Megan M. Brooks Form 4 Riot Blockchain / Megan M. Brooks ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Brooks Megan M.

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

C/O RIOT BLOCKCHAIN, INC.

3855 AMBROSIA STREET, STE 301

(Street)

CASTLE ROCK

80109

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Riot Blockchain, Inc. [ RIOT ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
[See Remarks]

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/13/2022

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)		10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Restricted Stock Units	$0.00⁽¹⁾	04/13/2022		A		20,000⁽²⁾⁽³⁾		⁽³⁾	⁽³⁾	Common Stock	20,000	$0.00⁽¹⁾	101,000⁽⁴⁾	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Pursuant to the Riot Blockchain, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, (the "Plan") the Reporting Person was granted performance-based restricted stock unit ("PSUs") as of August 12, 2021, which are eligible to vest contingent upon the Issuer's achievement of certain performance criteria during the performance period ending on December 31, 2023. Each PSU represents a contingent right to receive one share of the Issuer's common stock, no par value per share, ("Common Stock") subject to any net settlement permitted under the Plan and approved by the Issuer's Compensation and Human Resources Committee (the "Committee"), following vesting and settlement by the Issuer.

2. Pursuant to the separation and release agreement entered into between the Reporting person and the Issuer, dated as of March 21, 2022, (the "Separation Agreement") the Issuer agreed that, notwithstanding her resignation and separation from service, effective as of April 7, 2022, the Reporting Person would receive credit for any PSUs that vest in connection with the Issuer's achievement of performance criteria through the period ending March 31, 2022, as subsequently certified by the Committee. Therefore, upon the Committee's determination on April 13, 2022 that the Issuer had achieved, as of March 31, 2022, the corresponding performance criteria, 20,000 of the PSUs issued to the Reporting Person became vested under the Plan.

3. Upon vesting, the Issuer records PSUs as Restricted Stock Units, which are eligible to be settled by the Issuer in shares of its Common Stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to any net settlement for taxes, as permitted under the Plan and as approved by the Committee. Accordingly, the award of 20,000 Restricted Stock Units reported on this Form 4 represents the vesting of 20,000 PSUs awarded to the Reporting Person on August 12, 2021.

4. Represents the total direct and indirect beneficial ownership of the indicated security held by the Reporting Person immediately following the reported transaction.

Remarks:

Effective as of April 7, 2022, the Reporting Person resigned as the Issuer's Chief Operating Officer and from all other positions with the Issuer pursuant to the Separation Agreement; however, as part of the Separation Agreement, derivative securities granted to the Reporting Person under the Plan are eligible to continue vesting through the termination of the Transition Period specified in the Separation Agreement, which ends on July 7, 2022.

	/s/ Megan M. Brooks	04/15/2022
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

Megan M. Brooks Form 4Riot Blockchain / Megan M. Brooks ownership change