to attract new and retain repeat borrowers and investors. Our marketing channels include traditional media such as pamphlets, telephone marketing, direct sales and marketing campaigns, as well as online media, H5, social media applications and tools, such as WeChat and Weibo, search engine optimization and search engine marketing. If our current marketing efforts and channels are less effective or inaccessible to us, or if the cost of such channels significantly increases or we cannot penetrate the market with new channels, we may not be able to promote and maintain our brand and reputation to maintain or grow the existing borrower and investor base. If we are unable to promote and maintain our brand and reputation in a cost-efficient manner, our market share could diminish or we could experience a lower growth rate than we anticipated, which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we cannot continue to maintain relationships with third-party service providers, in particular third-party payment agents, our consumer lending business may suffer and we cannot assure our current arrangements with Jiangxi Bank are deemed to be in compliance with regulatory requirement.

Third parties supply us with external data for our consumer lending business including credit histories, government data, social media data and blacklists, as well as big data analyses. Furthermore, third-party service providers maintain our security systems, ensuring confidentiality of data and prevention of malicious attacks. In addition, we rely on third parties for secure fund management and online payment and settlement. Furthermore, we entered into multiple investment, cooperation and financing arrangements with various third-parties during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 in an effort to expand our business operations and cultivate strategic relationships.

Our relationships with various third parties are integral to the smooth operation of our business and marketplace. Most of our agreements with third-party service providers are non-exclusive and do not prohibit third-party service providers from working with our competitors or from offering competing services. If our relationships with third-party service providers deteriorate or third-party service providers decide to terminate our respective business relationships for any reason, such as to work with our competitors on more exclusive or more favorable terms or if they themselves become our competitors, our operations may be disrupted. In addition, our third-party service providers may not uphold the standard we expected under our agreements, or disagreements or disputes may arise between us and the third-party service providers. Furthermore, our investment, cooperation and financing arrangements with third-parties may be affected by the change in the regulatory environment in the PRC, which may disrupt, or even force us to cease our relationships with third-parties. As a result, our reputation, business, financial condition and operation results could be adversely affected.

We rely on Jiangxi Bank to manage the investor funds, facilitate loans, collect service fees and ensure compliance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations that may be relevant to our business. On April 13, 2018, we renewed the payment settlement service cooperation agreement with Jiangxi Bank, with a term of one year from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2019, in which Jiangxi Bank will act as our third-party payment agent. The agreement was automatically renewed for the period from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020 and from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021, and can be automatically renewed for successive one-year periods provided that (i) neither Jiangxi Bank nor us notifies the other party in writing about its intention not to renew within one month after the expiration of any one-year period; and (ii) our operation and qualification remain in compliance with the agreement and Jiangxi Bank’s requirements. Third-party payment agents in China are subject to oversight by the PBOC and must comply with complex rules and regulations, licensing and examination requirements, including, but not limited to, minimum registered capital, maintenance of payment business licenses, anti-money laundering regulations and management personnel requirements. Some third-party payment agents have been required by the PBOC to suspend their credit card pre-authorization and payment services in certain areas of China. If Jiangxi Bank were to suspend, limit or cease its operations, or if our relationship with Jiangxi Bank deteriorates or otherwise terminates, we would need to arrange substantially similar arrangements with other third-party payment agents.

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We cannot assure that our current arrangements with Jiangxi Bank are deemed to be in compliance with regulatory requirement. Pursuant to the Notice Regarding Conducting Compliance Inspections on Online Lending Information Intermediary Issued by the Online Lending Rectification Office in August 2018, or Circular 63, the fund of loan repayments shall be debited or deducted via the borrower’s own account directly and shall not be transferred through any third-party’s bank account.

The repayment amount is transferred from the borrowers’ personal bank accounts into their respective custody accounts with Jiangxi Bank, from which such repayment amount is transferred into the custody accounts of the corresponding investors. In some events, the repayment amount is scheduled to be transferred from the borrowers’ personal bank accounts, among other steps, through the Jiangxi Bank accounts of a person or a corporate entity beneficially owned by Mr. Xiaobo An outside the Company group, for aggregation and subsequent allocation purposes, to the custody accounts of the corresponding investors. During the process, the borrowers direct the repayment amount to the Jiangxi Bank accounts of such person or corporate entity via third-party payment agents, and authorize Jiangxi Bank to aggregate and then promptly allocate such amount to the corresponding investors.

In the event the repayment process involves third-party payment agents, we cannot rule out the possibility that transmitting the loan repayments via third-party payment agents would be deemed as a violation of Circular 63.

In the event the repayment process involves the Jiangxi Bank accounts of a person or a corporate entity beneficially owned by Mr. Xiaobo An outside the Company group, as the Jiangxi Bank accounts of such person or corporate entity are opened with and under the monitoring of Jiangxi Bank, the risk of misappropriation of loan repayments is relatively low. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that transmitting the loan repayments via the Jiangxi Bank accounts of such person or corporate entity would be deemed as a violation of Circular 63. To the extent our current arrangements with Jiangxi Bank are deemed to be not in compliance with Circular 63, a material change to our business model may be required, and our business may be materially and adversely impacted.

Negative publicity about us, other third-party payment agents or the industry in general may also adversely affect investors’ or borrowers’ confidence and trust in the use of third-party payment agents to carry out the payment and custodian functions in connection with the origination of loans on our marketplace. If any of these were to happen, the operation of our platform could be materially impaired and our results of operations would suffer.

Misconduct and errors by our employees and our third-party service providers could cause a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.

Our employees and third-party service providers are integral to our business operations, as they handle and process a large number of increasingly complex and differentiated loan transactions which include confidential information. If any such information were leaked to unintended recipients due to human error, theft, malicious sabotage or fraudulent manipulation, we may be subject to liability for loss of such information. Further, if any of our employees or third-party service providers absconded with our proprietary data or know-how in order to compete with us, our competitive position may be materially and adversely affected.

Any misappropriation fraudulent misuse of funds by any of our employees or third-party service providers in contravention of our protocols and policies may lead to regulatory and disciplinary proceedings involving us. We may be perceived to have facilitated or participated in the misappropriation or fraudulent misuse of funds and we could be subject to liability, damages, penalties and reputational damage. It is impossible to completely identify and eradicate all risks of misconduct or human errors, and our precautionary measures may not be able to effectively detect and prevent such risks from happening.

Occurrence of any of the above risks could result in a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations, as we are exposed to potential liability to borrowers and investors, reputational damage, regulatory intervention, financial harm. Our ability to attract new and retain existing borrowers and investors and operate our online marketplace as an ongoing concern may be impaired.

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If our brand reputation is harmed in any way, including any allegation or negative publicity about us, our offline cooperation partner, third-party providers and the overall industry, in particular in relation to any misconduct, errors and system failure, our business and operating results may be materially and adversely affected.

We are exposed to the risk of negative publicity about us, our offline cooperation partner, third-party providers and the overall consumer lending marketplace industry in China. Negative press about the quality of loans and services, effectiveness, reliability and credibility of our marketplace, our proprietary credit assessment system, our ability to manage and resolve borrower and investor complaints, privacy and security measures and practices, litigation, regulatory landscape and the user experience on our marketplace, even if inaccurate, may lead to an adverse impact on our reputation and the use of our marketplace, which would harm our business and operating results. In January 2019, we were attacked by a short seller, alleging fraud in our financial reporting system. We conducted an internal investigation, with the assistance of forensic accountant, to evaluate these allegations. Based on the information reasonably available and reviewed as part of the investigation, the investigation did not identify any conclusive proof of fraud. In addition, two law firms launched investigations in connection with the short seller attack, though no securities lawsuits have been initiated, nor has there been any additional investigation notices as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. However, it is uncertain how these allegations and investigation notices ultimately may affect us. Any claims against us may require us to expend significant time and incur substantial costs to investigate, and there is no assurance that we will be able to conclusively refute such allegation within a reasonable period of time, if at all, which could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition and operation results.

As the PRC consumer lending marketplace industry is new and the regulatory framework for this industry is also evolving, negative publicity about this industry may arise from time to time. Negative publicity may have a negative impact on our reputation, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. The PRC government has recently instituted general regulations and specific rules to develop a more transparent regulatory environment for the consumer lending marketplace industry. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending.” Many companies in China’s consumer lending marketplace industry have not been fully compliant with these regulations, which has adversely impacted the reputation of China’s consumer lending marketplace industry as a whole. For instance, there were a number of reports of business failures of, or accusations of fraud and unfair dealing against, certain companies in the consumer lending marketplace industry in China in recent years. In June and July 2018, in response to tightening industry regulations and changing macro-economic conditions in China, there was an increase of news reports related to the difficulties, or even suspension of operation in some cases, encountered by certain individual lending marketplaces. Although the market exits of these companies may result in more healthy and stable development of the industry, to the extent borrowers or investors associate our company with these companies, our reputation may be similarly harmed and investor and borrower confidence on our marketplace may be adversely affected. Furthermore, misconduct by our employees, our offline cooperation partner, failures by us, our offline cooperation partner or our third-party service providers to meet expected standards and inability to completely protect borrower and investor confidential information and compliance failures and claims may also cause harm to our reputation and brand. Negative publicity about our offline cooperation partner can also affect our business and results of operations in a material manner if we rely on them or if borrowers and investors associate our Company with them.

We face risks related to natural disasters, health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt our operations.

We are vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. Fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to provide products and services on our platform.

Our business could also be adversely affected by the effects of COVID-19, Zika virus, Ebola virus disease, H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, avian flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, or other epidemics. Particularly, an outbreak of COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, the PRC in late 2019 and continues to spread within the PRC and globally. The new strain of coronavirus is considered highly contagious and may pose a serious public health threat. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization reportedly declared this COVID-19 outbreak a health emergency of international concern. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a pandemic. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the PRC government has imposed various strict measures with the aim to contain the virus including, but not limited to, extended the Chinese New Year holiday, travel restrictions, mandatory quarantine requirements for individuals infected with or suspected of having COVID-19, prohibited residents from free travel, and postponed the resumption of business operations. Substantially all of our revenues and our workforce are concentrated in China. Consequently, our results of operations will likely be adversely, and may be materially, affected, to the extent that the COVID-19 or any other epidemic harms the Chinese and global economy in general. If the COVID-19 outbreak drags on for longer, it may affect the development of our current businesses. Private enterprises, especially the small and medium-sized enterprises, which may not have strong cash flows or be well capitalized, may be vulnerable to an epidemic outbreak and slowing macroeconomic conditions. They could start to encounter cash flow or operating difficulties, thus leading to a rise in unemployment and weakening the loan repayment ability of borrowers on our platform and the effectiveness of our loan collection efforts. The COVID-19 outbreak may also lead to the weakening of the consumer market and the decline in the spending power of the consumers. The slowing down of economic growth may also increase the overdue risk of the borrowers. We have taken a series of measures in response to the outbreak, including, among others, remote working arrangement for some of our employees, suspension of our offline customer acquisition activities and cancellation of non-essential business travels to ensure the safety and health of our employees. We may take further actions as required by governmental authorities in China or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, and business partners. As a result of social distancing, travel bans and quarantine measures, access to our facilities, customers, management, support staff, and professional advisors has been limited, which in turn, will impact our operations, financial condition and demand for our services. However, the extent to which the COVID-19 outbreak impacts our financial condition and results of operations for the full year of 2020 cannot be reasonably estimated at this time and will depend on future developments, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak and the actions to contain the COVID-19 outbreak or treat its impact, and the impact on the economic growth and business of our investors and borrowers for the foreseeable future, among others. Any future outbreak of public health epidemics may restrict economic activities in affected regions, resulting in reduced business volume, disrupt our business operations and adversely affect our results of operations. Even after the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided, we may continue to experience materially adverse impacts to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.

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Our borrowers acquired from offline referrals may sue us based on representations made by our offline cooperation partner or third parties, which may result in costly claims and disrupt our business.

Some borrowers and investors may be attracted to our marketplace after reviewing information provided by our offline cooperation partner or third parties. We do not review or approve any information provided by our offline cooperation partner’s and third parties’ and, while we do not believe we would have liability for such information, it is possible that an unsatisfied borrower or investor could bring claims against us based on any inaccurate information or representations made by our offline cooperation partner or other third parties. Such claims could be costly and time-consuming to defend and would distract management’s attention and create negative publicity, which could adversely affect our reputation and business operations.

PRC courts may join us as a third-party in lawsuits by investors against defaulting borrowers, which could materially and adversely affect our reputation and results of operation.

Various agreements are entered into among the approved borrower, the approved investor and us, as the service facilitator in the loan transaction. The agreements set forth key standard terms, including but not limited to, the identity of the borrower and investor, the interest rate, the loan principal, intended use of loan proceeds, the payment term, the bank account details, the repayment terms, our services and responsibilities as facilitator and the applicable penalties on breach and non-payment. In the event of borrower default, investors may bring lawsuits directly against the borrower in PRC courts, which may join us as a third-party in public record. Such negative publicity may have a negative impact on our reputation and results of operation, regardless of the decision of the PRC court.

Interim period results can vary significantly due to a host of variables and may not accurately reflect the underlying performance of our business.

Our interim period results of operations, including operating revenues, expenses, the number of loans and other key performance indicators, may fluctuate significantly such that comparisons of our operating results period- on-period may not be meaningful. Results of any interim period cannot accurately indicate future performance. Fluctuations may be due to any number of variables, including some beyond our control, such as:

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·                                our ability to grow our users base by attracting new and retaining repeat borrowers and investors;

·                                the volume, quality, mix of loans and the acquisition of borrowers and investors;

·                                the level of operating expenses in the acquisition of borrowers and investors, the growth and maintenance of our business, operations and infrastructure and the timing;

·                                the replacement of third-party guarantee providers due to tightened regulatory environment;

·                                disruptions to the telecommunications network or security breaches;

·                                general macroeconomic and socio-political factors affecting the market and industry, particularly with respect to interest rates, consumer spending and levels of disposable income;

·                                seasonality of our loan products, which are generally higher in the third and fourth quarters due to national holidays and consumer spending patterns;

·                                our strategy with a focus on long-term growth instead of immediate profitability; and

·                                the incurring of expenses related to acquisitions activities of businesses or technologies and potential future charges for impairment of goodwill, if any.

Fluctuations in our interim period results may affect the price of our ADSs in an adverse manner.

Our use of investor cash incentives may result in substantial reductions in our revenues.

We provide investors with certain cash incentives to encourage greater participation in the loan products we facilitate on our online marketplace. We provide cash incentives to investors under our referral incentive program, as well as promotional incentive programs, from time to time. Upon the satisfaction of the terms and conditions under our referral incentive program or promotional incentive programs, investors can redeem their cash incentives for credit to be used on our online marketplace. We have experienced rapid growth in the number of investors, repeat investment and high transaction volume, partly attributable to our investor cash incentive program. The investor cash incentive program was intended to be a marketing tool to attract investors to commit to loan products, help us penetrate into the consumer lending business in our target market of medium-sized credit loans and increase the number of loan product transactions so as to allow us to benefit from increased transaction and service fees. However such cash incentives are accounted for as reduction of revenues, and are paid to the investor once the investment is paid before we are able to recoup the costs associated with these investor cash incentives. Our revenues may be reduced in periods where we have to issue an increasing amount of investor cash incentives, which may result in us incurring net losses and preventing us from achieving or maintaining profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. For a further description of our investor cash incentives, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—A. Operating Results—Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates—Cash incentives to investors.”

If we do not find available sources of liquidity for capital and financing needs, our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We may experience unexpected changes in business conditions, creating additional capital and financing needs. We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents, anticipated cash flows from operating activities, the proceeds from our initial public offering and the proceeds from the three-year senior unsecured note we issued to Majik Fund SPC will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements and capital expenditures in the ordinary course of business for the next 12 months. However, we may need additional sources of liquidity if we find and wish to pursue opportunities for investment, acquisition, capital expenditure or otherwise. If our available cash and cash equivalents on hand are insufficient to cover our expected cash requirements, we may seek to issue equity or debt securities or obtain credit facilities. The issuance and sale of additional equity would result in dilution to our shareholders. We cannot guarantee that financing will be available to us under terms acceptable to us, or at all.

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The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed obligations and could result in covenants restricting our operations. It could further lead to a number of risks that could adversely affect our operations or financial conditions:

·                                default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenue is insufficient to repay debt obligations;

·                                acceleration of obligations to repay the indebtedness (or other outstanding indebtedness), even if we make all principal and interest payments when due, if we breach any covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

·                                our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt security contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt security is outstanding;

·                                diverting a substantial portion of cash flow to pay principal and interest on such debt, which would reduce the funds available for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;

·                                creating potential limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

·                                loss that might be incurred due to our overseas investment activities.

If our internal controls over financial reporting are insufficient or ineffective, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.

We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we include a management report on such company’s internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of March 31, 2020. See “Item 15. Controls and Procedures.”

In addition, once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective in the future, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal controls or the level at which our controls are documented, designed, operated or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation.

During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of our ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods.

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We had a net cash outflow from operating activities in 2020 and 2019.

To further diversify our business, on July 25, 2019, we entered into a business development agreement with a third-party vendor for the purpose of expanding our loan recommendation service in the consumer financing market. Due to changes in market dynamics, we and the third-party vendor terminated the business development agreement and executed an e-commerce technical service agreement in November 2019 with the intention of establishing an e-commence online trading marketplace. In connection with the original agreement and termination and subsequent service agreement (the “Transactions”), a deposit of approximately US$30.9 million was paid to the counterparty. The Transactions were reported to our Board afterwards in late November 2019. After reviewing the Transactions, our Board concluded that it is in the best interest for us to terminate the business cooperation with the vendor in order to avoid significant expenditures and reduce uncertainties associated with the related business development. In the meantime, an independent law firm was engaged by our Audit Committee to assess the independence of the counterparty in the Transactions. The law firm’s assessment report concluded that the counterparty in the Transactions is not related to us. Due to business disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic, we, through a series of negotiations, finally entered into a termination agreement with the vendor on April 8, 2020. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, we terminated the Transactions with the vendor. For the deposit made by us, the vendor agreed to refund approximately US$15.5 million by May 2020 and the remaining balance shall be refunded on a monthly basis in the next two years with an annual interest charge of 2%. The repayment by the counterparty is guaranteed by a licensed guarantee company in the PRC with a registered capital of approximately US$142.9 million. As of March 31, 2020, we included approximately US$31.8 million in the other receivable in our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2020. The third-party vendor has refunded approximately US$16.9 million as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F.

We cannot assure you that we will always have net cash inflows and may experience negative cash flows from operating activities again in the future. Our future financial performance depends on, among other factors, our ability to continue to attract and retain borrowers and institutional funding partners, our service fee rates, loan volume on our platform, our operating expenses, the effectiveness of our credit risk management system, the accuracy of the borrower credit profile we compile, comparative interest and fee rates and loan policies of our institutional funding partners, the regulatory environment in China, market competition, and our ability to provide innovative financial services to better serve our institutional funding partners. Accordingly, you should not rely on the financial data of any past interim period or annual period as an indication of our future performance. We may not be able to achieve or sustain positive cash flow from operating activities and, if we achieve positive operating cash flow, it may not be sufficient to satisfy our anticipated capital expenditures and other cash needs.

Broader macro, political and socio-economic factors affecting market conditions can materially and adversely affect our business and operating results.

General economic, macro, political and socio-economic factors beyond our control may deter borrowers’ interest in seeking loans through our platform, and similarly, investors’ desire to lend. Such factors include the general interest rate ecosystem, unemployment rates, residential home values and availability of other investment opportunities. If any of these risk factors should materialize, the volume of loans facilitated on our marketplace will necessarily decline and our revenues and operating results may be adversely affected.

We cannot guarantee that economic conditions will remain favorable for our business or industry and that demand and supply for consumer loans such as those we primarily facilitate over our marketplace will continue to be met at current levels. If demand or supply reduces, or if the default rate increases, our growth and revenues will be negatively impacted.

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If the Internet infrastructure or telecommunications network is affected by any disruptions including natural and man-made disasters such as fires, power outages, floods, strikes, terrorism and other catastrophic events causing disruptions, our online marketplace will be adversely affected.

We heavily rely on the Internet infrastructure and telecommunications network in China for our operations and the smooth running of our online marketplace. A significant event or disaster, natural or man-made, including among others, fires, power outages, floods, strikes, terrorist attacks, coups d’état or other catastrophic events or problems, may adversely affect our servers, data centers, the offline branches of Hexin Group and our offices. Our business may be disrupted and we may lose critical data or experience interruptions, delays and compromising of our business operations and services. Our third party data suppliers and service providers may also be similarly affected and may not be able to provide our users and us with the support needed. In particular, if our disaster recovery plans prove to be ineffective or inadequate, the aforementioned risks will be further worsened. We do not currently serve network traffic equally from each data center. If our primary data center shuts down, there will be a period of time that our loan products or services, or certain of our loan products or services, will remain inaccessible to the borrowers and investors on our marketplace, such borrowers and investors may experience severe issues accessing the loan products and services.

Our operations, customer service, reputation and ability to attract new and retain borrowers and investors depend on the reliable and satisfactory performance of our technology and network infrastructure. Much of our system hardware is hosted in facilities located in Beijing that are partially owned by us and operated by our third-party vendors. If these third-party vendors fail to protect their and our systems in their facilities from any of the aforementioned disruptions and there is a lapse of service or damage to our system hardware, we may experience interruptions in our service and may have to incur extra costs for replacement of facilities.

Our relationships with borrowers and investors may be harmed if there is any interruption or delay in our service, whether caused by errors or natural or man-made disasters and problems. Our insurance policies may not be sufficient to adequately compensate us for the losses we sustained. We do not currently maintain business interruption insurance to compensate us for potentially significant losses, including potential harm to our business that may result from interruptions in our ability to facilitate the loan products and services. Since we have had a limited operating history, our disaster recovery plan has not yet been tested in real-life circumstances, and we may not be able to fully recover all data and services lost and affected in the event of any natural or man-made disasters or events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected, as we are prevented from processing or posting payments on loans, servicing users in a timely manner and generally running our platforms and operating our online marketplace as usual. We may be subject to losses and liability and disappoint borrowers and investors who may be then deterred from using our online marketplace, causing a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and results of operations.

We are reliant on our core senior management team. If one or more key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Our business, corporate strategies and future performance depends on our core senior management team comprising our directors, executive officers and other key personnel. In particular, Mr. Xiaobo An, our founder, chairman and executive director, is critical to our management, business operations and overall corporate strategies. If we fail to attract and retain Mr. Xiaobo An or any of our key personnel, or if they are unable or unwilling to continue in their present position due to any reason, we will have to go through a difficult process of replacement. The replacement process will necessarily involve significant time and expenses and may adversely affect our business and results of operations and our business objectives may not be achieved at the pace we expected, or at all.

We may be unable to protect our proprietary intellectual property rights from unauthorized use, such that our brand, reputation and business may be negatively impacted.

Our protection of our intellectual property is crucial to our success and future growth, as we rely on a combination of copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks and other rights to protect our know-how, proprietary technology, processes and other intellectual property. The protective measures we take may not be sufficient to prevent theft and unauthorized use. We may have to bring lengthy and costly litigation and take time-consuming measures in order to protect our intellectual property rights, diverting our management’s attention from our business operation. Our brand, reputation and business may be negatively impacted by such measures and risks.

Some of our trademark registrations will expire in 2025 and 2026, and some of our proprietary software licenses will expire in 2066 and 2067. If we fail to renew these licenses when they expire, third parties may infringe upon our rights and affect our brand and reputation.

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Third parties may engage us in lengthy and expensive litigation over alleged infringement of their intellectual property rights, which may disrupt and affect our business.

In our intensely competitive industry, we may be challenged by third parties, including competitors as well as other entities or individuals, for ownership of our intellectual property rights or infringement of their intellectual property rights. We may not be fully aware of other parties’ intellectual property rights involved in our systems, applications and technology. We may have to incur significant time and costs in dealing with any claims or litigation, and if they are successful, we may be subject to substantial damages, royalty payments, restrictions from conducting our business and other stringent requirements unfavorable to our business and operations. We may also be required to indemnify other parties or pay settlement costs, and to obtain licenses, modify applications or refund fees, each of which may be expensive and time consuming. Such processes may create a distraction for our management which could affect our business operations.

We compete for skilled and quality employees, and failure to attract and retain them may adversely affect our business and prevent us from achieving our intended level of growth.

Competition for our employees including systems engineers, financial officers and marketing professionals is intense. Our business and success relies on the efforts and standard of work of our employees. If we are unable to attract, motivate and retain skilled and trained employees, or if we are unable to continue to provide attractive compensation packages, our business and operations may be adversely affected and our intended levels and rates of growth may be impended.

We invest significant time and expense in the training and development of our employees. Failure to retain our existing employees will incur further significant costs to find suitable replacements and a duplication of effort for their training, which may affect our operations and our quality of service to borrowers and investors may be compromised, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

If labor costs in the PRC increase substantially, our business and costs of operations may be adversely affected.

In recent years, the Chinese economy has experienced inflationary and labor costs increases. Average wages are projected to continue to increase. Further, under PRC law we are required to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pension, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments to the statutory employee benefits, and those employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to late payment fees, fines and/or other penalties. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. If we are unable to control our labor costs or pass such increased labor costs on to our users by increasing the fees of our services, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Our innovative corporate culture is important to our business, if our culture changes our business and corporate objectives may be adversely affected.

Our corporate culture fosters innovation, a collegiate environment of team effort and encourages creativity, which is important to our business and development of our product pipeline and service upgrades. If we fail to maintain these valuable aspects of our culture during the course of our adaptation into a public company and building the relevant infrastructure, our future success and strategic goals may be affected. Furthermore we may be unable to retain and attract talent, leading to a negative impact on our business and corporate objectives.

We do not have business insurance coverage.

Insurance companies in China currently do not offer as extensive an array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies. Currently, we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance to cover our operations. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

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Certain data and information in this annual report on Form 20-F was obtained from external third parties and we have not independently identified them.

In this annual report on Form 20-F we have utilized data and information from external sources including various third parties comprising government sources and private entities such as industry consultant iResearch. Such external sources of statistical data include projections based on numerous assumptions. The consumer loans industry, especially the private consumption upgrade segment, and the overall credit industry, may not grow at the projected rate provided by these external sources, or at all. The performance of the overall industry and segment affects our business and market price of our ADSs, especially if they fail to grow at the projected rate. Further, the constantly evolving environment of the industry and market results in significant uncertainties, and the projections or estimates about the growth of the market in which we operate in should be considered in this context. If any of the assumptions underlying the market data prove to be incorrect, discrepancies between the projections and actual results may emerge.

We have not independently verified data and information obtained from third party external sources, and the method of collection and methodologies employed by such third parties may differ from ours. In addition, these industry reports and publications generally include a disclaimer that the information therein is believed to be reliable but which accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed.

The audit reports included in this annual report have been prepared by our independent registered public accounting firm whose work may not be inspected fully by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

Our independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit reports included in our annual reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards.

Because we have substantial operations within the PRC and the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections of the work of our independent registered public accounting firm as it relates to those operations without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our independent registered public accounting firm is not currently inspected fully by the PCAOB. This lack of PCAOB inspections in the PRC prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our independent registered public accounting firm’s audits and its quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

On May 24, 2013, the PCAOB announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on Enforcement Cooperation with the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, and the Ministry of Finance, which established a cooperative framework among the parties for the production and exchange of audit documents relevant to investigations in the United States and the PRC. On inspection, it appears that the PCAOB continues to be in discussions with the mainland PRC regulators to permit inspections of audit firms that are registered with the PCAOB in relation to the audit of Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges. On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. The joint statement reflects a heightened interest in this issue. On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior executives in the SEC jointly released a public statement reiterating the significant risks involved in investing in emerging markets especially the risks of investing in China as it has grown to be the largest emerging market economy and the world’s second largest economy. The statement highlighted past SEC and PCAOB warnings on matters including the difficulty associated with inspecting accounting firms and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets and the difficulty of bringing and enforcing SEC, Department of Justice and other U.S. regulatory actions, including in instances of fraud, in emerging markets generally. However, it remains unclear what further actions the SEC and the PCAOB will take and its impact on Chinese companies listed in the U.S.

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Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside the PRC have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct full inspections of auditors in the PRC makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside the PRC that are subject to the PCAOB inspections. Investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements.

In June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress, which if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which the PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges Act, or the EQUITABLE Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, starting from 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges of issuers included on the SEC’s list for three consecutive years. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed S.945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, which includes requirements similar to those in the EQUITABLE Act for the SEC to identify issuers whose audit reports are prepared by auditors that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate because of restrictions imposed by non-U.S. authorities. If passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed by the U.S. President, the HFCA Act would also require public companies on this SEC list to certify that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government and make certain additional disclosures in their SEC filings. In addition, for issuers that remain on the SEC list for three consecutive years, the SEC would be required to prohibit the securities of these companies from being traded on a U.S. national securities exchange or in U.S. over-the-counter markets. Enactment of these proposed legislations or other efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could cause investors’ uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, adversely affect the market price of our ADSs and result in prohibitions on the trading of our ADSs on U.S. national securities exchanges if we are unable to meet the requirements or PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors for three consecutive years. It is unclear if these proposed legislations will be enacted.

On June 4, 2020, the U.S. President issued a memorandum directing the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, which is chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury and includes the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Chairman of the SEC and the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, to convene to discuss the risks faced by U.S. investors in Chinese companies and companies with significant operations in China that are listed on U.S. stock exchanges related to the Chinese government’s position on the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China. The memorandum also directs the PWG to submit to the President a report within 60 days with recommendations for actions (i) the U.S. executive branch may take to protect investors in U.S. financial markets from the failure of the Chinese government to allow PCAOB-registered audit firms to comply with U.S. securities laws and investor protections; (ii) the SEC or PCAOB should take, including inspection or enforcement actions, with respect to PCAOB-registered audit firms that fail to provide requested audit working papers or otherwise fail to comply with U.S. securities laws; and (iii) the SEC or any other U.S. federal agency or department should take as a means to protect U.S. investors in Chinese companies, or companies from other countries that do not comply with U.S. securities laws and investor protections, including initiating a notice of proposed rulemaking that would set new listing rules or governance safeguards. It remains uncertain on what recommendations the PWG may ultimately make. However, as with the proposed legislation described above, such recommendations could cause investors uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, adversely affect the market price of our ADSs and result in prohibitions on the trading of our ADSs on U.S. national securities, among other things.

If the settlement reached between the SEC and the Big Four PRC-based accounting firms (including the mainland PRC affiliate of our independent registered public accounting firm), concerning the manner in which the SEC may seek access to audit working papers from audits in the PRC of US-listed companies, is not or cannot be performed in a manner acceptable to authorities in the PRC and the US, we could be unable to timely file future financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

In late 2012, the SEC commenced administrative proceedings under Rule 102(e) of its Rules of Practice and also under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 against the mainland PRC affiliates of the “Big Four” accounting firms (including the mainland PRC affiliate of our independent registered public accounting firm prior to December 6, 2019). A first instance trial of the proceedings in July 2013 in the SEC’s internal administrative court resulted in an adverse judgment against the firms. The administrative law judge proposed penalties on the PRC accounting firms, including a temporary suspension of their right to practice before the SEC, although that proposed penalty did not take effect pending review by the Commissioners of the SEC. On February 6, 2015, before a review by the Commissioner had taken place, the PRC accounting firms reached a settlement with the SEC whereby the proceedings were stayed. Under the settlement, the SEC accepted that future requests by the SEC for the production of documents would normally be made to the CSRC. The PRC accounting firms would receive requests matching those under Section 106 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and would be required to abide by a detailed set of procedures with respect to such requests, which in substance would require them to facilitate production via the CSRC. The CSRC for its part initiated a procedure, which, under its supervision and subject to its approval, requested that classes of documents held by the accounting firms could be sanitized of problematic and sensitive content so as to render them capable of being made available by the CSRC to US regulators.

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Under the terms of the settlement, the underlying proceeding against the four PRC-based accounting firms was deemed dismissed with prejudice at the end of four years from the settlement date, which was February 6, 2019. Despite the ending of the proceedings, the presumption is that all parties will continue to apply the same procedures. The SEC will continue to make its requests for the production of documents to the CSRC, and the CSRC will normally process those requests applying the sanitization procedure. We cannot predict whether, in cases where the CSRC does not authorize production of requested documents to the SEC, the SEC will further challenge the four PRC-based accounting firms’ compliance with U.S. law. If additional challenges are imposed on the Chinese affiliates of the “big four” accounting firms, we could be unable to timely file future financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

In the event that the SEC restarts the administrative proceedings, depending upon the final outcome, US-listed companies with major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the PRC. Moreover, any negative news about any such future proceedings against these accounting firms may cause uncertainty to investors regarding US-listed companies with major PRC operations, and the market price of our ADSs may be adversely affected.

If the PRC affiliate of our independent registered public accounting firm was denied, even temporarily, the ability to practice before the SEC and we were unable to timely find another registered public accounting firm to audit and issue an opinion on our financial statements, our financial statements could be determined to be not in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

Such a determination could ultimately lead to the delisting of our ADSs from the Nasdaq Global Market or deregistration from the SEC, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of our ADSs in the United States.

Our business, financial performance and results of operations could be adversely affected by deterioration of the relation between China and the United States.

The relation between China and the United States is constantly changing. There was a “trade war” between the two countries in 2019 and tensions exist in other areas such as political, social and health issues, particularly recent disagreements in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the recent tensions between China and the United States, there is a risk that our business, the offering and our listing status may be adversely affected by trade restrictions, sanctions and other policies that may be implemented. As we operate in China, any deterioration in political or trade relations might cause a public perception in the United States or elsewhere that might cause our services to become less attractive. The United States lawmakers have introduced several bills intended to protect American investments in Chinese companies. On June 4, 2020, the U.S. President Donald Trump issued PWG, criticizing China’s failure to uphold international commitment to transparency and calling for recommendations to protect U.S. investors from China’s failure to allow audits of U.S.-listed Chinese companies. PWG may impact U.S.-listed Chinese companies if strict compliance with audit requirements and U.S. law or new listing rules or governance standards were imposed. Changes in political conditions and changes in the state of China-U.S. relations are difficult to predict and could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. We cannot predict what effect any changes in China-U.S. relations may have on our ability to access capital or effectively operate our business in China. Moreover, any political or trade controversies between the United States and China, whether or not directly related to our business, could cause investors to be unwilling to hold or buy our ADSs and consequently cause the trading price of our ADSs to decline.

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RISKS RELATED TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HEXIN GROUP AND OUR CORPORATE STRUCTURE

If Hexin Group’s business, results of operations or brand is adversely affected, we may not be able to source new offline borrowers and our business, results of operations and brand will in turn be negatively affected.

We have been acquiring borrowers offline through referrals from our offline cooperation partner, Hexin Group, in accordance with certain contractual arrangements. For a description of our relationships with our offline cooperation partner, please see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Our Relationship with Hexin Group.” Since the inception of our business, our offline borrowers were mainly referred by Hexin Group. We benefit and expect to continue to benefit greatly from our association with Hexin Group in relation to the offline referral of borrowers, the marketing efforts of the sales teams and contribution of the risk control personnel at the physical branches of Hexin Group. If the number of borrowers referred by Hexin Group decreases or if the quality of borrowers referred declines, or if our relationship with Hexin Group deteriorates or breaks down, or if we can no longer acquire borrowers from Hexin Group due to regulatory restrictions or any other reasons, our business and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected. Although we intend to grow our online acquisition channels, we may not be able to find suitable and feasible replacements for Hexin Group as a steady source of offline referrals for the time being to maintain our source of borrowers, or at all.

Hexin Group also contributes to the promotion of our common brand “Hexin” and our online marketplace. If the brand and reputation of Hexin Group are damaged or harmed, our brand and reputation will similarly be materially and adversely affected. The competitive position and market share of Hexin Group by association also directly affects our competitive position and market share. If Hexin Group loses its competitive position, our marketing efforts and business operations could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any negative publicity associated with Hexin Group or the “Hexin” brand or any negative development in relation to Hexin Group’s market position, financial condition and regulatory and legal compliance could harm our brand, reputation and therefore adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Our founder, chairman and executive director, Mr. Xiaobo An, a controlling shareholder of Hexin Group, exerts strong influence over the board and Company affairs and strategy.

Our founder, chairman and executive director, Mr. Xiaobo An, exerts strong influence on our board of directors and management. He plays an integral role in Company decisions and formulating our corporate strategies. In addition, Mr. Xiaobo An is the sole executive director of, and beneficially owns Hexin Financial Technology, which wholly-owns both Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information. Therefore, Mr. Xiaobo An also controls the decision making of our offline cooperation partner to a large extent. After our initial public offering, Mr. Xiaobo An continues to have considerable influence over our corporate affairs, including matters that require shareholder approval, including, among others, the election of directors, approving statutory mergers, and amending our constitutional documents. This concentration in control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and may discourage potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions, which could have the effect of depriving holders of our shares and ADSs of the opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over the prevailing market price.

If the PRC government decides that our contractual arrangements under the variable interest entity structure do not comply with PRC regulations, or if the regulatory environment changes, we may have to change our business model and/or be subject to penalties.

Foreign ownership of Internet-based businesses, such as distribution of online information, is subject to restrictions under current PRC laws and regulations. For example, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (except e-commerce) and any such foreign investor must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services overseas and maintain a good track record in accordance with the Guidance Catalog of Industries for Foreign Investment, or the Catalog, promulgated in 2007, as amended in 2011, 2015 and 2017, respectively, and other applicable laws and regulations. We are a Cayman Islands company and our PRC subsidiary is considered a foreign invested enterprise. To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we conduct our online consumer lending marketplace business in China through a series of contractual arrangements entered into among Hexin Yongheng, Hexin E-Commerce and the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce. As a result of these contractual arrangements, we exert control over Hexin E-Commerce and consolidate its operating results in our financial statements under US GAAP. We operate our social e-commerce platform Xiaobai Maimai through a series of contractual arrangements entered into among Hexin Yongheng, Hexin Digital and Hexin Jinke, and obtained control over Hexin Digital. For a detailed description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital.” Furthermore, to comply with PRC laws and regulations, we conduct our online microlending operations in China through a series of contractual arrangements entered into among Hexin Yongheng, Wusu Company and the shareholders of Wusu Company. As a result of these contractual arrangements, we exert control over Wusu Company and consolidate its operating results in our financial statements under US GAAP. For a detailed description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital.”

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In the opinion of our PRC counsel, Han Kun Law Offices, our current ownership structure, the ownership structure of our PRC subsidiary, Tianjin Haohongyuan and our consolidated variable interest entities, and the contractual arrangements (i) among Hexin Yongheng, Hexin E-Commerce and the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce and (ii) among Hexin Yongheng, Wusu Company and the shareholders of Wusu Company are not in violation of existing PRC laws, rules and regulations; and these contractual arrangements are valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with their terms and applicable PRC laws and regulations currently in effect. However, Han Kun Law Offices has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current or future PRC laws and regulations and there can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is consistent with the opinion of our PRC counsel.

It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws, rules or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. See “—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations” and “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Foreign Investment.” If the ownership structure, contractual arrangements and business of our company, our PRC subsidiary or our consolidated variable interest entities are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or we fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant governmental authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including levying fines, confiscating our income or the income of our PRC subsidiary or consolidated variable interest entities, revoking the business licenses or operating licenses of our PRC subsidiary or consolidated variable interest entities, shutting down our servers or blocking our online platform, discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations, requiring us to undergo a costly and disruptive restructuring, restricting or prohibiting our use of proceeds from our initial public offering to finance our business and operations in China, and taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business. Any of these actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations and severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of these occurrences results in our inability to direct the activities of our consolidated variable interest entities, and/or our failure to receive economic benefits from our consolidated variable interest entities, we may not be able to consolidate its results into our consolidated financial statements in accordance with US GAAP.

Our contractual arrangements with our variable interest entities may not be as effective as direct ownership and operational management.

We rely and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce to operate the website of www.hexindai.com. For a description of these contractual arrangements, please see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital.” We rely and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with Wusu Company to operate our existing online microlending business already carried out before September 30, 2019, since when the principal business scope of Wusu Company has been changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export. For a description of these contractual arrangements, please see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital.” We rely and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with Hexin Digital to operate our social e-commerce platform Xiaobai Maimai. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in giving us full operational management and control over our consolidated variable interest entities. We cannot prevent Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company, Hexin Digital or their respective shareholders from breaching the contractual arrangements and failing to conduct its business operations properly, such as failing to maintain the website and online marketplace in a proper and timely manner, or misusing the domain names and trademarks or otherwise taking actions detrimental to our interests.

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If we directly owned Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital, we could elect directors to the board and implement changes at the management and operational levels. Currently we only have contractual rights in relation to the performance and financial benefits of Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital’s operations. Shareholders of any of our variable interest entities may not always act in our best interests. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate our business through the contractual arrangements with any of our consolidated variable interest entities. Although we have the right to replace any shareholder of any of our consolidated variable interest entities under the contractual arrangement, if any shareholder of any of our consolidated variable interest entities is uncooperative or any dispute relating to these contracts remains unresolved, we will have to enforce our rights under these contracts through the operations of PRC laws and arbitration, litigation and other legal proceedings and therefore will be subject to uncertainties in the PRC legal system. See “—Our business relies on the contractual arrangements with the variable interest entities and the cooperation arrangements between the variable interest entities and Hexin Group, if any of these entities or their shareholders fail to perform their obligations, our business and results of operations may be severely adversely affected.” Therefore, our contractual arrangements with our variable interest entities may not be as effective in protecting our interests as direct ownership and operational management would be.

Our business relies on the contractual arrangements with the variable interest entities and the cooperation arrangements between the variable interest entities and Hexin Group, if any of these entities or their shareholders fail to perform their obligations, our business and results of operations may be severely adversely affected.

If Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company, Hexin Digital or their respective shareholders decide to take actions that do not align with our interests and fail to deliver under our contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend resources to enforce our contractual arrangements. We may have to resort to legal remedies such as seeking specific performance, injunctive relief and claiming damages, subject to the extent of their effectiveness under PRC laws and regulations. For example, if the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital refuse to respect our purchase option and decline to transfer their equity interest to us or our designee, or if they decide to otherwise act in bad faith, we may have no choice but to take legal action against them.

The business of Hexin E-Commerce in turn relies on the cooperation arrangements with our offline cooperation partner, Hexin Group. Hexin E-Commerce, Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information entered into a cooperation agreement to set out the framework and terms of the cooperation arrangements as well as certain mutual non-competition and non-solicitation arrangements. Under the cooperation agreement, Hexin Group shall direct offline borrowers to Hexin E-Commerce for the facilitation of loan products on our online marketplace and must first obtain the consent of Hexin E-Commerce before Hexin Group pursues any business opportunity by offering loan services to any offline borrower. Hexin E-Commerce as one party, and Hexin Group as the other party, shall not engage in similar or competing businesses and shall not solicit the employees of the other party to the cooperation agreement. If Hexin Group refuses to comply with our cooperation arrangements, the non-competition or the non-solicitation clauses under the cooperation agreement, we may have to resort to legal remedies to enforce our contractual rights. Furthermore, under certain circumstances, damages or financial compensation may not be sufficient to remedy or cover our losses. Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected as a result.

Our contractual arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital and their respective shareholders, as well as the cooperation agreement entered into among Hexin E-Commerce, Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information, are governed by PRC laws and provide for arbitration in China as the primary method of dispute resolution. As such, our contracts will be interpreted according to PRC laws and regulations and the arbitration rules of China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission. The PRC legal system is less developed and is fraught with uncertainties, which may limit our ability to enforce our rights under the contractual arrangements. Further, there are limited precedents and formal guidance on the interpretation and enforcement of contractual arrangements with variable interest entities in the PRC. In relation to the certainty of arbitral awards in the context of legal action, the final outcome is uncertain. Under PRC law, the ruling of arbitrators is final and arbitration results cannot be appealed in court unless a competent court determines such ruling to be unenforceable or revokes it. If the losing party fails to carry out the arbitral award within the prescribed time limit, such arbitral award may only be enforced through arbitration award recognition proceedings in court, leading to additional expenses and delay. If we cannot enforce the contractual arrangements in relation to Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital, or the cooperation arrangement among Hexin E-Commerce, Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information, or if we experience significant delay or obstacles in enforcing such arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital such that our ability to conduct business and receive financial benefit from operations of Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital may be materially and adversely affected. See “—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.”

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There may be conflicts of interest between shareholders of the variable interest entities and us, which may cause material and adverse effects to our business and financials.

The equity interests of Hexin E-Commerce are held by Mr. Xiaobo An, Mr. Xiaobin Zhai and Mr. Xiaoning An, our founders. The equity interests of Wusu Company are held by Mr. Ming Jia, Mr. Shiwei Wu and Hexin E-Commerce. The equity interests of Hexin Digital are held by Hexin Jinke. Hexin Information, incorporated in December 2015, and Hexin Financial Information, incorporated in April 2014, are both wholly-owned by Hexin Financial Technology as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. Mr. Xiaobo An is the sole executive director and beneficial owner of Hexin Financial Technology, and therefore controls each of Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information. The interests of Mr. Xiaobo An, Mr. Xiaobin Zhai and Mr. Xiaoning An in Hexin E-Commerce, the interests of Mr. Xiaobo An in Hexin Financial Technology, the interests of Mr. Xiaobo An in Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information, the interests of Mr. Ming Jia, Mr. Shiwei Wu and Hexin E-Commerce in Wusu Company, the interests of Mr. Xiaobo An in Hexin Digital, may, however, differ from the interests of our company as a whole. These shareholders may have conflicts of interest with our company, and may breach, or cause Hexin E-Commerce or Wusu Company, as the case may be, to breach, our contractual arrangements, such as preventing it to remit payment due to us on a timely basis, or cause Hexin Group to breach the cooperation arrangements such as preventing them from referring offline borrowers to us, or performing other acts of non-performance adverse to our interests. We cannot assure you that when such conflicts of interest arise, if any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor such that we may not be able to control our variable interest entities effectively and enjoy economic benefits under our contractual arrangements in relation to Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital the cooperation arrangements among Hexin E-Commerce, Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information. In July 2020, Hexin E-Commerce has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with a third party, where the third party will provide services to Hexin E-Commerce to help manage the loans and their repayment.

Under the exclusive option agreements entered into between us and each of the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce, the exclusive option agreements entered into between us and each of the shareholders of Wusu Company and the exclusive option agreements entered into between us and Hexin Jinke, we have an option to purchase all their equity interests in the relevant variable interest entity to be held by us or our designee. Aside from the purchase option, we do not have any other arrangements or means to address potential conflicts of interest. If we cannot amicably resolve any conflicts of interest or disputes with the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce or those of Wusu Company or Hexin Jinke, we would have to resort to lengthy and costly legal action and proceedings, which would disrupt our business operations and incur significant expenses. Meanwhile, our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Our contractual arrangements with the variable interest entities may be subject to additional taxes, which would adversely affect our financials and your investment.

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. The PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or EIT Law, requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements (i) between Hexin Yongheng, our wholly-owned subsidiary in China, Hexin E-Commerce, our consolidated variable interest entity in China, and the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce,(ii) between Hexin Yongheng, Wusu Company, our consolidated variable interest entity in China, and the shareholders of Wusu Company and (iii) between Hexin Yongheng, Hexin Digital, our consolidated variable interest entity in China, and Hexin Jinke, the shareholder of Hexin Digital were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital’s income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase its tax liabilities without reducing Hexin Yongheng’s tax expenses. In addition, if Hexin Yongheng requests the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital to transfer their equity interests in Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital at nominal or no value pursuant to these contractual arrangements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject Hexin Yongheng to PRC income tax. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company or Hexin Digital for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if our consolidated variable interest entities’ tax liabilities increase or if it is required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

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If the variable interest entities go bankrupt or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding we may not be able to recover or claim ownership over the assets and networks of the variable interest entities.

One of our variable interest entities, Hexin E-Commerce, holds assets material to our business operations, including the Internet information services license, or the ICP License, domain names and trademarks and software licenses. Another of our variable interest entities, Wusu Company, holds assets material to our online microlending business. Hexin Digital holds assets material to our social e-commerce business. Under our present contractual arrangements, Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital cannot, and their respective shareholders shall not cause Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital, respectively, to, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of its assets or its legal or beneficial interests in the respective business without our prior consent. However, if the shareholders of either variable interest entity initiates liquidation proceedings in breach of our contractual arrangements, such that the variable interest entity undergoes voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceedings, or if it declares bankruptcy and all or part of its assets become subject to the claims of third party creditors, liens or are otherwise disposed of without our consent, we may not be able to continue our business operations, which would materially and adversely affect our financial conditions and results of operations.

If any of our variable interest entities loses its chop to the theft and use of unauthorized persons, the corporate governance of the applicable variable interest entity may be severely and adversely compromised.

In China, a company chop or seal serves as the legal representation of the company towards third parties even when unaccompanied by a signature. Each legally registered company in China is required to maintain a company chop, which must be registered with the local Public Security Bureau. In addition to this mandatory company chop, companies may have several other chops which can be used for specific purposes. The chops of our PRC subsidiary and consolidated variable interest entities are generally held securely by personnel designated or approved by us in accordance with our internal control procedures. To the extent those chops are not kept safely, are stolen or are used by unauthorized persons or for unauthorized purposes, the corporate governance of these entities could be severely and adversely compromised and those corporate entities may be bound to abide by the terms of any documents so chopped, even if they were chopped by an individual who lacked the requisite power and authority to do so. In addition, if the chops are misused by unauthorized persons, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations.

RISKS RELATED TO PRC LAWS REGULATING OUR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

Changes in China’s macroeconomic, socio-political conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

All of our operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations are affected significantly by the political, economic and social climate in China and continuously by the economic performance of China as a whole.

The Chinese economy is unique from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, the more salient aspects include the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still state-owned. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting the monetary policy, and determining the different levels of treatment accorded to different industries and companies in accordance with its national development policy.

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While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, the growth rate has had sporadic bursts, across geographically and among various sectors and industries. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, and since 2012, China’s economic growth has slowed down. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.

The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.

In particular, PRC laws and regulations concerning the marketplace lending service industry are developing and evolving. Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations and avoid conducting any activities that may be deemed as illegal under the current applicable laws and regulations, the PRC government authority may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating the marketplace lending service industry in the future. See “—The laws and regulations governing the marketplace lending service industry and microlending companies in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If our practice is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial conditions and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.” We cannot assure you that our practices would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations relating to illegal fund-raising, forming capital pools or the provision of credit enhancement services. Moreover, developments in the marketplace lending service industry may lead to changes in PRC laws, regulations and policies or in the interpretation and application of existing laws, regulations and policies that may limit or restrict online consumer lending marketplaces, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations. Furthermore, we cannot rule out the possibility that the PRC government will institute a licensing regime covering our industry at some point in the future. If such a licensing regime were introduced, we cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain any newly required license in a timely manner, or at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

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Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since the Foreign Investment Law is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For instance, under the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. Although it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities under the definition in the future. In addition, the definition contains a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. In any of these cases, it will be uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market access requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations. Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations

We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of Internet-related businesses and companies, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

The PRC government extensively regulates the Internet industry, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies in the Internet industry. These Internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations.

We have only contractual control over our website. We do not directly own the website due to the restriction of foreign investment in businesses providing value-added telecommunication services in China, including Internet information provision services. This may significantly disrupt our business, subject us to sanctions, compromise enforceability of related contractual arrangements, or have other harmful effects on us.

The evolving PRC regulatory system for the Internet industry may lead to the establishment of new regulatory agencies. For example, in May 2011, the State Council announced the establishment of a new department, the State Internet Information Office (with the involvement of the State Council Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security). The primary role of this new agency is to facilitate the policy-making and legislative development in this field, to direct and coordinate with the relevant departments in connection with online content administration and to deal with cross-ministry regulatory matters in relation to the Internet industry.

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In November 2016, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, or the CBRC, the MIIT and the Industry and Commerce Administration Department, jointly issued the Guidance to the Administration of Filing and Registration of Online Lending Information Intermediaries, or the Guidance of Administration, which provides general filing rules for online lending intermediaries, and authorizes local financial regulators to make detailed implementation rules regarding filing procedures according to their local practices. In December 2017, the Office of Leading Group on Special Rectification of Risks in the Online Lending, the regulator for administration and supervision on the nationwide online lending, or the Online Lending National Rectification Office, issued the Notice on Rectification and Inspection Acceptance of Risk of Online Lending, or Circular 57, which provides further clarification on several matters in connection with the rectification and record-filing of online lending information intermediaries. Circular 57, among other things, requires certain local governmental authorities to establish an inspection team to conduct risk rectification inspections on online lending information intermediaries within their jurisdictions. If an online lending information intermediary institution passes the inspection, the local governmental authorities shall complete its record-filing. Circular 57 also requires local governmental authorities to complete record-filings of online lending information intermediaries within its jurisdiction by the end of April 2018, except that the deadline for certain complicated cases may be postponed. We have submitted our P2P Compliance Self-Inspection Report to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work in accordance with Circular 57. It was also followed by an inspection by the Beijing Internet Finance Industry Association. In June 2019, Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration (formerly the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work) concluded its field inspection work of the Company. However, the financial regulatory authorities of Beijing are still in the process of formulating detailed implementation rules regarding the filing procedures and we have been permitted to submit filing applications as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. Therefore, the deadline for record-filing will be postponed. We cannot assure you when we will be able to submit our filing application and once submitted, whether such application will be accepted by the local financial regulatory authorities or any other competent regulatory authorities as relevant laws and regulations continue to develop and evolve. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending.”

The Guidelines to Promote the Healthy Growth of Internet Finance published in 2015, or the Guidelines, require online lending platforms to use bank custodian accounts to hold lending capital, which is further emphasized in the Interim Measures for the Administration of Business Activities of Online Lending Information Intermediaries, or the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, published by CBRC, MIIT, PBOC and other relevant government authorities on August 17, 2016. In addition, the Administrative Measures of Non-Bank Payments Institutions Network Payment Service, or the Administrative Measures, which became effective from July 1, 2016, prohibit payment institutions from opening payment accounts to engage in the lending business and also set ceilings for maximum deposits permitted into an account opened with a third-party payment agent. Negative publicity about us or third-party payment agents or the third-party payment marketplace finance industry in general may adversely affect investors’ or borrowers’ confidence and trust in the use of third-party payment agents to carry out payment functions in connection with the facilitation of loans on our online marketplace. On February 22, 2017, the CBRC released the Guidelines of the Operation of Depositing Online Lending Funds, or the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds, which provide detailed requirements for setting up a custodian account with a qualified bank and depositing online lending funds. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending.” To the extent our current arrangements with Jiangxi Bank are deemed to be not in compliance with the Guidelines, the Administrative Measures, the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures and the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds or if changes to these arrangements are required by future rules or regulations, including those proposed in the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds, a material change to our business model may be required, and our business may be materially and adversely impacted.

Our online marketplace, operated by our consolidated variable interest entity, Hexin E-Commerce, may be deemed to be providing (i) commercial Internet information services, which would require Hexin E-Commerce to obtain an ICP License (an ICP License is a value-added telecommunications business operating license required for the provision of commercial Internet information services), and (ii) domestic call center services, which would require Hexin E-Commerce to obtain a value-added telecommunications business operating license required for the provision of domestic call center services. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunication Services.” Hexin E-Commerce, our PRC consolidated variable interest entity has obtained an ICP License as an Internet information provider. However, the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures require online lending information intermediaries to apply for telecommunication business operating licenses pursuant to the relevant provisions of the competent authorities of communications. As the detailed provision for such telecommunication business operating licenses has not been published, there is uncertainty as to which type of license is required for online lending information intermediaries. Furthermore, as we are providing mobile applications to mobile device users, it is uncertain if Hexin E-Commerce will be required to obtain a separate operating license in addition to the ICP License. Although we believe that not obtaining such separate license is in line with the current market practice, there can be no assurance that we will not be required to apply for an operating license for our mobile applications in the future. Hexin E-Commerce has not obtained a value-added telecommunications business operating license required for the provision of domestic call center services. According to the Telecommunications Regulations and the Administrative Measures on Telecommunications Business Operating Licenses, those who conduct telecommunications business without a license shall be ordered by the relevant authorities to redress the violations and the illegal income shall be confiscated, and a penalty between three times and five times of the illegal income may be imposed. If there is no illegal income or such income is lower than RMB50,000 (US$7,061), a penalty between RMB100,000 (US$14,123) to RMB1,000,000 (US$141,227) shall be imposed. In a serious case, the business shall be suspended.

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The Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in and Operation of Value-added Telecommunications Business, issued by the MIIT in July 2006, prohibits domestic telecommunication service providers from leasing, transferring or selling telecommunications business operating licenses to any foreign investor in any form, or providing any resources, sites or facilities to any foreign investor for their illegal operation of a telecommunications business in China. According to this circular, either the holder of a value-added telecommunication services operation permit or its shareholders must directly own the domain names and trademarks used by such license holders in their provision of value-added telecommunication services. The circular also requires each license holder to have the necessary facilities, including servers, for its approved business operations and to maintain such facilities in the regions covered by its license. Hexin E-Commerce owns the relevant domain names in connection with our value-added telecommunications business and has the necessary personnel to operate our website. Hexin E-Commerce also currently owns the ICP License and certain trademarks. If an ICP License holder fails to comply with the requirements and also fails to remedy such non-compliance within a specified period of time, the MIIT or its local counterparts have the discretion to take administrative measures against such license holder, including revoking its ICP License. The current ICP License will expire on July 29, 2024 and requires an annual check and renewal. If Hexin E-Commerce fails to observe the requirements for annual renewal, our business may be affected.

The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and possible new laws, regulations or policies relating to the Internet industry have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of, Internet businesses in China, including our business. We cannot assure you that we have obtained all the permits or licenses required for conducting our business in China or will be able to maintain our existing licenses or obtain new ones. If the PRC government considers that we were operating without the proper approvals, licenses or permits or promulgates new laws and regulations that require additional approvals or licenses or imposes additional restrictions on the operation of any part of our business, it has the power, among other things, to levy fines, confiscate our income, revoke our business licenses, and require us to discontinue our relevant business or impose restrictions on the affected portion of our business. Any of these actions by the PRC government may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

The laws and regulations governing the marketplace lending service industry and microlending companies in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If our practice is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial conditions and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

Due to the relatively short history of the marketplace lending service industry in China, the regulatory framework governing our industry is under development by the PRC government. On July 18, 2015, the PBOC together with nine other PRC regulatory agencies jointly issued the Guidelines, a series of policy measures applicable to the online marketplace lending service industry. The Guidelines introduced formally for the first time the regulatory framework and basic principles for administering the marketplace lending service industry in China.

The Guidelines call for active government support of China’s Internet finance industry, including the online marketplace lending service industry, and clarify the division of responsibility among regulatory agencies. The Guidelines specify that the CBRC will have primary regulatory responsibility for the online marketplace lending service industry in China and state that online marketplace lending service providers should operate as information intermediaries and are prohibited from engaging in illegal fund-raising and providing “credit enhancement services,” which we believe are generally perceived in the online marketplace lending industry to mean providing guarantees to investors in relation to the return of loan principal and interest. The Guidelines provide additional requirements for China’s Internet finance industry, including the use of custodian accounts with qualified banks to hold customer funds as well as information disclosure requirements, among others. However, the Guidelines only set out the basic principles for promoting and administering the online marketplace lending service industry, and were not accompanied by any implementing rules. The Guidelines instead urge the relevant regulatory agencies to adopt implementing rules at the appropriate time.

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The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures define the “online lending information intermediaries,” or the Information Intermediaries, as financial information intermediaries that specialize in online marketplace lending information intermediary business. Such intermediaries provide such services as information collection, information release, credit assessment, information exchange, and match of lending, on the Internet as the primary channel to facilitate the direct lending between borrowers and lenders. Consistent with the Guidelines, the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures prohibit Information Intermediaries from providing “credit enhancement services” or creating “capital pools” and require, among other things, (i) that the Information Intermediary operating telecommunication services must apply for the relevant telecommunication licenses; (ii) that the Information Intermediary intending to provide online marketplace lending information agency services (excluding its subsidiaries and branches) must make the relevant filings and registrations with local financial regulatory authorities with which it is registered after obtaining business license; and (iii) that the name of Information Intermediary must contain the phrase “online marketplace lending information intermediary.”

The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures list the following businesses that an Information Intermediary must not, by itself or on behalf of a third party, participate in: (i) financing for themselves directly or in a disguised form; (ii) accepting, collecting or gathering funds of lenders directly or indirectly; (iii) providing security to lenders or promising break-even principals and interests directly or in a disguised form; (iv) publicizing or promoting financing projects on other physical premises other than such digital channels as the Internet, fixed-line telephone or mobile phone by themselves or upon entrustment or authorization of any third party; (v) making loans, unless otherwise stipulated by laws and regulations; (vi) splitting the term of any financing project; (vii) raising funds by issuing such financial products on their own as wealth management products, or selling bank wealth management products, asset management by securities traders, funds, insurance, trust products or other financial products on a commission basis; (viii) carrying out business similar to asset-backed securities or conducting the transfer of creditor’s rights in the form of packaged assets, asset-backed securities, trust assets, and fund units; (ix) engaging in any form of mixture, bundling or agency with other institutions in investment, sale on a commission basis or brokerage, unless otherwise permitted by laws, regulations and relevant regulatory provisions on online marketplace lending; (x) making up or overstating the authenticity of financing projects and the prospect of profits, concealing flaws and risks in financing projects, publicizing or promoting in biased language or by other fraudulent means in a false and one-sided way, fabricating or spreading false or incomplete information to damage others’ business reputation, or misleading lenders or borrowers; (xi) providing information intermediary services for those highly risky financing projects whose purpose is the investment in stock market, over-the-counter financing, futures contracts, structured products and other derivatives; (xii) engaging in equity-based crowd funding; and (xiii) undertaking other activities prohibited by laws and regulations as well as relevant regulatory provisions on online marketplace lending.

The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures also set out certain additional requirements applicable to Information Intermediaries on, among other things, the real-name registration of lenders and borrowers, the limitation of offline business of Information Intermediaries, the risk control, cyber and information security, the limit of fund collection period (up to 20 business days), allocation of charges, personal credit management, file management, lenders and borrowers protection, making decisions by Information Intermediaries on behalf of lenders, administration of electronic signatures and information disclosure.

Any violation of the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures by an Information Intermediary after they come into effect, may subject such Information Intermediary to certain penalties as determined by applicable laws, and regulations, or by relevant government authorities if the applicable laws and regulations are silent on the penalties. The applicable penalties may include but not limited to, criminal liabilities, warning, rectification, tainted integrity record and fines up to RMB30,000 (US$4,237).

According to the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, we may have to adjust our operating practices. For instance, we may need to modify the existing or develop a new process for investors who wish to invest in our portfolio investments to ensure that all the investment decisions are made and confirmed by investors as required by the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, which may in turn cause us to incur additional operating expenses. The enactment of the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures may also materially impact our corporate governance practice and increase our compliance costs.

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In addition to the Guidelines and the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, there are certain other rules, laws and regulations relevant or applicable to the online marketplace lending service industry, including the PRC Contract Law, the General Principles of the Civil Law of the PRC, and related judicial interpretations promulgated by the Supreme People’s Court. In November 2016, the CBRC, the MIIT and the Industry and Commerce Administration Department, jointly issued the Guidance of Administration, which provides the general filing rules for online lending intermediaries and authorizes local financial regulators to make detailed implementation rules regarding filing procedures according to their local practices. In December 2017, the Internet Finance National Rectification Office and the Online Lending National Rectification Office jointly issued Circular 141, outlining general requirements on the “cash loan” business conducted by online microlending companies, banking financial institutions and online lending information intermediaries. In December 2017, the Online Lending National Rectification Office issued Circular 57 which provides further clarification on several matters in connection with the rectification and record-filing of online lending information intermediaries. For more information see “ ¾ Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of Internet-related businesses and companies, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.” In May 2018, the Internet Finance National Rectification Office issued Letter 59, which provides further requirements on several matters in connection with the “cash loan” business, and violation of Letter 59 may result in penalties, including but not limited to suspension of operations. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending.”

On February 22, 2017, the CBRC released the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds, which provide detailed requirements for setting up a depository account with a qualified bank and depositing online lending funds. To the extent our current arrangements with Jiangxi Bank are deemed to be not in compliance with the Guidelines, the Administrative Measures, the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures and the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds or if changes to these arrangements are required by future rules or regulations, including those proposed in the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds, a material change to our business model may be required and our business may be materially and adversely impacted. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending.” In accordance with the Guidelines and the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, on August 23, 2017, the CBRC issued the Guidelines on the Information Disclosure of Business Activities by Online Lending Information Intermediaries, or the Disclosure Guidelines, which stipulate that consumer lending information intermediary platforms shall disclose relevant information on their websites and other Internet channels, and the Disclosure Guidelines have provided detailed requirements for such information disclosure. According to the Disclosure Guidelines, to the extent that consumer lending information intermediary platforms that have provided the services before the issuance of the Disclosure Guidelines are not in full compliance with the requirements, they are required to make rectification within a six-month rectification period starting from the date the Disclosure Guidelines was promulgated. For platforms that fail to make such rectification, sanctions could be imposed by the relevant regulatory departments, including but not limited to, supervision interview, warning letter, rectification, tainted integrity record, fines up to RMB30,000 (US$4,237), and criminal liabilities if the act constitutes a criminal offense. Since various detailed requirements of information disclosure are made by the Disclosure Guidelines, we may need to adjust or change our methods of information disclosure and content of information disclosed within the rectification period in order to fully comply with the Disclosure Guidelines. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending.”

To comply with existing rules, laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to the marketplace lending service industry, we have implemented various policies and procedures, which we believe set the best practice in the industry, including, without limitation, the following: (i) we do not use our own capital to invest in loans facilitated through our online marketplace; (ii) we do not commit to provide guarantees to investors under any agreement for the full return of loan principal and interest; (iii) we do not hold investors’ funds and funds loaned through our platform are deposited into and settled by a third-party custodian account managed by a qualified bank, Jiangxi Bank; (iv) we have obtained the ICP license as an Internet information provider from the relevant local counterpart of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in accordance with applicable laws; (v) we fully disclose on our website all relevant information to investors and borrowers, such as disclosure to borrowers regarding interest rates, payment schedule, service fees, and other charges and penalties; and (vi) we have been making a strong effort to maintain the security of our platform and the confidentiality of the information provided and utilized across our platform. However, due to the lack of detailed rules and the fact that the rules, laws and regulations are expected to continue to evolve in this emerging industry, we cannot be certain that our existing practices would not be deemed to violate any existing or future rules, laws and regulations.

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In particular, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of the services we provide to investors, such as the portfolio investment, might be viewed as not being in full compliance. We match multiple investors with multiple approved borrowers, which goes beyond the simple one-to-one matching between investors and borrowers and could be viewed as violating some of these requirements.

Moreover, although the Guidelines prohibit online marketplace lending service providers from providing “credit enhancement services”, it is uncertain how the “credit enhancement services” mentioned in the Guidelines will be interpreted due to the lack of detailed implementing rules in the Guidelines. However, given the prohibition by the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures on providing security or guarantee of principals and interests to lenders, we believe it is generally perceived in the online marketplace lending industry to mean providing guarantees to investors in relation to the return of loan principal and interest. Under our risk reserve liability arrangement, if a loan is delinquent for a certain period of time, we may withdraw a sum from the risk reserve to repay investors the principal and accrued interest for the defaulted loan unless the risk reserve is depleted. Although the purpose of the risk reserve liability policy is to limit investor losses due to borrower defaults and not to provide investors with guarantees in relation to the return of loan principal and interest, we cannot rule out the possibility that our past risk reserve liability model or any variations thereof might be viewed by the PRC regulatory bodies as providing, to a certain extent, a form of guarantee or otherwise a form of “credit enhancement service” prohibited under the Guidelines. Furthermore, if the risk reserve liability policy is viewed by the PRC regulatory bodies as providing a form of guarantee, under the Provisions on Several Issues Concerning Laws Applicable to Trials of Private Lending Cases, or the Private Lending Judicial Interpretations, issued by the Supreme People’s Court on August 6, 2015 and being effective on September 1, 2015, if requested by the investor with the court, we may be required to assume the obligations as to the defaulted loan as a guarantor. For a summary of the Private Lending Judicial Interpretations, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending—Regulations on Loans between Individuals.”

In order to continue to attract new and retain existing investors and to remain consistent with the current industry practice in China, we transitioned from the risk reserve liability policy to a third-party insurance arrangement with Changan Insurance, which was later replaced by the Guarantee Plan with Zhengxuan Guarantee. Subject to the terms and limits in the Guarantee Plan, investors can recover an amount up to the loan residual principal and three months of accrued interest in the event of loan default. We intend to continue this practice for the foreseeable future. However, as the industry continues to evolve and becomes more sophisticated and our business develops, we may revisit our policy or the terms on which we offer protection to investors over borrower default risk. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that the cooperation with Zhengxuan Guarantee thereof will not be viewed by the PRC regulatory authorities as providing a form of guarantee or otherwise a form of “credit enhancement service” prohibited under the Guidelines.

The regulatory regime and practice with respect to online microlending companies are also evolving and subject to uncertainty. In November 2017, the Internet Finance National Rectification Office issued the Notice on the Immediate Suspension of Approvals for the Establishment of Online Microlending Companies, which suspends the approval of new online microlending companies. On December 1, 2017, the Internet Finance National Rectification Office and the Online Lending National Rectification Office jointly issued Circular 141, which also states that the approval of new online microlending companies has been suspended and further imposes measures to strengthen the regulation of online microlending companies. On December 8, 2017, the Online Lending National Rectification Office issued the Implementation Plan of Specific Rectification for Risks in Microlending Companies and Online Microlending Companies, or the Rectification Implementation Plans of Online Microlending Companies, which further details the requirements on online microlending companies. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Microlending.” Wusu Company, a subsidiary of Hexin E-Commerce, obtained an online microlending license from the relevant competent local authorities. However, the principal business scope of Wusu Company changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export on September 30, 2019, since then the online microlending license has ceased to be effective. We continue to operate our existing online microlending business already carried out before September 30, 2019. For the loans which were issued prior to the expiration of the license, we are entitled to the credit right over such loans until its maturity. In respect of the operation of the existing microlending business Wusu Company had already carried out before September 30, 2019, the relevant governmental authorities may continue to inspect, investigate and review the qualification and compliance of Wusu Company in accordance with the Rectification Implementation Plans of Online Microlending Companies. We cannot assure you that we would not be subject to any rectification requirements or administrative penalties due to any non-compliance.

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As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we have not been subject to any material fines or other penalties under any PRC laws or regulations including those governing the marketplace lending service industry and online microlending companies in China. However, if our practice is deemed to violate any rules, laws or regulations, we may face injunctions, including orders to cease illegal activities, and may be exposed to other penalties as determined by the relevant government authorities as well. If such situations occur, our business, financial condition and prospects would be materially and adversely affected. In addition, given the evolving regulatory environment in which we operate, we cannot rule out the possibility that the PRC government will institute a licensing regime covering the marketplace lending service industry. If such a licensing regime were introduced, we cannot assure you that we would be able to obtain any newly required license in a timely manner, or at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

Any failure by us or our third-party service providers to comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations could damage our reputation.

In cooperation with Jiangxi Bank, we have adopted various policies and procedures, such as internal controls and “know-your-customer” procedures, for anti-money laundering purposes. In addition, we rely on Jiangxi Bank and may in the future, rely on other third-party service providers, in particular the custody banks and payment agents that handle the transfer of funds between borrowers and lenders, to have their own appropriate anti-money laundering policies and procedures. Custody banks and payment agents are subject to anti-money laundering obligations under applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations and are regulated in that respect by the PBOC. If any of our third-party service provides fail to comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations, our reputation could suffer and we could become subject to regulatory intervention, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any negative perception of the industry, such as that arises from any failure of other consumer lending marketplaces to detect or prevent money laundering activities, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents, could compromise our image or undermine the trust and credibility we have established.

The Guidelines jointly released by ten PRC regulatory agencies in July 2015 purport, among other things, to require Internet finance service providers, including online lending platforms, to comply with certain anti-money laundering requirements, including the establishment of a customer identification program, the monitoring and reporting of suspicious transactions, the preservation of customer information and transaction records, and the provision of assistance to the public security department and judicial authority in investigations and proceedings in relation to anti-money laundering matters. The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures jointly issued by four PRC regulatory agencies in August 2016 require the online lending information intermediaries, among other things, to comply with certain anti-money laundering obligations, including verifying customer identification, reporting suspicious transactions and preserving customer information and transaction records. The Custodian Guidelines issued by PBOC in February 2017 require the online lending platforms to set up custody accounts with commercial banks and comply with the anti -money laundering requirements of the relevant commercial banks. On October 11, 2018, the PBOC, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, or the CBIRC and the CSRC, jointly promulgated the Administrative Measures for Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing by Internet Finance Service Agencies (for Trial Implementation), effective as of January 1, 2019, which specify the anti-money laundering obligations of internet finance service agencies and regulate that the internet finance service agencies shall (i) adopt continuous customer identification measures; (ii) implement the system for reporting large-value or suspicious transactions; (iii) conduct real-time monitoring of the lists of terrorist organizations and terrorists; and (iv) properly keep the information, data and materials such as customer identification and transaction reports, etc. We cannot assure you that the anti-money laundering policies and procedures we have adopted will be effective in protecting our marketplace from being exploited for money laundering purposes or will be deemed to be in compliance with applicable anti-money laundering implementing rules if and when adopted.

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The facilitation of loans through our marketplace could give rise to liabilities under PRC laws and regulations that prohibit illegal fundraising.

PRC laws and regulations prohibit persons and companies from raising funds through advertising to the public a promise to repay premium or interest payments over time through payments in cash or in kind except with the prior approval of the applicable government authorities. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in penalties imposed by the PBOC, the Administration for Industry and Commerce, or AIC, and other governmental authorities, and can lead to civil or criminal lawsuits.

To date, our marketplace has not been subject to any fines or other penalties under any PRC laws and regulations that prohibit illegal fundraising. Our marketplace only acts as a service provider in the facilitation of loans between borrowers and investors, and in this capacity, we do not raise funds or promise repayment of premium or interest obligations. Nevertheless, considerable uncertainties exist with respect to the PBOC, AIC and other governmental authorities’ interpretations of the fundraising-related laws and regulations. While our agreements with investors require investors to guarantee the legality of all funds from investors, we do not verify the source of investors’ funds separately, and therefore, to the extent that investors’ funds are obtained through illegal fundraising, we may be negligently liable as a facilitator of illegal fundraising. In addition, while our loan agreements contain provisions that require borrowers to use the proceeds for purposes listed in their loan applications, we do not monitor the borrowers’ use of funds on an on-going basis, and therefore, to the extent that borrowers use proceeds from the loans for illegal activities, we may be negligently liable as a facilitator of an illegal use. Although we have designed and implemented procedures to identify and eliminate instances of fraudulent conduct on our marketplace, as the number of borrowers and investors on our platform increases, we may not be able to identify all fraudulent conduct that may violate illegal fundraising laws and regulations.

The facilitation of loans through our marketplace could give rise to liabilities under PRC laws and regulations that prohibit unauthorized public offerings.

The PRC Securities Law stipulates that no organization or individual is permitted to issue securities for public offering without obtaining prior approval in accordance with the provisions of the law. The following offerings are deemed the be public offerings under the PRC Securities Law: (i) offering of securities to non- specific targets; (ii) offering of securities to more than 200 specific targets; and (iii) other offerings provided by the laws and administrative regulations. Additionally, private offerings of securities shall not be carried out through advertising, open solicitation and disguised publicity campaigns. If any transaction between one borrower and multiple investors on our marketplace is identified as a public offering by PRC government authorities, we may be subject to sanctions under PRC laws and our business may be adversely affected.

We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.

We are a holding company, and we rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiary for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and service any debt we may incur. If our PRC subsidiary incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may require Hexin Yongheng to adjust its taxable income under the contractual arrangements it currently has in place with our consolidated variable interest entities in a manner that would materially and adversely affect its ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us. See “—Risks Related to Our Relationship with Hexin Group and Our Corporate Structure—Our contractual arrangements with the variable interest entities may be subject to additional taxes, which would adversely affect our financials and your investment.”

Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiary, as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China, may pay dividends only out of its accumulated after-tax profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds, until the aggregate amount of such funds reaches 50% of its registered capital. At its discretion, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to staff welfare and bonus funds. These reserve funds and staff welfare and bonus funds are not distributable as cash dividends.

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Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiary to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business. See also “—If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.”

PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

Under PRC laws and regulations, we are permitted to utilize the proceeds from our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement to fund our PRC subsidiary by making loans to or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiary, subject to applicable government registration and approval requirements.

Any loans to our PRC subsidiary, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC laws, are subject to PRC regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. For example, loans by us to our PRC subsidiary to finance their activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE. According to the Interim Measures on the Management of Foreign Debts promulgated by SAFE, the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission , or the NDRC, on January 8, 2003, the statutory limit for the total amount of foreign debts of a foreign-invested company is the difference between the amount of total investment as approved by the MOC or its local counterpart and the amount of registered capital of such foreign-invested company, or two times of the net assets provided in the latest audited financial report of such PRC subsidiary, as applicable. According to the Circular of the People’s Bank of China on Matters relating to the Comprehensive Macro-prudential Management of Cross-border Financing issued by the People’s Bank of China in January 2017, or Circular 9, and Circular of the People’s Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Adjusting the Macro-prudential Regulation Parameter for Full-covered Cross-border Financing in March 2020, or Circular 64, the maximum amounts of foreign debt that each company may borrow is determined by reference to its so-called risk-weighted balance of cross-border financing, which may not exceed two times its net assets as indicated in its latest audited financial report. The risk-weighted balance of cross-border financing of a company is calculated based on its outstanding amounts of Renminbi and foreign currency cross-border debt, multiplied by risk conversion factors corresponding to their respective remaining terms, loan categories and currency. However, for a one-year grace period starting from January 11, 2017, a foreign-invested company such as our PRC subsidiaries may elect to determine the maximum amount of its foreign debt in according with the rules in effect prior to Circular 9, or to comply with Circular 9. On the other hand, PRC domestic companies such as our consolidated variable interest entities must comply with Circular 9. Moreover, according to Notice of the National Development and Reform Commission on Promoting the Administrative Reform of the Recordation and Registration System for Enterprises’ Issuance of Foreign Debts issued by the NDRC in September 2015, any loans we extend to our consolidated variable interest entities or other PRC operating companies that are domestic PRC entities for more than one year must be filed with the NDRC or its local counterpart and must also be registered with SAFE or its local branches.

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We may also decide to finance our PRC subsidiary by means of capital contributions. These capital contributions must be approved by the MOC or its local counterpart. In addition, SAFE issued a circular in September 2008, SAFE Circular 142, regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested enterprise of foreign currency registered capital into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB may be used. SAFE Circular 142 provides that the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise may only be used for purposes within the business scope approved by the applicable government authority and unless otherwise provided by law, may not be used for equity investments within the PRC. Although on July 4, 2014, the SAFE issued the Circular of the SAFE on Relevant Issues Concerning the Pilot Reform in Certain Areas of the Administrative Method of the Conversion of Foreign Exchange Funds by Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 36, which launched a pilot reform of the administration of the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of foreign-invested enterprises in certain designated areas from August 4, 2014 and some of the restrictions under SAFE Circular 142 will not apply to the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of the foreign-invested enterprises established within the designate areas and such enterprises mainly engaging in investment are allowed to use its RMB capital converted from foreign exchange capitals to make equity investment, our PRC subsidiary is not established within the designated areas. On March 30, 2015, SAFE promulgated Circular 19, to expand the reform nationwide. Circular 19 came into force and replaced both Circular 142 and Circular 36 on June 1, 2015. Circular 19 allows foreign-invested enterprises to make equity investments by using RMB fund converted from foreign exchange capital. However, Circular 19 continues to prohibit foreign-invested enterprises from, among other things, using RMB fund converted from its foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond its business scope, providing entrusted loans or repaying loans between non-financial enterprises. On June 9, 2016, the SAFE promulgated Circular 16, which expands the application scope from only the capital of the foreign-invested enterprises to the capital, the foreign debt funds and the funds from oversea public offerings. Also, Circular 16 allows enterprises to use their foreign exchange capitals under their capital account as stipulated by the relevant laws and regulations. On October 23, 2019, the SAFE issued the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Facilitating Cross-border Trade and Investment, which, among other things, expanded the use of foreign exchange capital to domestic equity investments. Non-investment foreign-funded enterprises are allowed to lawfully make domestic equity investments by using capital funds, subject to the authenticity and compliance with the regulations of such domestic investment projects (including, among others, the compliance of special administrative measures for access of foreign investments (negative list)). If our consolidated variable interest entities need financial support from us or our wholly owned subsidiaries in the future and we find it necessary to use foreign currency-denominated capital to provide such financial support, our ability to fund our consolidated variable interest entities’ operations will be subject to statutory limits and restrictions, including those described above.

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiary or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiary. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we expect to receive from our initial public offering and the concurrent private placement and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

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We may be subject to liabilities imposed by relevant governmental regulations due to the personal data and other confidential information of borrowers, investors and our offline cooperation partner which we collect or are provided access to.

There are numerous laws regarding privacy and the storing, sharing, use, disclosure and protection of personally identifiable information and user data. We receive, transmit and store a large volume of personally identifiable information and other confidential data from borrowers, investors and our offline cooperation partner. Specifically, personally identifiable and other confidential information is increasingly subject to legislation and regulations in numerous domestic and international jurisdictions, the intent of which is to protect the privacy of personal information that is collected, processed and transmitted in or from the governing jurisdiction. This regulatory framework for privacy issues in China and worldwide is currently evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. In addition, there may be limits on the cross-border transmission of user data even to the extent that such transmission is within our company. We could be adversely affected if legislation or regulations are expanded to require changes in business practices or privacy policies, or if governing jurisdictions interpret or implement their legislation or regulations in ways that negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition to laws, regulations and other applicable rules regarding privacy and privacy advocacy, industry groups or other private parties may propose new and different privacy standards. Because the interpretation and application of privacy and data protection laws and privacy standards are still uncertain, it is possible that these laws or privacy standards may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices. Any inability to adequately address privacy concerns, even if unfounded, or to comply with applicable privacy or data protection laws, regulations and privacy standards, could result in additional cost and liability for us, damage our reputation, inhibit the use of our platform and harm our business.

Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.

Substantially all of our revenues and expenditures are denominated in RMB, and the functional currency for our PRC subsidiary and consolidated variable interest entities is RMB, whereas our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. Any significant revaluation of RMB may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in U.S. dollars. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our initial public offering into RMB to pay our operating expenses, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. If we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. Moreover, a significant depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce our earnings translated in the U.S. dollars, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our ADSs. Furthermore, fluctuations in currencies relative to the periods in which the earnings are generated may make it more difficult to perform period-to-period comparisons of our reported results of operations.

The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions and foreign exchange policies. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar in the future. Since June 2010, the RMB has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016, the RMB depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China until August 2017 when the RMB started to appreciate against the U.S. dollar. In 2017, the value of the RMB appreciated by approximately 6.71% against the U.S. dollar; and in 2018, the RMB depreciated by approximately 5.7% against the U.S. dollar. In 2019, the value of the RMB further depreciated by approximately 1.3% against the U.S. dollar. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and RMB internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system and there is no guarantee that the RMB will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future.

Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your investment.

Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our net revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our net revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, our company in the Cayman Islands relies on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiary to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Therefore, our PRC subsidiary is able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without prior approval from SAFE, subject to the condition that the remittance of such dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulation, such as the overseas investment registrations by the beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs.

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Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.

We are required under PRC laws and regulations to participate in various government sponsored employee benefit plans, including certain social insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of our employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where we operate our businesses. The requirement of employee benefit plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. We have not made adequate employee benefit payments. We may be required to make up the contributions for these plans as well as to pay late fees and fines. If we are subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOC shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOC that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOC, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOC or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to increase its registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law.

SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, in July 2014 that requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes material events relating to any change of basic information (including change of such PRC citizens or residents, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, or mergers or divisions. SAFE Circular 37 is issued to replace the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents Engaging in Financing and Roundtrip Investments via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 75. SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment in February 2015, which took effect on June 1, 2015. This notice has amended SAFE Circular 37 requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks rather than SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing.

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If our shareholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration as required, our PRC subsidiary may be prohibited from distributing its profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiary. Moreover, failure to comply with the SAFE registration described above could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions.

All of our shareholders who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Cayman Islands holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents have completed the foreign exchange registrations required in connection with our recent corporate restructuring.

However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiary, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.

Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company, replacing earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Pursuant to these rules, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year who participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiary of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. In addition, an overseas entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests. We and our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who have resided in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who have been granted options or other awards are subject to these regulations. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiary and limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange - Regulations on Stock Incentive Plans.”

If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.

Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with a “de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a resident enterprise and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control over and overall management of the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In April 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, issued a circular, known as Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners like us, the criteria set forth in Circular 82 may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC.

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We believe none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. See “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—People’s Republic of China Taxation.” However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” As substantially all of our management members are based in China, it remains unclear how the tax residency rule will apply to our case. If the PRC tax authorities determine that we or any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, then we or such subsidiary could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on its world-wide income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. Furthermore, if the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, dividends we pay to non-PRC holders may be subject to PRC withholding tax, and gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such dividends or gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ADSs.

We may not be able to obtain certain benefits under relevant tax treaty on dividends paid by our PRC subsidiary to us through our Hong Kong subsidiary.

We are a holding company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and as such rely on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiary to satisfy part of our liquidity requirements. Pursuant to the EIT Law, a withholding tax rate of 10% currently applies to dividends paid by a PRC “resident enterprise” to a foreign enterprise investor, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for preferential tax treatment. Pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, such withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns at least 25% of a PRC enterprise. Pursuant to the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on the Issues concerning the Application of the Dividend Clauses of Tax Agreements, or Circular 81, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain requirements must be satisfied, including without limitation that (a) the Hong Kong enterprise must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong enterprise must directly hold at least 25% share ownership in the PRC enterprise during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. However, a transaction or arrangement entered into for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment should not be a reason for the application of the favorable tax treatment under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement. If a taxpayer inappropriately is entitled to such favorable tax treatment, the competent tax authority has the power to make appropriate adjustments.

In August 2015, the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Taxpayers to Enjoy Treatments under Tax Treaties, or Circular 60, which became effective on November 1, 2015. Circular 60 provides that non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax rate. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate, and file necessary forms and supporting documents when performing tax filings, which will be subject to post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. However, if a competent tax authority finds out that it is necessary to apply the general anti-tax avoidance rules, it may start general investigation procedures for anti-tax avoidance and adopt corresponding measures for subsequent administration. Accordingly, Hexindai Hong Kong Limited, or Hexindai HK, our Hong Kong subsidiary, may be able to enjoy the 5% withholding tax rate for the dividends they receive from Hexin Yongheng, our PRC subsidiary, if it satisfies the conditions prescribed under Circular 81 and other relevant tax rules and regulations. However, according to Circular 81 and Circular 60, if the relevant tax authorities consider the transactions or arrangements we have are for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment, the relevant tax authorities may adjust the favorable withholding tax in the future.

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Enhanced scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.

In connection with the EIT Law, the SAT issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Enterprise Income Tax on Non-resident Enterprises’ Equity Transfer Income, or Circular 698, which became effective as of January 1, 2008, the Notice on Issues Concerning Process of Enterprise Income Tax in Enterprise Restructuring Business, or Circular 59 on April 30, 2009, and the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Several Issues concerning the Enterprise Income Tax on the Indirect Transfers of Properties by Non-Resident Enterprises, or the SAT Announcement 7, on February 3, 2015. By promulgating and implementing the above, the PRC tax authorities have strengthened their scrutiny over the direct or indirect transfer of equity interest in a PRC resident enterprise by a non-PRC resident enterprise. Pursuant to SAT Announcement 7, if a non-resident enterprise, or referred to as a transferor, transfers its equity in an offshore enterprise which directly or indirectly owns PRC taxable assets, including ownership interest in PRC resident companies, or the Taxable Properties, without a “reasonable commercial purpose”, such transfer shall be deemed as a direct transfer of such Taxable Properties. The payer, or referred as a transferee, in such transfer shall be the withholding agent, and is obligated to withhold and remit the enterprise income tax to the relevant PRC tax authority. If a transferor fails to declare for payment timely or in full of the tax due on proceeds from indirect transfer of PRC taxable assets and the withholding agent also fails to withhold such tax, the tax authority shall, in addition to supplementary collection of such tax, also charge for interest on a daily basis from the transferor according to the EIT Law and its implementation rules. Factors that may be taken into consideration when determining whether there is a reasonable commercial purpose include, among other factors, the value of the transferred equity, offshore taxable situation of the transaction, the offshore structure’s economic essence and duration and trading fungibility. If an equity transfer transaction satisfies all the requirements mentioned above, such transaction will be considered an arrangement with reasonable commercial purpose. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Bulletin of SAT on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017 and was amended in June 2018, which, among others, repeals certain rules stipulated in Circular 7. Bulletin 37 further details and clarifies the tax withholding methods in respect of the income of non-resident enterprises.

Accordingly, we and non-resident enterprise investors face uncertainties on the reporting and consequences on future private equity-financing transactions, share exchange or other transactions involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises. The PRC tax authorities may pursue such non-resident enterprises with respect to a filing or the transferees with respect to withholding obligation, and request our PRC subsidiaries to assist in the filing. As a result, we and non-resident enterprises in such transactions may become at risk of being subject to filing obligations or being taxed, under Circular 59, Circular 698, the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37, and we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Circular 59, Circular 698, the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37 or to establish that we and our non-resident enterprises should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Additionally, the PRC tax authorities have the discretion under SAT Circular 59, Circular 698 , the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37 to make adjustments to the taxable capital gains based on the difference between the fair value of the taxable assets transferred and the cost of investment. Although we currently have no plans to pursue any acquisitions in China or elsewhere in the world, we may pursue acquisitions in the future that may involve complex corporate structures. If we are considered a non-resident enterprise under the EIT Law and if the PRC tax authorities make adjustments to the taxable income of the transactions under SAT Circular 59, Circular 698, the SAT Announcement 7 and Bulletin 37, our income tax costs associated with such potential acquisitions will be increased, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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RISKS RELATED TO OUR ADSs

The trading price of our ADSs may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

The trading price of our ADSs has ranged from US$0.42 to US$3.88 per ADS in 2019. The trading prices of our ADSs are likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation in the market prices or the underperformance or deteriorating financial results of internet or other companies based in China that have listed their securities in the United States in recent years. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings, including, in some cases, substantial decline in their trading prices. The trading performances of other Chinese companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of us or other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have conducted any inappropriate activities. In addition, securities markets may from time to time experience significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to our operating performance, such as the large decline in share prices in the United States, China and other jurisdictions in late 2008, early 2009, the second half of 2011, the third quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016, which may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our ADSs.

In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:

·                                regulatory developments affecting us, our users or our industry;

·                                announcements of studies and reports relating to our loan products and service offerings or those of our competitors;

·                                changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other online consumer finance marketplaces;

·                                actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results;

·                                changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;

·                                conditions in the internet and unsecured consumer finance industries;

·                                announcements of new product, service and expansions by us or our competitors;

·                                replacement of existing third-party service providers;

·                                additions to or departures of our senior management;

·                                detrimental negative publicity about us, our management or our industry;

·                                fluctuations of exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollar;

·                                release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding ordinary shares or ADSs; and

·                                sales or perceived potential sales of additional ordinary shares or ADSs.

Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our ADSs will trade.

Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of our ADSs.

Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller’s interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market.

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We have been the subject of short selling, and it is not clear what long-term effect such negative publicity could have on us. We may also be subject to short seller attacks from time to time in the future. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we may have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short sellers by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of commercial confidentiality. Such a situation could be costly and time-consuming, and could divert management’s attention from the day-to-day operations of our company. Even if such allegations are ultimately proven to be groundless, allegations against us could severely impact the market price of our ADSs and our business operations.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our ADSs and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our ADSs will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If research analysts do not establish and maintain adequate research coverage or if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our ADSs or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price or trading volume of our ADSs to decline.

We cannot assure you that our existing dividend policy will not change in the future or the amount the dividends that you may receive, and as such, you must rely on price appreciation of our ADSs for return on your investment.

On July 19, 2018, our board of directors approved an annual dividend policy. Under this policy, annual dividends will be set at an amount equivalent to approximately 15-25% of our anticipated net income after tax in each year commencing from the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. On July 19, 2018, our board of directors also approved a special cash dividend of US$0.13 per ordinary share of our company (or US$0.13 per ADS), in addition to an annual dividend pursuant to the newly adopted annual dividend policy of US$0.27 per ordinary share (or US$0.27 per ADS), for a total dividend of US$0.40 per ordinary share (or US$0.40 per ADS).

Our annual dividend policy is subject to change at any time at the discretion of our board of directors, and our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends in the future. If our board of directors decides to continue to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. As such, the amount of dividends that you will receive is subject to change. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will not adjust our dividend policy in the future. Accordingly, you should not rely on an investment in our ADSs as a source for any future dividend income, and the return on your investment in our ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ADSs. There is no guarantee that our ADSs will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased the ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in our ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment.

Any declaration and payment, as well as the amount, of dividends will be subject to our constitutional documents and applicable Chinese and U.S. state and federal laws and regulations, including the approval from the shareholders of each subsidiary which intends to declare such dividends, if applicable.

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Substantial future sales or perceived potential sales of our ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline.

Sales of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our ADSs to decline. As of March 31, 2020, we had 48,818,340 ordinary shares outstanding. Among these shares, 12,522,887 ordinary shares are in the form of ADSs. All our ADSs are freely transferable without restriction or additional registration under the Securities Act. The remaining ordinary shares outstanding are available for sale, subject to volume and other restrictions as applicable under Rules 144 and 701 under the Securities Act. To the extent shares are sold into the market, the market price of our ADSs could decline.

Certain holders of our ordinary shares may cause us to register under the Securities Act the sale of their shares. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in ADSs representing these shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration. Sales of these registered shares in the form of ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline.

We have adopted our amended and restated share incentive plan in September 2017, under which we have the discretion to grant a broad range of equity-based awards to eligible participants. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plan.” We have registered certain ordinary shares that we may issue under our share incentive plans and intend to register all ordinary shares that we may issue under our share incentive plans. Once we register these ordinary shares, they can be freely sold in the public market in the form of ADSs upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates and relevant lock-up agreements. If a large number of our ordinary shares or securities convertible into our ordinary shares are sold in the public market in the form of ADSs after they become eligible for sale, the sales could reduce the trading price of our ADSs and impede our ability to raise future capital. In addition, any ordinary shares that we issue under our share incentive plans would dilute the percentage ownership held by the investors who purchased ADSs.

We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares.

Depending upon the value of our assets, which is determined in part by the market value of our ADSs or ordinary shares, and the composition of our assets and income over time, we could be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Based on the projected composition of our assets and income, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for our taxable year ended March 31, 2020 and we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC in the foreseeable future. While we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC, fluctuations in the market price of our ADSs or ordinary shares may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or any subsequent taxable year.

A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, if either (i) 75% or more of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income or (ii) 50% or more of the value of its assets (determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year produce or are held for the production of passive income. Additionally, although the law in this regard is unclear, we treat our VIE as being owned by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes, not only because we exercise effective control over the operation of such entity but also because we are entitled to substantially all of its economic benefits, and, as a result, we consolidate their results of operation in our combined and consolidated financial statements. If it were determined, however, that we are not the owner of our VIE for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we could be treated as a PFIC for the current and any subsequent taxable years. Whether we are a PFIC is a factual determination and we must make a separate determination each taxable year as to whether we are a PFIC (after the close of each taxable year). Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will not be a PFIC for our taxable year ending March 31, 2021 or any future taxable year.

If we were to be classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”) holds an ADS or an ordinary share, such U.S. Holder would generally be subject to reporting requirements and might incur significantly increased U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares and on the receipt of distributions on the ADSs or ordinary shares to the extent such gain or distribution is treated as an “excess distribution” under the applicable U.S. federal income tax rules. Further, if we were to be classified as a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or ordinary shares, we generally would continue to be treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which such U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or ordinary shares even if we cease to qualify as a PFIC under the rules set forth above. You are urged to consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences of acquiring, holding, and disposing of ADSs or ordinary shares if we were to be classified as a PFIC. For more information see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—PFIC Rules.”

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The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that we expect to adopt contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

We have adopted an amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contains provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. In addition, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our ordinary shares underlying the ADSs. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of our ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares underlying the ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

Certain existing shareholders have substantial influence over our company. Their interests may not be aligned with the interests of our other shareholders, and they could prevent or cause a change of control or other transactions.

As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, our executive officers and directors (including Mr. Xiaobo An, our founder and chairman) beneficially own approximately 31,980,800 ordinary shares, or approximately 60.96% of our outstanding ordinary shares. As a result, they could have significant influence in determining the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. In cases where their interests are aligned and they vote together, these shareholders will also have the power to prevent or cause a change in control. Without the consent of some or all of these shareholders, we may be prevented from entering into transactions that could be beneficial to us or our minority shareholders. In addition, our directors and officers could violate their fiduciary duties by diverting business opportunities from us to themselves or others. The interests of our largest shareholders may differ from the interests of our other shareholders. The concentration in ownership of our ordinary shares may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs. For more information regarding our principal shareholders and their affiliated entities, see “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—E. Share Ownership.”

As a “controlled company” under the NASDAQ listing rules, we may follow certain exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that could adversely affect our public shareholders.

Following our initial public offering, our principal shareholder, Mr. Xiaobo An, continues to beneficially own more than a majority of the voting power of our outstanding ordinary shares. Under the NASDAQ listing rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and is permitted to phase in its compliance with the independent committee requirements. Although we do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption under the NASDAQ listing rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. For example, we may elect to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, during the period we remain a controlled company relying on the exemption and during any transition period following a time when we are no longer a controlled company, you would not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements.

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You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands with limited liability. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Law (2020 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of register of members of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the U.S. Currently, we do not plan to rely on home country practice with respect to any corporate governance matter. However, if we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by our management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

We are a Cayman Islands exempted company and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. Substantially all of our current operations are conducted in China. In addition, a majority of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

There is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), a judgment obtained in such jurisdiction will be recognized and enforced in the courts of the Cayman Islands at common law, without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute, by an action commenced on the foreign judgment debt in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, provided such judgment (a) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction, (b) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (c) is final, (d) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty, and (e) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. However, the Cayman Islands courts are unlikely to enforce a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities law if such judgment is determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands to give rise to obligations to make payments that are penal or punitive in nature. Because such a determination has not yet been made by a court of the Cayman Islands, it is uncertain whether such civil liability judgments from U.S. courts would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands.

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The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of reciprocity with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our director and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.

We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Securities Act and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, most significantly, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 for so long as we are an emerging growth company.

The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. However, we have elected to “opt out” of this provision and, as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards as required when they are adopted for public companies. This decision to opt out of the extended transition period under the JOBS Act is irrevocable.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

Because we are a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:

·                                the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC;

·                                the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act;

·                                the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and

·                                the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material non-public information under Regulation FD.

We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Global Market. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information, which would be made available to you, were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

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The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise any right to vote the ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs.

As a holder of our ADSs, you will only be able to direct the exercise of the voting rights attaching to the ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you must vote by giving voting instructions to the depositary. Upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will use its best endeavors to vote the ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs in accordance with your instructions. You will not be able to directly exercise any right to vote with respect to the shares represented by your ADSs unless you withdraw the shares from the ADR facility prior to the applicable share record date. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required for convening a general meeting is ten calendar days. As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that we may, but are not obliged to, in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice to withdraw the underlying shares represented by your ADSs to allow you to vote with respect to any specific resolution or matter to be considered and voted upon at such general meeting. If we give notice to our shareholders of any general meeting, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying shares represented by your ADSs. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to vote and you may have no legal remedy if the underlying shares represented by your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

The depositary for our ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs if you do not give proper or timely voting instructions to the depositary, except in limited circumstances, which could adversely affect your interests.

Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not give proper or timely voting instructions to the depositary, the depositary will give us a discretionary proxy to vote the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings unless:

·                                we have failed to timely provide the depositary with notice of meeting and related voting materials;

·                                we have instructed the depositary that we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given;

·                                we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting;

·                                a matter to be voted on at the meeting would have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or

·                                the voting at the meeting is to be made on a show of hands.

The effect of the foregoing is that if you do not give proper or timely voting instructions to the depositary as to how to vote at shareholders’ meetings, a discretionary proxy to vote the ordinary shares represented by your ADSs will be given to a person designated by us, except under the circumstances described above. This may make it more difficult for shareholders and holders of ADSs to influence the management of our company. Holders of our ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

You may not receive dividends or other distributions on our ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them if it is illegal or impracticable to make them available to you.

The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on ordinary shares or other deposited securities which are represented by your ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impracticable to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not practicable to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impracticable for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs.

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You may experience dilution of your holdings due to inability to participate in rights offerings.

We may, from time to time, distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs, or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. The depositary may, but is not required to, attempt to sell these undistributed rights to third parties, and may allow the rights to lapse. We may be unable to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to these rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books from time to time for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, or on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of our ADSs generally when our share register or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

We will incur significantly increased costs and devote substantial management time as a result of being a public company.

As a public company, we incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses as a public reporting company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act. For example, we will be required to comply with additional requirements of the rules and regulations of the SEC and requirements of the NASDAQ Global Market, including applicable corporate governance practices. We expect that compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. In addition, we expect that our management and other personnel will need to divert attention from operational and other business matters to devote substantial time to these public company requirements. We cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may also initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected.

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In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

A.                                    History and Development of the Company

Hexindai Inc. was incorporated in Cayman Islands to be our holding company in April 2016. Hexindai Inc. then established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, Hexindai HK, in May 2016, and Hexindai HK further established Beijing Hexin Yongheng Technology Development Co. Ltd., or Hexin Yongheng, our wholly-owned subsidiary in China, in August 2016.

Hexin E-Commerce Co., Ltd, or Hexin E-Commerce, was established in China in March 2014. Mr. Xiaobo An, Mr. Xiaoning An and Mr. Xiaobin Zhai are the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce, owning 94.99%, 0.01% and 5.00% of the equity interests in Hexin E-Commerce, respectively, as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. We obtained control and became the primary beneficiary of Hexin E-Commerce in November 2016 by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce and its shareholders. See “—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital.” We currently conduct our online consumer lending marketplace business in China through Hexin Yongheng and Hexin E-Commerce.

In August 2017, we established Wusu Company for an online microlending business. Since September 30, 2019, the principal business of Wusu Company has been changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export. Hexin E-Commerce, Mr. Ming Jia and Mr. Shiwei Wu are the shareholders of Wusu Company, owning 94.0%, 5.0% and 1.0% of the equity interests in Wusu Company, respectively, as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. We obtained control and became the primary beneficiary of Wusu Company in January 2018 by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with Wusu Company and its shareholders. See “—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital.” We currently conduct our trading business, including the sales of computers and daily necessities, and provision of technological promotion services, primarily through Wusu Company.

In June 2018, we incorporated HX Asia Investment Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands, for the purpose of acquiring a 19.99% equity stake in Musketeer Group Inc. In January 2019, we incorporated HX China Investment Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands, for the purpose of acquiring a 5.88% equity stake in Phoenix Intelligent Credit Group Ltd. See “—B. Business Overview—Business Expansion and Cooperation.” In May 2018, Hexindai HK incorporated Tianjin Haohongyuan, a wholly-owned subsidiary in China, for the purpose of providing loan assistance functions such as borrower assessment to Phoenix Intelligent Credit Group Ltd. in connection with the acquisition.

On August 9, 2018, we acquired a 19.99% equity stake in Musketeer Group Inc., an Indonesian online lending platform that offers consumption installment loans, for approximately US$1.6 million. This acquisition fits with our larger strategy to explore overseas opportunities by leveraging our extensive experience and expertise in new high-growth markets.

In December 2018, we established Trust 1 with the Trust Company as part of our strategy to diversify the funding sources. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement between Hexin E-Commerce and the Trust Company, the Trust Company facilitates personal credit loans through Trust 1 for an initial aggregate principal amount of RMB300 million (US$42.4 million) to borrowers under the loan assistance program referred by us.

In March 2019, we completed the acquisition of a 5.88% equity stake in Phoenix Intelligent Credit Group Ltd ., operator of one of China’s leading peer-to-peer lending platforms and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phoenix Financial Group Ltd., which was unrelated to the Company, for a total consideration of approximately US$29 million.

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Hexin Digital was established on September 9, 2017, with the provision of technology consultancy and technological services as its principal business. On August 1, 2019, Hexin Digital was acquired by Hexin Jinke from an independent third party, and Hexin Digital had minimal activities before being acquired by us. We obtained control and became the primary beneficiary of Hexin Digital in August 2019 by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with Hexin Digital and Hexin Jinke. Hexin Digital is 100% owned by Hexin Jinke. Hexin Digital holds the requisite licenses necessary to conduct our online marketplace business which is subject to restrictions under current PRC laws and regulations. We operate our newly launched social e-commerce platform Xiaobai Maimai through Hexin Digital.

As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, Hexin E-Commerce has four branches and three subsidiaries. These branches and subsidiaries provide consultancy services for and IT support to Hexin E-Commerce.

On November 3, 2017, our ADSs commenced trading on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “HX.”

Our principal executive offices are located at 13th Floor, Block C, Shimao, No. 92 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, the People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 10 5370 9902. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc., located at 801, 2nd Avenue, Suite 403, New York, NY 10017.

B.                                    Business Overview

We are a mobile e-commerce and consumer lending platform in China. We facilitate credit loans ranging from RMB1,500 (US$212) to RMB200,000 (US$28,245), with a primary focus on facilitating medium-sized credit loans ranging from RMB20,000 (US$2,825) to RMB160,000 (US$22,596) to borrowers on our online marketplace. We offer borrowers a wide range of products designed based on customer segmentation data and tailored to the specific needs of the emerging middle class in China. We offer investors various types of investment products with appropriate risk levels and risk-adjusted returns. In August 2017, we established our online microlending business, which offers loans ranging from RMB0.1 million (US$14,123) to RMB6.0 million (US$0.8 million) to microlending borrowers with terms of 12 to 36 months on a lower APR than that of our credit loans. Considering the regulatory environment and its impact on the online lending information intermediaries, we have ceased to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019. We are still in the process of applying for an online microcredit company license in China and refining our business model to identify business opportunities that could complement our existing businesses.

In May 2020, we launched Xiaobai Maimai, a new form of social e-commerce mobile platform offering high-quality and affordable branded products. Xiaobai Maimai will leverage its cooperation with major domestic e-commerce platforms and services marketplaces as part of its integrated buyer resources to select and source goods and services, and rewards users with a small commission for every purchase, share or recommendation of a product made to friends. As of July 31, 2020, Xiaobai Maimai had approximately 160,000 active consumer accounts (an active customer account refers to a customer account that has made at least one purchase) since its launch. In August 2020, Xiaobai Maimai launched its upgraded version and offers a wider variety of high-quality products covering food and beverage, wine and cigarettes, cosmetic products, fashion and apparel, entertainment, houseware, home appliances and cost-saving promotions at petrol gas stations nationwide. On the shopping application, consumers can easily compare these superior products at competitive prices without having to change their shopping preferences or switch between different online merchants. It is also a convenient, one-stop platform for consumers to not only save big on daily necessities when they shop online, but also stay informed of the latest promotions with attractive discounts, coupons and rebates on the application.  According to iResearch, the social e-commerce industry is rapidly growing, in which social e-commerce only accounted for 0.1% of the overall online shopping market in 2015, but increased to 7.8% in 2018. Further, the industry size of the new form of social e-commerce industry in China was approximately RMB84.2 billion (US$11.9 billion) in 2018, and is expected to grow to RMB564.4 billion (US$79.7 billion) in 2021. Through social media sharing, consumers who do not have a plan to spend money, tend to become interested in a product, and could be easily triggered with an urge to spend. Further, in cases where a product is recommended to a user, such user would already have targeted a particular product when the need to spend arises, thus enhancing the purchasing efficiency. Such social e-commerce model is designed to benefit customers with commissions for shopping and sharing products and help reduce our marketing expenses, which will position us to further drive the transformation of business and support sustainable growth going forward. Xiaobai Maimai has started, and will continue, its cooperation with mainstream online platforms in China. Under the cooperation, Xiaobai Maimai provides hyperlinks to the mainstream platforms. Sales promotions, such as coupons, discounts or rebates, are available to purchases if entries to the mainstream platforms are through Xiaobai Maimai. We operate our newly launched social e-commerce platform Xiaobai Maimai through our VIE Hexin Digital. Since 2020, Hexin Digital has been a standing committee member of the Social E-commerce Branch of the China Association of Trade in Services, the sole national non-profit organization for trade in services in China.

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In June 2020, we connected our credit business assets database and begun sharing credit data with the PBOC Credit Reference Center, the central bank’s directly administered credit information agency. The connection to the Credit Reference Center will help to increase penalties for credit defaulters, expanded the crack down on malicious defaults, and strengthened investor protection.

Our Borrowers

Borrower Profile and Demographics

We target the growing consumption demand of the emerging middle class in China. This segment of the Chinese population is demonstrating growing consumption demands for premium goods and services in pursuit of an upgraded lifestyle and is spending more money on discretionary products and services.

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, our online borrowers consisted of 73.7% male and 26.3% female, 77.1% married, 74.8% having received higher education and 8.8% with real property. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, most of our loans were used by online borrowers for consumption upgrade purposes, with approximately 34.8% used for goods and services such as luxury goods, travel, cosmetic surgery, continuing education and home decoration.

Borrower Acquisition

We utilize online and offline channels to acquire borrowers, combining both an online platform and the extensive offline networks of our offline cooperation partner, Hexin Group, which is beneficially owned by our controlling shareholder. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, we facilitated loans to 31,002 borrowers with a total amount of loans of RMB303.5 million (US$42.9 million), compared to 84,891 borrowers with a total amount of loans of RMB3,788.2 million (US$535.0 million) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. From inception of our business to March 31, 2020, we had a total of 258,956 borrowers, cumulatively.

The decline in the number of borrowers in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 was primarily due to our application of stricter internal control since the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and our cessation to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019 as a response to tightened industry regulation levying heightened requirements on consumer lending marketplaces, including requirements on the qualification, operation model, information disclosure and custody accounts practice. See “—Compliance Initiatives.”

We acquire borrowers directly through our online marketplace, which offers various types of tailored credit loan products. For more information regarding our products, see “—Our Products and Services.” We also acquire borrowers through referrals from our offline cooperation partner’s extensive nationwide on-the-ground sales network in China as part of our contractual arrangements with Hexin Group. Under the contractual arrangements, Hexin Group refers offline borrowers to us for our loan products, and we then offer our online loan facilitation services to these offline borrowers. Upon successful facilitation and execution of a loan, the offline borrower will enter into an agreement and pay a consultation services fee directly to Hexin Group. The borrower will also enter into a separate loan agreement and platform service agreement with us. Hexin Group carries out the initial stage of the risk management process through conducting physical interviews, document collection and data processing as part of their services provided to all referred borrowers. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, the total amount of loans to borrowers acquired through our offline channels constituted 80.9% of the total amount of loans we facilitated, compared to 88.7% and 76.9% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. Our cooperation partner receives consultation fees from borrowers whereas we independently receive loan facilitation or management service fees from borrowers. During the course of the facilitation of a loan, we do not receive any fees from our cooperation partner, and vice versa. For more information regarding our contractual arrangements with Hexin Group, see “—C. Organizational Structure—Our Relationship with Hexin Group.”

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We utilize sales and distribution channels to attract new borrowers. We also utilize traffic acquisition and online marketing channels, including (1) application stores on various mobile platforms to distribute applications, (2) search engines, and (3) cost per sale channels.

Our Investors

Investor Profile and Demographics

We welcome all investors domiciled in China to participate in the investment opportunities provided on our marketplace. Currently, we focus our efforts on attracting individual investors. This large and rapidly growing sector of Chinese individual investors is currently underserved by traditional investment products in China. The annualized investment return on our marketplace for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 ranged from 5.5% to 11.5%, which was higher than those of traditional investment products, including bank deposits, bonds and wealth management products. In the future, we plan to expand and diversify our investor base from our current focus on individual investors to also include institutional investors, such as banks, trust funds and other institutional investors, as well as more high-net-worth individuals who may invest larger amounts of funds. Considering the regulatory environment and its impact on the online lending information intermediaries, we have ceased to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019.

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, our investors profile consisted of 53.9% male and 46.1% female. In terms of age groups, 21.2% of our investors were in their 20’s, 32.1% in their 30’s, 19.6% in their 40’s, 15.8% in their 50’s, and 11.3% in other age groups.

Investor Acquisition

We attract investors to our marketplace through multiple sales and distribution channels, including our website, mobile application, H5 and social media (such as WeChat and Weibo) and through cooperation with online platforms. We utilize similar online channels to acquire investors as those used to acquire online borrowers.

Our investor acquisition strategies primarily include our cash incentive program and sales and marketing campaigns for our mobile applications, customer referrals and promotional activities for institutional investors. All of our investors are acquired through online channels.

Since inception to March 31, 2020, the aggregate investment return gained by investors was RMB1,470.8 million (US$207.7 million). In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, 27,234 investors made investments on our marketplace, with a total amount of investment of RMB969.1 million (US$136.9 million), compared to 118,247 investors with a total amount of investment of RMB5,888.9 million (US$831.7 million) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. In the fiscal years ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, the average amounts invested by each investor were RMB49,802 (US$7,033) and RMB71,874 (US$10,151), respectively.

The decline in the number of investors and the average investment amounts in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 was primarily due to the turmoil experienced by China’s consumer credit and marketplace lending industry as a result of tightened industry regulation since the second quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and our cessation to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019. Some consumer lending marketplaces were suspended or shut down due to their failure to meet the heightened requirements imposed by PRC regulatory authorities, including requirements on the qualification, operation model, information disclosure and custody accounts practice. Due to this development, investor sentiment has been low across the market, resulting in a reduction in the amount of investment on our platform.

Our investors favor quick and convenient investments with attractive risk-adjusted returns. We provide user-friendly tools to investors on our online marketplace in order for the investors to customize and manage their investments. An investor can create a user account on our marketplace through a few simple steps. The investor is then directed to the website of Jiangxi Bank to create a custody account. We do not impose any requirement to commit funds to any loans so that investors have the flexibility to withdraw their uncommitted funds at any time. If an investor commits funds to his or her custody account with Jiangxi Bank but has not invested in any loan product, interest is payable based on the PBOC interest rates. To encourage investors to increase their investment activity and investment amounts on our marketplace, we have established a VIP investor loyalty program. VIP investors who have registered higher activity levels and investment amounts on our marketplace are offered lower management fees.

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From inception of our business to March 31, 2020, we had a total of 306,171 investors, cumulatively. As of March 31, 2020, 50.6% of investors who invested for the first time on our marketplace from our inception on March 31, 2015 have invested more than once on our marketplace; 74.3%, 46.7%, 54.3%, 35.3% and 24.7% of investors who invested for the first time on our marketplace during the fiscal years ended March 31, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively, have invested more than once on our marketplace. We believe the repeat investor rate illustrates the degree of customer loyalty of our investors. Furthermore, we have introduced a referral incentive program offering a cash reward to an existing investor upon each successful referral of a new investor, and upon the new investor’s subsequent successful referral of another new investor. For the fiscal years ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, referred investors contributed to approximately 36.4% and 7.3%, respectively, of the total amount of funds invested.

VIP Investor Loyalty Program

To encourage investors to increase their investment activity on our marketplace, we have established a VIP investor loyalty program, in place since August 2015 and upgraded in June 2018, which offers VIP investors various benefits such as birthday gift pack, medical examination service and travel funds, and discounts on service fees such as the post-origination service fees, loan transfer service fees, and emergency exit service fees, based on their VIP membership levels. We decide an investor’s VIP membership level based on an investor’s outstanding investment amount. Once an investor reaches a certain level of outstanding investment amount, the investor may be promoted to a higher VIP membership level so that he or she can enjoy more benefits and discounts. The criteria for the VIP investor loyalty program and the benefits and discounts can be modified at the management’s discretion from time to time.

There are six “VIP” membership grades, including VIP1 through VIP5 with the ultimate level as Supreme. Under the latest promotional campaign in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, the Supreme investors may enjoy as low as a 0% post-origination service fee. The rate of post-origination service fee increases incrementally from 5% for VIP5 investors until it reaches 9% for VIP1 investors. Non-VIP investors, or regular investors, are subject to a 10% post-origination service fee.

Our Products and Services

Products and Services to Borrowers

We facilitate credit loans ranging from RMB1,500 (US$212) to RMB200,000 (US$28,245), with a primary focus on facilitating medium-sized credit loans ranging from RMB20,000 (US$2,825) to RMB160,000 (US$22,596) to borrowers on our online marketplace. Prior to the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, our loan products can be generally categorized as credit loans and secured loans, depending on whether the borrower provided security for the loan. The secured loans on our online marketplace are designed to meet the needs of borrowers who need short-term loans of medium to large amounts, whereas the credit loans are designed to address the consumption needs of borrowers who need long-term loans of small to medium amounts. Each loan product is differentiated primarily by five parameters: (i) the amount of the loan principal; (ii) the duration of the loan; (iii) the APR (as described below); (iv) the mode and frequency of repayment; and (v) the use of the loan proceeds. As part of our business strategy, we had shifted our focus from secured loans to credit loans due to the higher gross billing ratio of credit loans. As a result, we ceased to facilitate secured loans to borrowers on our online marketplace in the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, all of the loans facilitated on our marketplace were credit loans.

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Borrowers are charged based on an annual percentage rate, or APR, which is expressed as a single percentage number that represents the actual annualized cost of borrowing over the term of a loan. The APR comprises (i) a nominal interest rate that borrowers pay investors, and (ii) a loan facilitation or loan management service fee that we charge for our services. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, the average APR of our credit loan was 30.2%, and the annualized nominal interest rate ranged from 5.5% to 11.5%. The loan facilitation or loan management service fee we charge for our loan facilitation and other services is based on a percentage of the loan amount. The average gross billing ratio was 19.2% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020.

Borrowers can access our marketplace through multiple channels, including Internet, mobile applications, and social media, and through the online platforms with which we cooperate. These channels, including our website and mobile application, allow borrowers to conveniently monitor the status of their loans online, including relevant information such as payment schedules.

Medium-sized Credit Loans

Credit loans are unsecured loans that can be used to make various consumer purchases, with higher APR and allowing borrowers to make repayments over a longer period of time, compared to secured loans which are short term loans. We primarily facilitate medium-sized credit loans in amounts ranging from RMB20,000 (US$2,825) to RMB160,000 (US$22,596) with terms of typically 12 months to 36 months. Borrowers usually repay by equal loan payments fully amortized and pay loan facilitation fees to us on the day when the loan proceeds are released to them or monthly over the term of the loans. The total amount of credit loans we facilitated on our marketplace experienced significant decrease in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, representing a decrease of 92.0% from RMB3,788.2 million (US$535.0 million) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 to RMB303.5 million (US$42.9 million) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—If our brand reputation is harmed in any way, including any allegation or negative publicity about us, our offline cooperation partner, third-party providers and the overall industry, in particular in relation to any misconduct, errors and system failure, our business and operating results may be materially and adversely affected.” and “—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending.” for more information.

We further categorize and tailor our loan products according to borrower segmentation and the different consumption financing needs of borrowers. We currently facilitate several tailored loan products, including car-owner loans, provident fund loans, insurance-holder loans and premier customer loans. We also segment our borrower applicants into five different credit grades, which we refer to as Grade A to Grade E. Among the five credit grades, Grade A represents the lowest risks associated with the borrowers, while Grade E represents the highest risks. Because of the different level of risk required to facilitate loans to Grade A, B, C, D and E borrowers, the rate of the loan facilitation or management service fee that we charge borrowers varies depending on the pricing grade of the loan facilitated. Any material change in the product mix and pricing could have a significant impact on our profitability and net income.

Microfinancing Loans

Microfinancing loans are small-sized and short-term credit loans offered in amounts ranging from RMB1,500 (US$212) to RMB20,000 (US$2,825) with terms of typically two to 12 months. We began offering microfinancing loans in January 2019, which target borrowers with a lower average income level than those of medium-sized credit loans. Due to the small size and short terms of these microfinancing loans, we deploy an automatic system similar to that of our medium-sized credit loans to conduct verification, make assessment and grant approvals. The total amount of microfinancing loans we facilitated on our marketplace in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 was RMB55.8 million (US$7.9 million).

Secured Loans

Secured loans are loans requiring collateral, normally in larger loan amounts, lower APR and offered to borrowers who generally have greater liquidity and capital needs. Prior to the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, we offered secured loans in amounts ranging from RMB0.2 million (US$28,245) to RMB8.0 million (US$1.1 million) with terms of generally one to nine months. As part of our business strategy, we have shifted our focus from secured loans to credit loans due to the higher gross billing ratio of credit loans. As a result, we ceased to facilitate secured loans to borrowers on our online marketplace in the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018.

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Products and Services to Investors

Through our online marketplace, we provide investors with investment services and products including portfolio investments and individual investments. Investors can choose and customize their preferred loan investments. In addition, our online marketplace allows investors to transfer their loan commitments to other investors under certain circumstances and access our live support services. We charge each investor a post-origination service fee for using our marketplace, which is primarily the difference between the interest rates on the underlying loans and the targeted returns offered to investors. The post-origination service fee is calculated as a percentage of the interest for the underlying loan product. We have established a VIP investor loyalty program in which there are six VIP membership grades. The highest level VIP investors may enjoy as low as a 0% post-origination service fee, whereas non-VIP investors are subject to a post-origination service fee of 10%. For more information regarding our VIP investor loyalty program, see “—VIP Investor Loyalty Program.”

Portfolio Investment

Portfolio investment has provided our investors with risk-adjusted returns and a convenient means of investment without having to monitor the process of each loan. In November 2018, we started to offer “Intelligent Choice”, a portfolio investment product upgraded from the previous “Freedom Wallets” and “Stable Wallets” products to our investors with designated loan amounts, APRs and payment terms. Investors of our previous Wallets products may choose to continue holding these products until their maturity according to the terms therein, or they may choose to exchange their Wallets products with the latest Intelligent Choice product.

For an Intelligent Choice product, investors agree to invest a specified amount of funds for a fixed period of time, such as six months or 12 months, into a portfolio of loan products without the option to exit early. Such portfolio consists of individual loan products diversified in credit ratings, terms and type of investment products so as to optimize the balance of risk. According to their different risk appetites, investors may choose from different types of Intelligent Choice products that either pay the principal and interest in a lump sum upon the full exit of the investor, or pay monthly interests with the principal payable upon the full exit of the investor.

The minimum investment in an Intelligent Choice is RMB1,000 (US$141), which may be increased in increments of RMB1,000 (US$141). For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, the annualized rates of return to investors for portfolio investments, including Wallets products, ranged between 5.5% and 11.5%, depending on the duration of the committed investment and the different terms and conditions of the respective loan products. We do not, however, guarantee any minimum return to investors. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, 100% of funds invested by investors through our marketplace were invested utilizing portfolio investment products.

Individual Investment

We also provide investors with the option to invest in individual loans. Investors can browse through individual loans which we list on our marketplace, review the credit rating and profile of each borrower and choose to invest in a specific loan. After selecting a desired loan, the investor commits a specified amount of funds to be lent to the borrower for the designated duration of the loan.

The minimum threshold for a lending commitment made through individual investment is RMB50 (US$7.1). For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, the annualized rates of return offered to an investor for individual investments ranged between 5.5% and 11.5%, depending on the duration, terms and conditions of the respective loan products. We do not, however, guarantee any minimum return to investors.

Loan Transfer

For investors in our previous Wallets products, we facilitate them in making loan transfers on our marketplace so that they can flexibly transfer their creditor rights associated with specific Wallets products to other willing investors and therefore exit their investments. We list the secondary loan products on our marketplace under “Transfer of Loans” and other investors can select and invest in these existing loan products. Upon the commitment of a new investor, the original investor will receive his or her outstanding principal and accrued interest through the online third-party payment service provider. If investors transfer their Wallets products within the “lock-up period”, we charge them a one-time emergency transfer fee for each loan transferred on our marketplace, whereas no transfer fee is charged for the transfer of Wallets products after the expiration of their respective “lock-up period”. Upon execution of a loan transfer agreement, the creditor rights and obligations are assigned to the new investor.

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For investors in our Intelligent Choice products, we automatically place the products up for transfer upon the expiration of the investment period, and we do not charge any transfer fee. Unlike our previous Wallets products, we do not list any Intelligent Choice product on our marketplace for other investors to choose from and invest in, but rather use an automatic matching process among other existing investors until the product being transferred is subscribed for, at which point the transferring investor fully exits. Upon execution of a loan transfer agreement, the creditor rights and obligations are assigned to the new investor.

Our Transaction Process

We endeavor to provide a transparent and convenient platform for all our users, including borrowers and investors alike, to foster a healthy marketplace of high quality loan products, while safeguarding each of their interests. Our entire transaction process for medium-sized credit loans from the initial application to final disbursement of funds typically takes about three days, as compared to the average of 30 days for credit loans and 60 days for secured loans in a traditional bank loan transaction. The graph below illustrates our transaction process for facilitating medium-sized credit loans, which is representative of the processes of our other products:

Note: The Company as a third party to the guarantee arrangement, merely facilitates the provision of guarantee coverage from Zhengxuan Guarantee to investors. The borrowers, as the policyholders, take out the guarantee provided by Zhengxuan Guarantee, for the benefit of investors as the beneficiaries.

Stage 1:       Application

A n online borrower applicant must fill out an application form online, and an offline borrower applicant must make a physical visit to one of the branches of Hexin Group to provide certain information, including, among others, PRC identity card information, proof of monthly income and a credit report from the PBOC, as well as the desired loan amount and term of the loan product, and undergo an interview with the staff at such branch. Depending on the borrower’s eligibility for different loan products, different additional documentation will be required, such as proof of provident fund payments. At the initial stage, the branch officer will determine if the borrower applicant qualifies under our specific requirements for each loan product and may reject the application, or process it by making an electronic file of the borrower’s application and other relevant information.

Stage 2:       Data Analysis and Decision-Making

The borrower’s information recorded in the electronic file (generated in stage 1 above) and extracted from our company-level internal database and third-party credit and other databases is automatically transferred into our data analysis and decision-making systems, namely the FICO Decision Engine and the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution. Based on such information, the FICO Decision Engine will generate a credit score for each borrower and a maximum loan amount for the borrower. Also using such information, the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution determines whether any information provided by the borrower is possibly fraudulent. The FICO Decision Engine and the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution may directly approve or reject the borrower’s application.

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In addition to the use of our data analysis and decision-making systems, we began to apply stricter internal control in light of tightened industry regulation, including conducting credit background investigations with heightened diligence and cooperating with third-party credit reporting agencies to further develop the Company’s credit check system. Furthermore, we have put in place several specific thresholds in deciding whether a borrower is qualified to participate on our platform. Such thresholds include: (i) we reject an applicant who has applied for or obtained multiple loans from different consumer lending marketplaces if our background check reveals such information; and (ii) we reject an applicant if our analysis determines that such applicant has prior connection with collective fraud groups.

If the borrower’s application is approved at this stage, the borrower applicant is notified of the results and proceeds directly to stage 4; otherwise, the borrower’s application proceeds to stage 3. For more information about the FICO Decision Engine and the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution, see “—Our Technology and Risk Management System.”

Stage 3:       Manual Assessment and Verification

Our credit assessment team utilizes our internal credit review system, which consolidates the information collected during stage 1, the output of the FICO Decision Engine and the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution from stage 2 and the information extracted from our company-level internal database and third-party credit and other databases, to review all the information related to the borrower’s application and to manually verify data points and, if necessary, follow-up with telephone calls to confirm the accuracy of the information provided by the borrower and the borrower’s true intent and financial capability. Internally, our credit assessment team compares the primary data collected against any credit history on our internal database, and externally, our credit assessment team compares the data against information recorded by government and state agencies, online data and blacklists from Internet service providers, industry forums and various financial institutions. Enhanced due diligence will be conducted as appropriate, such as follow-up phone calls to the applicant’s employer. Further rounds of reviews with additional levels of credit testing are conducted, as necessary, along with telephone interviews and further physical meetings. The reviewer then issues an opinion as to whether the loan application rejected in stage 2 should be approved or approved subject to modification of the loan amount, term and/or applicable interest rate and submits such opinion to our internal credit review system.

The final decision on the loan application is made by a member of our credit assessment team who is not involved in the above assessment procedure, after such team member considers all the consolidated information and the opinion recorded in our internal credit review system. Borrower applicants are notified of the results, and successful borrowers proceed directly to the approval, listing and funding stage.

Stage 4:       Approval, Listing and Funding

Upon our approval of a loan application, in-person interviews are conducted with the successful borrower applicant. It is possible that if we discover certain additional information during such in-person interview, we decide to not move forward with the borrower applicant. If we move forward with the borrower applicant, offline borrower applicant signs a consultation service agreement with Hexin Group and a separate platform services agreement with us, and online borrower applicant signs only a platform services agreement with us. A loan agreement will also be entered into among the approved borrower, the investor and us as the facilitator of the loan. The borrower also enters into a guarantee agreement with Zhengxuan Guarantee which specifies the guarantee coverage for his or her loan. In the fiscal years ended March 31, 2019 and 2020, approximately 13.8% and 19.2% of all applications for medium-sized credit loans and the loan assistance program submitted were approved, respectively.

The loan products are listed on our marketplace for public viewing. Investors can subscribe to a certain loan product. Once a loan is fully subscribed, the borrower receives funds through his or her custody account with Jiangxi Bank.

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Stage 5:       Servicing and Collections

Our custodian bank, Jiangxi Bank, facilitates an automated process for loan repayments from our borrowers.

The repayment amount is transferred from the borrowers’ personal bank accounts into their respective custody accounts with Jiangxi Bank, from which such repayment amount is transferred into the custody accounts of the corresponding investors. In some events, the repayment amount is scheduled to be transferred from the borrowers’ personal bank accounts, among other steps, through the Jiangxi Bank accounts of a person or a corporate entity beneficially owned by Mr. Xiaobo An outside the Company group, for aggregation and subsequent allocation purposes, to the custody accounts of the corresponding investors. During the process, the borrowers direct the repayment amount to the Jiangxi Bank accounts of such person or corporate entity via third-party payment agents, and authorize Jiangxi Bank to aggregate and then promptly allocate such amount to the corresponding investors.

All custody accounts are managed by Jiangxi Bank, and we do not have the ability to move the funds therein. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—If we cannot continue to maintain relationships with third-party service providers, in particular third-party payment agents, our consumer lending business may suffer and we cannot assure our current arrangements with Jiangxi Bank are deemed to be in compliance with regulatory requirement.”

If there is non-payment, we carry out procedures to remind the borrowers to repay as soon as possible. Upon a borrower’s default, Zhengxuan Guarantee, along with the assistance of our collections team, will contact the defaulting borrower to request repayment of the delinquent loan balance and all penalty and default charges accrued since the default date, and will further follow up if non-payment persists. See “—Our Technology and Risk Management System—Collections Process.”

Agreements with Borrowers

Various agreements are entered into among the approved borrower, the approved investor and us, as the service facilitator in the loan transaction. If the borrower is sourced offline, the agreements are executed in person. If the borrower is sourced online through our online platform, the agreements are executed digitally once the loan is fully subscribed by investors, and electronic copies are then forwarded to both the borrower and the investor. The agreements set forth key standard terms, including but not limited to, the identity of the borrower and investor, the interest rate, the loan principal, intended use of loan proceeds, the payment term, the bank account details, the repayment terms, our services and responsibilities as facilitator and the applicable penalties on breach and non-payment.

Borrowers also separately enter into platform services agreements with us. We provide our platform matching services for consideration of a loan facilitation or loan management service fee, which is charged as a percentage of the loan amount and is paid on the day the loan proceeds are released to the borrower or monthly over the term of the loans. Borrowers undertake to provide us with all required personal information and represent to us as to the accuracy of such information. We are authorized to (i) make all inquiries necessary to assess the creditworthiness of borrowers, including from third parties, (ii) submit borrowing and repayment data to certain credit reporting institutions in the event of any non-payment, and (iii) make credit assessments on borrowers and disclose information to prospective investors. Borrowers who are sourced offline enter into separate consultancy service agreements with Hexin Group, authorizing it to perform a credit assessment.

Agreements with Investors

Investors enter into consultation and services agreements with us. We charge each investor a post-origination service fee for individual investments and portfolio investments. The post-origination service fee is calculated as a percentage of the interest for the underlying loan product. Investors who are “VIP” investors receive a discount on the management fees, see “—VIP Investor Loyalty Program” for more information. The consultation and service agreement sets out key terms, including but not limited to, (i) the identity of the investor, (ii) the post-origination service fee, (iii) the investor’s representation that the information and documentation provided by the investor through our website are true, complete and accurate and (iv) warranties that the funds used for the loan investment are from legitimate sources and that the investor has all legal right to such funds.

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If a previous Wallets product investor wishes to transfer his or her creditor rights to another investor, or if an Intelligent Choice product expires, upon the commitment of a willing investor, a loan transfer agreement is entered into among the original investor, the new investor and us. The loan transfer agreement sets out the details of the loan product, status and the outstanding obligations at the time of transfer. The creditor obligations and rights are thereby assigned to the new investor. If applicable, the original investor will have to pay us a one-time transfer fee for facilitating the transfer of the loan.

Microlending

In August 2017, we began operating our online microlending business by directly originating microlending loans to microlending borrowers through Wusu Company, which operates with a registered capital of RMB200 million (US$28.2 million) to originate loans with a loan receivable balance of RMB180 million (US$25.4 million) as of March 31, 2018. Registered in Wusu City, Xinjiang Province, the online microlending business operates nationwide and exclusively uses online customer acquisition channels. Wusu Company’s registered capital was increased to RMB500 million (US$70.6 million) in September 2018, with a loan receivable balance of RMB512.1 million (US$76.3 million) and RMB279.3 million (US$39.5 million) as of March 31, 2019 and 2020.  The excess of the loan receivable balance over the registered capital mainly derives from microlending loans originated using interest income generated from the operation of Wusu Company’s microlending business. We have ceased to develop new microlending business opportunities as the principal business scope of Wusu Company has been changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export since September 30, 2019.

While leveraging on our existing risk management capabilities, the microlending business focuses on originating larger-sized consumer loans ranging from RMB0.1 million (US$14,123) to RMB6.0 million (US$0.8 million) with terms of 12 to 36 months on a lower APR than that of our credit loans. Depending on the terms of the microlending loans, microlending borrowers may repay equal installments of principal and interest on a monthly basis, or they may repay only interest on a monthly as-accrued basis and principal upon maturity. Wusu Company uses the interest income generated from the operation of its microlending business to further originate loans.

At the inception of Wusu Company, the microlending borrowers are mainly high-quality borrowers targeted from our previous secured loan borrower base. As Wusu Company’s business grows, it starts to develop its independent microlending borrower base in line with our strategy to serve high net-worth individuals with sound credit history, who are different from the borrowers participating on our platform. Since the inception of Wusu Company, we have established a separate team to keep track of the profiles of the borrowers from our platform who qualify as microlending borrowers in Wusu Company.

The total amount of microlending loans we originated in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 was RMB0.5 million (US$0.1 million), representing a decrease of 99.9% from RMB828.0 million (US$116.9 million) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. This is primarily due to the ceasation of new microlending businesses as the principal business scope of Wusu Company has been changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export since September 30, 2019. The interest rate we charged our microlending borrowers in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 was 6%.

Loan Assistance Program

As part of our strategy to diversify and expand our funding sources from individuals to institutional investors, we entered into a cooperation agreement with a financial services provider in China, or the Funding Partner in November 2018. Under the cooperation arrangement, we will assess borrowers under the loan assistance program by leveraging our advanced risk management and credit assessment capabilities before referring them to the Funding Partner, who will facilitate the loans through a trust fund with an initial aggregate principal amount of RMB30 million (US$4.2 million). We will generate loan recommendation revenues payable by the Funding Partner for assisting in the loan facilitation process, including referrals and the assessment of the credit worthiness of borrowers under the loan assistance program. As of March 31, 2019, the Funding Partner has distributed all of the initial aggregate principal amount.

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In December 2018, we established Trust 1 with the Trust Company as part of our strategy to diversify the funding sources. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement between Hexin E-Commerce and the Trust Company, the Trust Company facilitates personal credit loans through Trust 1 for an initial aggregate principal amount of RMB300 million (US$42.4 million) to borrowers under the loan assistance program referred by us. The initial term of the agreement is five years. We receive service fee revenues from the Trust Company for borrower referral under the loan assistance program, credit assessment services, and assistance in the loan facilitation process. As of March 31, 2020, Trust 1 had facilitated loans of RMB42.3 million (US$6.0 million).

Business Expansion and Cooperation

On August 9, 2018, we acquired a 19.99% equity stake in Musketeer Group Inc., an Indonesian online lending platform that offers consumption installment loans, for approximately US$1.6 million. This acquisition fits with our larger strategy to explore overseas opportunities by leveraging our extensive experience and expertise in new high-growth markets. In August 2019, Musketeer Group Inc. completed registration for its P2P lending platform, PT Technology Indonesia Sentosa, with the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK).

In January 2019, we entered into a strategic cooperation with a consumer credit reporting agency in China by connecting our systems and sharing credit data. With the cooperation, we will make regular transfers of credit data to such agency which integrates and processes the data collected to provide individual credit data. On the other hand, we will leverage the data generated from such agency to more accurately assess a borrower’s creditworthiness and potentially reduce the cost of risk management. In addition, borrowers will be encouraged to maintain healthy credit records due to the increasing cost of default brought by more integrated individual credit record.

In March 2019, we completed the acquisition of a 5.88% equity stake in Phoenix Intelligent Credit Group Ltd ., operator of one of China’s leading peer-to-peer lending platforms and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phoenix Financial Group Ltd., for a total consideration of approximately US$29 million. We expect this cooperation to expand our consumer credit loan business and enhance our big data-driven risk management systems to create synergies.

In June 2020, we connected our credit business assets database and begun sharing credit data with the PBOC Credit Reference Center, the central bank’s directly administered credit information agency. The connection to the Credit Reference Center will help to increase penalties for credit defaulters, expanded the crack down on malicious defaults, and strengthened investor protection.

Third-Party Payment Agent

We provide a secure portal for both borrowers and investors to access an independent online banking platform for the payment, settlement and clearing of the proceeds of the loans. On April 13, 2018, we renewed our payment settlement service cooperation agreement with Jiangxi Bank, a national commercial bank in the PRC, for fund management, payment, settlement and clearing services. The agreement was automatically renewed for the period from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020 and from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021, and can be automatically renewed for successive one-year periods provided that (i) neither Jiangxi Bank nor us notifies the other party in writing about its intention not to renew within one month after the expiration of any one-year period; and (ii) our operation and qualification remain in compliance with the agreement and Jiangxi Bank’s requirements. Under the renewed agreement, all funds from borrowers and investors are managed by Jiangxi Bank to ensure security and compliance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations. Each investor maintains a separate custody account with Jiangxi Bank so that each investor’s capital, repayments and interests are securely maintained, separate from our Company’s and the borrowers’ accounts. Jiangxi Bank administers payments among borrowers, investors and us and performs the related clearing and fund settlement actions associated with these payments. Wiring instructions, repayment and interest settlement on borrowers’ and investors’ accounts are highly automated. We have established a check-and-balance system to ensure that all payments, transfers and deposits made by the third-party payment agents are checked numerous times prior to the transmission of any funds to avoid errors. In choosing the third-party payment agent, we take into consideration numerous criteria, including network infrastructure, security measures, reliability, information technology capabilities and experience.

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Third-party payment agents in China are subject to oversight by the PBOC and must comply with complex rules and regulations, licensing and examination requirements, including, but not limited to, minimum registered capital, maintenance of payment business licenses, anti-money laundering regulations and management personnel requirements. Specifically, based on standards set by regulators for the P2P lending fund depository business and systems, the National Internet Finance Association of China (the “NIFA”) started to evaluate related banks for their fund depository business process and technology systems since the end of 2017. In November 2018, Jiangxi Bank passed its compliance evaluation by the NIFA.

Our Technology and Risk Management System

The credit reporting infrastructure in China is relatively undeveloped, and China lacks a nationwide comprehensive credit information system. According to iResearch, in 2018, 29% of China’s population was not included in the credit reference center of the PBOC. As such, we have developed our own risk management system to ensure that the loan products available on our online marketplace are of high quality and also accurately reflect credit risks. Our risk management team consists of six members as of March 31, 2020. We have more than ten years of knowhow and expertise on risk management.

We focus on four key areas in the credit assessment of borrowers: (i) the accuracy of the data provided; (ii) the ability of the borrower to make repayments; (iii) the authenticity of the borrower applicant’s intentions and (iv) the probability of non-payment based on an empirical model. In accordance with the results from our credit assessment, we implement risk-based pricing by using the credit score as an indicator to determine an applicant’s eligibility for different loan products and the maximum loan amounts, applicable interest rates and service fees of such loan products.

We utilize our risk management system for credit assessment of borrowers. Our risk management system comprises of five main components: (i) database analysis; (ii) anti-fraud analysis and credit scoring; (iii) manual verification; (iv) signature authentication; and (v) post-loan risk management.

1.                  Database Analysis

We utilize a data analysis program to process data gathered through various sources, including our own online platform, government and Internet sources, third-party industry credit data, and also data manually collected through offline verification. Important data points include the borrower applicant’s demographic characteristics (such as age, gender and level of education), asset ownership, credit history, appearance on blacklists and phone call records. In addition, we began to apply stricter internal control in the later half of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, including conducting credit background investigations with heightened diligence and cooperating with third-party credit reporting agencies to further develop the Company’s credit check system.

We also utilize a variety of publicly available databases, including, among others, the national list of delinquent debtors, the SAIC website and the PBOC database to confirm the identities and information of the borrower applicants. We also consider our black list and grey list of borrowers, in which borrowers are categorized based on the severity of the fraud committed.

2.                   Anti-Fraud Analysis and Credit Scoring

With the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution and the FICO Decision Engine, we are able to score our applicants using five modules: anti-fraud, rule-setting, credit score, credit amount and risk-based pricing.

In July 2017, we entered into an agreement with GBG DecTech, a reputable service provider of anti-fraud, anti-money laundering, and decision management services to purchase and implement the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution which will enhance our fraud detection capabilities and further strengthen our anti-fraud analysis. We launched the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution in September 2017. The GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution serves as a safeguard against application fraud and other financial crime. It compares the information provided during the borrower’s application against layers of identity reference data from other sources as mentioned above.

In addition to implementing the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution, we have put in place several specific thresholds in deciding whether a borrower is qualified to participate on our platform. Such thresholds include: (i) we reject an applicant who has applied for or obtained multiple loans from different consumer lending marketplaces if our background check reveals such information; and (ii) we reject an applicant if our analysis determines that such applicant has prior connection with collective fraud groups.

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Furthermore, we have established a fraud detection protocol in our risk management system. If we discover any red flags or abnormalities in the transaction process, the case is referred to our anti-fraud review team. The anti-fraud review team investigates the case, and it determines whether an application can proceed or not depending on whether fraud is detected. Based on the severity of the fraud, our anti-fraud review team categorizes the risk as high, medium or low and inputs the applicant into the black list or grey list. Under the black list, the applicant is completely prohibited from taking out a loan through our online marketplace. Under the grey list, the applicant may be suspended from using our marketplace for three or six months depending on the severity of the fraudulent activity.

As to credit scoring, in March 2017, we entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Fair Isaac Corporation, or FICO, a leading U.S. provider of analytics software and tools used to manage risk and prevent fraud, and we implemented the FICO Decision Engine in August 2017. Utilizing the FICO Decision Engine has sped up our decision-making process with regard to borrower applications. The FICO Decision Engine analyzes various factors and assigns points to such factors, including age and education, based on our proprietary credit scoring algorithms. Using such information, the FICO Decision Engine generates a credit score and grade for the borrower, which form the basis of our risk-based pricing and thus affect the applicant’s eligibility for different loan products, maximum loan amounts, applicable interest rates and transaction fees. The loan application may be either approved or approved subject to an adjustment of the loan amount generated by the FICO Decision Engine. We do not approve loan applications from borrowers with a credit score below 97.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, borrowers in more than 44% of the transactions we facilitated have credit scores within the range of 167 to 198. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, the average APR of our credit loan was 30.2%, and the annualized nominal interest rate ranged from 5.5% to 11.5%, and the average gross billing ratio was 19.2%.

We constantly optimize and upgrade our risk management systems with new credit data and technologies, normally every three to six months. Further, in order to centralize operations and enhance security, our proprietary credit scoring algorithms are maintained at our Company.

3.                   Manual Verification

For applicants not approved by the FICO Decision Engine and the GBG Instinct Anti-Fraud Solution, we manually compare the data collected against both our internal databases and external databases, such as those of government and state agencies. We may also conduct verification phone calls to ensure the accuracy of the personal information provided by the borrower and may require additional physical meetings.

4.                   Signature Authentication

To further strengthen our risk management system, we have entered into strategic cooperation agreements with financial service providers to implement a system for digital certification and authentication of loan agreements to prevent forgery of signatures. We believe implementation of this advanced fraud prevention system can ensure the authenticity of each loan instrument and instill higher confidence in our marketplace.

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5.                   Post-loan Risk Management

In our post-loan management process, we monitor the borrower’s repayments closely to check for any signs of non-payment or “red flag issues”. During this phase, we collect important data from the borrower, so that we can continuously update such borrower’s credit score and grade.

Our Credit Assessment Team and Risk Management Division

Our risk management division is responsible for credit model validation, credit decision-making, loan performance analysis and reporting, and other risk management activities. Our credit assessment team is part of our risk management division. In the case that an application needs to go through the manual assessment and verification process, the application is generally reviewed by at least four members of the credit assessment team. Members of the credit assessment team analyze loan applications and also assist with fraud detection and borrower verification, leveraging skills learned through training and on-the-job experience to evaluate loans on the basis of direct communications with potential borrowers.

Collections Process

Upon default of a payment obligation, a member of our collection team will assist Zhengxuan Guarantee to contact the defaulting borrower to request repayment. If the default continues for more than 15 days after the borrower defaults in three consecutive months, the debt is assigned to Zhengxuan Guarantee, which may take legal action, if required, to collect on the outstanding loan obligations. All of our collection activities are conducted in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Compliance Initiatives

Since the second quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, China’s consumer credit and marketplace lending industry has experienced turmoil due to tightened industry regulation. Some consumer lending marketplaces were suspended or shut down due to their failure to meet the heightened requirements imposed by PRC regulatory authorities, including requirements on the qualification, operation model, information disclosure and custody accounts practice. Due to this development, investor sentiment has been low across the market, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of investment on our platform.

In light of this development, we did not implement any change to our existing credit scoring standards, but rather began to apply stricter internal control since the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. Such internal control includes conducting credit background investigations with heightened diligence and cooperating with third-party credit reporting agencies to further develop our credit check system. Furthermore, we have put in place several specific thresholds in deciding whether a borrower is qualified to participate on our platform. Such thresholds include: (i) we reject an applicant who has applied for or obtained multiple loans from different consumer lending marketplaces if our background check reveals such information; and (ii) we reject an applicant if our analysis determines that such applicant has prior connection with collective fraud groups.

In the event a borrower fails to meet the requirements of our background check, we deny his application for loans during the application process. For borrowers who meet our heightened due diligence standards, due to limited investment available, we can only successfully facilitate loans where both we choose the borrowers with better credit profiles, and the selected borrowers are willing to choose us to extend loans considering factors such as service fees, interest rates and approval efficiency of different platforms in an uncertain market.

In November 2018, Jiangxi Bank, our custodian bank since January 2017, has passed its compliance evaluation on its fund depository business process and technology system by the NIFA.

In August 2018, the National P2P Rectification Office issued a notice for regulatory compliance inspection and laid out detailed criteria for self-examination and correction by P2P platforms. This compliance inspection has three key steps. As the first step, we submitted our P2P Compliance Self-Inspection Report to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work in October 2018. It was followed by an inspection by the Beijing Internet Finance Industry Association. In June 2019, Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration (formerly the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work) concluded its field inspection work of the Company. As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we have not received any official documents from the Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration. There can be no assurance that we will be able to pass the inspections and verifications conducted or to be conducted by the Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration and its competent authorities, and/or submit the application for record-filing. Substantial uncertainties still exist as to whether we are able to meet the requirements of the Interim Measures, the Record-filing Guidelines and Circular 57 regarding record-filing with the local financial regulatory department, application for the appropriate telecommunication license and revision to our business scope. If we fail to complete the record-filing, we might be required to adjust our business model and operations, or even will be forced to terminate our online lending information intermediary business.

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Risk Reserve Liability and Guarantee

From the inception of our business to January 2017, we maintained a risk reserve liability policy as a protective measure for investors. In case a borrower fails to repay his or her loan, the risk reserve liability policy will protect investors up to the full amount of the investment and accrued interest. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—The laws and regulations governing the marketplace lending service industry and microlending companies in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If our practice is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial conditions and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.” We undertake no obligation to pay any principal or interest in excess of the amount available in the risk reserve. Furthermore, at the inception of each loan, we set aside cash in an amount equal to approximately 1% of the loan principal amount plus interest under a secured loan and approximately 2% of the loan principal amount plus interest under a credit loan.

We entered into the Insurance Agreement with Changan Insurance, a third-party insurance provider to provide insurance coverage to investors for their investments, which was effective from February 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018. We renewed the insurance arrangement by entering into the 2018 Insurance Agreement, effective from February 1, 2018. Under the insurance arrangement, the borrowers as the policyholders, take out the insurance underwritten by Changan Insurance, for the benefit of investors as the insured beneficiaries. Once a borrower applicant passes our credit assessment and the loan product is listed and fully committed by investors on our online platform, Changan Insurance shall enter into an insurance agreement with the borrowers. Borrowers are automatically enrolled into the insurance arrangement. If Changan Insurance refuses to provide insurance coverage to any borrower, such borrower shall not be able to proceed to take out a loan on our online marketplace. In practice, if the borrower fails to repay the investor, Changan Insurance compensates the investor for the principal investment amount and accrued interest. In the event the 2018 Insurance Agreement terminates, Changan Insurance will be liable for the defaulting loans which it has agreed to provide insurance for as of such date of termination until all the relevant outstanding loans have been repaid. In the event we provide Changan Insurance with borrowers’ information that is incorrect or incomplete, and Changan Insurance has made compensations based on insurance policies that were issued in reliance on such incorrect information, Changan Insurance shall be entitled to require us to compensate all relevant losses and relevant expenses. We terminated our cooperation with Changan Insurance on November 30, 2018, and did not renew the 2018 Insurance Agreement. According to the confirmation letter issued by Changan Insurance, Changan Insurance will settle all outstanding insurance claims according to the terms of the 2018 Insurance Agreement.

On November 19, 2018, we entered into the Guarantee Plan with Zhengxuan Guarantee, which is controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council to provide investors on our platform with guarantee that protects them against the potential default risk of non-paying borrowers. Starting from December 1, 2018, we require borrowers to obtain guarantee through Zhengxuan Guarantee for all new loans facilitated on our marketplace. Borrowers pay 4.5% and 0.5% of the principal amount to Zhengxuan Guarantee as guarantee fee and service fee, respectively. If a default were to occur, Zhengxuan Guarantee would compensate the investor with an amount up to the loan residual principal and three months of accrued interest, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Guarantee Plan and the agreements between the borrowers and Zhengxuan Guarantee. We endeavor to bolster investor confidence by introducing such protective measures.

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Material Terms and Conditions of the 2018 Insurance Agreement

On February 1, 2018, we entered into the 2018 Insurance Agreement, setting out the terms and conditions of the insurance arrangement to be provided by Changan Insurance. The term of the 2018 Insurance Agreement is one year starting from February 1, 2018, which can be automatically renewed prior to one month before the expiry each year.

Under the 2018 Insurance Agreement, we are responsible for implementing proper credit and risk assessment procedures on borrowers. Changan Insurance is entitled to refuse to provide insurance coverage if we fail to implement proper credit and risk assessment procedures on borrowers or if any borrowers fail to meet the internal requirements of Changan Insurance. Changan Insurance is responsible for providing insurance coverage to investors who invested in loans by borrowers who are qualified under our credit assessment procedures, subject to the satisfaction of prescribed insurance requirements of Changan Insurance. On default of any qualified borrower, in actual practice, Changan Insurance compensates the investor(s) for the portion of the outstanding amount of loan principal and the accrued interest for which the borrower has failed to make payment through custody accounts that Changan Insurance and the investor(s) have set up with Jiangxi Bank. For more information, please see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—Our third-party guarantee arrangements may not be sufficient to meet the overall default risk.”

We are responsible for assisting Changan Insurance’s collection of late payments. In the event that Changan Insurance issues insurance incorrectly due to our failure in reviewing materials provided by the borrowers, Changan Insurance is entitled to require us to compensate for all the losses and relevant expenses incurred. Each party is entitled, on written notice, to unilaterally terminate the 2018 Insurance Agreement should the other party engage in any action that is in breach of any laws, regulations or the terms of the agreement.

On February 1, 2018, we entered into a memorandum on the 2018 Insurance Agreement with Changan Insurance which set forth certain additional terms and conditions, including but not limited to, the insurance coverage over existing loan products which are managed through a third party bank’s custody accounts, and a loan default risk premium equal to 2% of the loan principal and accrued interest of credit loans. Such premium rate reflects the lower risk level of the credit loans facilitated on our marketplace compared with the average risk level of the industry.

On February 1, 2018, we also entered into an insurance service fee framework agreement with Changan Insurance setting out the terms and conditions of the insurance service fee arrangement. The agreement set forth a service fee equal to 2% of the loan principal to be charged on the borrower for the insurance consultancy service provided by Changan Insurance. The term of the insurance service fee framework agreement is one year starting from April 1, 2018, which can be automatically renewed if neither party express objection in writing prior to one month before expiration of the agreement.

We terminated our cooperation with Changan Insurance on November 30, 2018, and did not renew the 2018 Insurance Agreement.

Material Terms and Conditions of the Guarantee Plan

On November 19, 2018, we entered into the Guarantee Plan, setting out the terms and conditions of the guarantee arrangement with Zhengxuan Guarantee. The Guarantee Plan is effective until Zhengxuan Guarantee announces the termination of the standard form of guarantee scheme it issued on November 30, 2018. Upon termination of the standard form of guarantee scheme, Zhengxuan Guarantee and us may negotiate and amend the Guarantee Plan to extend our cooperation.

Under the Guarantee Plan, starting on December 1, 2018, we are responsible for providing information of borrowers from our platform to Zhengxuan Guarantee. Zhengxuan Guarantee is responsible for providing guarantee services to qualified borrowers, provided that they pay 4.5% and 0.5% of the principal amount to Zhengxuan Guarantee as guarantee fee and service fee, respectively.

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If a default were to occur, Zhengxuan Guarantee would compensate the investor with an amount up to the loan residual principal and three months of accrued interest, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Guarantee Plan and the agreements between the borrowers and Zhengxuan Guarantee. For more information, please see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—Our third-party guarantee arrangements may not be sufficient to meet the overall default risk.”

Competition

The online consumer lending marketplace industry in which we operate is highly competitive. With respect to borrowers, we compete with other consumer lending marketplaces. While there are 862 normally operating marketplace lending platforms in China at the end of June 2019, according to iResearch, we believe we do not directly compete with those marketplaces offering pay-day loans (defined as loans with principal amounts of less than RMB2,000 (US$2,825) and terms of less than 30 days). Unlike these other marketplaces, we target emerging middle class consumers seeking medium-sized credit loans with principal amounts ranging from RMB20,000 (US$2,825) to RMB160,000 (US$22,596). Among similar consumer lending marketplaces offering medium-sized credit loans, we believe our key competitors include Yirendai, Iqianjin and Niwodai.

We do not compete with traditional financial institutions, including banks, credit card issuers and consumer lending companies. We believe our credit assessment technology has enabled us to analyze alternative sources of data and operate more efficiently than traditional financial institutions. In addition, unlike traditional banking and lending institutions, we are not constrained by strict regulatory limits on pricing and loan deposits, subject to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

With respect to investors, we primarily compete with other microlending investment product providers, wealth management centers and traditional banks in China.

Intellectual Property

We use a combination of trade secrets, software copyrights, trademarks, know-how and other rights to protect our intellectual property and our brand. We have completed registration of 34 trademarks, 23 computer software copyrights and one copyright “  “. We have also registered three domain names, www.hexindai.com, www.hexindai.cn and www.hxjr.com.

In addition to our intellectual property rights, we believe we maintain a competitive advantage over our peers through our knowledge of China’s credit industry and our constantly improving technology and know-how. We also enter into contracts with our employees and third-party partners to prevent the unauthorized dissemination of our technology. To date, we have not experienced a material misappropriation of our intellectual property. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties may attempt to use, copy or otherwise obtain and market or distribute our proprietary technology or develop a platform that is similar to our marketplace. We cannot be certain that the steps we have taken or will take in the future will prevent misappropriations of our technology and intellectual property rights. For a description of the risks related to our intellectual property rights, please see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—We may be unable to protect our proprietary intellectual property rights from unauthorized use, such that our brand, reputation and business may be negatively impacted.”

Seasonality

Our operating results are influenced by seasonal factors, including the timing of national holidays, as well as consumer spending habits, patterns and Internet usage. We generally experience lower transaction value on our online marketplace during national holidays in China, particularly during and after the Chinese New Year holiday season. Due to general consumer spending habits, demand for credit loans facilitated on our marketplace is generally higher in the third and fourth quarters before the Chinese New Year. As a result, we earn a higher portion of our revenues and net income during the third and fourth quarters. However, as we only have a relatively short operating history, the seasonal impact on our financial results is unclear. Therefore, while the seasonality of borrowing habits in China has an impact on our financial results, this impact may change depending on changes in consumer spending habits and the relative rates of growth in the volumes of our different loan products.

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Regulation

This section sets forth a summary of the most significant rules and regulations that affect our business activities in China.

As a mobile e-commerce and finance platform connecting investors with individual borrowers, we are regulated by various government authorities, including, among others:

·                                         the MIIT regulating the telecommunications and telecommunications-related activities, including, but not limited to, the Internet information services and other value-added telecommunication services;

·                                         the PBOC, as the central bank of China, regulating the formation and implementation of monetary policy, issuing the currency, supervising the commercial banks and assisting in the administration of the financing;

·                                         the CBIRC, a newly established public institution in April 2018 which has consolidated the duties of the former CBRC and the duties of the former China Insurance Regulatory Commission, regulating financial institutions and promulgating the regulations related to the administration of financial institutions.

Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Lending

Online consumer lending is regarded under PRC law as direct loans between parties through an Internet platform, and governed by the PRC Contract Law, the General Principles of the Civil Law of the PRC, the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures and related judicial interpretations promulgated by the Supreme People’s Court. “Individual” below in this section refers to natural person, legal person and other organizations.

Regulations on Consumer Lending Service Providers

In a press conference on April 21, 2014, a senior officer of the CBRC emphasized that a consumer lending services provider must operate as a platform that serves as an information intermediary between borrowers and lenders, and must not form any pool of capital, or provide any guarantee, or illegally raise any funds from the general public.

On July 18, 2015, ten PRC regulatory agencies, including the PBOC, the MIIT and the CBRC, jointly issued the Guidelines on Promoting the Healthy Development of Internet Finance, or the Guidelines. The Guidelines define online consumer lending as direct loans between parties through an Internet platform, which is under the supervision of CBRC, and governed by the PRC Contract Law, the General Principles of the Civil Law of the PRC, and related judicial interpretations promulgated by the Supreme People’s Court. The Guidelines require that online consumer lending service providers must do the following:

(i)                                      act as an intermediary platform to provide information exchange, matching, credit assessment and other intermediary services, and must not provide credit enhancement services and/or engage in illegal fund-raising;

(ii)                                   complete registration with the relevant local counterpart of the MIIT in accordance with implementation regulations that may be promulgated by the MIIT or/and the Office for Cyberspace Affairs pursuant to the Guidelines;

(iii)                                set up a custody account with a qualified bank in order to deposit, manage and supervise borrower and investor funds, and separate borrower and investor funds from the funds of the online consumer lending service provider, with that custody account being subject to independent audits, the results of which must be disclosed to investors and borrowers, all in accordance with implementation regulations that may be promulgated by the PBOC and other relevant regulatory agencies pursuant to the Guidelines;

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(iv)                               fully disclose all relevant information to customers, including but not limited to the online consumer lending service provider’s financial status, transaction model, the rights and obligations of customers, and provide customers with reminders of the risk of loss;

(v)                                  not disseminate any untrue information and conduct any bundle sales;

(vi)                               protect the personal information of the online consumer lending service provider’s customers from any unauthorized disclosure, and must not sell and/or disclose such information illegally; and

(vii)                            establish a customer identification program, monitor and report suspicious transactions, preserve customer information and transaction records, and provide assistance to the public security department and judicial authorities in investigations and proceedings in relation to anti-money laundering matters.

The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures define consumer lending as the direct lending among individuals via Internet platforms. Individuals shall include natural persons, legal persons and other organizations. The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures also defines the consumer lending information intermediaries as the financial information intermediaries that specialized in consumer lending information intermediary business. Such intermediaries provide such services as information collection, information release, credit assessment, information exchange, and match of lending, on the Internet as the primary channel to facilitate the direct lending between borrowers and lenders (creditors). The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures requires that consumer lending information intermediaries must do the following concerning filing and registration:

(i)                                      register the record-filing with the local financial regulatory department at the place where it is registered with the industry and commerce authority by presenting relevant materials within ten working days after obtaining the business license;

(ii)                                   after completing the record-filing with the local financial regulatory departments, apply for telecommunication business operating licenses pursuant to the relevant provisions of the competent authorities of communications;

(iii)                                shall be clearly identified as consumer lending information intermediaries in their business scope.

The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures requires that consumer lending information intermediaries shall not engage in or be entrusted to engage in any of the following activities:

(i)                                      financing for themselves directly or in a disguised form;

(ii)                                   accepting, collecting or gathering funds of lenders directly or indirectly;

(iii)                                providing security to lenders or promising break-even principals and interests directly or in a disguised form;

(iv)                               publicizing or promoting financing projects on other physical premises other than such digital channels as the Internet, fixed-line telephone or mobile phone by themselves or upon entrustment or authorization of any third party;

(v)                                  making loans, unless otherwise stipulated by laws and regulations;

(vi)                               splitting the term of any financing project;

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(vii)                            raising funds by issuing such financial products on their own as wealth management products, or selling bank wealth management products, asset management by securities traders, funds, insurance, trust products or other financial products on a commission basis;

(viii)                         carrying out business similar to asset-backed securities or conducting the transfer of creditor’s rights in the form of packaged assets, asset-backed securities, trust assets, and fund units;

(ix)                               engaging in any form of mixture, bundling or agency with other institutions in investment, sale on a commission basis, or brokerage, unless otherwise permitted by laws, regulations and relevant regulatory provisions on consumer lending;

(x)                                  making up or overstating the authenticity of financing projects and the prospect of profits, concealing flaws and risks in financing projects, publicizing or promoting in biased language or by other fraudulent means in a false and one-sided way, fabricating or spreading false or incomplete information to damage others’ business reputation, or misleading lenders or borrowers;

(xi)                               providing information intermediary services for those highly risky financing projects whose purpose is the investment in stock market, over-the-counter financing, futures contracts, structured products and other derivatives;

(xii)                            engaging in equity-based crowd funding; and

(xiii)                         undertaking other activities prohibited by laws and regulations as well as relevant regulatory provisions on consumer lending.

The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures provides the lending amount limit for consumer lending. Consumer lending shall be made mainly in small amounts. Consumer lending information intermediaries shall, according to their respective risk management ability, restrict the maximum balance of money borrowed by the same borrower on the same consumer lending information intermediary platform or on several such intermediary platforms so as to prevent credit concentration risks. The balance of money borrowed by the same natural person, on the same consumer lending information intermediary platform shall be RMB200,000 (US$28,245) in maximum; and the total balance of money borrowed by the same natural person, on all consumer lending information intermediary platforms shall be RMB1,000,000 (US$141,227) in maximum. The balance of money borrowed by the same legal person or other kind of organization on the same consumer lending information intermediary platform shall be RMB1,000,000 (US$141,227) in maximum; and the total balance of money borrowed by the same legal person or other kind of organization on all consumer lending information intermediary platforms shall be RMB5,000,000 (US$706,135) in maximum.

The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures also provides other requirements for consumer lending information intermediaries, such as business rules and risk management, protection of lenders and borrowers, and information disclosure. Consumer lending information intermediaries shall manage their own funds and funds of lenders and borrowers separately, and select qualified banking financial institutions as agencies to deposit lenders’ and borrowers’ funds. Local financial regulatory departments shall order consumer lending information intermediaries to make rectification within a period of no more than 12 months, which may subject to adjustment by relevant regulatory departments from time to time. Any violation of the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures by a consumer lending information intermediary after they come into effect may subject such consumer lending information intermediary to certain penalties as determined by applicable laws and regulations, or by the relevant government authorities if the applicable laws and regulations are silent on the penalties. The applicable penalties may include but not limited to, criminal liabilities, warning, rectification, tainted integrity record and fines up to RMB30,000 (US$4,237).

In November 2016, the CBRC, the MIIT and the Industry and Commerce Administration Department, jointly issued the Guidance of Administration, which provides the general filing rules for online lending intermediaries, and delegates the filing authority to local financial authorities. Although the Guidance of Administration has not been officially promulgated or launched and may not be found from authorized sources, it is generally accepted by the industry that it needs to be followed. The Guidance of Administration sets forth that online lending intermediaries are approved locally. Under the general filing procedures for online lending intermediaries, before a filing application is submitted to local financial regulators, the online lending intermediaries may be required to: (i) rectify any breach of applicable regulations as required by local financial regulators; and (ii) apply to the Industry and Commerce Administration Department to amend or register such entity’s the business scope.

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In February 22, 2017, the CBRC released the Guidelines to the Operation of Depositing Online Lending Funds, or the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds, which provide detailed requirements for setting up a custody account with a qualified bank and depositing online lending funds. The Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds define online lending funds as the special lending funds and related funds deposited by the custodian pursuant to the entrustment of online lending information intermediary (as the principal), which are formed by borrowers, lenders and guarantors in their investment and financing activities. The Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds define a custodian as a commercial bank that provides custody services for the online lending business.

In the online lending funds custody business, the principal should perform the following duties:

(i)                                      to be responsible for the continuous development and safe operation of the technical system of the online consumer lending platform;

(ii)                                   to organize the implementation of the information disclosure of the online lending information intermediary, including but not limited to the basic information of the principal, the information of the lending project, the basic information and operation of the borrower, and the information of the participants, which should be fully disclosed to the custodian;

(iii)                                to check the accounts with the custodian on a daily basis to ensure the accuracy of the system data;

(iv)                               to keep the records, account books, statements and other relevant materials of the online lending business, and the relevant paper or electronic information shall be kept for more than five years after the expiration of the lending contract;

(v)                                  to organize an independent audit of the client’s fund custody account and to disclose the audit results to the client;

(vi)                               to fulfill and cooperate with the custodian to perform the anti-money laundering obligations; and

(vii)                            other duties stipulated in laws, administrative regulations, rules, other regulatory documents and online lending funds deposit contracts.

Where the principal and custodian that have carried out the custodian business of online lending funds fail to comply with the requirements of the Guidelines of Depositing Lending Funds in the business course, they shall effect rectification for a period of no more than six months, which may be subject to adjustment by relevant regulatory departments from time to time. Where they fail to effect rectification within such period, they shall be treated in accordance with the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures and other laws and regulations. In accordance with the Guidelines and the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, on August 23, 2017, the CBRC issued the Disclosure Guidelines, which stipulate that consumer lending information intermediary platforms shall disclose relevant information on their websites and other Internet channels, and the Disclosure Guidelines have provided detailed requirements for such information disclosure. According to the Disclosure Guidelines, to the extent that consumer lending information intermediary platforms that have provided the services before the issuance of the Disclosure Guidelines are not in full compliance with the requirements, they are required to make rectification within a six-month rectification period starting from the date the Disclosure Guidelines was promulgated. For platforms that fail to make such rectification, sanctions could be imposed by the relevant regulatory departments, including but not limited to, supervision interview, warning letter, rectification, tainted integrity record, fines up to RMB30,000 (US$4,237), and criminal liabilities if the act constitutes a criminal offense.

In December 2017, the Office of Leading Group on Special Rectification of Risks in the Online Lending, the regulator for administration and supervision on nationwide Internet finance and online lending, or the Online Lending National Rectification Office, issued the Notice on Rectification and Inspection Acceptance of Risk of Online Lending, or Circular 57, which provides further clarification on several matters in connection with the rectification and record-filing of online lending information intermediaries. Circular 57, among other things, requires certain local governmental authorities to establish an inspection team to conduct risk rectification inspections on online lending information intermediaries within their jurisdictions. If an online lending information intermediary institution passes the inspection, the local governmental authorities shall complete its record-filing. Circular 57 also requires local authorities to complete record-filings of online lending information intermediaries within its jurisdiction by the end of April 2018, except that the deadline for certain complicated cases may be postponed. However, the local financial regulatory department has not formally issued the detailed implementation rules for record-filing, the deadline for record-filing might be postponed.

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In December 2017, the Office of Leading Group on Special Rectification of Risks in the Internet Finance, the regulator for administration and supervision on nationwide Internet finance, or the Internet Finance National Rectification Office, and the Online Lending National Rectification Office jointly issued the Notice on Regulating and Rectifying the “Cash Loan” Business, or Circular 141, outlining general requirements on the “cash loan” business conducted by online microlending companies, banking financial institutions and online lending information intermediaries. Circular 141 specifies that the features of “cash loans” include no specified use of proceeds, no qualification requirement on customers and are unsecured. Circular 141 sets forth several general requirements with respect to “cash loan” businesses, including, without limitation: (i) no organizations or individuals may conduct a lending business without obtaining approvals for a lending business; (ii) the aggregated borrowing costs of borrowers charged by institutions in the forms of interest and various fees should be annualized and are subject to the limit on the interest rate of private lending set forth in the Private Lending Judicial Interpretations issued by the Supreme People’s Court; (iii) all relevant institutions shall follow the “know-your-customer” principle and prudentially assess and determine the borrower’s eligibility, credit limit and cooling-off period. Loans to any borrower without income sources are prohibited; and (iv) all relevant institutions shall enhance internal risk controls and prudentially use the “data-driven” risk management model.

With respect to online microlending companies, Circular 141 requires the relevant regulatory authorities to suspend the approval of the establishment of online microlending companies and the approval of any microlending business that spans across provinces. Circular 141 also specifies that online microlending companies shall not provide student loans and should suspend the funding of online microlending loans with no specific scenario or designated use of loan proceeds and gradually reduce the volume of existing business relating to such loans and take rectification measures within a certain period to be separately determined by the relevant authorities. Further detailed requirements on online microlending companies are provided in a rectification implementation plan issued by the Online Lending Rectification Office in December 2017. See “—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Microlending”.

Circular 141 also sets forth several requirements on banking financial institutions participating in the “cash loan” business, including, among others, (i) such banking financial institutions shall not extend loans jointly with any third-party institution that has not obtained governmental approvals for the lending business, or fund such third-party institution for the purpose of extending loans in any form; (ii) with respect to the loan business conducted in cooperation with third-party institutions, such banking financial institutions shall not outsource their core business (including the credit assessment and risk control) and shall not accept any credit enhancement service, directly or indirectly (including the commitment to taking default risks) provided by any third-party institutions with no approval to provide financing guarantees and (iii) such banking financial institutions must require and ensure that the third-party institutions shall not collect any interest or fees from the borrowers.

In addition, Circular 141 imposes several requirements on online lending information intermediaries. For instance, such intermediaries are prohibited from facilitating any loans to students or other persons without a repayment source or repayment capacity, or any loans with no designated use of proceeds. Also, such intermediaries are not permitted to deduct interest, handling fees, management fees or deposits from the principal of loans provided to the borrowers in advance, prior to repayment of the loan.

Any violation of Circular 141 may result in penalties, including but not limited to suspension of operations, an order to make the relevant rectification, condemnation, revocation of license, an order to cease business operations, and criminal liabilities.

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In May 2018, the Internet Finance National Rectification Office issued the Letter on Strengthening Regulation to Some “Cash Loan” Platform, or Circular 59, which provides further requirements in connection with the “cash loan” business. Circular 59 specifies four types of violations of such requirements related to the “cash loan” platform: (i) a loan to borrowers in the form of a mobile phone leaseback; (ii) a bundle sale of other products with the loan so as to raise the interest rate; (iii) measures that intentionally cause the borrower to make payments late so that the platform can charge the borrower a high late fee; and (iv) loan to borrowers using deceptive sales practices.

From August 2018 to the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, the Online Lending Rectification Office, the Internet Finance Rectification Office and/or other competent authorities implemented certain rules, including without limitation (i) Circular 63, (ii) the Notice Regarding the Establishment of Online Lending Information Intermediaries Data Reporting System issued by the Online Lending Rectification Office in November 2018, or Circular 73, (iii) the Notice on Proper Disposal of Online Lending Information Intermediaries in a Classified Manner and Risk Control jointly issued by the Internet Finance Rectification Office and the Online Lending Rectification Office in December 2018, or Circular 175, and (iv) the Notice on Further Implementation of Online Lending Intermediaries Compliance Inspection and Follow-up Work issued by the Online Lending Rectification Office in January 2019, or Circular 1. Those rules further set forth several matters in connection with the rectification of the online lending information intermediaries, including, among other things:

·                                Compliance Inspection. Circular 63 requires that each online lending information intermediary shall start three types of inspection in accordance with the Issues List for Compliance Inspection on Online Lending Information Intermediaries attached thereto, or the Compliance Inspection Issues List, including (i) the self-inspection conducted by the online lending information intermediary itself, (ii) the self-discipline inspection conducted by local internet finance associations or other local organizations, and (iii) the administrative inspection conducted by the local online lending rectification offices. All of these compliance inspections shall be completed before the end of 2018. However, the Circular 1 issued in January 2019 specified that by the end of 2018, all self-inspections should be completed, but the administrative inspection needs to be completed in only a few jurisdictions. Therefore, the administrative inspection should be conducted in the first quarter of 2019. As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we have completed all three types of inspection. However, we have not been informed about the result of the administrative inspection conducted by Beijing Local Financial Supervision and Administration.

·                                Disposal in a Classified Manner. Circular 175 emphasizes again that the online lending information intermediaries shall be disposed of in a classified manner, based on current results of identification in accordance with Circular 63 and other applicable circulars. Circular 175 further provides that an online lending information intermediary shall be classified into two general categories: (i) Intermediary with Incurred Risk, which means any online lending information intermediary having been exposed to high risks such as delinquency and not able to run its business in a consistent manner; and (ii) Intermediary without Incurred Risk, which means any online lending information intermediary having not been exposed to any high risk. The Intermediary without Incurred Risk shall be further divided into certain categories, including but not limited to a zombie intermediary, an online lending intermediary with high risk, and a normally running online lending intermediary, among which only the normally running online lending intermediaries could be subject to further compliance inspection. As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we have not been informed by any regulatory authorities that we would be classified as an Intermediary with Incurred Risk, a zombie intermediary, or an online lending intermediary with high risk.

·                                Reduction of Business Volume. According to Circular 1, (i) with respect to administrative regions, the number of online lending intermediaries, the number of investors and the business volume therein shall be reduced, (2) with respect to an online lending intermediary, the number of investors, business volume and number of lenders thereon shall be reduced. Furthermore, Beijing Rectification Office issued a Notice on January 24, 2019 requiring online lending intermediaries to continue to reduce its business scale and number of borrowers and lenders during the administrative verification period.

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In September 2019, the Online Lending Rectification Office and the Internet Finance Rectification Office jointly promulgated the Notice on Strengthening the Construction of Credit System in the Field of P2P Online Lending, which provides that online lending intermediaries shall be incorporated into and connected to the credit system. As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we have connected to both the PBOC Basic Database of Financial Credit Information and Baihang Credit Database.

In addition, in November 2019, the Online Lending Rectification Office and the Internet Finance Rectification Office jointly issued Guiding Opinions on Pilot Program of Transforming P2P Lending Information Intermediaries to Microcredit Companies, or Circular 83, which allows qualified online lending information intermediaries to transform into microlending companies in order to proactively deal with and resolve the existing business risks of online lending information intermediaries industry. Circular 83 provides for certain requirements for the transformation of marketplace lending platforms facilitating peer-to-peer online lending into microcredit companies, including: (i) compliance requirement; (ii) the qualification of shareholders and management team; (iii) the feasibility of the transforming plan; and (iv) financial technology and online operation capability requirement. However, uncertainties still exist in relation to the interpretation and implementation of the Circular 83. According to the implementation of the Circular 83, we should complete the clearing of existing online lending business within the period of transformation and complete the relevant rectification. In addition, if we want to transform into a microlending company operating nationwide, we should have a qualified Internet platform for operating online microlending business. We, our major shareholders and relevant parties shall undertake to bear the ultimate risks for the existing business and even submit the risk reserve with an amount of not less than 3% of the lending balance when applying as required by the regulatory authority.  In December 2019, we initiated our efforts on applying for a micro-lending license in China. As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we are still in the process of applying for an online microlending company license for Hexin E-Commerce. However, we cannot guarantee you that we will be able to receive such license given the complicated and evolving regulatory environment in the marketplace lending industry.

Our marketplace serves as an information intermediary between borrowers and lenders and we are not a party to the loans facilitated through our marketplace. We have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations, including the regulatory principles raised by the CBRC and the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures, and avoid conducting any activities that may be deemed as illegal fund-raising under the current applicable laws and regulations. However, due to the lack of detailed regulations and guidance in the area of consumer lending services and the possibility that the PRC government authority may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating consumer lending services in the future, we cannot assure you that our practice would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, especially relating to illegal fund-raising, credit enhancement services and/or information disclosure. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry— Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry— The laws and regulations governing the marketplace lending service industry and microlending companies in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If our practice is deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, our business, financial conditions and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.”

Regulations on Loans between Individuals

The PRC Contract Law governs the formation, validity, performance, enforcement and assignment of contracts. The PRC Contract Law confirms the validity of loan agreements between individuals and provides that the loan agreement becomes effective when the individual lender provides the loan to the individual borrower. The PRC Contract Law requires that the interest rates charged under the loan agreement must not violate the applicable provisions of the PRC laws and regulations. In accordance with the Provisions on Several Issues Concerning Laws Applicable to Trials of Private Lending Cases issued by the Supreme People’s Court on August 6, 2015, or the Private Lending Judicial Interpretations, which came into effect on September 1, 2015, private lending is defined as financing between individuals, legal entities and other organizations. When private loans between individuals are paid by wire transfer, through online consumer lending platforms or by other similar means, the loan contracts between individuals are deemed to be validated upon the deposit of funds to the borrower’s account. In the event that the loans are made through an online consumer lending platform and the platform only provides intermediary services, the courts shall dismiss the claims of the parties concerned against the platform demanding the repayment of loans by the platform as guarantors. However, if the online consumer lending service provider guarantees repayment of the loans as evidenced by its web page, advertisements or other media, or the court is provided with other proof, the lender’s claim alleging that the consumer lending service provider shall assume the obligations of a guarantor will be upheld by the courts. The Private Lending Judicial Interpretations also provide that agreements between the lender and borrower on loans with interest rates (including penalty and other costs thereof) no more than 24% per annum are valid and enforceable. As to loans with interest rates per annum over 24% but no more than 36%, if the interest on the loans has already been paid to the lender, and so long as such payment has not damaged the interest of the state, the community and any third parties, the courts will not find the merit in the borrower’s demand for the return of the interest payment on the ground of invalidity. If the annual interest rate of a private loan is higher than 36%, the interest that in excess of 36% will not be enforced by the courts. All the loan transactions facilitated over our marketplace are between individuals currently. The average APRs for the term loans on our marketplace currently was 30.2%, which comprises a nominal interest rate and a loan facilitation or loan management service fee we charge borrowers for our services. The interest rate component, which is stipulated in the loan agreements, does not and is not expected to exceed the mandatory limit for loan interest rates.

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Pursuant to the PRC Contract Law, a creditor may assign its rights under an agreement to a third party, provided that the debtor is notified. Upon due assignment of the creditor’s rights, the assignee is entitled to the creditor’s rights and the debtor must perform the relevant obligations under the agreement for the benefit of the assignee. We allow investors to transfer the loans they hold to other investors before the loan reaches maturity. To facilitate the assignment of the loans, the template loan agreement applicable to the lenders and borrowers on our platform specifically provides that a lender has the right to assign his/her rights under the loan agreement to any third parties and the borrower agrees to such assignment.

In addition, according to the PRC Contract Law, an intermediation contract is a contract whereby an intermediary presents to its client an opportunity for entering into a contract or provides the client with other intermediary services in connection with the conclusion of a contract, and the client pays the intermediary service fees. Our business of connecting investors with individual borrowers may constitute intermediary service, and our service agreements with borrowers and investors may be deemed as intermediation contracts under the PRC Contract Law. Pursuant to the PRC Contract Law, an intermediary must provide true information relating to the proposed contract. If an intermediary conceals any material fact intentionally or provides false information in connection with the conclusion of the proposed contract, which results in harm to the client’s interests, the intermediary may not claim for service fees and is liable for the damages caused. The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures provide detailed requirements for Consumer Lending Information Intermediaries. See “—Regulations on Consumer Lending Service Providers.”

Regulations on Financing Guarantee

Pursuant to the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Financing Guarantee Companies promulgated by the State Council on August 2, 2017, or the Financing Guarantee Rules, entities operating “financing guarantee business” are required to obtain an approval from local regulatory authorities. If any entity operates financing guarantee business without an approval, it may be subject to penalties, including termination or suspension of business, fines ranging from RMB500,000 (US$70,613) to RMB1,000,000 (US$141,227), confiscation of illegal gains, and if the violation constitutes a criminal offense, criminal liabilities. However, the Financing Guarantee Rules have not defined what constitutes “financing guarantee business”.

In October 2019, the CBIRC, together with eight other regulatory agencies jointly promulgated the Supplemental Rules to the Administration of Financing Guarantee Companies, or the Supplements to the Financing Guarantee Rules, which provides that any entity providing client referral or credit assessment services to the lending institutions may not provide financing guarantee services in a direct or a disguised form without the regulatory approval. If any entity operates financing guarantee business without appropriate approval, its business operations will be banned by the regulatory authorities and it will be required to properly settle existing business. As we cooperate with Zhengxuan Guarantee to provide the Guarantee Plan to investors on our platform, we are subject to regulatory risks as a result of such business practices. We cooperate with Zhengxuan Guarantee to provide guarantee to the investors on our loan assistance platform. If Zhengxuan Guarantee’s license for the financial guarantee ceases to be in full force and is not reissued, Zhengxuan Guarantee will be banned from providing the guarantee and will be required to settle its existing business, which may impose a materially adverse effect on our loan assistance business.

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Regulations on Illegal Fund-Raising

Raising funds by entities or individuals from the general public must be conducted in strict compliance with applicable PRC laws and regulations to avoid administrative and criminal liabilities. The Measures for the Banning of Illegal Financial Institutions and Illegal Financial Business Operations promulgated by the State Council in July 1998, and the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning the Penalty on Illegal Fund-Raising issued by the General Office of the State Council in July 2007 explicitly prohibit illegal public fund-raising. The main features of illegal public fund-raising include: (i) illegally soliciting and raising funds from the general public by means of issuing stocks, bonds, lotteries or other securities without obtaining the approval of relevant authorities, (ii) promising a return of interest or profits or investment returns in cash, properties or other forms within a specified period of time, and (iii) using a legitimate form to disguise on unlawful purpose.

To further clarify the criminal charges and punishments relating to illegal public fund-raising, the Supreme People’s Court promulgated the Judicial Interpretations to Issues Concerning Applications of Laws for Trial of Criminal Cases on Illegal Fund-Raising, or the Illegal Fund-Raising Judicial Interpretations, which came into force in January 2011. The Illegal Fund-Raising Judicial Interpretations provide that a public fund-raising will constitute a criminal offense related to “illegally soliciting deposits from the public” under the PRC Criminal Law, if it meets all the following four criteria: (i) the fund-raising has not been approved by the relevant authorities or is concealed under the guise of legitimate acts; (ii) the fund-raising employs general solicitation or advertising such as social media, promotion meetings, leafleting and SMS advertising; (iii) the fundraiser promises to repay, after a specified period of time, the capital and interests, or investment returns in cash, properties in kind and other forms; and (iv) the fund-raising targets the general public as opposed to specific individuals. An illegal fund-raising activity can incur a fine or prosecution in the event it constitutes a criminal offense. Pursuant to the Illegal Fund-Raising Judicial Interpretations, an offender that is an entity will be subject to criminal liabilities, if it illegally solicits deposits from the general public or illegally solicits deposits in disguised form (i) with the amount of deposits involved exceeding RMB1,000,000 (US$141,227), (ii) with over 150 fund-raising targets involved, or (iii) with direct economic loss caused to fund-raising targets exceeding RMB500,000 (US$70,613), or (iv) the illegal fund-raising activities have caused baneful influences to the public or have led to other severe consequences. An individual offender is also subject to criminal liabilities but with lower thresholds. In addition, an individual or an entity who has aided in illegal fund-raising from the general public and charges fees including but not limited to agent fees, rewards, rebates and commission, may be considered an accomplice in the crime of illegal fund-raising. In accordance with the Opinions of the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procurator and the Ministry of Public Security on Several Issues concerning the Application of Law in the Illegal Fund-Raising Criminal Cases, the administrative proceeding for determining the nature of illegal fund-raising activities is not a prerequisite procedure for the initiation of criminal proceedings concerning the crime of illegal fund-raising, and the administrative departments’ failure in determining the nature of illegal fund-raising activities does not affect the investigation, prosecution and trial of cases concerning the crime of illegal fund-raising.

We have taken measures to avoid conducting any activities that are prohibited under the illegal-funding related laws and regulations. We act as a platform for borrowers and investors and are not a party to the loans facilitated through our platform. In addition, we do not directly receive any funds from investors in our own accounts as funds loaned through our platform are deposited into and settled by a third-party custody account managed by a qualified bank, Jiangxi Bank.

Regulations Relating to Microlending

The Guidance on the Pilot Establishment of Microlending Companies jointly promulgated by the CBRC and the PBOC in May 2008 allows provincial governments to approve the establishment of microlending companies on a test basis. Based on this guidance, many provincial governments in China, including the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, promulgated local implementation rules on the administration of microlending companies. For example, Xinjiang Financial Service Office, the regulatory authority for microlending companies in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, promulgated the Interim Measures for the Administration of Microlending Companies in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in August 2017, to impose management duties upon the relevant regulatory authorities and to specify more detailed requirements on microlending companies, including, among others, (i) microlending companies are prohibited from engaging in the receipt of deposits from the public and illegal fund-raising; (ii) the modification of certain company registration issues shall be subject to the approval by the relevant regulatory authorities; and (iii) the microlending company shall engage in the loan business in the place of registration and also in or around the surrounding counties within the same municipality as the place of registration, and the loan balance for the borrowers in the county of registration shall not be less than the 80% of the aggregate loan balance.

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In November 2017, the Internet Finance National Rectification Office issued the Notice on the Immediate Suspension of Approvals for the Establishment of Online Microlending Companies, which took effect immediately, and provides that the relevant regulatory authorities of microlending companies at all levels shall suspend the approval of the establishment of online microlending companies and the approval of any microlending business conducted across provincial lines.

On December 1, 2017, the Internet Finance National Rectification Office and the Online Lending National Rectification Office jointly issued Circular 141, which suspends approval of new network microlending companies and further imposes measures to strengthen the regulation of network microlending companies. See “—Regulations on Consumer Lending Service Providers.”

On December 8, 2017, the Online Lending National Rectification Office promulgated the Implementation Plan of Specific Rectification for Risks in Microlending Companies and Online Microlending Companies, or the Rectification Implementation Plans of Online Microlending Companies. Pursuant to the Rectification Implementation Plans of Online Microlending Companies, “online microlending loans” are defined as microlending loans provided through the internet by online microlending companies controlled by internet enterprises. The features of online microlending loans include online borrower acquisition, credit assessment based on the online information collected from the internet enterprise’s business operations and the borrower’s internet usage, as well as online loan application, approval and funding.

Consistent with the Guidance on the Pilot Establishment of Microlending Companies and Circular 141, the Rectification Implementation Plans of Online Microlending Companies emphasize several aspects where inspection and rectification measures must be carried out for the online microlending loans industry, which include, among others, (i) the online microlending companies shall be approved by the competent authorities in accordance with the applicable regulations promulgated by the State Council, and the approved online microlending companies subsequently in violation of any regulatory requirements shall be re-examined; (ii) qualification requirements to conduct online micro-loan business (including the qualification of sponsor shareholders, the sources of borrowers, the internet scenario and the digital risk-management technology); (iii) whether the qualification and funding source of the shareholders of online microlending companies are in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations; (iv) whether the “integrated actual interest” (namely the aggregated borrowing costs charged to borrowers in the form of interest and various fees) are annualized and subject to the limit on the interest rate of private lending set forth in the Private Lending Judicial Interpretations issued by the Supreme People’s Court and, whether any interest, handling fee, management fee or deposit are deducted from the principal of loans provided to the borrowers in advance, prior to the repayment of the loan; (v) whether campus loans or online microlending loans with no specific scenario or designated use of loan proceeds are granted; (vi) with respect to the loan business conducted in cooperation with third-party institutions, whether the online microlending companies outsource the core business (including the credit assessment and risk control), or accept any credit enhancement service (whether or not in a disguised form) provided by any third-party institutions with no approval to provide financing guarantee and whether any applicable third-party institution collects any interest or fees from the borrowers; and (vii) entities that conduct online microlending loans business without relevant approval or license for lending business shall be shut down and banned.

The Rectification Implementation Plans of Online Microlending Companies also sets forth that all related institutions shall be subject to inspection and investigation. Depending on the results, different measures shall be implemented: (i) for institutions holding online microlending licenses but do not meet the qualification requirements to conduct online micro-loan business, their online microlending licenses shall be revoked and such institutions will be prohibited from conducting loan business outside the administrative jurisdiction of their respective approving authorities; (ii) for institutions holding online microlending licenses that meet the qualification requirements to conduct online micro-loan business but were found not in compliance with other requirements, such as the requirements on the integrated actual interest rate, the scope of loan and the cooperation with third-party institutions, such institutions shall take rectification measures in a period to be separately specified by authorities, and in the event that the rectification does not meet the authorities’ requirements, such institutions shall be subject to several sanctions, including revocation of license and an order to cease business operations.

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We engage in online microlending businesses through our subsidiary Wusu Company, which has obtained an online microlending license from the relevant local authorities. However, we have ceased new microlending business as the principal business scope of Wusu Company has been changed to trading, provision of technological promotion services and import and export since September 30, 2019.

Regulations Relating to Foreign Investment

PRC Foreign Investment Law

The Foreign Investment Law was formally adopted by the second session of the 13th National People’s Congress on March 15, 2019, which has become effective on January 1, 2020 and, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations, has replaced the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law. Meanwhile, the Regulations for the Implementation of the Foreign Investment Law has come into effect as of January 1, 2020, which clarified and elaborated the relevant provisions of the Foreign Investment Law. The organization form, organization and activities of foreign-invested enterprises shall be governed, among others, by the laws of the Company Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Partnership Enterprise Law of the People’s Republic of China. Foreign-invested enterprises established before the implementation of this Law may retain the original business organization and so on within five years after the implementation of this Law.

The Foreign Investment Law is formulated to further expand opening-up, vigorously promote foreign investment and protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors. According to the Foreign Investment Law, foreign investments are entitled to pre-entry national treatment and are subject to negative list management system. The pre-entry national treatment means that the treatment given to foreign investors and their investments at the stage of investment access shall not be less favorable than that of domestic investors and their investments. The negative list management system means that the state implements special administrative measures for access of foreign investment in specific fields. The Foreign Investment Law does not mention the relevant concept and regulatory regime of VIE structures. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.”

Foreign investors’ investment, earnings and other legitimate rights and interests within the territory of the PRC shall be protected in accordance with the law, and all national policies on supporting the development of enterprises shall equally apply to foreign-invested enterprises. Among others, the state guarantees that foreign invested enterprises participate in the formulation of standards in an equal manner and that foreign-invested enterprises participate in government procurement activities through fair competition in accordance with the law. Further, the state shall not expropriate any foreign investment except under special circumstances. Under special circumstances, the state may levy or expropriate the investment of foreign investors in accordance with the law for the needs of the public interest. The expropriation and requisition shall be conducted in accordance with legal procedures and timely and reasonable compensation shall be given. In carrying out business activities, foreign invested enterprises shall comply with relevant provisions on labor protection, social insurance, tax, accounting, foreign exchange and other matters stipulated in laws and regulations.

Industry Catalog Relating to Foreign Investment

Investment activities in the PRC by foreign investors are principally governed by the Catalog, which was promulgated and amended from time to time by the MOC and the NDRC. The most updated version of the Catalogue, which was promulgated in March 2017 and became effective in July 2017, divides the industries into three categories: encouraged, restricted and prohibited. On June 30, 2019, the NDRC and the MOC jointly issued the List of Special Management Measures for the Market Entry of Foreign Investment, or the Foreign Investment Negative List, which became effective on July 30, 2019 and sets forth management measures for the market entry of foreign investors, such as equity requirements and senior manager requirements.

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Our PRC subsidiary is mainly engaged in providing investment and financing consultations and technical services, which fall into the “encouraged” or “permitted” category under the Catalog. Our PRC subsidiary has obtained all material approvals required for its business operations. However, industries such as value-added telecommunication services (except e-commerce), including Internet information services, are restricted from foreign investment. We provide the value-added telecommunication services that are in the “restricted” category.

Foreign Investment in Value-Added Telecommunication Services

The Provisions on Administration of Foreign Invested Telecommunications Enterprises promulgated by the State Council in December 2001 and subsequently amended in September 2008 and 2016 prohibit a foreign investor from owning more than 50% of the total equity interest in any value-added telecommunications service business in China and require the major foreign investor in any value-added telecommunications service business in China to have a good and profitable record and operating experience in this industry. The Catalog and the Foreign Investment Negative List allow a foreign investor to own more than 50% of the total equity interest in an e-commerce business.

In July 2006, the Ministry of Information Industry, the predecessor of the MIIT, issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in the Operation of Value-added Telecommunications Business, pursuant to which a domestic PRC company that holds an operating license for value-added telecommunications business, which we refer to as a VATS License, is prohibited from leasing, transferring or selling the VATS License to foreign investors in any form and from providing any assistance, including resources, sites or facilities, to foreign investors that conduct a value-added telecommunications business illegally in China. Further, the domain names and registered trademarks used by an operating company providing value-added telecommunications services must be legally owned by that company or its shareholders. In addition, the VATS License holder must have the necessary facilities for its approved business operations and to maintain the facilities in the regions covered by its VATS License.

In light of the above restrictions and requirements, we operate our website through Hexin E-Commerce, which has received the VATS License necessary to provide online information service and other value-added telecommunications services in China.

Anti-money Laundering Regulations

The PRC Anti-money Laundering Law, which became effective in January 2007, sets forth the principal anti-money laundering requirements applicable to financial institutions as well as non-financial institutions with anti-money laundering obligations, including the adoption of precautionary and supervisory measures, establishment of various systems for client identification, retention of clients’ identification information and transactions records, and reports on large transactions and suspicious transactions. According to the PRC Anti-money Laundering Law, financial institutions subject to the PRC Anti-money Laundering Law include banks, credit unions, trust investment companies, stock brokerage companies, futures brokerage companies, insurance companies and other financial institutions as listed and published by the State Council, while the list of the non-financial institutions with anti-money laundering obligations will be published by the State Council. The PBOC and other governmental authorities issued a series of administrative rules and regulations to specify the anti-money laundering obligations of financial institutions and certain non-financial institutions, such as payment institutions. In July 2018, the PBOC issued the Notice on Strengthening Supervision on Anti-money Laundering by Certain Non-financial Institutions, stipulating that the following non-financial institutions shall undertake the responsibilities of anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing during certain of their respective business operations: (i) real estate development enterprises and real estate agencies while selling real estates and providing service for real estate transactions; (ii) precious metal traders and precious metals trading platforms while conducting or providing service for precious metal spot trading; (iii) accounting firms, law firms and notary offices while conducting real estate transactions, asset management, bank account and securities account management, fund-raising for establishment or operation of enterprises and business entities transactions on behalf of their clients; and (iv) company service providers providing service for establishment, operation and management of companies.

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The Guidelines, the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures and the Guidelines of Custodian Lending Funds require Internet finance service providers, including online consumer lending platforms to comply with certain anti-money laundering requirements, including the establishment of a customer identification program, the monitoring and reporting of suspicious transactions, the preservation of customer information and transaction records, and the provision of assistance to the public security department and judicial authority in investigations and proceedings in relation to anti-money laundering matters. The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures jointly issued by four PRC regulatory agencies in August 2016 require the online lending information intermediaries, among other things, to comply with certain anti-money laundering obligations, including verifying customer identification, reporting suspicious transactions and preserving customer information and transaction records. The Custodian Guidelines issued by PBOC in February 2017 require the online lending platforms to set up custody accounts with commercial banks and comply with the anti-money laundry requirements of the relevant commercial banks. On October 11, 2018, the PBOC, the CBIRC and the CSRC jointly promulgated the Administrative Measures for Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing by Internet Finance Service Agencies (for Trial Implementation), effective as of January 1, 2019, which specify the anti-money laundering obligations of internet finance service agencies and regulate that the internet finance service agencies shall (i) adopt continuous customer identification measures; (ii) implement the system for reporting large-value or suspicious transactions; (iii) conduct real-time monitoring of the lists of terrorist organizations and terrorists; and (iv) properly keep the information, data and materials such as customer identification and transaction reports.

In cooperation with our partnering custodian banks and payment companies, we have adopted various policies and procedures, such as internal controls and “know-your-customer” procedures, for anti-money laundering purposes.

Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunication Services

The Telecommunications Regulations promulgated by the State Council and its related implementation rules, including the Catalog of Classification of Telecommunications Business issued by the MIIT, amended in 2019 categorize various types of telecommunications and telecommunications-related activities into basic or value-added telecommunications services, and Internet information services, or ICP services, and on-line data processing and transaction processing services, are classified as value-added telecommunications businesses. In 2009, the MIIT promulgated the Administrative Measures on Telecommunications Business Operating Licenses, amended in July 2017, which set forth more specific provisions regarding the types of licenses required to operate value-added telecommunications services, the qualifications and procedures for obtaining such licenses and the administration and supervision of such licenses. Under these regulations, a commercial operator of value-added telecommunications services must first obtain a license for value-added telecommunications business, or VATS License, from the MIIT or its provincial level counterparts.

In September 2000, the State Council also issued the Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services, which was amended in January 2011. Pursuant to these measures, “Internet information services” refer to provision of Internet information to online users, and are divided into “commercial Internet information services” and “non-commercial Internet information services.” A commercial Internet information services operator must obtain a VATS License for Internet information services, or ICP License, from the relevant government authorities before engaging in any commercial Internet information services operations in China. The ICP License has a term of five years and can be renewed within 90 days before expiration.

Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures requires consumer lending information intermediaries apply for telecommunication business operating licenses pursuant to the relevant provisions of the competent authorities of communications. As the detailed provisions for such telecommunication business operating licenses has not been published, there is uncertainty as to which type of license is required for consumer lending information intermediaries.

Hexin E-Commerce, our consolidated variable interest entity, has an ICP License for provision of commercial Internet information services issued by Beijing Telecommunication Administration Bureau in December 2016. However, as the implementing rules of the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures have not been published, there is uncertainty as to how the registration requirements in the Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures will be interpreted and implemented, and which type of telecommunication business operating licenses that consumer lending service providers like us are required to obtain. Hexin E-Commerce has not obtained a value-added telecommunications business operating license required for the provision of domestic call center services. According to the Telecommunications Regulations and the Administrative Measures on Telecommunications Business Operating Licenses, those who conduct telecommunications business without a license shall be ordered by the relevant authorities to redress the violations and the illegal income shall be confiscated, and a penalty between three times and five times of the illegal income may be imposed. If there is no illegal income or such income is lower than RMB50,000 (US$7,061), a penalty between RMB100,000 (US$14,123) to RMB1,000,000 (US$141,227) shall be imposed. In a serious case, the business shall be suspended.

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In addition, we operate our social e-commerce platform Xiaobai Maimai which was newly launched in May 2020 through Hexin Digital. Xiaobai Maimai is a new form of social e-commerce mobile platform offering high-quality and affordable branded products. Xiaobai Maimai will leverage our integrated buyer resources to select and source goods globally, and rewards users with a small commission for every purchase, share or recommendation of a product made to friends. Meanwhile, Hexin Digital is in the process of applying for the EDI License and ICP License for e-commerce business as well, in order to be qualified for online transactions between consumers and third-party merchants.

Regulations relating to E-Commerce

Certain laws and regulations are promulgated in recent years to specifically regulate the e-commerce industry in PRC. In January 2014, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the PRC adopted the Measures on the Administration of Online Transactions, or the Online Transactions Measures, which impose certain stringent requirements and obligations on online trading or service operators as well as the marketplace platform providers. For example, the marketplace platform providers are obligated to examine the legal status of each third-party merchant selling products or services on the platform and display on a prominent location on the web page of such merchant the information stated in the merchant’s business licenses or a link to such business license. Where the marketplace platform providers also act as online distributors, these marketplace platform providers must make a clear distinction between their online direct sales and sales of third-party merchant products. Moreover, consumers are generally entitled to return the products sold by an online trading operator within seven days upon the receipt thereof and are not required to provide reasons for such return. In addition, the Online Transactions Measures specifies that online distributors or related service operators, as well as marketplace platform providers, shall conduct their businesses in full compliance with the Anti-unfair Competition Law and other relevant PRC laws and regulations, and shall not unfairly compete with other operators or disturb social and economic orders, including but not limited to carrying out any fictitious transactions and deleting any unfavorable comments.

On April 23, 2019, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress implemented a newly amended Anti-unfair Competition Law of the PRC. It further emphasized that a business operator shall not engage in any false or misleading publicity for its products, or fictitious transactions to defraud or mislead consumers. Violation of these provisions may subject the relevant business operators to various penalties, including an order from the relevant governmental authorities to cease illegal acts, with payment of a fine ranging from RMB200,000 (US$28,245) to RMB1 million (US$141,226), or in the case of a severe violation, revocation of business licenses and payment of a fine ranging from RMB1 million (US$141,226) to RMB2 million (US$282,454).

On August 31, 2018, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC E-Commerce Law, or the E-Commerce Law, which became effective in January 2019. The E-Commerce Law proposes a series of requirements on e-commerce operators, including individuals and entities carrying out business online, e-commerce platform operators and merchants within the platform. For example, the E-Commerce Law requires e-commerce operators to respect and equally protect consumers’ legitimate rights and provide options to consumers without targeting their personal characteristics, and also requires e-commerce operators to clearly point out to consumers their tie-in sales in which additional services or products are added by merchants to a purchase, and not to assume consumers’ consent to such tie-in sales by default. Moreover, the E-Commerce Law again requires e-commerce operators, including individuals and entities carrying out business online, e-commerce platform operators and merchants on these platforms, to display prominently on their home page the information contained in their business licenses or administrative permits relating to their operating businesses; failure to take necessary actions against merchants on the e-commerce platforms that are not in compliance with such requirements may subject the e-commerce platform operators to rectification within a specified period and a fine between RMB20,000 (US$2,825) and RMB100,000 (US$14,123).

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The E-Commerce Law also sets forth certain requirements and/or obligations particularly applicable to the e-commerce platform operators, including, among other things:

·                      Requirements relating to credit evaluation. The e-commerce platform operators are required to establish a credit evaluation system and publicize the credit evaluation rules, and provide consumers with ways to evaluate products sold or services provided within the platform.

·                      Requirements relating to transaction rules. The e-commerce platform operators shall develop and continuously publish or make publicly available, prominently on its homepage, a link to its platform service agreement and transaction rules, specifying the rights and obligations of relevant parties with respect to joining and leaving the platform, quality assurance and protection of consumer rights and personal information, and to ensure convenience and complete access to reading and downloading such service agreement and transaction rules by merchants and consumers.

·                      Liability of the e-commerce platform operators. The e-commerce platform operators who fail to take necessary actions when they know or should have known that the merchants within the platform infringe upon others’ intellectual property rights or the products or services provided by the merchants do not meet the requirements for personal and property security, or otherwise infringe upon consumers’ legitimate rights, will be imposed a joint liability with the merchants; with respect to the products or services affecting consumers’ life and health, the e-commerce platform operators will bear relevant responsibilities if they fail to review the qualifications of merchants or fail to safeguard the interests of the consumers.

We are subject to these measures as a result of our social e-commerce platform Xiaobai Maimai. Failure to comply with the E-Commerce Law and other laws and regulations mentioned above may subject us to administrative liabilities such as a fine, and restoring reputation, and could subject us or the responsible individuals to joint civil liabilities when consumers’ legitimate rights or others’ intellectual property rights are infringed.

Regulations Relating to Product Quality and Consumer Rights Protection

Pursuant to the Product Quality Law of PRC promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in February 1993, and as amended in July 2000, August 2009 and December 2018 respectively, or the Product Quality Law, a seller must establish and practise a check-for-acceptance system for replenishment of its stock, and examine the quality certificates and other marks and must also adopt measures to keep the products for sale in good quality. Violation of the Product Quality Law could result in various penalties, including the imposition of fines, suspension of business operations, revocation of business licenses or criminal liabilities. Where a defective product causes physical injury to a person or damage to another person’s property, the victim may claim compensation from the manufacturer or from the seller of the product. If the seller pays compensation and it is the manufacturer that should bear the liability, the seller has a right of recourse against the manufacturer. Similarly, if the manufacturer pays compensation and it is the seller that should bear the liability, the manufacturer has a right of recourse against the seller.

The PRC Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law, as amended and effective as of March 15, 2014, the Online Transactions Measures and the E-Commerce Law, have provided stringent requirements and obligations on business operators, including internet business operators and platform service providers. For example, consumers are entitled to return goods purchased online, subject to certain exceptions, within seven days upon receipt of such goods without stating a reason for such return. To ensure that sellers and service providers comply with these laws and regulations, the platform operators are required to implement rules governing transactions on the platform, monitor the information posted by sellers and service providers, and report any violations by such sellers or service providers to the relevant authorities. In addition, online marketplace platform providers may, pursuant to the relevant PRC consumer protection laws, be exposed to liabilities if the lawful rights and interests of consumers are infringed upon in connection with consumers’ purchase of goods or acceptance of services on online marketplace platforms and the online marketplace platform providers fail to provide consumers with the contact information of the seller or manufacturer. In addition, online marketplace platform providers may be jointly and severally liable with sellers and manufacturers if they are aware or should be aware that any seller or manufacturer is using the online platform to infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of consumers and fail to take measures necessary to prevent or stop such activity.

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The PRC Tort Liability Law, which was enacted by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in December 2009 and became effective in July 2010, also provides that if an online service provider is aware that an online user is committing infringing activities, such as selling counterfeit products, through its internet services and fails to take necessary measures, it shall be jointly liable with the said online user for such infringement. If the online service provider receives any notice from the infringed party on any infringing activities, the online service provider shall take necessary measures, including deleting, blocking and unlinking the infringing content, in a timely manner. Otherwise, it will be jointly liable with the relevant online user for extended damages.

We are subject to these laws and regulations as an online supplier of commodities and a provider of an online marketplace platform. Failure to comply with the PRC Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law and other laws and regulations mentioned above may subject us to civil liabilities such as refunding purchase prices, replacement of commodities, repairing or ceasing damages, compensation, and restoring reputation, and could subject us or the responsible individuals to criminal penalties when personal damages are involved or if the circumstances are severe.

Regulations on Internet Information Security

Internet information in China is also regulated and restricted from a national security standpoint. The National People’s Congress, China’s national legislative body, has enacted the Decisions on Maintaining Internet Security, which may subject violators to criminal punishment in China for any effort to: (i) gain improper entry into a computer or system of strategic importance; (ii) disseminate politically disruptive information; (iii) leak state secrets; (iv) spread false commercial information; or (v) infringe intellectual property rights. The Ministry of Public Security has promulgated measures that prohibit use of the Internet in ways which, among other things, result in a leakage of state secrets or a spread of socially destabilizing content. If an Internet information service provider violates these measures, the Ministry of Public Security and the local security bureaus may revoke its operating license and shut down its websites. On November 7, 2016, Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress published the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, which became effective on June 1, 2017, and requires network operators to take technical measures and other necessary measures to ensure the secure and stable operation of the network, effectively respond to cyber security incidents, prevent illegal crimes committed on the network, and maintain the integrity, confidentiality and availability of cyber data.

In addition, the Guidelines require Internet finance service providers, including consumer lending platforms, among other things, to improve technology security standards, and safeguard customer and transaction information. The PBOC and other relevant regulatory authorities will jointly adopt the implementing rules and technology security standards.

The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures requires consumer lending information intermediaries to take the following measures:

(i)                                      according to the relevant national provisions on cyberspace security and the graded protection system for national information security, carry out the grading record-filing and class testing for information systems, have sophisticated cyberspace security facilities, such as firewalls, and facilities for intrusion detection, data encryption, and disaster recovery, as well as the relevant management systems of such facilities, establish relevant systems with regard to information technology management, technology risk management, and technology auditing, allocate sufficient resources, take thorough management and control measures and technological means to ensure the safe and steady operation of the information system, and protect the security of the information of lenders and borrowers;

(ii)                                   record and retain the Internet access logs of both parties involved in lending, information interaction and other data for a period of five years after the expiration of loan contracts, and shall give a comprehensive security evaluation at least once every two years, and permit the information security inspection and auditing by the state or relevant competent authorities of the industry;

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(iii)                                establish or adopt application-level disaster recovery systems and facilities compatible with their business scales within two years after their establishment;

(iv)                               enhance the business cooperation with the operating organizations of financial credit information basic database and credit reporting agencies, and provide, access and use the relevant financial credit information according to law;

(v)                                  consumer lending information intermediaries which use the digital authentication systems of third parties shall evaluate the third-party digital authentication organizations regularly so as to ensure the safety, reliability and independence of the relevant authentications; and

(vi)                               adopt proper methods and technologies to record and safe keep data and materials on consumer lending activities and back up data carefully. Such data and materials shall be kept for a certain period that meets the requirements of laws and regulations as well as the relevant regulatory provisions on consumer lending. Loan contracts shall be kept for at least five years after their expiry.

Regulations on Privacy Protection

In recent years, PRC government authorities have enacted laws and regulations on Internet use to protect personal information from any unauthorized disclosure. Under the Several Provisions on Regulating the Market Order of Internet Information Services issued by the MIIT in December 2011, an ICP service operator may not collect any user personal information or provide any such information to third parties without the consent of a user. An ICP service operator must expressly inform the users of the method, content and purpose of the collection and processing of such user personal information and may only collect such information necessary for the provision of its services. An ICP service operator is also required to properly maintain the user personal information, and in case of any leak or likely leak of the user personal information, the ICP service operator must take immediate remedial measures and, in severe circumstances, make an immediate report to the telecommunications regulatory authority. In addition, pursuant to the Decision on Strengthening the Protection of Online Information issued by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in December 2012 and the Order for the Protection of Telecommunication and Internet User Personal Information issued by the MIIT in July 2013, any collection and use of user personal information must be subject to the consent of the user, abide by the principles of legality, rationality and necessity and be within the specified purposes, methods and scopes. An ICP service operator must also keep such information strictly confidential, and is further prohibited from divulging, tampering or destroying any such information, or selling or providing such information to other parties. An ICP service operator is required to take technical and other measures to prevent the collected personal information from any unauthorized disclosure, damage or loss. Any violation of these laws and regulations may subject the ICP service operator to warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancellation of filings, closedown of websites or even criminal liabilities. The Cyber Security Law of the PRC which became effective on June 1, 2017 requires network operators to strictly keep confidential users’ personal information that they have collected, and establish and improve the users’ information protection system. The Guidelines also prohibit Internet finance service providers, including online consumer lending platforms, from illegally selling or disclosing customers’ personal information. The PBOC and other relevant regulatory authorities will jointly adopt the implementing rules. Pursuant to the Ninth Amendment to the Criminal Law issued by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in August 2015, and became effective in November 2015, any Internet service provider that fails to fulfill the obligations related to Internet information security administration as required by applicable laws and refuses to rectify upon orders, shall be subject to criminal penalty for (i) any dissemination of illegal information in large scale; (ii) any severe effect due to the leakage of the client’s information; (iii) any serious loss of criminal evidence; or (iv) other severe situation, and any individual or entity that (i) sells or provides personal information to others in a way that violates applicable law, or (ii) steals or illegally obtains any personal information, shall be subject to criminal penalty in severe situation. The Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly promulgated the Notice on Rectification of Illegal Collection of Personal Information on Application, or the Notice on Illegal Collection on January 23, 2019, which requires application operators to strictly comply with the Cyber Security Law of the PRC and strengthens the personal information protection. Application operators should, among others, (i) clearly state the authorized purpose, methods and scope of the collection and usage of personal information, and obtain the consent of users for collecting and processing such users’ personal information, and (ii) establish appropriate user information protection systems with remedial measures. To further implement and interpret the Notice on Illegal Collection, the Measures on Identifying Illegality of Personal Information Collection Conducts on Application was promulgated on November 28, 2019. The Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures require the consumer lending information intermediaries as well as the fund custodian agencies and other outsourcing service providers to keep confidential the lenders’ and borrowers’ information collected in the course of their business and that they do not use such information for any other purpose except for services they provide that do not require approval of lenders or borrowers.

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In operating our online consumer lending marketplace, we collect certain personal information from borrowers and investors and also need to share the information with our business partners, such as third-party online payment companies and loan collection service providers, for the purpose of facilitating loan transactions between borrowers and investors over our marketplace. We have obtained consent from the borrowers and investors on our marketplace to collect and use their personal information and have also established information security systems to protect the user information and privacy. However, there is uncertainty as to how the requirements for protecting customers’ personal information in the Guidelines and Online Lending Information Intermediaries Measures will be interpreted and implemented. We cannot assure you that our existing policies and procedures will be deemed to be in full compliance with any laws and regulations that may become applicable to us in the future.

Regulation on Intellectual Property Rights

The PRC has adopted comprehensive legislation governing intellectual property rights, including trademarks. The PRC Trademark Law and its implementation rules protect registered trademarks. The PRC Trademark Law has adopted a “first-to-file” principle with respect to trademark registration. The Trademark Office under the State Administration of Industry and Commerce is responsible for the registration and administration of trademarks throughout the PRC, and grants a term of ten years to registered trademarks and another ten years if requested upon expiry of the initial or extended term. Trademark license agreements must be filed with the Trademark Office for record. As of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, we have 34 registered trademarks and two trademark applications pending registration of transfer with the Trademark Office under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

Regulations Relating to Indirect Transfers and Dividend Withholding Tax

Pursuant to the EIT Law and its implementation rules, if a non-resident enterprise has not set up an organization or establishment in the PRC, or has set up an organization or establishment but the income derived has no actual connection with such organization or establishment, it will be subject to a withholding tax on its PRC-sourced income at a rate of 10%. In connection with the EIT Law, the SAT issued Circular 698, which became effective as of January 1, 2008, Circular 59 on April 30, 2009, and the SAT Announcement 7, on February 3, 2015. By promulgating and implementing the above, the PRC tax authorities have strengthened their scrutiny over the direct or indirect transfer of equity interest in a PRC resident enterprise by a non-PRC resident enterprise. Pursuant to SAT Announcement 7, if a non-resident enterprise, or referred to as a transferor, transfers its equity in an offshore enterprise which directly or indirectly owns PRC taxable assets, including ownership interest in PRC resident companies, or the Taxable Properties, without a “reasonable commercial purpose”, such transfer shall be deemed as a direct transfer of such Taxable Properties. The payer, or referred as a transferee, in such transfer shall be the withholding agent, and is obligated to withhold and remit the enterprise income tax to the relevant PRC tax authority. If a transferor fails to declare for payment timely or in full of the tax due on proceeds from indirect transfer of PRC taxable assets and the withholding agent also fails to withhold such tax, the tax authority shall, in addition to supplementary collection of such tax, also charge for interest on a daily basis from the transferor according to the EIT Law and its implementation rules. Factors that may be taken into consideration when determining whether there is a reasonable commercial purpose include, among other factors, the value of the transferred equity, offshore taxable situation of the transaction, the offshore structure’s economic essence and duration and trading fungibility. If an equity transfer transaction satisfies all the requirements mentioned above, such transaction will be considered an arrangement with reasonable commercial purpose. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017 and amended in June 2018, which, among others, repeals certain rules stipulated in Circular 7. Bulletin 37 further details and clarifies the tax withholding methods in respect of income of non-resident enterprises.

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Pursuant to the Double Taxation Avoidance Arrangement, the withholding tax rate in respect to the payment of dividends by a PRC enterprise to a Hong Kong enterprise is reduced to 5% from a standard rate of 10% if the Hong Kong enterprise directly holds at least 25% of the PRC enterprise. Pursuant to Circular 81, a Hong Kong resident enterprise must meet the following conditions, among others, in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax: (i) it must be the beneficial owners of the relevant dividends; and (ii) it must have directly owned at least 25% of the PRC resident enterprise throughout the 12 months prior to receiving the dividends. However, a transaction or arrangement entered into for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment should not be a reason for the application of the favorable tax treatment under the Double Taxation Avoidance Arrangement. If a taxpayer inappropriately is entitled to such favorable tax treatment, the competent tax authority has the power to make appropriate adjustments. In August 2015, the State Administration of Taxation promulgated Circular 60, which became effective on November 1, 2015.  Circular 60 provides that non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax rate. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate, and file necessary forms and supporting documents when performing tax filings, which will be subject to post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. On October 14, 2019, the State Administration of Taxation promulgated a new Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Taxpayers to Enjoy Treaty Benefits, or Circular 35, which became effective on January 1, 2020 and replaced and repealed Circular 60. However, Circular 35 sets forth similar rules that non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents shall enjoy treaty benefit by means of “self-judgment of eligibility, declaration of entitlement, and retention of relevant materials for future reference”. Accordingly, Hexindai HK, our Hong Kong subsidiary, may be able to enjoy the 5% withholding tax rate for the dividends they receive from Hexin Yongheng, our PRC subsidiary, if it satisfies the conditions prescribed under Circular 81 and other relevant tax rules and regulations. However, according to Circular 81 and Circular 35, if the relevant tax authorities consider the transactions or arrangements we have are for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment, the relevant tax authorities may adjust the favorable withholding tax in the future.

According to the Circular on Several Issues regarding the “ beneficial owner” in Tax Treaties, which was issued on February 3, 2018 by the SAT and has taken effect from April 1, 2018, or Circular 9, when determining the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including without limitation whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of his or her income in 12 months to residents in a third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties levies any tax or grants tax exemption on relevant incomes or levies tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account, and such determination will be analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases. Circular 9 further provides that applicants who intend to prove his or her status of the “beneficial owner” shall submit the relevant documents to the relevant tax authority according to Circular 35. Based on Circular 35, non-resident enterprises are not required to file supporting documents when submitting one necessary form to the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax rate. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate, and preserve the supporting documents for post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. However, if a competent tax authority finds out that it is necessary to apply the general anti-tax avoidance rules, it may start general investigation procedures for anti-tax avoidance and adopt corresponding measures for subsequent administration.

Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange

Regulation on Foreign Currency Exchange

The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China are the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, most recently amended in August 2008. Under the PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. By contrast, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital account items, such as direct investments, repayment of foreign currency-denominated loans, repatriation of investments and investments in securities outside of China.

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In November 2012, SAFE promulgated the Circular of Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Foreign Direct Investment, mostly recently amended in December 2019, which substantially amends and simplifies the current foreign exchange procedure. Pursuant to this circular, the opening of various special purpose foreign exchange accounts, such as pre-establishment expenses accounts, foreign exchange capital accounts and guarantee accounts, the reinvestment of RMB proceeds derived by foreign investors in the PRC, and remittance of foreign exchange profits and dividends by a foreign-invested enterprise to its foreign shareholders no longer require the approval or verification of SAFE, and multiple capital accounts for the same entity may be opened in different provinces, which was not possible previously. In addition, SAFE promulgated another circular in May 2013, which specifies that the administration by SAFE or its local branches over direct investment by foreign investors in the PRC must be conducted by way of registration and banks must process foreign exchange business relating to the direct investment in the PRC based on the registration information provided by SAFE and its branches. On February 13, 2015, the SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13. After SAFE Notice 13 became effective on June 1, 2015, instead of applying for approvals regarding foreign exchange registrations of foreign direct investment and overseas direct investment from SAFE, entities and individuals will be required to apply for such foreign exchange registrations from qualified banks. The qualified banks, under the supervision of the SAFE, will directly examine the applications and conduct the registration.

On March 30, 2015, the SAFE promulgated Circular 19, to expand the pilot reform of the administration of the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of foreign-invested enterprises nationwide. Circular 19 allows foreign-invested enterprises to make equity investments by using RMB fund converted from foreign exchange capital. However, Circular 19 continues to, prohibit foreign-invested enterprises from, among other things, using RMB fund converted from its foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond its business scope, providing entrusted loans or repaying loans between non-financial enterprises.

On June 9, 2016, the SAFE promulgated Circular 16, which expands the application scope from only the capital of the foreign-invested enterprises to the capital, the foreign debt fund and the fund from oversea public offering. Also, Circular 16 allows the enterprises to use their foreign exchange capitals under capital account allowed by the relevant laws and regulations.

Regulations on Foreign Exchange Registration of Overseas Investment by PRC Residents

SAFE issued the SAFE Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, that became effective in July 2014, replacing the previous SAFE Circular 75. SAFE Circular 37 regulates foreign exchange matters in relation to the use of special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, by PRC residents or entities to seek offshore investment and financing or conduct round trip investment in China. Under SAFE Circular 37, a SPV refers to an offshore entity established or controlled, directly or indirectly, by PRC residents or entities for the purpose of seeking offshore financing or making offshore investment, using legitimate onshore or offshore assets or interests, while “round trip investment” refers to direct investment in China by PRC residents or entities through SPVs, namely, establishing foreign-invested enterprises to obtain the ownership, control rights and management rights. SAFE Circular 37 provides that, before making contribution into an SPV, PRC residents or entities are required to complete foreign exchange registration with SAFE or its local branch. SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment in February 2015, which took effect on June 1, 2015. This notice has amended SAFE Circular 37 requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks rather than SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing.

PRC residents or entities who had contributed legitimate onshore or offshore interests or assets to SPVs but had not obtained registration as required before the implementation of the SAFE Circular 37 must register their ownership interests or control in the SPVs with qualified banks. An amendment to the registration is required if there is a material change with respect to the SPV registered, such as any change of basic information (including change of the PRC residents, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, and mergers or divisions. Failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in SAFE Circular 37 and the subsequent notice, or making misrepresentation on or failure to disclose controllers of the foreign-invested enterprise that is established through round-trip investment, may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant foreign-invested enterprise, including payment of dividends and other distributions, such as proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation, to its offshore parent or affiliate, and the capital inflow from the offshore parent, and may also subject relevant PRC residents or entities to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations.

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We are aware that our PRC resident beneficial owners subject to these registration requirements have registered with the Beijing SAFE branch.

Regulations on Stock Incentive Plans

SAFE promulgated the Stock Option Rules in February 2012, replacing the previous rules issued by SAFE in March 2007. Under the Stock Option Rules and other relevant rules and regulations, PRC residents who participate in stock incentive plan in an overseas publicly-listed company are required to register with SAFE or its local branches and complete certain other procedures. Participants of a stock incentive plan who are PRC residents must retain a qualified PRC agent, which could be a PRC subsidiary of the overseas publicly listed company or another qualified institution selected by the PRC subsidiary, to conduct the SAFE registration and other procedures with respect to the stock incentive plan on behalf of the participants. In addition, the PRC agent is required to amend the SAFE registration with respect to the stock incentive plan if there is any material change to the stock incentive plan, the PRC agent or other material changes. The PRC agent must, on behalf of the PRC residents who have the right to exercise the employee share options, apply to SAFE or its local branches for an annual quota for the payment of foreign currencies in connection with the PRC residents’ exercise of the employee share options. The foreign exchange proceeds received by the PRC residents from the sale of shares under the stock incentive plans granted and dividends distributed by the overseas listed companies must be remitted into the bank accounts in the PRC opened by the PRC agents before distribution to such PRC residents.

We have adopted a share incentive plan, under which we have the discretion to grant a broad range of equity-based awards to eligible participants. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plan.” However, any failure to complete the registration pursuant to the Stock Option Rules and other foreign exchange requirements may subject these PRC individuals to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiary, limit our PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends to us or otherwise materially adversely affect our business.

Regulations on Dividend Distribution

Under our current corporate structure, our Cayman Islands holding company may rely on dividend payments from Hexin Yongheng, which is a wholly foreign-owned enterprise incorporated in China, to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. The principal regulations governing distribution of dividends of foreign-invested enterprises include the Company Law and Foreign Investment Law and its implementation rules. Under these laws and regulations, wholly foreign-owned enterprises in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated after-tax profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, wholly foreign-owned enterprises in China are required to allocate at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until these reserves have reached 50% of the registered capital of the enterprises. Wholly foreign-owned companies may, at their discretion, allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to staff welfare and bonus funds. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends.

Regulations Relating to Employment

The PRC Labor Law and the Labor Contract Law require that employers must execute written employment contracts with full-time employees. If an employer fails to enter into a written employment contract with an employee within one year from the date on which the employment relationship is established, the employer must rectify the situation by entering into a written employment contract with the employee and pay the employee twice the employee’s salary for the period from the day following the lapse of one month from the date of establishment of the employment relationship to the day prior to the execution of the written employment contract. All employers must compensate their employees with wages equal to at least the local minimum wage standards. Violations of the PRC Labor Law and the Labor Contract Law may result in the imposition of fines and other administrative sanctions, and serious violations may result in criminal liabilities.

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Enterprises in China are required by PRC laws and regulations to participate in certain employee benefit plans, including social insurance funds, namely a pension plan, a medical insurance plan, an unemployment insurance plan, a work-related injury insurance plan and a maternity insurance plan, and a housing provident fund, and contribute to the plans or funds in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of the employees as specified by the local government from time to time at locations where they operate their businesses or where they are located. Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans may be subject to fines and other administrative sanctions. Also, enterprises in China are required by PRC laws and regulations to serve as the individual income tax withholding agents and withhold individual income tax from their employees accordingly.

We have not made adequate contributions to employee benefit plans, as required by applicable PRC laws and regulations. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.”

C.                                    Organizational Structure

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F:

Notes:

(1)           HX Asia Investment Limited holds 19.99% equity stake of Musketeer Group Inc., an Indonesian online lending platform that offers consumption installment loans.

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(2)           HX China Investment Limited holds 5.88% equity stake of Phoenix Intelligent Credit Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phoenix Financial Group Ltd and operator of one of China’s leading peer-to-peer lending (P2P) platforms.

Contractual Arrangements with Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital

Due to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership and investment in value-added telecommunications services, and Internet content provision services in particular, we currently conduct these activities through Hexin E-Commerce and Wusu Company, which we effectively control through a series of contractual arrangements. These contractual arrangements allow us to:

·                                         exercise effective control over Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital;

·                                         receive substantially all of the economic benefits of Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital; and

·                                         have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital when and to the extent permitted by PRC law.

As a result of these contractual arrangements, we have become the primary beneficiary of Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital, and we treat Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital as our variable interest entities under US GAAP. We have consolidated the financial results of Hexin E-Commerce, Wusu Company and Hexin Digital in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with US GAAP.

The following is a summary of the currently effective (i) contractual arrangements by and among our wholly-owned subsidiary, Hexin Yongheng, our consolidated variable interest entity, Hexin E-Commerce, and the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce, (ii) contractual arrangements by and among our wholly-owned subsidiary, Hexin Yongheng, our consolidated variable interest entity, Wusu Company, and the shareholders of Wusu Company and (iii) contractual arrangements by and among our wholly-owned subsidiary, Hexin Yongheng, our consolidated variable interest entity, Hexin Digital and Hexin Jinke, the shareholders of Hexin Digital.

Agreements that Provide us Effective Control over Hexin E-Commerce

Equity Interest Pledge Agreements . Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreements, each shareholder of Hexin E-Commerce has pledged all of his equity interest in Hexin E-Commerce to guarantee the shareholder’s and Hexin E-Commerce’s performance of their obligations under the exclusive business cooperation agreement, loan agreement, exclusive option agreement and power of attorney. If Hexin E-Commerce or any of its shareholders breaches their contractual obligations under these agreements, Hexin Yongheng, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights regarding the pledged equity interests, including being paid in priority based on the monetary valuation that the equity interest is converted into or receiving proceeds from the auction or sale of the pledged equity interests of Hexin E-Commerce in accordance with the PRC law. Each of the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce agrees that, during the term of the equity interest pledge agreements, he will not transfer the pledged equity interests or place or permit the existence of any security interest or encumbrance on the pledged equity interests without the prior written consent of Hexin Yongheng. The equity interest pledge agreements remain effective until Hexin E-Commerce and its shareholders discharge all of their obligations under the contractual arrangements. We have registered the equity pledge with the relevant office of the Administration for Industry and Commerce in accordance with the PRC Property Rights Law.

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Powers of Attorney . Pursuant to the powers of attorney, each shareholder of Hexin E-Commerce has irrevocably appointed Hexin Yongheng to act as such shareholder’s exclusive attorney-in-fact to exercise all shareholder rights, including, but not limited to, voting on all matters of Hexin E-Commerce requiring shareholder approval, disposing of all or part of the shareholder’s equity interest in Hexin E-Commerce, and appointing directors and executive officers. Hexin Yongheng is entitled to designate any person to act as such shareholder’s exclusive attorney-in-fact without notifying or the approval of such shareholder, and if required by PRC law, Hexin Yongheng shall designate a PRC citizen to exercise such right. Each power of attorney will remain in force for so long as the shareholder remains a shareholder of Hexin E-Commerce. Each shareholder has waived all the rights which have been authorized to Hexin Yongheng and will not exercise such rights.

Spousal Consent Letter . The spouse of Mr. Xiaobin Zhai signed a spousal consent letter on November 1, 2016. Mr. Zhai holds 5.0% equity interest in Hexin E-Commerce. Under the spousal consent letter, the signing spouse unconditionally and irrevocably agreed to Mr. Zhai’s execution of the equity interest pledge agreement, the exclusive option agreement, the power of attorney and the loan agreement. The signing spouse undertook not to make any assertions upon those shares. The signing spouse further confirmed that her authorization and consent are not needed for any amendment or termination of the abovementioned agreements and undertook to execute and take all necessary measures to ensure the appropriate performance of those agreements.

Agreement that Allows us to Receive Economic Benefits from Hexin E-Commerce

Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement . Under the exclusive business cooperation agreement between Hexin Yongheng and Hexin E-Commerce, Hexin Yongheng has the exclusive right to provide Hexin E-Commerce with technical support, consulting services and other services. Without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, Hexin E-Commerce agrees not to accept the same or any similar services provided by any third party. Hexin Yongheng may designate other parties to provide services to Hexin E-Commerce. Hexin E-Commerce agrees to pay service fees on a monthly basis and at an amount determined by Hexin Yongheng after taking into account multiple factors, such as the complexity and difficulty of the services provided, the time consumed, the content and commercial value of services provided and the market price of comparable services. Hexin Yongheng owns the intellectual property rights arising out of the performance of this agreement. In addition, Hexin E-Commerce has granted Hexin Yongheng an irrevocable and exclusive option to purchase any or all of the assets and businesses of Hexin E-Commerce at the lowest price permitted under PRC law. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties or terminated by Hexin Yongheng unilaterally, this agreement will remain effective permanently.

Agreements that Provide us with the Option to Purchase the Equity Interest in Hexin E-Commerce

Exclusive Option Agreements . Pursuant to the exclusive option agreements, each shareholder of Hexin E-Commerce has irrevocably granted Hexin Yongheng an exclusive option to purchase, or have its designated person or persons to purchase, at its discretion, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or part of the shareholder’s equity interests in Hexin E-Commerce. The purchase price is RMB1 (US$0.1) or the minimum price required by PRC law. If Hexin Yongheng exercises the option to purchase part of the equity interest held by a shareholder, the purchase price shall be calculated proportionally. Hexin E-Commerce and each of its shareholders have agreed to appoint any persons designated by Hexin Yongheng to act as Hexin E-Commerce’s directors. Without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, Hexin E-Commerce shall not amend its articles of association, increase or decrease the registered capital, sell or otherwise dispose of its assets or beneficial interest, create or allow any encumbrance on its assets or other beneficial interests, provide any loans to any third parties, enter into any material contract with a value of more than RMB100,000 (US$14,123) (except those contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business), merge with or acquire any other persons or make any investments, or distribute dividends to the shareholders. The shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce have agreed that, without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, they will not dispose of their equity interests in Hexin E-Commerce or create or allow any encumbrance on their equity interests. These agreements will remain effective until all equity interests of Hexin E-Commerce held by its shareholders have been transferred or assigned to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s).

Loan Agreements . Pursuant to the loan agreements between Hexin Yongheng and the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce, Hexin Yongheng made loans in an aggregate amount of RMB510.0 million (US$72.0 million) to the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce solely for the capitalization of Hexin E-Commerce. Pursuant to the loan agreement, the method of repayment shall be at the sole discretion of Hexin Yongheng. At the option of Hexin Yongheng, shareholders shall repay the loans by the transfer of all their equity interest in Hexin E-Commerce to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s) pursuant to their respective exclusive option agreements. The shareholders must pay all of the proceeds from sale of such equity interests to Hexin Yongheng. In the event that shareholders sell their equity interests to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s) with a price equivalent to or less than the amount of the principal, the loans will be interest free. If the price is higher than the amount of the principal, the excess amount will be paid to Hexin Yongheng as the loan interest. The loan must be repaid immediately under certain circumstances, including, among others, if a foreign investor is permitted to hold majority or 100% equity interest in Hexin E-Commerce and Hexin Yongheng elects to exercise its exclusive equity purchase option. The term of the loans is ten years and can be extended upon mutual written consent of the parties.

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Agreements that Provide us Effective Control over Wusu Company

Equity Interest Pledge Agreements. Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreements, each shareholder of Wusu Company has pledged all of its equity interest in Wusu Company to guarantee the shareholder’s and Wusu Company’s performance of their obligations under the exclusive business cooperation agreement, loan agreement, exclusive option agreement and power of attorney. If Wusu Company or any of its shareholders breaches their contractual obligations under these agreements, Hexin Yongheng, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights regarding the pledged equity interests, including being paid in priority based on the monetary valuation that the equity interest is converted into or receiving proceeds from the auction or sale of the pledged equity interests of Wusu Company in accordance with the PRC law. Each of the shareholders of Wusu Company agrees that, during the term of the equity interest pledge agreements, he will not transfer the pledged equity interests or place or permit the existence of any security interest or encumbrance on the pledged equity interests without the prior written consent of Hexin Yongheng. The equity interest pledge agreements remain effective until Wusu Company and its shareholders discharge all of their obligations under the contractual arrangements. We have registered the equity pledge with the relevant office of the Administration for Industry and Commerce in accordance with the PRC Property Rights Law.

Powers of Attorney. Pursuant to the powers of attorney, each shareholder of Wusu Company has irrevocably appointed Hexin Yongheng to act as such shareholder’s exclusive attorney-in-fact to exercise all shareholder rights, including, but not limited to, voting on all matters of Wusu Company requiring shareholder approval, disposing of all or part of the shareholder’s equity interest in Wusu Company, and appointing directors and executive officers. Hexin Yongheng is entitled to designate any person to act as such shareholder’s exclusive attorney-in-fact without notifying or the approval of such shareholder, and if required by PRC law, Hexin Yongheng shall designate a PRC citizen to exercise such right. Each power of attorney will remain in force for so long as the shareholder remains a shareholder of Wusu Company. Each shareholder has waived all the rights which have been authorized to Hexin Yongheng and will not exercise such rights.

Spousal Consent Letter. The spouse of Mr. Ming Jia signed a spousal consent letter on January 1, 2018. Mr. Ming Jia holds 25.0% equity interest in Wusu Company. Under the spousal consent letter, the signing spouse unconditionally and irrevocably agreed to Mr. Ming Jia’s execution of the equity interest pledge agreement, the exclusive option agreement, the power of attorney and the loan agreement. The signing spouse undertook not to make any assertions upon those shares. The signing spouse further confirmed that her authorization and consent are not needed for any amendment or termination of the abovementioned agreements and undertook to execute and take all necessary measures to ensure the appropriate performance of those agreements.

Agreement that Allows us to Receive Economic Benefits from Wusu Company

Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement. Under the exclusive business cooperation agreement between Hexin Yongheng and Wusu Company, Hexin Yongheng has the exclusive right to provide Wusu Company with technical support, consulting services and other services. Without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, Wusu Company agrees not to accept the same or any similar services provided by any third party. Hexin Yongheng may designate other parties to provide services to Wusu Company. Wusu Company agrees to pay service fees on a monthly basis and at an amount determined by Hexin Yongheng after taking into account multiple factors, such as the complexity and difficulty of the services provided, the time consumed, the content and commercial value of services provided and the market price of comparable services. Hexin Yongheng owns the intellectual property rights arising out of the performance of this agreement. In addition, Wusu Company has granted Hexin Yongheng an irrevocable and exclusive option to purchase any or all of the assets and businesses of Wusu Company at the lowest price permitted under PRC law. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties or terminated by Hexin Yongheng unilaterally, this agreement will remain effective permanently.

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Agreements that Provide us with the Option to Purchase the Equity Interest in Wusu Company

Exclusive Option Agreements of Wusu Company. Pursuant to the exclusive option agreements, each shareholder of Wusu Company has irrevocably granted Hexin Yongheng an exclusive option to purchase, or have its designated person or persons to purchase, at its discretion, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or part of the shareholder’s equity interests in Wusu Company. The purchase price is RMB10 (US$1.4) or the minimum price required by PRC law. If Hexin Yongheng exercises the option to purchase part of the equity interest held by a shareholder, the purchase price shall be calculated proportionally. Wusu Company and each of its shareholders have agreed to appoint any persons designated by Hexin Yongheng to act as Wusu Company’s directors. Without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, Wusu Company shall not amend its articles of association, increase or decrease the registered capital, sell or otherwise dispose of its assets or beneficial interest, create or allow any encumbrance on its assets or other beneficial interests, provide any loans to any third parties, enter into any material contract with a value of more than RMB100,000 (US$14,123) (except those contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business), merge with or acquire any other persons or make any investments, or distribute dividends to the shareholders. The shareholders of Wusu Company have agreed that, without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, they will not dispose of their equity interests in Wusu Company or create or allow any encumbrance on their equity interests. These agreements will remain effective until all equity interests of Wusu Company held by its shareholders have been transferred or assigned to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s).

Loan Agreements of Wusu Company. Pursuant to the three loan agreements between Hexin Yongheng and the shareholders of Wusu Company on January 1, 2018, Hexin Yongheng agreed to lend in an aggregate amount of RMB100.0 million (US$14.1 million) to the shareholders of Wusu Company solely for the capitalization of Wusu Company, including RMB 70.0 million (US$9.9 million) to Hexin E-commerce and RMB 30.0 million (US$4.2 million) to the non-controlling interest shareholders. During the year ended March 31, 2019, Hexin Yongheng agreed to lend an additional RMB 400.0 million (US$56.5 million) to Hexin E-commerce for the capitalisation of Wusu Company. As of March 31, 2020 and 2019, the amount of the loans totaling RMB30.0 million (US$4.2 million) to the non-controlling interest shareholders were funded. Pursuant to the loan agreements, the method of repayment shall be at the sole discretion of Hexin Yongheng. At the option of Hexin Yongheng, shareholders shall repay the loans by the transfer of all their equity interest in Wusu Company to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s) pursuant to their respective exclusive option agreements. The shareholders must pay all of the proceeds from sale of such equity interests to Wusu Company. In the event that shareholders sell their equity interests to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s) with a price equivalent to or less than the amount of the principal, the loans will be interest free. If the price is higher than the amount of the principal, the excess amount will be paid to Hexin Yongheng as the loan interest. The loan must be repaid immediately under certain circumstances, including, among others, if a foreign investor is permitted to hold majority or 100% equity interest in Wusu Company and Hexin Yongheng elects to exercise its exclusive equity purchase option. The term of the loans is ten years and can be extended upon mutual written consent of the parties.

Agreements that Provide us Effective Control over Hexin Digital

Equity Interest Pledge Agreement. Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreement dated August 1, 2019, Hexin Jinke has pledged all of its equity interest in Hexin Digital to guarantee Hexin Jinke’s and Hexin Digital’s performance of their obligations under the exclusive business cooperation agreement, loan agreement, exclusive option agreement and power of attorney. If Hexin Digital or Hexin Jinke breaches their applicable contractual obligations under these agreements, Hexin Yongheng, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights regarding the pledged equity interests, including being paid in priority based on the monetary valuation that the equity interest is converted into or receiving proceeds from the auction or sale of the pledged equity interests of Hexin Digital in accordance with the PRC law. Hexin Jinke agrees that, during the term of the equity interest pledge agreements, it will not transfer the pledged equity interests or place or permit the existence of any security interest or encumbrance on the pledged equity interests without the prior written consent of Hexin Yongheng. The equity interest pledge agreements remain effective until Hexin Digital and Hexin Jinke discharge all of their obligations under the contractual arrangements. We are in the process of the equity pledge registration with the relevant office of the Administration for Industry and Commerce in accordance with the PRC Property Rights Law.

Powers of Attorney. Pursuant to the power of attorney dated August 1, 2019, Hexin Jinke has irrevocably appointed Hexin Yongheng to act as its exclusive attorney-in-fact to exercise all shareholder rights, including, but not limited to, voting on all matters of Hexin Digital requiring shareholder approval, disposing of all or part of the shareholder’s equity interest in Hexin Digital, and appointing directors and executive officers. Hexin Yongheng is entitled to designate any person to act as such shareholder’s exclusive attorney-in-fact without notifying or the approval of such shareholder, and if required by PRC law, Hexin Yongheng shall designate a PRC citizen to exercise such right. The power of attorney will remain in force for so long as Hexin Jinke remains a shareholder of Hexin Digital. Hexin Jinke has waived all the rights which have been authorized to Hexin Yongheng and will not exercise such rights.

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Agreement that Allows us to Receive Economic Benefits from Hexin Digital

Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement. Under the exclusive business cooperation agreement dated August 1, 2019 between Hexin Yongheng and Hexin Digital, Hexin Yongheng has the exclusive right to provide Hexin Digital with technical support, consulting services and other services. Without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, Heixn Digital agrees not to accept the same or any similar services provided by any third party. Hexin Yongheng may designate other parties to provide services to Hexin Digital. Hexin Digital agrees to pay service fees on a monthly basis and at an amount determined by Hexin Yongheng after taking into account multiple factors, such as the complexity and difficulty of the services provided, the time consumed, the content and commercial value of services provided and the market price of comparable services. Hexin Yongheng owns the intellectual property rights arising out of the performance of this agreement. In addition, Hexin Digital has granted Hexin Yongheng an irrevocable and exclusive option to purchase any or all of the assets and businesses of Hexin Digital at the lowest price permitted under PRC law. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties or terminated by Hexin Yongheng unilaterally, this agreement will remain effective permanently.

Agreements that Provide us with the Option to Purchase the Equity Interest in Hexin Digital

Exclusive Option Agreements of Hexin Digital. Pursuant to the exclusive option agreement dated August 1, 2019, Hexin Jinke, shareholder of Hexin Digital, has irrevocably granted Hexin Yongheng an exclusive right to purchase, or have its designated person or persons to purchase, at its discretion, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or part of the shareholder’s equity interests in Hexin Digital. The purchase price is RMB10 (US$1.4) or the minimum price required by PRC law. If Hexin Yongheng exercises the option to purchase part of the equity interest held by a shareholder, the purchase price shall be calculated proportionally. Hexin Digital and Hexin Jinke have agreed to appoint any persons designated by Hexin Yongheng to act as Hexin Digital’s directors. Without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, Hexin Digital shall not amend its articles of association, increase or decrease the registered capital, sell or otherwise dispose of its assets or beneficial interest, create or allow any encumbrance on its assets or other beneficial interests, provide any loans to any third parties, enter into any material contract with a value of more than RMB100,000 (US$14,123) (except those contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business), merge with or acquire any other persons or make any investments, or distribute dividends to the shareholders. Hexin Jinke has agreed that, without Hexin Yongheng’s prior written consent, it will not dispose of its equity interests in Hexin Digital or create or allow any encumbrance on its equity interests (except as permitted under the power of attorney or the equity interest pledge agreement). These agreements will remain effective until all equity interests of Hexin Digital held by its shareholder have been transferred or assigned to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s).

Loan Agreement of Hexin Digital. Pursuant to the loan agreement between Hexin Yongheng and Hexin Jinke dated August 1, 2019, Hexin Yongheng made loans in an aggregate amount of RMB100.0 million (US$14.1 million) to Hexin Jinke solely for the capitalization of Hexin Digital. Pursuant to the loan agreement, the method of repayment shall be at the sole discretion of Hexin Yongheng. At the option of Hexin Yongheng, Hexin Jinke shall repay the loans by the transfer of all its equity interest in Hexin Digital to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s) pursuant to its respective exclusive option agreement. Hexin Jinke must pay all of the proceeds from sale of such equity interests to Hexin Yongheng. In the event that Hexin Jinke sells its equity interests to Hexin Yongheng or its designated person(s) with a price equivalent to or less than the amount of the principal, the loans will be interest free. If the price is higher than the amount of the principal, the excess amount will be paid to Hexin Yongheng as the loan interest. The loan must be repaid immediately under certain circumstances, including, among others, if a foreign investor is permitted to hold majority or 100% equity interest in Hexin Digital and Hexin Yongheng elects to exercise its exclusive equity purchase option. The term of the loans is ten years and can be extended upon mutual written consent of the parties.

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Compliance with PRC Law

In the opinion of Han Kun Law Offices, our PRC counsel:

·                                         the ownership structures of (i) Hexin Yongheng and Hexin E-Commerce, (ii) Hexin Yongheng and Wusu Company and (iii) Hexin Yongheng and Hexin Digital currently will not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect; and

·                                         the contractual arrangements among Hexin Yongheng, Hexin E-Commerce and the shareholders of Hexin E-Commerce, the contractual arrangements among Hexin Yongheng, Wusu Company and the shareholders of Wusu Company and among Hexin Yongheng, Hexin Digital and Hexin Jinke, governed by PRC law, currently are valid, binding and enforceable, and do not and will not result in any violation of PRC laws or regulations currently in effect.

However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules. On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. Under the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. Although it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities under the definition in the future. In addition, the definition contains a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. If the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating our business do not comply with PRC government restrictions on foreign investment in value-added telecommunications services businesses, such as internet content provision services, we could be subject to severe penalties, including being prohibited from continuing operations. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Relationship with Hexin Group and Our Corporate Structure—If the PRC government decides that our contractual arrangements under the variable interest entity structure do not comply with PRC regulations, or if the regulatory environment changes, we may have to change our business model and/or be subject to penalties”, “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of Internet-related businesses and companies, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.”, “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to PRC Laws Regulating Our Business and Industry—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.”

Our Relationship with Hexin Group

Hexin Information, incorporated in December 2015, and Hexin Financial Information, incorporated in April 2014, are both wholly-owned by Hexin Financial Technology as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. Mr. Xiaobo An is the sole executive director and beneficial owner of Hexin Financial Technology, and therefore controls each of Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information. Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information are both engaged in the provision of financial advisory services, including investment advisory, investment consulting, asset management services, project investment and insurance brokerage services, lease financing and health management services to urban and rural residents in China, including small and micro-enterprise owners, fixed income employees, college students and rural households. The provision of investment consulting services, including asset management services, project investment management and insurance brokerage services, represent the most profitable business activity of Hexin Group. The Business strategies of each of Hexin Information, Hexin Financial Information and Hexin E-Commerce have been designed by Mr. Xiaobo An together with their separate management teams since their respective inceptions of business. Both management and the decision making processes of Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information are separate from those of Hexin E-Commerce and our company. Although all of these entities operate under the same “Hexin” brand and cooperate in business referral activities, the management and economic interests of these entities are kept separate.

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Before January 12, 2017, we were developing our business and did not have an independent, standalone banking operations team to deal with the complex banking transactions with and between the investors and borrowers through our online marketplace. As a temporary measure, Hexin E-Commerce used Hexin Group’s centralized treasury system as it was more efficient to use Hexin Group’s existing knowhow and manpower. With the implementation of a more sophisticated internal control system, competent professionals and managerial expertise, we separated our treasury management function from the Hexin Group on January 12, 2017. The net balance of funds, totaling approximately RMB62.2 million (US$8.8 million), which was the amount due to Hexin E-Commerce as of September 30, 2016, was paid to us in full on September 27, 2017, in accordance with a memorandum signed by Hexin Information, Hexin Financial Information and us. As of March 31, 2020, we did not have any amount due from Hexin Information or Hexin Financial Information.

Hexin E-Commerce has relied on Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information with respect to acquisition of borrowers through offline networks. Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information had extensive on-the-ground sales networks, and have each accumulated an extensive offline borrower base. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, the total amount of loans to borrowers acquired through our offline channels constituted 80.9% of the total amount of loans we facilitated, compared to 76.9% and 88.7% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Borrowers referred by Hexin Information or Hexin Financial Information enter into separate agreements with each of Hexin E-Commerce and Hexin Information or Hexin Financial Information and pay consultation fees separately. Hexin E-Commerce does not pay fees to Hexin Information or Hexin Financial Information with respect to such referrals.

We had shifted our focus from secured loans to unsecured credit loans and expect Hexin Group to leverage all of its physical branches to provide referrals of borrowers for unsecured credit loans. Hexin E-Commerce has entered into a framework cooperation agreement with Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information with respect to their offline borrower referral and service arrangements in order to codify and formalize such historical business arrangements. Pursuant to this agreement, the parties will continue the referral cooperation under the existing business model, and no direct fees will incur between them. In addition, Hexin Group shall direct offline borrowers to Hexin E-Commerce for the facilitation of loan products on our online marketplace and should obtain the explicit consent of Hexin E-Commerce before Hexin Group pursues any business opportunity by offering loan services and/or products to any offline borrower.

D.                                    Property, Plants and Equipment

Our headquarters are located in Beijing. We have leased an aggregate of approximately 2,463 square meters of office space for our headquarters in Beijing and 125 square meters of office space for our subsidiaries and branches in other cities in China as of March 31, 2020. We lease our premises from unrelated third parties under operating lease agreements. The lease terms vary from one to two years. Our servers are primarily hosted at internet data centers owned by major domestic internet data center providers. The hosting services agreements typically have one-year terms. We believe that we will be able to obtain adequate facilities, principally through leasing, to accommodate our future expansion plans.

ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F. This discussion and analysis may contain forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” or in other parts of this annual report on Form 20-F.

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A.                                    Operating Results

Overview

We are a mobile e-commerce and consumer lending platform in China. We facilitate credit loans ranging from RMB1,500 (US$212) to RMB200,000 (US$28,245), with a primary focus on facilitating medium-sized credit loans ranging from RMB20,000 (US$2,825) to RMB160,000 (US$22,596) to borrowers on our online marketplace. We offer borrowers a wide range of products designed based on customer segmentation data and tailored to the specific needs of the emerging middle class in China. We offer investors various types of investment products with appropriate risk levels and risk-adjusted returns. In August 2017, we established our online microlending business, which offers loans ranging from RMB0.1 million (US$14,123) to RMB6.0 million (US$0.8 million) to microlending borrowers with terms of 12 to 36 months on a lower APR than that of our credit loans. Considering the regulatory environment and its impact on the online lending information intermediaries, we have ceased to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since November 2019. We are still in the process of applying for an online microcredit company license in China and refining our business model to identify business opportunities that could complement our existing businesses.

In May 2020, we launched Xiaobai Maimai, a new form of social e-commerce mobile platform offering high-quality and affordable branded products. Xiaobai Maimai will leverage our integrated buyer resources to select and source goods globally, and rewards users with a small commission for every purchase, share or recommendation of a product made to friends. Such social e-commerce model is designed to benefit customers with commissions for shopping and sharing products and help reduce our marketing expenses, which will position us to further drive the transformation of business and support sustainable growth going forward.

Our Relationship with Hexin Group

Hexin Information, incorporated in December 2015, and Hexin Financial Information, incorporated in April 2014, are both wholly-owned by Hexin Financial Technology as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F. Mr. Xiaobo An is the sole executive director and beneficial owner of Hexin Financial Technology, and therefore controls each of Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information. Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information are both engaged in the provision of financial advisory services, including investment advisory, investment consulting and asset management services, to urban and rural residents in China, including small and micro-enterprise owners, fixed income employees, college students and rural households. In addition to referring borrower applicants to us, both Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information also cooperate with other financial institutions in the normal course of business for each of its independent business operations. Except as otherwise disclosed in this annual report on Form 20-F, the operations, financial and business administration functions of Hexin Group are separate from Hexin E-Commerce and our Company. Hexin Group and Hexin E-Commerce have separate management teams, and their decision-making processes are also separate. Although Hexin E-Commerce, Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information operate under the same “Hexin” brand and cooperate in business referral activities, the management and economic interests of these three entities are kept separate. We have entered into a cooperation agreement with Hexin Group, under which Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information refer offline borrowers to us and we then provide online platform services to match investors with these offline borrowers. Our cooperation partners receive consultation fees from offline borrowers whereas we independently receive loan facilitation fees and loan management fees from borrowers. During the course of the facilitation of a loan, we do not receive any fees from our cooperation partners, and vice versa. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Our Relationship with Hexin Group”.

Before Hexin E-Commerce was fully operational, in order to achieve a more efficient use of funds, the Hexin Group entities implemented centralized treasury management. As a result, from its incorporation up to January 11, 2017, Hexin E-Commerce’s cash flows were managed through the bank accounts of Hexin Information and Hexin Financial Information. On January 12, 2017, Hexin E-Commerce separated its treasury management function from the Hexin Group. On September 27, 2017, all balances due from Hexin Group were collected by us in full. As of March 31, 2020, we did not have any amount due from Hexin Information or Hexin Financial Information.

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