Strategy Inc (MSTR)
SIC breadcrumb: Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate > SIC Major Group 61 > SIC 6199 Finance Services
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1050446. Latest filing source: 0001050446-26-000020.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read MSTR's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read MSTR's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 477,233,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-19 |
| Net income | -3,848,152,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-19 |
| Assets | 61,641,082,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-19 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-19. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001050446.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 513,589,000 | 503,843,000 | 497,638,000 | 486,327,000 | 480,735,000 | 510,762,000 | 499,264,000 | 496,261,000 | 463,456,000 | 477,233,000 |
| Net income | 92,239,000 | 18,195,000 | 22,501,000 | 34,355,000 | -7,524,000 | -535,480,000 | -1,469,797,000 | 429,121,000 | -1,166,661,000 | -3,848,152,000 |
| Operating income | 109,512,000 | 73,222,000 | 3,981,000 | -1,002,000 | -13,625,000 | -784,527,000 | -1,275,742,000 | -115,047,000 | -1,852,978,000 | -5,444,385,000 |
| Gross profit | 420,442,000 | 407,194,000 | 398,139,000 | 386,353,000 | 389,680,000 | 418,853,000 | 396,275,000 | 386,317,000 | 333,988,000 | 327,816,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 8.01 | 1.58 | 1.97 | 3.33 | -0.78 | -53.44 | -12.98 | 2.64 | -6.06 | -15.23 |
| Operating cash flow | 110,589,000 | 78,322,000 | 10,627,000 | 60,867,000 | 53,619,000 | 93,833,000 | 3,211,000 | 12,712,000 | -53,032,000 | -67,241,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 2,337,000 | 3,982,000 | 6,846,000 | 10,182,000 | 3,651,000 | 2,706,000 | 2,486,000 | 2,938,000 | 2,978,000 | 8,212,000 |
| Assets | 768,319,000 | 933,219,000 | 855,768,000 | 916,571,000 | 1,465,612,000 | 3,557,124,000 | 2,410,272,000 | 4,762,528,000 | 25,843,685,000 | 61,641,082,000 |
| Liabilities | 216,142,000 | 327,493,000 | 326,037,000 | 408,012,000 | 912,567,000 | 2,578,166,000 | 2,793,392,000 | 2,597,556,000 | 7,613,701,000 | 10,598,110,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 566,317,000 | 605,726,000 | 529,731,000 | 508,559,000 | 446,192,000 | 978,958,000 | -383,120,000 | 2,164,972,000 | 18,229,984,000 | 44,123,458,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 401,975,000 | 420,244,000 | 109,924,000 | 456,727,000 | 59,675,000 | 63,356,000 | 43,835,000 | 46,817,000 | 38,117,000 | 2,301,470,000 |
| Free cash flow | 108,252,000 | 74,340,000 | 3,781,000 | 50,685,000 | 49,968,000 | 91,127,000 | 725,000 | 9,774,000 | -56,010,000 | -75,453,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 17.96% | 3.61% | 4.52% | 7.06% | -1.57% | -104.84% | 86.47% | |||
| Operating margin | 21.32% | 14.53% | 0.80% | -0.21% | -2.83% | -23.18% | ||||
| Return on equity | 16.29% | 3.00% | 4.25% | 6.76% | -1.69% | -54.70% | 19.82% | -6.40% | -8.72% | |
| Return on assets | 12.01% | 1.95% | 2.63% | 3.75% | -0.51% | -15.05% | -60.98% | 9.01% | -4.51% | -6.24% |
| Liabilities / equity | 0.38 | 0.54 | 0.62 | 0.80 | 2.05 | 2.63 | 1.20 | 0.42 | 0.24 | |
| Current ratio | 3.69 | 3.18 | 3.01 | 2.79 | 0.95 | 0.86 | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.71 | 5.62 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Income statement bridge from reported figures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Revenue: accession 0001050446-26-000020; concept RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax; source concepts us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax | Gross profit: accession 0001050446-26-000020; concept GrossProfit; source concepts us-gaap:GrossProfit | Operating income: accession 0001050446-26-000020; concept OperatingIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss | Net income: accession 0001050446-26-000020; concept NetIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001050446-26-000020; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001050446-26-000020; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0001050446-26-000020; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: GrossProfit. Source concepts: us-gaap:GrossProfit.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001050446-26-000020; filed 2026-02-19. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-06. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001050446.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | -94.01 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | -2.39 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 31.79 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-03-31 | 461,193,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 120,400,000 | 1.52 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-06-30 | 22,243,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 129,462,000 | -10.09 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 124,484,000 | 89,126,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2023-12-31 | 89,126,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 115,246,000 | -3.09 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-03-31 | -53,118,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 111,442,000 | -5.74 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-06-30 | -102,559,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 116,071,000 | -1.72 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 120,697,000 | -670,810,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2024-12-31 | -670,810,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 111,066,000 | -16.49 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-03-31 | -4,217,370,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 114,488,000 | 32.60 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-06-30 | 10,020,846,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 128,691,000 | 8.42 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 122,988,000 | -12,436,652,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 124,300,000 | -12,542,670,000 | -38.25 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001050446-26-000031; filed 2026-05-06. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001050446-26-000031; filed 2026-05-06. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001050446-26-000031; filed 2026-05-06. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001050446-26-000031.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Information
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Quarterly Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including without limitation, certain statements regarding industry prospects and our results of operations or financial position, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The important factors discussed under Part II, "Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Quarterly Report, which are incorporated by reference herein, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements made herein and presented elsewhere by management from time to time. Such forward-looking statements represent management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Investors are warned that actual results may differ from management’s expectations.
Business Overview
Strategy is the world's first and largest Bitcoin Treasury Company. We pursue financial innovation strategies designed to generate value from our bitcoin holdings, including by developing and issuing novel fixed-income instruments that provide investors varying degrees of economic exposure to bitcoin. In addition, we are an industry leader in AI-powered enterprise analytics software, advancing our vision of Intelligence Everywhere™. We believe our combination of active bitcoin-focused capital management and a scaled operating software business positions us for long-term value creation across both digital asset and enterprise analytics markets.
Bitcoin Strategy
We believe that bitcoin is a financial and technological innovation and represents a compelling long-term treasury reserve asset due to its scarcity, durability, and global liquidity. Through our bitcoin treasury operations, we execute on our bitcoin acquisition, capital markets and capital management strategies, which are designed to enable us to accumulate bitcoin in a manner we believe to be accretive to our shareholders in the long term and to generate value from our bitcoin holdings.
Under our Treasury Reserve Policy, our treasury reserve assets consist of:
•cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments (“Cash Assets”) in excess of working capital requirements; and
•bitcoin, which serves as the primary treasury reserve asset on an ongoing basis, subject to market conditions and anticipated needs of the business for Cash Assets.
In addition to and in conjunction with our Treasury Reserve Policy, we pursue a corporate strategy of acquiring and holding bitcoin, including with the proceeds of capital raising transactions. Our capital markets strategy generally involves issuing class A common stock and preferred securities, which we collectively refer to as “digital credit,” through at-the-market equity offering programs (“ATMs”) when we deem advantageous.
As part of our capital management strategy, we maintain a U.S. dollar reserve (the "USD Reserve"), which is a management-designated portion of our liquidity intended to support the payment of dividends on our Preferred Stock and interest on our outstanding indebtedness. Our capital management strategy also contemplates that we may (i) enter into additional capital raising transactions that are secured, directly or indirectly, by our assets, including bitcoin, (ii) pursue strategies intended to generate income streams or otherwise generate funds using our bitcoin holdings; and (iii) periodically sell bitcoin for general corporate purposes, such as satisfying liquidity needs and financial obligations.
"Preferred Stock" refers to, collectively, our STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRE Stock, STRK Stock and STRD Stock.
We view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin. We have not established a specific target amount of bitcoin to hold and actively evaluate market conditions, financing opportunities, liquidity needs, and capital structure considerations on an ongoing basis.
We are not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and stockholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in a registered investment company, nor the protections afforded by the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936.
Our Enterprise Analytics Software Strategy
Strategy is a pioneer in AI-powered solutions delivering a comprehensive portfolio of software and services that addresses a wide spectrum of enterprise data challenges. We provide solutions designed to transform complex, fragmented data
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environments into unified, reliable ecosystems that drive insight and action across organizations worldwide. Our vision is to drive growth and competitive advantage for our customers by delivering Intelligence Everywhere™.
Strategy One™, our cloud-native analytics platform, is used by enterprises across a wide range of industries to deliver business intelligence and analytics solutions. It delivers visualization, reporting, and embedded analytics capabilities across retail, banking, technology, manufacturing, insurance, consulting, healthcare, telecommunications, and the public sector. Complementing this, Strategy Mosaic™ is a universal data layer that enables organizations to achieve a single source of truth across their data. It provides enterprises with consistent definitions and governance across data sources, regardless of where that data resides or which tools access it. AI-powered data modeling hastens data product creation, while Mosaic’s intelligent architecture promotes accelerated performance for all workloads.
Integral to the Strategy portfolio are generative AI capabilities that are designed to automate and accelerate the deployment of AI-enabled applications across the enterprise. By making advanced analytics accessible through conversational AI, we provide non-technical users with timely, actionable insights for decision-making.
Bitcoin Activity and Holdings
Bitcoin Acquisition Activity
The following table presents a roll-forward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases, bitcoin sales (if any), and unrealized gain or loss on digital assets within the respective periods:
| Source of Capital Used to Purchase Bitcoin | Digital Asset Original Cost Basis (in thousands) | Digital Asset Carrying Value (in thousands) | Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held | Approximate Average Purchase Price Per Bitcoin | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at January 1, 2025 (after adoption of ASU 2023-08) | $ | 27,968,248 | $ | 41,790,421 | 447,470 | $ | 62,503 | ||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (a) | 7,661,663 | 7,661,663 | 80,715 | 94,922 | ||||||||||||
| Unrealized loss on digital assets | — | (5,906,005) | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Balance at March 31, 2025 | $ | 35,629,911 | $ | 43,546,079 | 528,185 | $ | 67,457 | ||||||||||
| Balance at January 1, 2026 | $ | 50,435,331 | $ | 58,854,028 | 672,500 | $ | 74,997 | ||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (b) | 7,251,126 | 7,251,126 | 89,599 | 80,929 | ||||||||||||
| Unrealized loss on digital assets | — | (14,455,479) | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Balance at March 31, 2026 | $ | 57,686,457 | $ | 51,649,675 | 762,099 | $ | 75,694 |
(a)In the first quarter of 2025, we purchased bitcoin using $4.37 billion of the net proceeds from ATM sales of class A common stock, $1.99 billion of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2030B Convertible Notes, $593.7 million of the aggregate net proceeds from the initial public offering and ATM sales of STRK Stock, and $710.0 million of the net proceeds from the initial public offering of STRF Stock.
(b)In the first quarter of 2026, we purchased bitcoin using $2.06 billion of the net proceeds from ATM sales of STRC Stock, $3.3 million of the net proceeds from ATM sales of STRK Stock and $5.19 billion of the net proceeds from ATM sales of class A common stock.
Our unrealized loss on digital assets for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 amounted to $14.46 billion and $5.91 billion, respectively, partially offset by $2.42 billion and $1.69 billion in deferred tax benefit respectively. See “Results of Operations – Bitcoin Impacts” additional information.
Bitcoin Holdings
The following table shows the approximate number of bitcoins held at the end of each respective period, as well as market value calculations of our bitcoin holdings based on the lowest, highest, and ending market prices (rounded to the nearest
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dollar) of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market for bitcoin) for each respective quarter, as further defined below:
| Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held at End of Quarter | Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Quarter (a) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Quarter Using Lowest Market Price (in thousands) (b) | Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Quarter (c) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Quarter Using Highest Market Price (in thousands) (d) | Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Quarter (e) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Quarter Using Ending Market Price (in thousands) (f) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2025 | 528,185 | $ | 76,555 | $ | 40,435,222 | $ | 109,358 | $ | 57,761,287 | $ | 82,445 | $ | 43,546,079 | |||||||||||||
| December 31, 2025 | 672,500 | $ | 74,421 | $ | 50,047,916 | $ | 126,296 | $ | 84,934,064 | $ | 87,515 | $ | 58,854,028 | |||||||||||||
| March 31, 2026 | 762,099 | $ | 60,001 | $ | 45,726,702 | $ | 97,964 | $ | 74,657,977 | $ | 67,773 | $ | 51,649,675 |
(a)The "Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Quarter" represents the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective quarter, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(b)The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Quarter Using Lowest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective quarter multiplied by the number of bitcoins we held at the end of the applicable period.
(c)The "Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Quarter" represents the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective quarter, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(d)The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Quarter Using Highest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective quarter multiplied by the number of bitcoins we held at the end of the applicable period.
(e)The "Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Quarter" represents the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective quarter.
(f)The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Quarter Using Ending Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective quarter multiplied by the number of bitcoins we held at the end of the applicable period.
The amounts reported as “Market Valu
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Information
The following discussion and analysis provides information which our management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. This discussion and analysis should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report. In addition to historical financial information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that are based upon our current expectations, beliefs, estimates and projections, and various assumptions, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. See the section of this Annual Report entitled “Forward Looking Information and Risk Factor Summary.” Actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” or elsewhere in this Annual Report.
10-for-1 stock split
On August 7, 2024, we completed a 10-for-1 stock split of our class A and class B common stock. See Note 2(a), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Basis of Presentation, to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report, for further information. As a result of the stock split, all applicable share and per share information presented within this “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split for all periods presented.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023, including comparison of our results for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Business Overview
Strategy is the world's first and largest Bitcoin Treasury Company. We pursue financial innovation strategies designed to generate value from our bitcoin holdings, including by developing and issuing novel fixed-income instruments that provide investors varying degrees of economic exposure to bitcoin. In addition, we are an industry leader in AI-powered enterprise analytics software, advancing our vision of Intelligence Everywhere™. We believe our combination of active bitcoin-focused capital management and a scaled operating software business positions us for long-term value creation across both digital asset and enterprise analytics markets.
Bitcoin Strategy
We believe that bitcoin is a financial and technological innovation that represents a compelling long-term treasury reserve asset due to its scarcity, durability, and global liquidity. Through our bitcoin treasury operations, we execute on our bitcoin acquisitions, capital management and capital markets strategies, which are designed to enable us to accumulate bitcoin in a manner we believe to be accretive to our shareholders in the long term and to generate value from our bitcoin holdings.
We announced our first acquisition of bitcoin in August 2020. In September 2020, our board of directors adopted a Treasury Reserve Policy, under which our treasury reserve assets consist of:
•Cash Assets in excess of working capital requirements; and
•bitcoin, which serves as the primary treasury reserve asset on an ongoing basis, subject to market conditions and anticipated needs of the business for Cash Assets.
In the first quarter of 2021, we adopted, in addition to and in conjunction with our Treasury Reserve Policy, a corporate strategy of acquiring and holding bitcoin, including with the proceeds of capital raising transactions. Our capital markets strategy generally involves issuing Class A common stock and preferred securities through ATMs when we deem advantageous. Prior to 2025, we primarily relied on proceeds from sales of class A common stock and senior convertible notes to purchase bitcoin. We also previously purchased bitcoin using cash flow from operations, and borrowings under senior secured notes and a collateralized term loan.
In 2025, we structured and issued five classes of Preferred Stock instruments, which provide differentiated indirect economic exposure to our class A common stock and bitcoin holdings, which we collectively refer to as “digital credit.”
In December 2025, as part of our capital management strategy, we established the USD Reserve to support the payment of dividends on our preferred stock and interest on our outstanding indebtedness. As of February 13, 2026, the balance of the USD Reserve was $2.25 billion, held in cash and cash equivalents. We may, in our sole and absolute discretion, increase, reduce, eliminate, adjust, or reallocate amounts designated as part of the USD Reserve from time to time based on market
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conditions, liquidity needs, risk considerations, and other factors. To optimize our cash management, we may also deploy assets designated as part of the USD Reserve into USD-denominated and/or USD-referenced assets, including instruments that do not constitute cash or cash equivalents.
We evaluate our bitcoin strategy on an ongoing basis in light of market conditions, our capital structure, our contractual obligations, and our anticipated operating needs for cash resources.
We intend for our bitcoin strategy to remain adaptable. While our bitcoin strategy today includes developing and issuing novel “digital credit” instruments, we regularly evaluate other potential financial innovation opportunities that complement our bitcoin strategy. These opportunities may include, among others, additional financing structures and strategies intended to generate income streams or otherwise generate funds using our bitcoin holdings. There can be no assurance that any such opportunities will be available on attractive terms, or at all, or that we will pursue or successfully implement any particular strategy.
We are not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and stockholders do not have the protections associated with ownership of shares in a registered investment company, nor the protections afforded by the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936.
Enterprise Analytics Software Strategy
Strategy is a pioneer in AI-powered solutions delivering a comprehensive portfolio of software and services that addresses a wide spectrum of enterprise data challenges. We provide solutions designed to transform complex, fragmented data environments into unified, reliable ecosystems that drive insight and action across organizations worldwide. Our vision is to drive growth and competitive advantage for our customers by delivering Intelligence Everywhere™.
Strategy One™, our cloud-native analytics platform, is used by enterprises across a wide range of industries to deliver business intelligence and analytics solutions. It delivers visualization, reporting, and embedded analytics capabilities across retail, banking, technology, manufacturing, insurance, consulting, healthcare, telecommunications, and the public sector. Complementing this, Strategy Mosaic™ is a universal data layer that enables organizations to achieve a single source of truth across their data. It provides enterprises with consistent definitions and governance across data sources, regardless of where that data resides or which tools access it. AI-powered data modeling hastens data product creation, while Mosaic’s intelligent architecture promotes accelerated performance for all workloads.
Integral to the Strategy portfolio are generative AI capabilities that are designed to automate and accelerate the deployment of AI-enabled applications across the enterprise. By making advanced analytics accessible through conversational AI, we provide non-technical users with timely, actionable insights for decision-making.
Bitcoin Activity and Holdings
Bitcoin Acquisition Activity
The following table presents a roll-forward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases, bitcoin sales (if any), unrealized loss (gain) on digital assets, digital asset impairment losses, and cumulative effect adjustments within the respective periods:
| Source of Capital Used to Purchase Bitcoin | Digital AssetOriginal CostBasis (in thousands) | Digital AssetImpairment Losses(in thousands) | Digital AssetCarrying Value (in thousands) | Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held | Approximate Average Purchase Price Per Bitcoin | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at December 31, 2023 | $ | 5,895,489 | $ | (2,269,013) | $ | 3,626,476 | 189,150 | $ | 31,168 | ||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (a) | 22,072,759 | 22,072,759 | 258,320 | 85,447 | ||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (1,789,862) | (1,789,862) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2024 (before adoption of ASU 2023-08) | $ | 27,968,248 | $ | (4,058,875) | $ | 23,909,373 | 447,470 | $ | 62,503 | ||||||||||
| Cumulative effect upon adoption of ASU 2023-08 | 4,058,875 | 17,881,048 | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance immediately following adoption of ASU 2023-08 | $ | 27,968,248 | n/a | $ | 41,790,421 | 447,470 | $ | 62,503 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (b) | 22,467,083 | n/a | 22,467,083 | 225,030 | 99,840 | |||||||||||||
| Unrealized loss on digital assets | n/a | (5,403,476) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2025 | $ | 50,435,331 | n/a | $ | 58,854,028 | 672,500 | $ | 74,997 |
(a)During 2024, we purchased bitcoin using $16.33 billion of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common stock under our ATMs, $2.97 billion of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2029 Convertible Notes, $782.0 million of
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the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2030A Convertible Notes, $756.0 million of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2032 Convertible Notes, $592.3 million of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2031 Convertible Notes, $458.2 million of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2028 Convertible Notes, and $179.7 million of Excess Cash.
(b)During 2025, we purchased bitcoin using $1.99 billion of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2030B Convertible Notes, $1.18 billion of the net proceeds from the sale of STRF Stock under its initial public offering and our ATMs, $2.63 billion of the net proceeds from the sale of STRC Stock under its initial public offering and our ATMs, $699.0 million of the net proceeds from the sale of STRE Stock under its initial public offering, $1.22 billion of the net proceeds from the sale of STRK Stock under its initial public offering and our ATMs, $1.16 billion of the net proceeds from the sale of STRD Stock under its initial public offering and our ATMs, and $13.59 billion of the net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under our ATMs.
"Excess Cash" refers to cash in excess of the minimum Cash Assets that we are required to hold under our Treasury Reserve Policy, which may include cash generated by operating activities and cash from the proceeds of financing activities.
Our unrealized loss on digital assets for the year ended December 31, 2025 amounted to $5.40 billion partially offset by $1.55 billion in deferred tax benefit, respectively. See “Results of Operations – Bitcoin Impacts” for additional information.
Bitcoin Holdings The following table shows the approximate number of bitcoins held at the end of each respective period, as well as fair market value calculations of our bitcoin holdings based on the lowest, highest, and ending market prices of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market for bitcoin) for each respective year, as further defined below:
| Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held at End of Year | Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (a) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Lowest Market Price (in thousands) (b) | Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (c) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Highest Market Price (in thousands) (d) | Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year (e) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price (in thousands) (f) | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2023 | 189,150 | $ | 16,490 | $ | 3,119,084 | $ | 45,000 | $ | 8,511,750 | $ | 42,531 | $ | 8,044,816 | ||||||||||||
| December 31, 2024 | 447,470 | $ | 38,501 | $ | 17,228,042 | $ | 108,389 | $ | 48,500,772 | $ | 93,390 | $ | 41,789,317 | ||||||||||||
| December 31, 2025 | 672,500 | $ | 74,421 | $ | 50,047,916 | $ | 126,296 | $ | 84,934,064 | $ | 87,515 | $ | 58,854,028 |
(a)The "Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year" represents the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective period, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(b)The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Lowest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective period multiplied by the number of bitcoins we held at the end of the applicable period.
(c)The "Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year" represents the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective period, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(d)The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Highest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective period multiplied by the number of bitcoins we held at the end of the applicable period.
(e)The "Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year" represents the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective period.
(f)The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective period multiplied by the number of bitcoins we held at the end of the applicable period.
The amounts reported as “Market Value” in the above table represent only a mathematical calculation consisting of the price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market for bitcoin) in each scenario defined above multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable period. Bitcoin and bitcoin markets may be subject to manipulation and the spot price of bitcoin may be subject to fraud and manipulation. Accordingly, the Market Value amounts reported above may not accurately represent fair market value, and the actual fair market value of our bitcoin may be different from such amounts and such deviation may be material. Moreover, (i) the bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, potential susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, compliance and internal control failures at exchanges, and various other risks that are, or may be,
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inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network and (ii) we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at the Market Value amounts indicated above, at the market price as reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market for bitcoin) on the date of sale, or at all.
As of February 13, 2026, we held approximately 717,131 bitcoins, all of which were unencumbered, and which had an aggregate fair market value of $49.3 billion as of February 13, 2026 (based on the market price of $68,734 of one bitcoin as reported on the Coinbase exchange as of February 13, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time).
Capital Markets Activity
Equity Offerings
Consistent with our Treasury Reserve Policy and bitcoin strategy, we use the vast majority of our cash, including cash generated from capital raising transactions, to acquire bitcoin. We fund our purchases of bitcoin primarily from proceeds of our offerings of our class A common stock and various Preferred Stock instruments. We have also previously used proceeds from offerings of convertible notes and senior secured notes, and a loan secured by bitcoin, to purchase bitcoin, and we may incur additional indebtedness in the future, including for the purpose of purchasing bitcoin.
The following table sets forth total shares sold and total net proceeds received from shares sold under our initial public and at-the-market offerings for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of shares sold: | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| STRF Stock | 12,839,689 | n/a | ||||
| STRC Stock | 29,587,063 | n/a | ||||
| STRE Stock | 7,750,000 | n/a | ||||
| STRK Stock | 13,981,948 | n/a | ||||
| STRD Stock | 14,024,221 | n/a | ||||
| Class A common stock | 57,331,466 | 52,308,512 | ||||
| Net proceeds received from shares sold (in thousands): (1) | ||||||
| STRF Stock | $ | 1,191,128 | n/a | |||
| STRC Stock | 2,631,281 | n/a | ||||
| STRE Stock | 707,069 | n/a | ||||
| STRK Stock | 1,226,553 | n/a | ||||
| STRD Stock | 1,163,483 | n/a | ||||
| Class A common stock | 16,247,607 | $ | 16,329,857 | |||
| Total | $ | 23,167,121 | $ | 16,329,857 |
(1)Includes shares sold and net proceeds received from shares sold under our initial public offerings of our Preferred Stock and ATMs of our class A common stock and Preferred Stock, as applicable, for the periods indicated. See Note 12, Redeemable Preferred Stock, to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information on the initial public offerings of our Preferred Stock.
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The following table sets forth total shares sold and total net proceeds (net of sales commissions and expenses) received from shares sold under our ATMs for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of shares sold pursuant to at-the-market offerings: | 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| STRF Stock ATMs | 4,339,689 | n/a | ||||
| STRC Stock ATMs | 1,575,952 | n/a | ||||
| STRK Stock ATMs | 6,681,948 | n/a | ||||
| STRD Stock ATMs | 2,259,521 | n/a | ||||
| Class A common stock ATMs | 57,331,466 | 52,308,512 | ||||
| Net proceeds received from shares sold pursuant to at-the-market offerings (in thousands): | ||||||
| STRF Stock ATMs | $ | 479,674 | n/a | |||
| STRC Stock ATMs | 157,221 | n/a | ||||
| STRK Stock ATMs | 663,349 | n/a | ||||
| STRD Stock ATMs | 183,998 | n/a | ||||
| Class A common stock ATMs | 16,247,607 | $ | 16,329,857 | |||
| Total | $ | 17,731,849 | $ | 16,329,857 |
See Note 12, Redeemable Preferred Stock and Note 14, At-the-Market Offerings, to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for additional information.
Debt Offerings
The following table sets forth the aggregate net proceeds (in thousands) from issuances of our Convertible Notes for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Net proceeds (in thousands) | ||||||
| 2028 Convertible Notes | $ | — | $ | 997,375 | ||
| 2029 Convertible Notes | — | 2,974,250 | ||||
| 2030A Convertible Notes | — | 782,000 | ||||
| 2030B Convertible Notes | 1,984,852 | — | ||||
| 2031 Convertible Notes | — | 592,567 | ||||
| 2032 Convertible Notes | — | 786,000 | ||||
| Total net proceeds | $ | 1,984,852 | $ | 6,132,192 |
In addition, in June 2025, we entered into a loan agreement that provides for aggregate borrowings of up to $31.1 million, available in multiple tranches, and bearing interest, with respect to each tranche, at a variable rate equal to the one-year Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 4.24%. The loan will mature in December 2026. As of December 31, 2025, the loan had a net carrying value of $30.8 million, and an outstanding principal balance of $31.1 million.
For additional information on our Convertible Notes, see Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Bitcoin KPIs
We seek to increase BPS (defined below) by growing our bitcoin holdings faster than Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding (defined below) through a combination of bitcoin acquisitions and disciplined use of equity and credit markets. To assess achievement of this strategy, we monitor and review the following Key Performance Indicators ("KPIs"):
•Bitcoin Per Share (in Sats) ("BPS") is a KPI that represents the ratio between our bitcoin holdings and Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding, expressed in terms of "Satoshis" or "Sats", where:
◦“Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding” refers to the aggregate of our Basic Shares Outstanding as of the dates presented plus all additional shares that would result from the assumed conversion of all outstanding convertible notes and convertible preferred stock, exercise of all outstanding stock option awards, and
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settlement of all outstanding restricted stock units and performance stock units as of such dates. Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding is not calculated using the treasury method, incorporates approximate forfeitures of awards in the current period which may be subject to future adjustment and does not take into account any vesting conditions (in the case of equity awards), the exercise price of any stock option awards or any contractual conditions limiting convertibility of convertible debt instruments.
◦“Basic Shares Outstanding” reflects the actual class A common stock and class B common stock outstanding as of the dates presented. For purposes of this calculation, outstanding shares of such stock are deemed to include shares, if any, that (A) were sold under ATMs, or (B) were to be issued pursuant to (i) options that had been exercised, (ii) restricted stock units that have vested or (iii) conversion requests received with respect to convertible securities, but which in each case were pending issuance as of the dates presented.
◦A “Satoshi” or a “Sat” is one one-hundred-millionth of one bitcoin, currently the smallest indivisible unit of a bitcoin.
•BTC Yield represents the percentage change in BPS from the beginning of a period to the end of the period.
•BTC Gain represents the number of bitcoins held by us at the beginning of a period multiplied by the BTC Yield for the period.
•BTC $ Gain represents the dollar value of the BTC Gain calculated by multiplying the BTC Gain by the market price of bitcoin. For determining BTC $ Gain on a quarter-to-date or year-to-date basis, unless otherwise specified, we use the current market price of bitcoin. For determining BTC $ Gain for a past fiscal year or other past period, we use the market price of bitcoin as of 4:00pm ET as reported on the Coinbase exchange on the last day of the applicable period. We use these market prices of bitcoin for this calculation solely for the purpose of facilitating this illustrative calculation.
The following table presents our bitcoin holdings, our Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding, our BPS, and the price of bitcoin, each as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, as well as the changes in each between the periods shown:
| As of December 31, 2025 | Change (#) | As of December 31, 2024 | Change(#) | As of December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Bitcoin Held | 672,500 | 225,030 | 447,470 | 258,320 | 189,150 | |||||||||||||
| Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding (in thousands) | 344,897 | 63,162 | 281,735 | 74,099 | 207,636 | |||||||||||||
| BPS (in Sats) | 194,986 | 36,160 | 158,826 | 67,730 | 91,097 | |||||||||||||
| Bitcoin Price ($) | $ | 87,515 | $ | (5,875) | $ | 93,390 | $ | 50,859 | $ | 42,531 |
The following tables present our BTC Yield, BTC Gain, and BTC $ Gain for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2025:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | % Change | ||||||||
| BTC Yield | 22.8 | % | 74.3 | % | (51.5 | %) | (1) | |||
| BTC Gain | 101,873 | 140,631 | (27.6) | % | ||||||
| BTC $ Gain (in millions, except percentage) | $ | 8,915 | $ | 13,134 | (32.1) | % |
(1)Represents the absolute change between the periods presented.
•BTC Yield: We achieved BTC Yield of 22.8% for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to 74.3% in the prior year, primarily due to a decrease in the total number of bitcoin acquired, a change in mix of dilutive versus non-dilutive capital markets activity and an overall increase in dilutive issuances of class A common stock to fund our liquidity needs, including payments of dividends on our Preferred Stock and interest on our Convertible Notes, to establish the USD Reserve, and for other purposes other than the acquisition of bitcoin, compared to the prior year, partially offset by an increase in non-dilutive issuances of preferred stock to purchase bitcoin compared to the prior year.
◦We acquired 225,030 bitcoin (increasing our total holdings to 672,500) during the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 258,320 bitcoin acquired (increasing our total holdings to 447,470) during the year ended December 31, 2024. Of the approximately $25.15 billion in net proceeds we raised from capital markets activity during the year ended December 31, 2025, approximately $19.46 billion was attributable to issuances under the STRK Stock and class A common stock under our ATMs, the issuance of the 2030B Convertible Notes and the initial public offering of STRK Stock, which resulted in an increase of
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approximately 63.2 million shares in Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding (bringing our total Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding to approximately 344.9 million as of December 31, 2025), while approximately $5.69 billion was attributable to issuances of STRF Stock, STRC Stock, and STRD Stock under our ATMs and the initial public offerings of STRF Stock, STRC Stock STRE Stock, and STRD Stock, which did not increase our Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding. Further, we used proceeds from the issuance of class A common stock under our ATMs to pay dividends on our Preferred Stock and interest on our Convertible Notes, to establish our USD Reserve and for other general corporate purposes, each of which increased Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding without a corresponding increase to our bitcoin holdings during the year ended December 31, 2025. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources ” for additional information. While issuances of STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRE Stock and STRD Stock do not increase our Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding, these securities, as well as STRK Stock and our Convertible Notes, rank senior to our class A common stock, and would entitle their holders to claims on our assets (including bitcoin) senior to those of holders of our common stock if we were to liquidate; as a result, additional bitcoin acquired using the proceeds from the sale of such instruments may not accrete to common shareholders. In comparison, the $22.5 billion we raised from capital markets activity during the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily attributable to issuances of class A common stock under our ATMs and of our 2028 Convertible Notes, 2029 Convertible Notes, 2030A Convertible Notes, 2031 Convertible Notes and 2032 Convertible Notes, which resulted in an increase of approximately 74.1 million shares in Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding (bringing our total Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding to approximately 281.7 million Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding as of December 31, 2024). This was partially offset by our issuances of class A common stock under our ATMs to pay interest on our Convertible Notes and use of approximately $523.9 million of the proceeds from our offering of our 2028 Convertible Notes to repay the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest on our 6.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2028, each of which increased our Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding without a corresponding increase to our bitcoin holdings during the year ended December 31, 2024.
•BTC Gain: We achieved BTC Gain of 101,873 for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to 140,631 during the prior year, as applicable, primarily due to a decrease in our BTC Yield for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the prior year, as set forth above, partially offset by an increase in our bitcoin holdings as of the beginning of 2025 compared to the beginning of 2024 (as of December 31, 2023 and 2024, we held 189,150 and 447,470 bitcoin, respectively).
•BTC $ Gain: We achieved BTC $ Gain of approximately $8.92 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to approximately $13.13 billion during December 31, 2024, primarily due to an decrease in bitcoin price to $87,515 as of December 31, 2025 from $93,390 as of December 31, 2024, as well as a decrease in BTC Gain compared to the same period in the prior year, as set forth above.
See “Important Information about KPIs” below for additional information about these KPIs, including their purposes and limitations and for the calculation of Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding.
Factors Impacting Results
We believe the following key factors have previously had, and may continue to have, material impacts to our financial results and liquidity, and our ability to achieve our business objectives:
•Bitcoin:
◦Financial results. Bitcoin is a highly volatile asset that has traded below $65,000 per bitcoin and above $120,000 per bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market for bitcoin) in the 12 months preceding the date of this Annual Report. Although we continue to initially record our bitcoin purchases at cost, upon adoption of ASU 2023-08 on January 1, 2025, any subsequent increases or decreases in fair market value are recognized as incurred in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, and the fair value of our bitcoin is reflected within the Consolidated Balance Sheets each reporting period-end. Due to the volatility of bitcoin, and our substantial holdings of bitcoin, changes in the fair market value of bitcoin have materially impacted, and we expect will continue to materially impact, our results.
◦Bitcoin risks. Bitcoin is a digital asset, which is a novel asset class that is subject to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty. Holding bitcoin does not generate any cash flows and involves custodial fees and other costs. Additionally, the price of bitcoin has historically experienced significant price volatility, and a significant decrease in the price of bitcoin would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Our strategy of acquiring and holding bitcoin also exposes us to counterparty risks with respect to the custody of our bitcoin, cybersecurity risks, and other risks inherent
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to holding a digital asset. In particular, we are subject to the risk that, if our private keys with respect to our digital assets are lost or destroyed or other similar circumstances or events occur, we may lose some or all of our digital assets, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
•Capital management:
◦Source of capital. We rely substantially on the availability of equity and debt capital markets to fund our preferred stock dividend obligations, interest expense, and other financial obligations as well as to maintain the USD Reserve at targeted levels. As such, we are subject to risks relating to the availability of capital to us on favorable terms or at all.
◦Preferred stock dividend obligations. Our outstanding Preferred Stock creates recurring and potentially variable cash obligations that can reduce funds available for operations, product investment, and debt service. In addition, any deferred dividends on certain of our Preferred Stock would accrue and compound, including at increasing rates in the case of STRF Stock, which could increase future cash outlays, while STRC Stock’s board-set variable rate can change monthly, introducing additional uncertainty to our dividend expense.
◦Interest on our USD Reserve. Cash equivalents held in our USD Reserve are generally invested in money market funds and other interest-bearing instruments. Interest income is affected by prevailing market interest rates and may decline in a falling-rate environment or increase in a rising-rate environment. Interest income is also affected by the size of our USD Reserve: to the extent we reduce the USD Reserve or increase it to scale with our interest and dividend obligations, the amount of interest income we earn would generally proportionately decrease or increase, respectively. Variations in interest rates and the size of our USD Reserve could materially impact our financial results.
•Tax:
◦Deferred tax liability. Since adopting ASU 2023-08, we are no longer required to account for our bitcoin under a cost-less-impairment accounting model and we no longer record a deferred tax asset related to bitcoin impairment losses. Instead, we establish a deferred tax liability if the fair market value of bitcoin at the reporting date is greater than the average cost basis of our bitcoin holdings at such reporting date, and any subsequent increases or decreases in the fair market value of bitcoin will increase or decrease the deferred tax liability. As of December 31, 2025, the cost basis of the bitcoin we held was less than its fair value. However, as of the date of this report, the fair market value of our bitcoin is less than the average cost basis of our bitcoin. If the fair market value of our bitcoin as of the end of any future period is below our average cost basis as of the end of the prior period, the deferred tax liability with respect to unrealized gains, if any, would be reversed and a deferred tax asset for the unrealized loss would be recorded and we would be required to establish a valuation allowance against all of our US federal and state deferred tax assets.
◦Legal and regulatory developments.
▪CAMT: On September 30, 2025, the Treasury and the IRS issued the Interim Guidance which, in relevant part, clarifies that a corporation may disregard unrealized gains and losses on its digital asset holdings when computing AFSI for purposes of determining whether it is subject to the 15% CAMT under the IRA. The Treasury and IRS intend to issue revised proposed regulations similar to this Interim Guidance. As previously disclosed, pursuant to the Interim Guidance, we plan to exclude our unrealized gains and losses on our bitcoin holdings from the calculation of our AFSI for purposes of determining whether we are subject to CAMT. As a result, we no longer expect to become subject to CAMT due to unrealized gains on our bitcoin holdings, if any.
▪OBBBA: On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted in the U.S., introducing several changes to corporate taxation. These changes include modifications to capitalization of research and development expenses, limitations on deductions for interest expense, accelerated fixed asset depreciation, and adjustments to the international tax framework. The legislation did not have a material impact to our income tax expense or effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2025.
•Software business:
◦On-premise to cloud subscription. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we continued to migrate existing customers from on-premise perpetual licenses to cloud-based subscription offerings. This transition
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has resulted, and is expected to continue to result, in changes to payment patterns and revenue recognition, with a shift from upfront recognition to ratable recognition over the contract term, which has affected and may continue to affect our reported revenue, operating results, and cash flows. For the year ended December 31, 2025, we experienced growth in cloud subscription services revenue of $68.9 million, partially offset by declines in product license revenue and related product support revenue of $48.5 million in the aggregate. We expect product license revenue and related product support revenue to continue to decline in future periods, as we no longer actively market new perpetual licenses or associated product support offerings.
◦Deferred revenue and advance payments. Deferred revenue and advance payments represent amounts received or due from our customers before we transfer our software or services to the customer. For multi-year service contract arrangements, we generally invoice no more than one year in advance of services and record deferred revenue only for invoiced amounts. Revenue is subsequently recognized in the period(s) in which control of the software or services is transferred to the customer. The portions of multi-year contracts that will be invoiced in the future are not presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in “Accounts receivable, net” and “Deferred revenue and advance payments” and instead are included in the remaining performance obligation disclosure below.
See Item 1A., Risk Factors, of Part I of this Annual Report for information regarding the risks relating to our bitcoin holdings and strategy, bitcoin generally, our securities and capital markets activities, our operations, and other important risk factors, the materialization of any of which could materially impact our results and liquidity.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth certain operating highlights (in thousands) for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | % Change | ||||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 39,674 | $ | 48,567 | (18.3) | % | ||||
| Subscription services | 175,657 | 106,776 | 64.5 | % | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 215,331 | 155,343 | 38.6 | % | ||||||
| Product support | 204,225 | 243,805 | (16.2) | % | ||||||
| Other services | 57,677 | 64,308 | (10.3) | % | ||||||
| Total revenues | 477,233 | 463,456 | — | 3.0 | % | |||||
| Cost of revenues: | ||||||||||
| Product licenses | 3,956 | 3,060 | 29.3 | % | ||||||
| Subscription services | 72,956 | 42,440 | 71.9 | % | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 76,912 | 45,500 | 69.0 | % | ||||||
| Product support | 28,592 | 33,289 | (14.1) | % | ||||||
| Other services | 43,913 | 50,679 | (13.4) | % | ||||||
| Total cost of revenues | 149,417 | 129,468 | 15.4 | % | ||||||
| Gross profit | 327,816 | 333,988 | (1.8) | % | ||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 122,956 | 138,081 | (11.0) | % | ||||||
| Research and development | 93,860 | 118,486 | (20.8) | % | ||||||
| General and administrative | 151,909 | 140,537 | 8.1 | % | ||||||
| Unrealized loss on digital assets | 5,403,476 | — | n/a | |||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | — | 1,789,862 | n/a | |||||||
| Total operating expenses | 5,772,201 | 2,186,966 | NM | |||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (5,444,385) | $ | (1,852,978) | NM |
For the results of operations we have included the respective percentage of changes, unless greater than 100% or less than (100)%, in which case we have denoted such changes as not meaningful (NM).
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Unrealized losses associated with digital assets and digital asset impairment losses
The following table sets forth the unrealized losses on our digital assets for the year ended December 31, 2025 and impairment losses on our digital assets for the year ended December 31, 2024 (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | % Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| Unrealized losses on digital assets | $5,403,476 | — | n/a | ||
| Digital asset impairment losses | — | $1,789,862 | n/a |
Although we continue to initially record our bitcoin purchases at cost, upon adoption of ASU 2023-08 on January 1, 2025, any subsequent increases or decreases in fair value are recognized as incurred in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, and the fair market value of our bitcoin is reflected within the Consolidated Balance Sheets each reporting period-end.
We recognized an unrealized loss on digital assets of approximately $5.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, primarily due to a decrease in the fair market value of our bitcoin during the year ended December 31, 2025. Due to the volatility of bitcoin, and our substantial holdings of bitcoin, we expect changes in the fair market value of bitcoin to materially impact our results.
We did not sell any of our digital assets during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
Revenues
•Product licenses revenues. Product license revenues are derived from fees earned for licensing our business intelligence software to customers on a term or perpetual basis, for installation either on-premises or in a customer-managed public cloud environment. Product license revenue is recognized at the point when control to the license is transferred to the customer. Product license revenues decreased by $8.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily due to increased migration to our cloud subscription services offerings.
•Subscription services revenues. Subscription services revenues are derived from our Cloud subscription service and are recognized ratably over the service period in the contract. Subscription services revenues increased by $68.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 as compared to the same periods in the prior year, primarily due to conversions to cloud-based subscriptions from existing on-premises customers, a net increase in the use of subscription services by existing customers, and sales contracts with new customers.
•Product support revenues. Product support revenues are derived from providing technical software support and software updates and upgrades to customers. Product support revenues are recognized ratably over the term of the contract, which is generally one year. Product support revenues decreased by $39.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same periods in the prior year, primarily due to existing customers converting from on-premises product licenses with support contracts to our Cloud subscription services offerings and non-renewals of existing support contracts.
•Other services revenues: Other services revenues are derived from providing consulting services and training and education services. Revenue from consulting services and certain education services is recognized over time as the services are delivered, and revenue from annual education subscriptions is recognized on a straight-line basis over the contract period. Other services revenues decreased by $6.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same periods in the prior year, primarily due to lower demand for consulting and training services.
Cost of Revenues
•Cost of Revenues. Cost of revenues increased by $19.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily due to a $32.5 million increase in subscription services cost of revenues driven by higher cloud service fees and related infrastructure costs associated with customer environments hosted in our cloud environment, as well as a $1.9 million increase in billable subcontractor expenses. These increases were partially offset by a $16.4 million decrease in personnel-related costs reflecting headcount reductions.
Operating Expenses
•Sales and marketing expenses. Sales and marketing expenses consist of personnel costs, commissions, and costs related to office facilities, travel, advertising, public relations programs, and promotional events, such as trade shows, seminars, and technical conferences. Sales and marketing expenses decreased by $15.1 million for the year
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ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year primarily due to a decrease in personnel costs primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels and forfeiture of certain equity incentive awards, partially offset by an increase in commissions.
•Research and development expenses. Research and development expenses consist of the personnel costs for our software engineering personnel and related overhead costs. Research and development expenses decreased by $24.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same periods in the prior year, primarily due to a decrease in personnel costs primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels and forfeiture of certain equity incentive awards, partially offset by increased cloud-hosting costs used for internal development and testing.
•General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist of personnel and related overhead costs, and other costs of our executive, finance, human resources, information systems, and administrative departments, as well as third-party consulting, legal, and other professional fees, and third-party costs associated with our digital asset holdings. General and administrative expenses increased by $11.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily due to higher bitcoin custody fees, advocacy expenses, and public filing costs, partially offset by a reduction in personnel costs and decreased legal fees.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, primarily relates to the contractual interest expense and amortization of issuance costs related to our long-term debt arrangements, as offset by interest income earned on interest-bearing cash equivalents held in our USD Reserve. The following table sets forth interest expense, net (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Interest expense, net: | ||||||
| 2025 Convertible Notes | $ | — | $ | 3,865 | ||
| 2027 Convertible Notes | 401 | 4,046 | ||||
| 2028 Convertible Notes | 10,505 | 2,939 | ||||
| 2029 Convertible Notes | 7,279 | 787 | ||||
| 2030A Convertible Notes | 8,937 | 7,241 | ||||
| 2030B Convertible Notes | 4,263 | — | ||||
| 2031 Convertible Notes | 7,739 | 6,063 | ||||
| 2032 Convertible Notes | 20,696 | 11,067 | ||||
| 2028 Secured Notes | — | 23,915 | ||||
| Other interest expense, net | 5,148 | 2,018 | ||||
| Total interest expense, net | $ | 64,968 | $ | 61,941 |
Other (Expense) Income, Net
Other expense, net, of $16.6 million in 2025 was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net losses. Other income, net of $3.5 million in 2024 was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net gains.
Income Taxes
We recorded a benefit from income taxes of $1.68 billion on a pretax loss of $5.53 billion that resulted in an effective tax rate of 30.4% for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to a benefit from income taxes of $767.7 million on a pre-tax loss of $1.93 billion that resulted in an effective tax rate of 39.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024. During the year ended December 31, 2025, our provision for income taxes primarily related to (i) the tax effect of the unrealized loss on digital assets and (ii) a tax benefit related to share-based compensation (including the income tax effects of exercises of stock options and vesting of share-settled restricted stock units). During the year ended December 31, 2024, our benefit from income taxes primarily related to (i) a tax benefit from an increase in our deferred tax asset related to the impairment on our bitcoin holdings and (ii) a tax benefit related to share-based compensation (including the income tax effects of exercises of stock options and vesting of share-settled restricted stock units).
As of December 31, 2025, we had a valuation allowance of $0.5 million primarily related to our deferred tax assets related to foreign tax credits in certain jurisdiction. As of December 31, 2025, we had deferred tax liabilities with respect to the unrealized gain on our bitcoin holdings of approximately $2.42 billion. Our deferred tax liabilities are partially offset by
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deferred tax assets, such as net operating losses and capitalized research and development costs. As of December 31, 2025, the cost basis of the bitcoin we held was less than its fair market value. However, as of the date of this report, the cost basis of the bitcoin we hold exceeds its fair market value. If the fair market value of bitcoin declines as of the end of any future period from the end of the prior period, our deferred tax liability with respect to the unrealized gain on our bitcoin holdings will decrease, and we may be required to establish additional valuation allowances against our deferred tax assets. If the fair market value of bitcoin declines to the point where the cost basis of the bitcoin the Company holds exceeds its fair market value, the deferred tax liability with respect to the unrealized gains would be reversed and a deferred tax asset for the unrealized loss would be recorded and we would be required to establish a valuation allowance against all of our US federal and state deferred tax assets. Such increases in valuation allowances could materially and adversely affect net income in periods in which such charges are incurred. We routinely consider actions necessary to preserve or utilize tax attributes. We will continue to regularly assess the realizability of deferred tax assets.
Our effective tax rate may fluctuate due to changes in our domestic and foreign earnings and losses, material discrete tax items, or a combination of these factors resulting from transactions or events.
See “Factors Impacting Results – Tax” for a for a discussion of tax factors which have had, and may continue to have, a significant impact on our results.
Deferred Revenue and Advance Payments
Deferred revenue and advance payments represent amounts received or due from our customers in advance of our transferring our software or services to the customer. In the case of multi-year service contract arrangements, we generally do not invoice more than one year in advance of services and do not record deferred revenue for amounts that have not been invoiced. Revenue is subsequently recognized in the period(s) in which control of the software or services is transferred to the customer.
Total deferred revenue and advance payments. Total deferred revenue and advance payments increased by $34.6 million as of December 31, 2025, compared to December 31, 2024, primarily due to (i) an increase in deferred subscription services revenue from new subscription service contracts with existing on-premises customer and new customers, partially offset by (ii) a decrease in deferred product support revenue due to on-premises customers converting to subscription services contracts and timing of product support renewals.
Current deferred revenue and advance payments increased by $34.1 million as of December 31, 2025, compared to December 31, 2024. Non-current deferred revenue and advance payments increased by $0.5 million as of December 31, 2025, compared to December 31, 2024.
Remaining performance obligation. Our remaining performance obligation represents contracted future revenue, including deferred revenue, advance payments, and non-cancellable billable amounts that will be invoiced and recognized in future periods. As of December 31, 2025, our remaining performance obligation was $588.0 million of which approximately $344.2 million is expected to be recognized as revenue over the next 12 months. The timing of revenue recognition may vary depending on our satisfaction of related performance obligations, and the amount of deferred revenue, advance payments, and remaining performance obligations at any date may not be indicative of future revenues.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
Principal and Potential Sources of Liquidity
Our principal sources of liquidity include:
•Cash and cash equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents may include holdings in bank demand deposits, money market instruments, certificates of deposit, and U.S. Treasury securities. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the amount of cash and cash equivalents held by our U.S. entities was $2.25 billion and $8.8 million, respectively, and by our non-U.S. entities was $50.0 million and $29.3 million, respectively. We earn a significant amount of our revenues outside the United States. We did not repatriate any foreign earnings and profits during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. Integral to our cash and cash equivalents is our USD Reserve. As of February 13, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the balance of the USD Reserve was $2.25 billion. See “Availability of the USD Reserve” below for additional information.
•Accounts receivable: The primary sources of cash provided by operating activities are cash collections of our accounts receivable from customers following the sales and renewals of our product licenses, subscription services and product support services. As of December 31, 2025 and, 2024, our accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses was $205.8 million and $181.2 million, respectively. See “Cash Flows” below for a discussion of our accounts receivables.
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Our potential sources of liquidity include:
•Bitcoin: As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we held approximately 672,500 and 447,470 bitcoins, respectively, all of which were unencumbered. As of February 13, 2026, we held approximately 717,131 bitcoins, all of which were unencumbered, and which had an aggregate fair market value of $49.29 billion as of February 13, 2026 (based on the market price of $68,734 of one bitcoin as reported on the Coinbase exchange as of February 13, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time). As discussed further below, although we do not anticipate needing to use our bitcoin to meet our liquidity needs in the next twelve months, we believe our substantial bitcoin holdings can serve as a source of liquidity, if necessary. See “Availability of Bitcoin for Liquidity” below.
•ATM Offerings: As of December 31, 2025 and February 13, 2026, we had the following capacities of the following securities available for issuance and sale under our ATM programs (in millions):
| December 31, 2025 | February 13, 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRF Stock | $ | 1,619.3 | $ | 1,619.3 | ||
| STRC Stock | $ | 4,042.4 | $ | 3,542.8 | ||
| STRK Stock | $ | 20,335.0 | $ | 20,331.6 | ||
| STRD Stock | $ | 4,014.8 | $ | 4,014.8 | ||
| Class A common stock | $ | 11,502.8 | $ | 7,883.7 |
Short-term and Long-term Liquidity Needs
As of December 31, 2025, our short-term and long-term liquidity needs include the following:
•Short-term Liquidity. Our short-term liquidity needs include working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures, dividend obligations on our STRK Stock to the extent that we do not pay such dividends in the form of shares of our class A common stock, dividend obligations on our STRF Stock, STRC Stock, and STRE Stock, regular dividends on our STRD Stock, interest payments on our Convertible Notes and contractual obligations due within the next twelve months.
•Long-Term Liquidity. Beyond the next 12 months, our long-term cash needs are primarily for obligations related to our long-term debt and for payment of dividend obligations on our Preferred Stock. We also have long-term cash requirements for needs related to our operating leases, delivery of our new corporate aircraft, and our various purchase agreements primarily related to third-party cloud hosting services and third-party software supporting our products, marketing, and operations.
For further details regarding certain of our short-term and long-term liquidity needs, see “Contractual and Other Obligations” below.
Maturities and Holder Repurchase Rights.
The Convertible Notes have scheduled maturity dates and become subject to holder put option rights as follows:
| Convertible Notes | Outstanding Principal Amount as of December 31, 2025 (in thousands) | Maturity Date | Put Option Date (1) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 Convertible Notes | $ | 1,010,000 | September 15, 2028 | September 15, 2027 | ||||
| 2029 Convertible Notes | $ | 3,000,000 | December 1, 2029 | June 1, 2028 | ||||
| 2030A Convertible Notes | $ | 800,000 | March 15, 2030 | September 15, 2028 | ||||
| 2030B Convertible Notes | $ | 2,000,000 | March 1, 2030 | March 1, 2028 | ||||
| 2031 Convertible Notes | $ | 603,659 | March 15, 2031 | September 15, 2028 | ||||
| 2032 Convertible Notes | $ | 800,000 | June 15, 2032 | June 15, 2029 |
(1)Holders of the Convertible Notes may require us to repurchase for cash all or a portion of the Convertible Notes at 100% of principal plus accrued and unpaid interest on the dates indicated.
Conversion of Convertible Notes. If the conditional conversion features of the Convertible Notes are triggered and holders of our Convertible Notes elect to convert their Convertible Notes, we may elect to settle the conversions of such Convertible Notes in shares of our class A common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of class A common stock,
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rather than in all cash, which may enable us to reduce the amount of our cash obligations under the Convertible Notes. None of our Convertible Notes are convertible at the option of holders during the three months ending March 31, 2026.
Satisfying Liquidity Needs
We do not expect cash and cash equivalents generated by our software operations to be sufficient to satisfy our short-term or long-term liquidity needs. However, we expect to be able to use cash proceeds from sales of our class A common stock under our ATM, cash we hold in the USD Reserve and cash proceeds from additional equity or debt financings (including, but not limited to, ATMs of our STRC Stock, STRK Stock, or STRD Stock, as applicable) to meet our short-term liquidity needs. Although the establishment of the USD Reserve is intended to reduce the likelihood that we will sell bitcoin to meet our short-term liquidity needs and we do not anticipate needing to use our bitcoin to do so, if and to the extent it should become necessary, we would seek to use proceeds from the sale of our bitcoin to meet such needs. Additionally, we would seek to satisfy our long-term liquidity needs, including our debt and dividend obligations, through various means that we expect to be available to us, such as cash we hold in our USD Reserve, refinancing our debt or generating cash from other sources, which may include proceeds from equity or debt financings or the sale of our bitcoin.
Availability of the USD Reserve for Liquidity
In December 2025, we established the USD Reserve, a management-designated portion of our liquidity intended to support the payment of dividends on our preferred stock and interest on our outstanding indebtedness. As of December 31, 2025, and February 13, 2026, we held $2.25 billion in our USD Reserve, held in cash and cash equivalents. To date, we have funded our USD Reserve by using the proceeds of the sale of class A common stock under our ATM. Our ability to maintain the USD Reserve at target levels is subject to market conditions and other factors outside of our control, including obtaining equity financing in a timely manner, on favorable terms, or at all. See “Risks Related to Our Business in General — A significant decrease in the fair market value of our bitcoin holdings could adversely affect our ability to satisfy our financial obligations or liquidity needs” in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report for additional information.
The USD Reserve is maintained within our general treasury and cash management framework and is not held in a segregated account or subject to any contractual, board-approved, or other mandate requiring that it be maintained for the payment of dividends or interest, or for any other specified purpose. We may, in our sole and absolute discretion, increase, reduce, eliminate, adjust, or reallocate amounts designated as part of the USD Reserve from time to time based on market conditions, liquidity needs, risk considerations, and other factors. The designation of assets as part of the USD Reserve does not create any lien, security interest, or other priority right in favor of any holder of our securities or indebtedness. To optimize our cash management, we may also deploy assets designated as part of the USD Reserve into USD-denominated and/or USD-referenced assets, including instruments that do not constitute cash or cash equivalents.
Availability of Equity and Debt Financing for Liquidity
Our ability to obtain equity and debt financing is subject to market conditions and other factors outside of our control, and we may not be able to obtain equity or debt financing in a timely manner, on favorable terms, or at all. See “Risks Related to Our Business in General— A significant decrease in the fair market value of our bitcoin holdings could adversely affect our ability to satisfy our financial obligations or liquidity needs” in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report for additional information.
Our ability to issue preferred stock and obtain debt financing, on terms we consider favorable, or at all, may also be affected in part by our corporate credit rating. On October 27, 2025, S&P Global Ratings assigned us a corporate credit rating of B-. S&P Global Ratings affirmed this rating in December 2025 following our establishment of the USD Reserve. This credit rating is not a recommendation by the rating agency to buy, sell, or hold our securities, is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the rating agency and should be evaluated independently of any other credit rating we may receive.
S&P Global Ratings and other credit rating agencies review their ratings periodically, and there is no guarantee our current corporate credit rating will remain the same as described above. If our corporate credit rating were to be lowered, or if we were to be assigned lower corporate credit ratings by other rating agencies, or if any of our securities were to be assigned lower credit ratings, our ability to access the preferred stock and debt markets, our cost of funds, and other terms for new issuances of preferred stock or debt could be adversely impacted.
Availability of Bitcoin for Liquidity
We do not believe we will need to sell or engage in other transactions with respect to any of our bitcoins within the next twelve months to meet our liquidity needs, although we may from time to time sell or engage in other transactions with respect to our bitcoins as part of treasury management operations, as noted above. The bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in its price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation,
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compliance and internal control failures at exchanges, and various other risks inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network. During times of instability in the bitcoin market, we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at reasonable prices or at all. As a result, our bitcoins are less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents. In addition, upon sale of our bitcoin, we may incur additional taxes related to any realized gains or we may incur capital losses as to which the tax deduction may be limited. See “Risks Related to Our Bitcoin Strategy and Holdings—Our bitcoin holdings are less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents” in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report for additional information.
Capital Plan
In May 2025, we announced a capital plan to raise $84 billion in the medium-to-long term, including $42 billion of equity capital and $42 billion of fixed-income instruments, including debt, convertible notes and preferred stock. This capital plan reflects an increase from our capital plan initially announced in October 2024 to raise $42 billion in aggregate, and includes capital raised through the original plan.
Capital Markets Transactions
Initial Public Offerings of Preferred Stock
We completed five initial public offerings of Preferred Stock during the year ended December 31, 2025. In connection with each offering, we have filed certificates of designations with the Secretary of State of Delaware designating the aggregate shares issued of, and establishing the terms of, each preferred stock instrument:
| Date | Shares Sold | Net Proceeds (millions) (1) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRF Stock | March 25, 2025 | 8,500,000 | $ | 710.9 | ||||
| STRC Stock | July 29, 2025 | 28,011,111 | $ | 2,473.8 | ||||
| STRE Stock | November 13, 2025 | 7,750,000 | € | 608.7 | (2) | |||
| STRK Stock | February 5, 2025 | 7,300,000 | $ | 563.2 | ||||
| STRD Stock | June 10, 2025 | 11,764,700 | $ | 979.5 |
(1)After deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and our offering expenses.
(2)Approximately $707.1 million U.S. dollars (based upon the Euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate of €1.00/$1.16).
All net proceeds from these offerings were used for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of bitcoin and for working capital.
At-the-Market Offerings
As noted above, we sold shares of STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRK Stock, STRD Stock and class A common stock from time to time pursuant to our ATMs during 2025 and our class A common stock from time to time pursuant to our ATMs during 2024. See “Capital Markets Activity” for additional information about our ATM activity for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 and "Liquidity and Capital Resources - Liquidity" for our ATM capacity as of February 13, 2026.
Debt Offerings
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, we received net proceeds of approximately $1.98 billion from the issuance of our 2030B Convertible Notes. We used the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of bitcoin and for working capital. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we received approximately $6.13 billion in aggregate net proceeds from the issuances of our 2028 Convertible Notes, 2029 Convertible Notes, 2030A Convertible Notes, 2031 Convertible Notes, and 2032 Convertible Notes. We principally used the net proceeds from these Convertible Notes to acquire bitcoin, and we used a portion of the net proceeds from the 2028 Convertible Notes to redeem our 6.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2028.
See "Capital Markets Activity" above and Note 8, Long-term Debt to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this of this Annual Report for additional information.
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Contractual and Other Obligations
Our material contractual obligations and cash requirements as of December 31, 2025 consist of:
•Principal and interest payments related to our long-term debt, which includes:
◦Principal due upon maturity of our long-term debt instruments in the aggregate of $8.25 billion;
◦$17.3 million in aggregate coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the Outstanding Convertible Notes; and
◦$0.3 million due monthly in principal and interest related to our other long-term secured debt.
•Payments under various purchase agreements, primarily related to third-party cloud hosting services and third-party software supporting our products, marketing, and operations, and a new corporate aircraft;
•Rent payments under noncancellable operating leases;
•Declared regular dividends, if any, on our Preferred Stock (in each case, to the extent declared by our board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof). For additional information about our dividends declared and paid during the year ended December 31, 2025, and the dividends payable in the future as and if declared, see “Dividends” below.
•Ongoing personnel-related expenditures and vendor payments.
The above items are explained in further detail in Note 8, Long-term Debt and Note 12, Redeemable Preferred Stock, to the Consolidated Financial Statements as well as under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources” included in this Annual Report.
Dividends
The following table sets forth the aggregate dividends paid for the year ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| STRF Stock | $ | 86,803 |
| STRC Stock | 122,071 | |
| STRE Stock (1) | 12,002 | |
| STRK Stock | 87,795 | |
| STRD Stock | 72,696 | |
| Total | $ | 381,367 |
(1) Reflects the Euro to USD exchange rate then in effect at the time of the applicable STRE Stock dividend payment.
We did not pay any dividends on our capital stock during the year ended December 31, 2025.
On December 31, 2025, we announced that our board of directors increased the monthly regular dividend rate per annum on STRC Stock from 10.75% to 11.00% effective for monthly periods commencing on or after January 1, 2026 and declared a monthly cash dividend of $0.916666667 per share payable on STRC Stock on January 31, 2026 to stockholders of record as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 15, 2026. For a discussion of the dividends paid and payable on, and other rights of the STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRE Stock, STRK Stock, and STRD Stock, see Note 12, Redeemable Preferred Stock, and Note 18, Subsequent Events, to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report.
Our declared regular dividends, if any, on our Preferred Stock, (in each case, to the extent declared by our board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof), which, based on the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding as of February 13, 2026 (except as set forth below), would include:
•$32.1 million dividends payable each quarterly period on our STRF Stock;
•$32.4 million dividends payable each monthly period on our STRC Stock (assuming the current dividend rate of 11.25% remains unchanged);
•$23.0 million dividends payable each quarterly period on our STRE Stock (which is the Euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate displayed on the Bloomberg page “BFIX” as of 12:30 P.M. (New York City time) on February 13, 2026);
•$28.0 million dividends payable each quarterly period on our STRK Stock; and
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•$35.1 million dividends payable each quarterly period on our STRD Stock.
Other than additional issuances of Preferred Stock and associated increases in the required dividends on our STRF Stock, STRC Stock, and STRK Stock, and the regular dividends on our STRD Stock, all of which are described more fully above, there have been no changes to our material contractual obligations and cash requirements since December 31, 2025.
Cash Flows
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| 2025 | 2024 | % change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (67,241) | $ | (53,032) | 26.8 | % | ||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | (22,512,295) | (22,086,237) | 1.9 | % | ||||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | 24,843,527 | 22,132,641 | 12.2 | % | ||||||
| Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | (544) | (2,148) | -74.7 | % | ||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | 2,263,447 | (8,776) | -25891.3 | % | ||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, beginning of period | 39,897 | 48,673 | -18.0 | % | ||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, end of period | $ | 2,303,344 | $ | 39,897 | 5673.2 | % |
Net cash used in operating activities. The primary sources of cash used by operating activities are cash collections of our accounts receivable from customers following the sales and renewals of our product licenses, subscription services and product support, as well as consulting and education services. Our primary uses of cash in operating activities are for personnel-related expenditures for software development, personnel-related expenditures for providing consulting, education, and subscription services, and for sales and marketing costs, general and administrative costs, interest expense related to our long-term debt arrangements, and income taxes. Non-cash items to further reconcile net income (loss) to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities consist primarily of depreciation and amortization, reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets, deferred taxes, release of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, share-based compensation expense, unrealized loss or gain on digital assets, digital asset impairment losses, and amortization of the issuance costs on our long-term debt.
Net cash used in operating activities increased $14.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year, mainly due to a $2.68 billion increase in net loss and a $13.1 million increase from changes in operating assets and liabilities, offset by a $2.68 billion increase in non-cash items (principally related to unrealized losses on digital assets). In particular, our cash from operations has been negatively impacted by our continued transition of customers to subscription services offerings, which has resulted in (i) reduced cash collections due to invoicing over multiple years, (ii) increased commissions and (iii) increased costs of our cloud infrastructure to support increased usage. We have also incurred additional bitcoin advocacy costs, custodial fees and personnel costs as we continue to pursue our bitcoin strategy. Our interest payments for the year ended December 31, 2025 have increased compared to the same period in the prior year primarily due to the issuance of the 2028 Convertible Notes.
Net cash used in investing activities. The changes in net cash used in investing activities primarily relate to purchases of digital assets, advance deposits on a new corporate aircraft, and expenditures on property and equipment. Net cash used in investing activities increased $426.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily due to a $394.3 million increase in purchases of bitcoins and a $26.5 million deposit on a new corporate aircraft. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we purchased $22.47 billion of bitcoin using net proceeds from the issuances of our 2030B Convertible Notes; net proceeds from the initial public offerings of our STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRE Stock, STRK Stock and STRD Stock; and net proceeds from the sale of STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRK Stock, STRD Stock and class A common stock under our ATMs, respectively; while during the year ended December 31, 2024, we purchased $22.07 billion of bitcoin using net proceeds from the issuances of our 2028 Convertible Notes, 2029 Convertible Notes, 2030A Convertible Notes, 2031 Convertible Notes, and 2032 Convertible Notes, net proceeds from the class A common stock ATMs, and Excess Cash. “Excess Cash” refers to cash in excess of the minimum Cash Assets that we are required to hold under our Treasury Reserve Policy, which may include cash generated by operating activities and cash from the proceeds of financing activities.
Net cash provided by financing activities. The changes in cash provided by financing activities primarily relate to the issuance and subsequent repayment of long-term debt; the sale of class A common stock under our ATMs; the sale of STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRK Stock and STRD Stock under our ATMs; dividends paid on our STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRE Stock, STRK Stock and STRD Stock, net proceeds from the initial public offerings of our STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRE Stock, STRK Stock, and STRD Stock; the exercise or vesting of certain awards under the 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2013 Equity Plan”), and the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2023 Equity Plan,” and, together with the 2013 Equity Plan, the “Stock Incentive Plans”), and the sales of class A common stock under
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the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Net cash provided by financing activities increased $2.71 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year, primarily due to (i) $6.92 billion in aggregate net proceeds from the initial public offerings of our STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRE Stock, STRK Stock, STRD Stock, and sales of STRF Stock, STRC Stock, STRK Stock and STRD Stock under our ATMs, respectively during the year ended December 31, 2025, partially offset by (ii) a $83.0 million decrease in net proceeds from our sale of class A common stock under our class A common stock ATMs and (iii) a $4.15 billion decrease in long-term debt proceeds, net of issuance costs, during the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year; (iv) a $142.1 million decrease in proceeds from the exercise of stock options under the Stock Incentive Plans in the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the same period in the prior year and (v) $381.4 million in dividends paid on our Preferred Stock during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Long-term Debt
The terms of each of our long-term debt instruments and the interest payments we have made and are obligated to make on our long-term debt instruments are discussed more fully in Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report.
We or our affiliates may, at any time and from time to time, seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for equity or debt, in open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will be upon such terms and at such prices as we may determine, and will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. We may also seek to prepay our outstanding indebtedness. The amounts involved in any such repurchase or prepayment may be material. We could seek to fund any such debt repurchases or prepayments using proceeds from equity offering programs that we may choose to undertake from time-to-time.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and equity, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results and outcomes could differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Critical accounting estimates are those that involve a high degree of estimation uncertainty and have had, or are reasonably likely to have, a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. Although the application of our accounting policies requires the use of estimates and judgments, as of the date of this report, we have concluded that none of our accounting estimates meet the definition of critical accounting estimates.
Important Information about KPIs
The following table presents total bitcoin holding, basic shares outstanding, Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding, Bitcoin per basic shares outstanding (in Sats), BPS (in Sats), and bitcoin price for the periods as indicated. On August 7, 2024, we completed a 10-for-1 stock split of our class A and class B common stock. See Note 2(a), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report, for further information. As a result of the stock split, all applicable share and per share information presented within the
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calculation of our KPIs in this Annual Report have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split for all periods presented.
| As of December 31 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Total Bitcoin Holdings | 672,500 | 447,470 | 189,150 | |||||||
| Shares Outstanding (in thousands) | ||||||||||
| Class A Common Stock | 292,422 | 226,138 | 149,041 | |||||||
| Class B Common Stock | 19,640 | 19,640 | 19,640 | |||||||
| Basic Shares Outstanding | 312,062 | 245,778 | 168,681 | |||||||
| 2025 Convertible Notes, convertible at $39.80 | — | — | 16,330 | |||||||
| 2027 Convertible Notes, convertible at $143.25 | — | 7,330 | 7,330 | |||||||
| 2028 Convertible Notes, convertible at $183.19 | 5,513 | 5,513 | — | |||||||
| 2029 Convertible Notes, convertible at $672.40 | 4,462 | 4,462 | — | |||||||
| 2030A Convertible Notes, convertible at $149.77 | 5,342 | 5,342 | — | |||||||
| 2030B Convertible Notes, convertible at $433.43 | 4,614 | |||||||||
| 2031 Convertible Notes, convertible at $232.72 | 2,594 | 2,594 | — | |||||||
| 2032 Convertible Notes, convertible at $204.33 | 3,915 | 3,915 | — | |||||||
| STRK Stock, convertible at $1,000.00 | 1,398 | — | — | |||||||
| Options Outstanding | 3,662 | 4,956 | 12,936 | |||||||
| Restricted Stock Units and Performance Stock Units Unvested | 1,335 | 1,845 | 2,359 | |||||||
| Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding (in thousands) | 344,897 | 281,735 | 207,636 | |||||||
| Bitcoin Per Basic Shares Outstanding (in Sats) | 215,502 | 182,063 | 112,135 | |||||||
| Bitcoin Per Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding Share (BPS) (in Sats) | 194,986 | 158,826 | 91,097 | |||||||
| Bitcoin Price | $ | 87,515 | $ | 93,390 | $ | 42,531 |
Bitcoin Per Share (in Sats), or BPS, is a KPI that represents the ratio between our bitcoin holdings and Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding, expressed in terms of Satoshis (or Sats), where:
•“Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding” refers to the aggregate of our Basic Shares Outstanding as of the dates presented plus all additional shares that would result from the assumed conversion of all outstanding convertible notes and convertible preferred stock, exercise of all outstanding stock option awards, and settlement of all outstanding restricted stock units and performance stock units as of such dates. Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding is not calculated using the treasury method, incorporates approximate forfeitures of awards in the current period which may be subject to future adjustment and does not take into account any vesting conditions (in the case of equity awards), the exercise price of any stock option awards or any contractual conditions limiting convertibility of convertible debt instruments.
•“Basic Shares Outstanding” reflects the actual class A common stock and class B common stock outstanding as of the dates presented. For purposes of this calculation, outstanding shares of such stock are deemed to include shares, if any, that (A) were sold under ATMs, or (B) were to be issued pursuant to (i) options that had been exercised, (ii) restricted stock units that have vested or (iii) conversion requests received with respect to convertible securities, but which in each case were pending issuance as of the dates presented.
•A “Satoshi” or a “Sat” is one one-hundred-millionth of one bitcoin, currently the smallest indivisible unit of a bitcoin.
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| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | % Change | ||||||||
| BTC Yield | 22.8 | % | 74.3 | % | (51.5 | %) | (1) | |||
| BTC Gain | 101,873 | 140,631 | (27.6) | % | ||||||
| BTC $ Gain (in millions, except percentage) | $ | 8,915 | $ | 13,134 | (32.1) | % |
(1) Represents the absolute change between the periods presented.
BTC Yield is a KPI that represents the percentage change in BPS from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.
BTC Gain is a KPI that represents the number of bitcoins held by us at the beginning of a period multiplied by the BTC Yield for such period.
BTC $ Gain is a KPI that represents the dollar value of the BTC Gain calculated by multiplying the BTC Gain by the market price of bitcoin. For determining BTC $ Gain quarter to date or year to date, unless otherwise specified, we use the current market price of bitcoin. For determining BTC $ Gain for a past fiscal year or other past period, we use the market price of bitcoin as of 4:00pm ET as reported on the Coinbase exchange on the last day of the applicable period. We use these market prices of bitcoin for this calculation solely for the purpose of facilitating this illustrative calculation.
We use BPS, BTC Yield, BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain as KPIs to help assess the performance of our strategy of acquiring bitcoin in a manner we believe is accretive to shareholders. We also believe these KPIs can supplement investors’ understanding of how we choose to fund bitcoin purchases and the value created in a period:
•BPS measures the ratio of our bitcoin holdings to Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding, which provides management and investors a baseline with which to assess our achievement of our strategy of acquiring bitcoin in an accretive manner over a given period. When evaluating a capital raise transaction, we review this metric and consider the impact such transaction will have on this ratio on a pro forma basis. This metric forms the baseline for our BTC Yield, BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain KPIs, which present changes in BPS from the beginning of a period to the end of the period in different formats, and which we review to assess the performance of our strategy of acquiring bitcoin in a manner we believe to be accretive to shareholders.
•BTC Yield measures the percentage change in BPS from the beginning of a period to the end of a period, which helps management and investors assess how our achievement of our strategy of acquiring bitcoin in an accretive manner varies across periods. We use BTC Yield to evaluate whether our capital markets activity and bitcoin acquisition strategy resulted in gross per-share accretion (or dilution) on an Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding basis over an applicable period, and to compare the impact of our strategy across periods.
•BTC Gain hypothetically expresses the percentage change reflected in the BTC Yield metric as if it reflected an increase in the amount of bitcoin held at the end of the applicable period as compared to the beginning of such period, which provides management and investors with visibility into the absolute change in our bitcoin holdings resulting from our BTC Yield. We use BTC Gain to measure the accretive or dilutive impact of the change in BPS over an applicable period in absolute terms relative to our bitcoin holdings. This metric can be particularly helpful when comparing the execution of our capital markets strategy across periods, as BTC Yield may be lower when our bitcoin asset base is larger, but result in the same BTC Gain. For example, a 10% BTC Yield with a starting amount of 100,000 bitcoin will result in 10,000 BTC Gain, which is the same BTC Gain that would result from 5% BTC Yield with a starting amount of 200,000 bitcoin.
•BTC $ Gain further expresses the percentage change reflected in the BTC Yield metric as an illustrative dollar value by multiplying that bitcoin-denominated change by the market price of bitcoin at the end of the applicable period as described above. We refer to this metric for illustrative purposes to consider the magnitude of our BTC Gain for an applicable period with reference to the market price of bitcoin as of the end of an applicable period.
When we use these KPIs, management takes into account the various limitations of these metrics, including that:
•the KPIs do not take into account that our assets, including our bitcoin, are subject to (i) all of our existing and future liabilities, including our debt, and (ii) the preferential rights of our preferred stockholders to dividends and our assets in a liquidation, and that all such claims rank to senior to those of our common equity; therefore holders of such excluded instruments may have claims on our assets (including bitcoin) senior to those of holders of common stock in the event of our liquidation, and as a result the additional bitcoin acquired using proceeds from the sale of such instruments may not accrete to common stockholders; and
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•the KPIs assume that all indebtedness will be refinanced or, in the case of our senior convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock, converted into shares of class A common stock in accordance with their respective terms.
BPS, BTC Yield, BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain are not, and should not be understood as, financial performance, valuation or liquidity measures. Specifically:
•BPS does not represent (i) our ability to satisfy our financial obligations, or (ii) our book value per share. Ownership of a share of our common stock does not represent an ownership interest in the bitcoin held by us.
•BTC Yield is not equivalent to “yield” in the traditional financial context. It is not a measure of the return on investment our shareholders may have achieved historically or can achieve in the future by purchasing our stock, or a measure of income generated by our operations or our bitcoin holdings, return on investment on our bitcoin holdings, or any other similar financial measure of the performance of our business or assets.
•BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain are not equivalent to “gain” in the traditional financial context. They also are not measures of the return on investment our shareholders may have achieved historically or can achieve in the future by purchasing our stock, or measures of income generated by our operations or our bitcoin holdings, return on investment on our bitcoin holdings, or any other similar financial measure of the performance of our business or assets. It should also be understood that BTC $ Gain does not represent a fair value gain of our bitcoin holdings, and BTC $ Gain may be positive during periods when we have incurred fair value losses on our bitcoin holdings.
The trading price of our class A common stock is informed by numerous factors in addition to our bitcoin holdings and our actual or potential shares of class A common stock outstanding, and as a result, the trading price of our securities can deviate significantly from the fair market value of our bitcoin, and none of BPS, BTC Yield, BTC Gain or BTC $ Gain are indicative or predictive of the trading price of our securities.
Investors should rely on the financial statements and other disclosures contained in our SEC filings. In particular, we have adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2023-08, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Crypto Assets (Subtopic 350-60): Accounting for and Disclosure of Crypto Assets (“ASU 2023-08”), which requires that we measure our bitcoin at fair value in our statement of financial position as of the end of a reported period, and recognize gains losses from changes in the fair value in net income for the reported period. As a result, we may incur unrealized gain or loss on digital assets based on changes in the market price of bitcoin during a period, which would not be reflected in BPS, BTC Yield, BTC Gain or BTC $ Gain. For example, if we increase our bitcoin holdings relative to Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding during a reported period, we would achieve increased BPS and positive BTC Yield, BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain even if we report significant unrealized loss on digital assets for the period. Similarly, if we increase Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding at a faster rate than our bitcoin holdings, then we would experience decreased BPS and negative BTC Yield, BTC Gain, and BTC $ Gain, even if we report significant unrealized gain on digital assets for the period.
As noted above, these KPIs are narrow in their purpose and are used by management to assist it in assessing whether we are raising and deploying capital in a manner accretive to shareholders solely as it pertains to our bitcoin holdings.
In calculating these KPIs, we do not consider the source of capital used for the acquisition of our bitcoin. When we purchase bitcoin using proceeds from offerings of non-convertible notes or non-convertible preferred stock, or convertible notes or preferred stock that carry conversion prices above the current trading price of our common stock or conversion rights that are not then exercisable, such transactions have the effect of increasing the BPS, BTC Yield, BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain, while also increasing our indebtedness and senior claims of holders of instruments other than class A common stock with respect to dividends and to our assets, including our bitcoin, if we were to liquidate, in a manner that is not reflected in these metrics.
If any of our convertible notes mature or are redeemed without being converted into common stock, or if we elect to redeem or repurchase our non-convertible instruments, we may be required to sell shares of our class A common stock or bitcoin to generate sufficient cash proceeds to satisfy those obligations, either of which would have the effect of decreasing BPS, BTC Yield, BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain, and adjustments for such decreases are not contemplated by the assumptions made in calculating these metrics. Accordingly, these metrics might overstate or understate the accretive nature of our use of capital to buy bitcoin because not all bitcoin is purchased using proceeds of issuances of class A common stock, instruments that are convertible into class A common stock may be forfeited or repaid with funds other than from the sale of class A common stock in the period in question rather than being exercised for or converted into class A common stock, and not all proceeds from issuances of class A common stock are used to purchase bitcoin.
In addition, we are required to pay dividends with respect to our perpetual preferred stock in perpetuity. We could pay these dividends with cash or, in the case of STRK Stock, by issuing shares of class A common stock. We have issued shares of class A common stock for cash to fund the payment of cash dividends, and we may in the future issue shares of
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class A common stock in lieu of paying dividends on STRK Stock. As a result, we have experienced, and may experience in the future, increases in Assumed Diluted Shares Outstanding without corresponding increases in our bitcoin holdings, resulting in decreases in BPS, BTC Yield, BTC Gain and BTC $ Gain for the applicable periods.
We have historically not paid any dividends on our shares of class A common stock, and by presenting these KPIs we make no suggestion that we intend to do so in the future. Ownership of our securities, including our class A common stock and preferred stock, does not represent an ownership interest in, or a redemption right with respect to, the bitcoin we hold.
We determine our KPI targets based on our history and future goals. Our ability to maintain any given level of BPS, or achieve positive BTC Yield, BTC Gain, or BTC $ Gain may depend on a variety of factors, including factors outside of our control, such as the price of bitcoin, and the availability of debt and equity financing on favorable terms. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
These KPIs are merely supplements, not substitutes to the financial statements and other disclosures contained in our SEC filings. They should be used only by sophisticated investors who understand their limited purpose and many limitations.
Recent Accounting Standards
See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report for further information.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000950170-25-021814.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Information
The following discussion and analysis provides information which our management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. This discussion and analysis should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical financial information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that are based upon our current expectations, beliefs, estimates and projections, and various assumptions, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. See the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled “Forward Looking Information and Risk Factor Summary.” Actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
10-for-1 stock split
On August 7, 2024, we completed a 10-for-1 stock split of our class A and class B common stock. See Note 2(a), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Basis of Presentation, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, for further information. As a result of the stock split, all applicable share and per share information presented within this “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split for all periods presented.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022, including comparison of our results for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Business Overview
Strategy is the world's first and largest Bitcoin Treasury Company. We are a publicly traded company that has adopted Bitcoin as our primary treasury reserve asset. By using proceeds from equity and debt financings, as well as cash flows from our operations, we strategically accumulate Bitcoin and advocate for its role as digital capital. Our treasury strategy is designed to provide investors varying degrees of economic exposure to Bitcoin by offering a range of securities, including equity and fixed income instruments.
In addition, we provide industry-leading AI-powered enterprise analytics software, advancing our vision of Intelligence Everywhere. We leverage our development capabilities to explore innovation in Bitcoin applications, integrating analytics expertise with our commitment to digital asset growth. We believe our combination of operational excellence, strategic Bitcoin reserve, and focus on technological innovation positions us as a leader in both the digital asset and enterprise analytics sectors, offering a unique opportunity for long-term value creation.
Our Bitcoin Strategy
Our bitcoin strategy generally involves from time to time, subject to market conditions, (i) issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin and (ii) acquiring bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements. We intend to fund further bitcoin acquisitions primarily through issuances of common stock and a variety of fixed-income instruments, including debt, convertible notes and preferred stock.
We view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin. We have not set any specific target for the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional financings to purchase additional bitcoin. This overall strategy also contemplates that we may (i) periodically sell bitcoin for general corporate purposes or in connection with strategies that generate tax benefits in accordance with applicable law, (ii) enter into additional capital raising transactions that are collateralized by our bitcoin holdings, and (iii) consider pursuing strategies to create income streams or otherwise generate funds using our bitcoin holdings.
Additionally, we periodically engage in advocacy and educational activities regarding the continued acceptance and value of Bitcoin as an open, secure protocol for an internet-native digital capital asset, and we leverage our software development capabilities to explore innovation in Bitcoin applications.
Under our Treasury Reserve Policy, our treasury reserve assets consist of:
•
cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments (“Cash Assets”) held by us that exceed working capital requirements; and
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•
bitcoin held by us, with bitcoin serving as the primary treasury reserve asset on an ongoing basis, subject to market conditions and anticipated needs of the business for Cash Assets.
During 2023 and 2024, we used proceeds from various capital raising transactions to purchase bitcoin. As of December 31, 2024, we held an aggregate of approximately 447,470 bitcoins.
The following table presents a roll-forward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases, sales, and digital asset impairment losses within the respective periods:
| Source of Capital Used to Purchase Bitcoin | Digital Asset Original Cost Basis (in thousands) | Digital Asset Impairment Losses (in thousands) | Digital Asset Carrying Value (in thousands) | Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held | Approximate Average Purchase Price Per Bitcoin | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | 3,993,190 | $ | (2,153,162 | ) | $ | 1,840,028 | 132,500 | $ | 30,137 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (a) | 1,902,299 | 1,902,299 | 56,650 | 33,580 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (115,851 | ) | (115,851 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2023 | $ | 5,895,489 | $ | (2,269,013 | ) | $ | 3,626,476 | 189,150 | $ | 31,168 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (b) | 22,072,759 | 22,072,759 | 258,320 | 85,447 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (1,789,862 | ) | (1,789,862 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2024 | $ | 27,968,248 | $ | (4,058,875 | ) | $ | 23,909,373 | 447,470 | $ | 62,503 |
(a)
During 2023, we purchased bitcoin using $1.864 billion of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering programs, and $37.9 million of Excess Cash.
(b)
During 2024, we purchased bitcoin using $16.330 billion of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering program, $2.974 billion of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2029 Convertible Notes, $782.0 million of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2030 Convertible Notes, $756.0 million of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2032 Convertible Notes, $592.3 million of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2031 Convertible Notes, $458.2 million of the net proceeds from our issuance of the 2028 Convertible Notes, and $179.7 million of Excess Cash.
Excess Cash refers to cash in excess of the minimum Cash Assets that we are required to hold under our Treasury Reserve Policy, which may include cash generated by operating activities and cash from the proceeds of financing activities.
The following table shows the approximate number of bitcoins held at the end of each respective period, as well as market value calculations of our bitcoin holdings based on the lowest, highest, and ending market prices of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) for each respective year, as further defined below:
| Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held at End of Year | Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (a) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Lowest Market Price (in thousands) (b) | Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (c) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Highest Market Price (in thousands) (d) | Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year (e) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price (in thousands) (f) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2022 | 132,500 | $ | 15,460.00 | $ | 2,048,450 | $ | 48,240.00 | $ | 6,391,800 | $ | 16,556.32 | $ | 2,193,712 | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2023 | 189,150 | $ | 16,490.00 | $ | 3,119,084 | $ | 45,000.00 | $ | 8,511,750 | $ | 42,531.41 | $ | 8,044,816 | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2024 | 447,470 | $ | 38,501.00 | $ | 17,228,042 | $ | 108,388.88 | $ | 48,500,772 | $ | 93,390.21 | $ | 41,789,317 |
(a)
The “Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year” represents the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(b)
The “Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Lowest Market Price” represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year.
(c)
The “Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year” represents the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(d)
The “Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Highest Market Price” represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year.
(e)
The “Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year” represents the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year.
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(f)
The “Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price” represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year.
The amounts reported as “Market Value” in the above table represent only a mathematical calculation consisting of the price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) in each scenario defined above multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. Bitcoin and bitcoin markets may be subject to manipulation and the spot price of bitcoin may be subject to fraud and manipulation. Accordingly, the Market Value amounts reported above may not accurately represent fair market value, and the actual fair market value of our bitcoin may be different from such amounts and such deviation may be material. Moreover, (i) the bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, potential susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, compliance and internal control failures at exchanges, and various other risks that are, or may be, inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network and (ii) we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at the Market Value amounts indicated above, at the market price as reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) on the date of sale, or at all.
Our digital asset impairment losses have significantly contributed to our operating expenses. During 2024, digital asset impairment losses of $1.790 billion represented 81.8% of our operating expenses, compared to digital asset impairment losses of $115.9 million during 2023, representing 23.1% of our operating expenses. Upon our adoption of ASU 2023-08 on January 1, 2025, we will no longer recognize impairment losses under the current cost-less-impairment accounting model described in Note 2(g), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Digital Assets, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In future periods, both realized and unrealized gains and losses from changes in fair value of our bitcoin holdings will be recognized as incurred in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
As of February 14, 2025, we held approximately 478,740 bitcoins that were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of $31.134 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $65,033 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. As of February 14, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the market price of one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange was $97,236.98.
Enterprise Analytics Software Strategy
Strategy is a pioneer in AI-powered business intelligence (BI), and a global leader in enterprise analytics solutions. We provide software and services designed to turn complex, chaotic data environments into rich, reliable, and convenient information feeds for our customers. Our vision is to drive growth and competitive advantage for our customers by delivering Intelligence Everywhere™.
Our cloud-native flagship, Strategy One™, powers some of the largest analytics deployments in the world for customers spanning a wide range of industries, including retail, banking, technology, manufacturing, insurance, consulting, healthcare, telecommunications, and the public sector.
Integral to the Strategy One platform are Generative AI capabilities that are designed to automate and accelerate the deployment of AI-enabled applications across the enterprise. By making advanced analytics accessible through conversational AI, Strategy One provides non-technical users with timely, actionable insights for decision-making.
The analytics market is highly competitive and subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions. Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors within and outside of our control. Some of these factors include software quality, performance and reliability; the quality of our service and support teams; marketing and prospecting effectiveness, the ability to incorporate artificial intelligence and other technically advanced features; and our ability to differentiate our products.
As we transition our business strategy and product offerings to a cloud-native model, we are continuously enhancing our go-to-market and sales strategies with the goal of focusing on acquiring new customers, driving revenue growth, increasing margins, and streamlining
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our operations. As part of this strategic transformation, we have taken and will continue to take certain measures to optimize operational and organizational efficiency across all of our corporate functions.
Operating Highlights
The following table sets forth certain operating highlights (in thousands) for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 48,567 | $ | 75,351 | ||||
| Subscription services | 106,776 | 81,179 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 155,343 | 156,530 | ||||||
| Product support | 243,805 | 263,888 | ||||||
| Other services | 64,308 | 75,843 | ||||||
| Total revenues | 463,456 | 496,261 | ||||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | 3,060 | 1,929 | ||||||
| Subscription services | 42,440 | 31,776 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 45,500 | 33,705 | ||||||
| Product support | 33,289 | 22,434 | ||||||
| Other services | 50,679 | 53,805 | ||||||
| Total cost of revenues | 129,468 | 109,944 | ||||||
| Gross profit | 333,988 | 386,317 | ||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 138,081 | 149,671 | ||||||
| Research and development | 118,486 | 120,530 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 140,537 | 115,312 | ||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | 1,789,862 | 115,851 | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | 2,186,966 | 501,364 | ||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (1,852,978 | ) | $ | (115,047 | ) |
We have incurred significant impairment losses on our digital assets, and we have recognized gains upon sale of our digital assets, which have been presented net of any impairment losses within operating expenses. However, the accounting for our digital assets will change upon our adoption of ASU 2023-08 on January 1, 2025. See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information. As a result, fluctuations in the price of bitcoin and fair value changes associated therewith will have a significant impact on our future operating results.
In addition, we base our operating expense budgets on expected revenue trends and strategic objectives. Many of our expenses, such as interest expense on debt, declared dividends on our preferred stock, tax liabilities, office leases and certain personnel costs, are relatively fixed. We may be unable to adjust spending quickly enough to offset any unexpected shortfall in our cash flow. Accordingly, we may be required to take actions to pay expenses, such as selling bitcoin or using proceeds from equity or debt financings, some of which could significantly impact our operating results in any period. We therefore believe that period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be a good indication of our future performance.
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Share-based Compensation Expense
As discussed in Note 11, Share-based Compensation, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, under our 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2013 Equity Plan”) and 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2023 Equity Plan”, and together with the 2013 Equity Plan, the “Stock Incentive Plans”), we have awarded stock options to purchase shares of our class A common stock, restricted stock units, performance stock units, and certain other stock-based awards. Each restricted stock unit and performance stock unit represents a contingent right to receive a share of our class A common stock upon the satisfaction of applicable vesting requirements. We also provide opportunities for eligible employees to purchase shares of our class A common stock under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2021 ESPP”). Share-based compensation expense (in thousands) from these awards was recognized in the following cost of revenues and operating expense line items for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Cost of subscription services revenues | $ | 392 | $ | 361 | |||
| Cost of product support revenues | 3,929 | 2,156 | |||||
| Cost of consulting revenues | 1,780 | 1,940 | |||||
| Cost of education revenues | 136 | 99 | |||||
| Sales and marketing | 14,846 | 18,022 | |||||
| Research and development | 14,357 | 13,549 | |||||
| General and administrative | 41,684 | 33,444 | |||||
| Total share-based compensation expense | $ | 77,124 | $ | 69,571 |
The $7.6 million increase in share-based compensation expense during 2024, as compared to the prior year, is primarily due to the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, partially offset by the forfeiture of certain awards and certain awards that became fully vested. As of December 31, 2024, we estimated that an aggregate of approximately $114.3 million of additional share-based compensation expense associated with the Stock Incentive Plans and the 2021 ESPP will be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 2.3 years.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. See Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of our significant accounting policies. As described in Note 2, the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and equity, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results and outcomes could differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Critical accounting estimates involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and are estimates that have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We consider certain estimates and judgments related to revenue recognition to be critical accounting estimates for us, as discussed further below.
Revenue Recognition
See Note 2(n), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Revenue Recognition, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding our significant accounting policies over revenue recognition.
Many of our contracts with customers include multiple performance obligations, and we make estimates and judgments to allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on an observable or estimated standalone selling price (“SSP”). The SSP is the price, or estimated price, of the software or service when sold on a standalone basis at contract inception. We consider our evaluation of SSP to be a critical accounting estimate.
An observable price of a good or service sold separately provides the best evidence of SSP. However, in many situations, SSP will not be readily observable, but must still be estimated using reasonably available information. We have observable standalone selling prices of our product support, consulting services, and education services, and therefore use historical transaction data on a standalone basis, along with our judgment, to establish SSP ranges for each of these services, as described in Note 2(n). However, SSP is not directly observable for product licenses (product licenses are not sold on a standalone basis and pricing is highly variable) and subscription services (the selling price of subscription services is highly variable), and we use a residual approach to establish SSP for these revenue streams. As such, the establishment of SSP of our product support, consulting services, and education services directly impacts the amount of product licenses and subscription services revenues recognized, and therefore also impacts the overall timing of revenue recognition.
We review and analyze the SSP ranges we have established for product support, consulting services, and education services semi-annually, and these SSP ranges do not change significantly year to year. We also perform analyses on at least an annual basis using historical pricing data for both product license and subscription services transactions to assess whether the selling price is highly variable
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in order to support our conclusion that the residual method to estimate SSP of our product licenses and subscription services continues to be a fair allocation of the transaction price.
In the future, SSP for our software and services could be impacted by various factors, including potential changes in our pricing practices, customer demand for our products and services, and various market or economic conditions. However, we consider the risk of significant volatility in our established SSP to be small given our historical transaction experience and internal processes to monitor SSP ranges on an ongoing basis and work with management in the event a trend that could impact the future ranges is detected.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
Revenues
Except as otherwise indicated herein, the term “domestic” refers to operations in the United States and Canada and the term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada.
Product licenses and subscription services revenues. The following table sets forth product licenses and subscription services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Licenses and Subscription Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product Licenses | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 19,803 | $ | 39,193 | -49.5 | % | ||||||
| International | 28,764 | 36,158 | -20.4 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses revenues | 48,567 | 75,351 | -35.5 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription Services | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 66,820 | 52,528 | 27.2 | % | ||||||||
| International | 39,956 | 28,651 | 39.5 | % | ||||||||
| Total subscription services revenues | 106,776 | 81,179 | 31.5 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services revenues | $ | 155,343 | $ | 156,530 | -0.8 | % |
Product licenses revenues. Product licenses revenues decreased $26.8 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an overall decrease in the volume of deals. Our product licenses revenues may continue to experience declines in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Subscription services revenues. Subscription services revenues are derived from our cloud subscription service for commercial and government use and are recognized ratably over the service period in the contract. Subscription services revenues increased $25.6 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to conversions to cloud-based subscriptions from existing on-premises customers, a net increase in the use of subscription services by existing customers, and sales contracts with new customers. We expect our subscription services revenues to continue to grow in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Product support revenues. The following table sets forth product support revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Support Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 144,869 | $ | 158,308 | -8.5 | % | ||||||
| International | 98,936 | 105,580 | -6.3 | % | ||||||||
| Total product support revenues | $ | 243,805 | $ | 263,888 | -7.6 | % |
Product support revenues are derived from providing technical software support and software updates and upgrades to customers. Product support revenues are recognized ratably over the term of the contract, which is generally one year. Product support revenues decreased $20.1 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to certain existing customers converting from perpetual product licenses with separate support contracts to our subscription services offerings. Our product support revenues may experience declines in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
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Other services revenues. The following table sets forth other services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Other Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 27,646 | $ | 35,261 | -21.6 | % | ||||||
| International | 33,855 | 36,814 | -8.0 | % | ||||||||
| Total consulting revenues | 61,501 | 72,075 | -14.7 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 2,807 | 3,768 | -25.5 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services revenues | $ | 64,308 | $ | 75,843 | -15.2 | % |
Consulting revenues. Consulting revenues are derived from helping customers plan and execute the deployment of our software. Consulting revenues decreased $10.6 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a decrease in demand for domestic consulting services.
Education revenues. Education revenues are derived from the education and training that we provide to our customers to enhance their ability to fully utilize the features and functionality of our software. These offerings include self-tutorials, custom course development, joint training with customers’ internal staff, and standard course offerings, with pricing dependent on the specific offering delivered. Education revenues decreased $1.0 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a decrease in demand for education services.
Costs and Expenses
Cost of revenues. The following table sets forth cost of revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Cost of Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses and subscription services: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 3,060 | $ | 1,929 | 58.6 | % | ||||||
| Subscription services | 42,440 | 31,776 | 33.6 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 45,500 | 33,705 | 35.0 | % | ||||||||
| Product support | 33,289 | 22,434 | 48.4 | % | ||||||||
| Other services: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | 48,374 | 51,311 | -5.7 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 2,305 | 2,494 | -7.6 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services | 50,679 | 53,805 | -5.8 | % | ||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 129,468 | $ | 109,944 | 17.8 | % |
Cost of product licenses revenues. Cost of product licenses revenues consists of referral fees paid to channel partners, the costs of product manuals and media, and royalties paid to third-party software vendors. Cost of product licenses revenues did not materially change during 2024, as compared to the prior year.
Cost of subscription services revenues. Cost of subscription services revenues consists of equipment, facility and other related support costs (including cloud hosting infrastructure costs), and personnel and related overhead costs. Cost of subscription services revenues increased $10.7 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $10.0 million increase in cloud hosting infrastructure costs, which is a result of the increased usage by new and existing cloud subscription services customers.
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Cost of product support revenues. Cost of product support revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs. Cost of product support revenues increased $10.9 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due (i) a $3.7 million increase in salaries and personnel costs, (ii) a $2.8 million increase in variable compensation, (iii) a $1.8 million net increase in share-based compensation expense, (iv) a $1.0 million increase in severance costs due to headcount reductions, and (v) a $0.7 million increase in facility and other related support costs. Other than the increase in severance costs, these changes were primarily attributable to an increase in average staffing levels from the internal transfer of certain employees to product support functions, partially offset by the discontinuance of our Enterprise Support program during 2024, which previously resulted in compensation costs for certain consulting personnel being allocated to cost of product support revenues.
Cost of consulting revenues. Cost of consulting revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs. Cost of consulting revenues decreased $2.9 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $2.2 million decrease in variable compensation and (ii) a $1.9 million decrease in salaries and personnel costs attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels, partially offset by the discontinuance of our Enterprise Support program (pursuant to which costs associated with certain consulting personnel had been recognized in cost of product support revenues) during 2024, partially offset by (iii) a $1.9 million increase in subcontractor costs.
Cost of education revenues. Cost of education revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs. Cost of education revenues did not materially change during 2024, as compared to the prior year.
Sales and marketing expenses. Sales and marketing expenses consist of personnel costs, commissions, office facilities, travel, advertising, public relations programs, and promotional events, such as trade shows, seminars, and technical conferences. The following table sets forth sales and marketing expenses (in thousands) and related percentage change for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | $ | 138,081 | $ | 149,671 | -7.7 | % |
Sales and marketing expenses decreased $11.6 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) an $8.3 million decrease in variable compensation primarily attributable to an increase in net capitalized commissions driven by changes to our 2024 compensation plans that further incentivized cloud deals compared to the prior year, (ii) a $6.4 million decrease in employee salaries primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels (including from the internal transfer of certain employees to product support functions), partially offset by wage increases, (iii) a $3.2 million net decrease in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the forfeiture of certain awards and the internal transfer of certain employees to product support functions, partially offset by the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans and the fair value remeasurement of certain liability-classified awards upon exercise or at the end of the reporting period, and (iv) a $1.7 million decrease in facility and other related support costs, partially offset by (v) a $4.1 million increase in personnel costs primarily attributable to an increase in employer payroll taxes related to the exercise or vesting of certain awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, (vi) a $3.0 million increase in marketing costs, and (vii) a $1.5 million increase in severance costs due to headcount reductions.
Research and development expenses. Research and development expenses consist of the personnel costs for our software engineering personnel and related overhead costs. The following table summarizes research and development expenses (in thousands) and related percentage change for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | $ | 118,486 | $ | 120,530 | -1.7 | % |
Research and development expenses decreased $2.0 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $6.1 million decrease in employee salaries primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels, partially offset by wage increases, (ii) a $0.8 million decrease in variable compensation, and (iii) a $0.8 million decrease in facility and other related support costs, partially offset by (iv) a $3.8 million increase in severance costs due to headcount reductions, (v) a $1.5 million increase in personnel costs primarily attributable to an increase in employer payroll taxes related to the exercise or vesting of certain awards under the Stock Incentive Plans and (vi) a $0.9 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, partially offset by the forfeiture of certain awards.
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General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist of personnel and related overhead costs, and other costs of our executive, finance, human resources, information systems, and administrative departments, as well as third-party consulting, legal, and other professional fees, and third-party costs associated with our digital asset holdings. The following table sets forth general and administrative expenses (in thousands) and related percentage change for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | 140,537 | $ | 115,312 | 21.9 | % |
General and administrative expenses increased $25.2 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) an $8.6 million increase in personnel costs primarily attributable to an increase in employer payroll taxes related to the exercise or vesting of certain awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, (ii) an $8.2 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, partially offset by certain awards that became fully vested and the forfeiture of certain awards, (iii) a $6.1 million increase in legal, consulting, and other advisory costs, and (iv) a $4.4 million increase in custodial fees incurred on our bitcoin holdings, partially offset by (v) a $2.7 million decrease in employee salaries primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels, partially offset by wage increases. We expect general and administrative expenses to increase in future periods due in part to an increase in bitcoin custodial fees as a result of our significant bitcoin holdings, the recent increase in the market price of bitcoin, and our continued strategy to accumulate additional bitcoin for the foreseeable future.
Digital asset impairment losses. Digital asset impairment losses are recognized when the carrying value of our digital assets exceeds their lowest fair value at any time since their acquisition. Impaired digital assets are written down to fair value at the time of impairment, and such impairment loss cannot be recovered for any subsequent increases in fair value. Gains (if any) are not recorded until realized upon sale. The following table sets forth digital asset impairment losses (in thousands) and related percentage change for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | $ | 1,789,862 | $ | 115,851 | 1,445.0 | % |
We did not sell any of our digital assets during 2024 or 2023. As mentioned above, the accounting for our digital assets will change upon our adoption of ASU 2023-08 on January 1, 2025 and we will no longer record digital asset impairment losses. Upon adoption of ASU 2023-08, we are required to report our digital assets at fair value, with resulting gains and losses from changes in fair value recognized in net income each reporting period. As a result, we expect fluctuations in the price of bitcoin to have a significant impact on our future operating results. See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net, primarily relates to the contractual interest expense and amortization of issuance costs related to our long-term debt arrangements. The following table sets forth interest expense, net (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Interest expense, net: | |||||||
| 2025 Convertible Notes | $ | 3,865 | $ | 7,918 | |||
| 2027 Convertible Notes | 4,046 | 4,029 | |||||
| 2028 Convertible Notes | 2,939 | 0 | |||||
| 2029 Convertible Notes | 787 | 0 | |||||
| 2030 Convertible Notes | 7,241 | 0 | |||||
| 2031 Convertible Notes | 6,063 | 0 | |||||
| 2032 Convertible Notes | 11,067 | 0 | |||||
| 2028 Secured Notes | 23,915 | 32,271 | |||||
| 2025 Secured Term Loan | 0 | 3,812 | |||||
| Other interest expense, net | 2,018 | 930 | |||||
| Total interest expense, net | $ | 61,941 | $ | 48,960 |
Interest expense, net, increased $13.0 million during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily as a result of (i) interest incurred related to the 2032 Convertible Notes (which were issued in June 2024), (ii) interest incurred related to the 2030 Convertible Notes and 2031 Convertible Notes (which were each issued in March 2024), (iii) interest incurred related to the 2028 Convertible Notes (which were issued in September 2024), and (iv) interest incurred related to trade credits with our bitcoin execution partners (which are included
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within “Other interest (income) expense, net” in the table above), partially offset by (iv) the 2028 Secured Notes having been redeemed in their entirety on September 26, 2024, (v) the 2025 Convertible Notes having been converted or redeemed in their entirety by July 15, 2024, and (vi) the repayment of the 2025 Secured Term Loan in March 2023. Refer to Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information. Our future interest expense may be significantly impacted by any new debt issuances, as well as redemptions or conversions of existing debt instruments.
(Loss) Gain on Debt Extinguishment
In 2024, the $22.9 million loss on debt extinguishment resulted from the redemption of the 2028 Secured Notes. In 2023, the $44.7 million gain on debt extinguishment resulted from the repayment of the 2025 Secured Term Loan. Refer to Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income, net, of $3.5 million in 2024 was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net gains. Other expense, net, of $5.2 million in 2023 was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net losses.
Benefit from Income Taxes
During 2024, we recorded a benefit from income taxes of $767.7 million on a pre-tax loss of $1.934 billion that resulted in an effective tax rate of 39.7%, as compared to a benefit from income taxes of $553.6 million on a pre-tax loss of $124.5 million that resulted in an effective tax rate of 444.6% during 2023. During 2024, our benefit from income taxes primarily related to (i) a tax benefit from an increase in our deferred tax asset related to the impairment on our bitcoin holdings and (ii) a tax benefit related to share-based compensation (including the income tax effects of exercises of stock options and vesting of share-settled restricted stock units). During 2023, our benefit from income taxes primarily related to the release of a valuation allowance on our deferred tax asset related to the impairment on our bitcoin holdings, attributable to the increase in market value of bitcoin as of December 31, 2023 compared to December 31, 2022.
The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed a mandatory deemed repatriation transition tax (“Transition Tax”) on previously untaxed accumulated and current earnings and profits of certain of our foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2024, $9.2 million of the Transition Tax was unpaid, all of which is included in “Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and operating lease liabilities” in our Consolidated Balance Sheet.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $775.9 million of U.S. federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and $5.9 million of foreign NOL carryforwards. As of December 31, 2024, we also had gross state NOLs of $1.207 billion of which $381.1 million will expire between 2034 and 2044 and the remainder can be carried forward indefinitely. As of December 31, 2024, digital asset impairment losses, other temporary differences and carryforwards resulted in deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances and deferred tax liabilities, of $1.525 billion.
As of December 31, 2024, we had a valuation allowance of $0.5 million primarily related to foreign tax credits in certain jurisdictions. Our largest deferred tax asset relates to the impairment on our bitcoin holdings which will reverse upon our adoption of ASU 2023-08 on January 1, 2025. If the market value of bitcoin at a future date is less than the average cost of our bitcoin holdings at such reporting date, we may be required to establish a valuation allowance against our U.S. deferred tax assets. We routinely consider actions necessary to preserve or utilize tax attributes. We will continue to regularly assess the realizability of deferred tax assets.
As of December 31, 2024, we have not indefinitely reinvested any of our undistributed foreign earnings and have recorded a deferred tax liability of $4.0 million on undistributed foreign earnings related to foreign withholding tax and U.S. state income taxes.
The U.S. enacted the IRA in August 2022. Among other things, unless an exemption by statute or regulation applies, a provision of the IRA imposes a 15% CAMT on a corporation with respect to an initial tax year and subsequent tax years, if the average annual adjusted financial statement income for any consecutive three-tax-year period preceding the initial tax year exceeds $1 billion. On September 12, 2024, the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed regulations with respect to the application of the CAMT. Due to our adoption of ASU 2023-08, we were required to recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment of $12.745 billion to the opening balance of our retained earnings as of January 1, 2025. We will additionally be required to recognize unrealized gains or losses from changes in the fair value of digital assets in future reporting periods as income or losses. For purposes of calculating the adjusted financial statement income, we will be required to ratably allocate from 2025 through 2028 the increase to our retained earnings. When determining whether we are subject to CAMT and when calculating any related tax liability for an applicable tax year, the proposed regulations provide that, among other adjustments, our adjusted financial statement income must include this ratable amount in addition to any unrealized gains or losses reported in the applicable tax year. Accordingly, as a result of the enactment of the IRA and our adoption of ASU 2023-08 on January 1, 2025, unless the IRA is amended or the proposed regulations, when finalized, are revised to provide relief (or other interim relief is granted), we could become subject to CAMT in the tax years 2026 and beyond. As the taxes to which we are subject will depend in significant part on the future price of bitcoin and the size of our bitcoin holdings, we are not able to estimate the impact of CAMT on our future income tax expense. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business in
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General—Unrealized fair value gains on our bitcoin holdings could cause us to become subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.”
Deferred Revenue and Advance Payments
Deferred revenue and advance payments represent amounts received or due from our customers in advance of our transferring our software or services to the customer. In the case of multi-year service contract arrangements, we generally do not invoice more than one year in advance of services and do not record deferred revenue for amounts that have not been invoiced. Revenue is subsequently recognized in the period(s) in which control of the software or services is transferred to the customer.
The following table summarizes deferred revenue and advance payments (in thousands), as of:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 1,777 | $ | 3,579 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 107,119 | 65,512 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 124,684 | 152,012 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 4,394 | 7,059 | |||||
| Total current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 237,974 | $ | 228,162 | |||
| Non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 174 | $ | 0 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 2,263 | 3,097 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 2,111 | 4,984 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 422 | 443 | |||||
| Total non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 4,970 | $ | 8,524 | |||
| Total current and non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 1,951 | $ | 3,579 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 109,382 | 68,609 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 126,795 | 156,996 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 4,816 | 7,502 | |||||
| Total current and non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 242,944 | $ | 236,686 |
The portions of multi-year contracts that will be invoiced in the future are not presented on the balance sheet in “Accounts receivable, net” and “Deferred revenue and advance payments” and instead are included in the remaining performance obligation disclosure below. Total deferred revenue and advance payments increased $6.3 million in 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) an increase in deferred revenue from subscription services contracts, partially offset by (ii) a decrease in deferred product support revenue from an increase in conversions from on-premises to subscription services contracts.
Our remaining performance obligation represents all future revenue under contract and includes deferred revenue and advance payments and billable non-cancellable amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods. The remaining performance obligation excludes contracts that are billed in arrears, such as certain time and materials contracts. As of December 31, 2024, we had an aggregate transaction price of $454.9 million allocated to the remaining performance obligation related to subscription services, product support, product licenses, and other services contracts. We expect to recognize approximately $278.4 million of the remaining performance obligation over the next 12 months and the remainder thereafter. However, the timing and ultimate recognition of our deferred revenue and advance payments and other remaining performance obligations depend on our satisfaction of various performance obligations, and the amount of deferred revenue and advance payments and remaining performance obligations at any date should not be considered indicative of revenues for any succeeding period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity.
Principal and Potential Sources of Liquidity
Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents and on-going collection of our accounts receivable. Cash and cash equivalents may include holdings in bank demand deposits, money market instruments, certificates of deposit, and U.S. Treasury securities. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we held cash and cash equivalents of (i) $8.8 million and $10.5 million, respectively, through our U.S. entities and (ii) $29.3 million and $36.3 million, respectively, through our non-U.S. entities. We earn a significant amount of our revenues outside the United States and we repatriated foreign earnings and profits of $6.5 million during 2024 and $20.3 million during 2023.
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Under our Treasury Reserve Policy and bitcoin strategy, we use a significant portion of our cash, including cash generated from capital raising transactions, to acquire bitcoins, which are classified as indefinite-lived intangible assets. As of December 31, 2024, we held approximately 447,470 bitcoins, all of which are unencumbered. As of February 14, 2025, we held approximately 478,740 bitcoins, all of which are unencumbered, and which had an aggregate market value of $46.551 billion, based on the market price of one bitcoin as reported on the Coinbase exchange as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. As discussed further below, although we do not anticipate needing to use our bitcoin to meet our obligations in the next twelve months, we believe our substantial bitcoin holdings can serve as a source of liquidity, if necessary. See “—Availability of Bitcoin for Liquidity” below.
On October 30, 2024, we filed a prospectus for a new at-the-market equity offering program pursuant to which we may sell class A common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $21 billion from time to time. As of December 31, 2024 and February 14, 2025, approximately $6.775 billion and $4.168 billion, respectively, of our class A common stock remained available for issuance and sale pursuant to the October 2024 Sales Agreement. To the extent we make sales under the October 2024 Sales agreement, we can use the net proceeds from such sales for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of bitcoin and for working capital. See “—At-the-Market Equity Offerings” below.
Contractual and Other Obligations
Our material contractual obligations (explained in further detail in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, as referenced below) and cash requirements consist of:
•
principal and interest payments related to our long-term debt (Note 8, Long-term Debt), which includes:
o
principal due upon maturity of our long-term debt instruments in the aggregate of $7.272 billion;
o
$3.2 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2028 Convertible Notes;
o
$2.5 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2030 Convertible Notes;
o
$2.6 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2031 Convertible Notes;
o
$9.0 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2032 Convertible Notes; and
o
$0.1 million due monthly in principal and interest related to our other long-term secured debt;
•
payments under various purchase agreements, primarily related to third-party cloud hosting services, third-party software supporting our products, marketing, and operations, and a new corporate aircraft (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies);
•
rent payments under noncancellable operating leases (Note 7, Leases);
•
payments related to the Transition Tax (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies); and
•
ongoing personnel-related expenditures and vendor payments.
In addition, on February 5, 2025 we issued and sold 7,300,000 shares of our 8.00% Series A Perpetual Strike Preferred Stock (“Series A Strike Preferred”), at a price to the public of $80.00 per share, for net proceeds of approximately $563.4 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and our estimated offering expenses. We listed the Series A Strike Preferred for trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “STRK” and trading commenced on February 6, 2025. The outstanding shares of Series A Strike Preferred have an aggregate liquidation preference of $730.0 million and accumulate cumulative dividends, which we refer to as “regular dividends,” at a rate per annum equal to 8.00% on the liquidation preference thereof, regardless of whether or not declared or funds are legally available for their payment. Subject to the other terms of the Series A Strike Preferred, which are set forth in the Certificate of Designations of the Series A Strike Preferred (the “Certificate of Designations”), which is filed as Exhibit 3.4 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, regular dividends are payable when, as and if declared by our board of directors, out of funds legally available for their payment to the extent paid in cash, quarterly in arrears on each regular dividend payment date to the holders of record of the Series A Strike Preferred as of the close of business on the regular record date immediately preceding the applicable regular dividend payment date.
Declared regular dividends on the Series A Strike Preferred are payable, at our election, in cash, shares of our class A common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our class A common stock, in the manner, and subject to the terms, set forth in the Certificate of Designations. If we elect to pay any portion of a declared regular dividend in shares of our class A common stock, then those shares will be valued at 95% of the “daily VWAP” (as defined in the Certificate of Designations) per share of class A common stock on the third “VWAP trading day” (as defined in the Certificate of Designations) preceding the regular dividend payment date for such regular dividend. However, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event will the total number of shares of class A common stock issuable per share of Series A Strike Preferred as payment for a declared regular dividend exceed an amount equal to (x) the total dollar amount of such declared regular dividend per share of Series A Strike Preferred divided by (y) the “floor price”, which is initially equal to $119.03 per share of class A common stock and is subject to adjustment in the manner specified in the Certificate of Designations. If the number of shares that we deliver is limited as a result of this provision, then we will, to the extent we are legally able to do so and not prohibited by the terms of any “dividend senior stock” (as defined in the Certificate of Designations), declare and pay the related deficiency in cash. If any accumulated regular dividend (or any portion thereof) on the Series A Strike Preferred is not paid on the applicable regular dividend payment date (or, if such regular dividend payment date is not a business day, the next business day), then additional regular dividends, which we refer to as “compounded dividends,” will accumulate on the amount of such unpaid regular
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dividend, compounded quarterly at the regular dividend rate, from, and including, such regular dividend payment date to, but excluding, the date the same, including all compounded dividends thereon, is paid in full. We expect to fund any dividends paid in cash on the Series A Strike Preferred primarily through additional capital raising activities, including, but not limited to, at-the-market offerings of our class A common stock.
Short-term and Long-term Liquidity
Short-term Liquidity. Our short-term liquidity needs include working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures, dividend obligations on the Series A Strike Preferred to the extent that we do not pay such dividends in the form of shares of our class A common stock, and contractual obligations due within the next twelve months. We expect our cash and cash equivalents, as of December 31, 2024, together with cash and cash equivalents generated by our operations, will not be sufficient to satisfy these obligations over the next twelve months. However, we anticipate being able to use proceeds from equity or debt financings to meet these obligations. Our ability to obtain equity and debt financing is subject to market conditions and other factors outside of our control, and we may not be able to obtain equity or debt financing in a timely manner, on favorable terms, or at all. Although we do not anticipate needing to use our bitcoin to meet our short-term obligations, to the extent necessary, we would seek to use proceeds from the sale of our bitcoin to meet such obligations. See “—Availability of Bitcoin for Liquidity” below and “Item 1A. Risk Factors— Risks Related to Our Business in General— A significant decrease in the market value of our bitcoin holdings could adversely affect our ability to satisfy our financial obligations” for additional information.
Long-Term Liquidity. Beyond the next 12 months, our long-term cash requirements are primarily for obligations related to our long-term debt and for payment of dividends on the Series A Strike Preferred to the extent that we do not pay such dividends in the form of shares of our class A common stock. We also have long-term cash requirements for obligations related to our operating leases, delivery of our new corporate aircraft, our various purchase agreements, and potentially CAMT. We expect our cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024, together with cash and cash equivalents generated by our operations, will not be sufficient to satisfy these obligations. As a result, we would seek to satisfy these obligations through various options that we expect to be available to us, such as refinancing our debt or generating cash from other sources, which may include proceeds from equity or debt financings, or the sale of our bitcoin. See “—Availability of Bitcoin for Liquidity” below and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business in General—A significant decrease in the market value of our bitcoin holdings could adversely affect our ability to satisfy our financial obligations” for additional information.
Furthermore, if the conditional conversion features of the Convertible Notes are triggered, we may elect to settle the conversions of Convertible Notes in shares of our class A common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of class A common stock, rather than in all cash, which may enable us to reduce the amount of our cash obligations under the Convertible Notes. On January 24, 2025, we delivered a notice of full redemption (the “Notice”) to the trustee of our 2027 Convertible Notes. See “—Long-term Debt” below for additional information.
In addition, while the 2028 Convertible Notes, the 2029 Convertible Notes, the 2030 Convertible Notes, the 2031 Convertible Notes, and the 2032 Convertible Notes have maturity dates of September 15, 2028, December 1, 2029, March 15, 2030, March 15, 2031, and June 15, 2032, respectively, the holders of these Convertible Notes each have the right to require us to repurchase for cash all or any portion of these Convertible Notes on September 15, 2027, in the case of the 2028 Convertible Notes, June 1, 2028, in the case of the 2029 Convertible Notes, September 15, 2028, in the case of the 2030 Convertible Notes and the 2031 Convertible Notes, or June 15, 2029, in the case of the 2032 Convertible Notes, at a repurchase price in each case equal to 100% of the principal amount of the applicable Convertible Notes to be repurchased, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding the repurchase date.
Availability of Bitcoin for Liquidity
We do not believe we will need to sell or engage in other transactions with respect to any of our bitcoins within the next twelve months to meet our liquidity needs, although we may from time to time sell or engage in other transactions with respect to our bitcoins as part of treasury management operations, as noted above. The bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in its price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, compliance and internal control failures at exchanges, and various other risks inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network. During times of instability in the bitcoin market, we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at reasonable prices or at all. As a result, our bitcoins are less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents. In addition, upon sale of our bitcoin, we may incur additional taxes related to any realized gains or we may incur capital losses as to which the tax deduction may be limited. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors— Risks Related to Our Bitcoin Strategy and Holdings—Our bitcoin holdings are less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents.”
Cash flows
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The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities | $ | (53,032 | ) | $ | 12,712 | 517.2 | % | |||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (22,086,237 | ) | $ | (1,905,237 | ) | 1059.2 | % | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 22,132,641 | $ | 1,889,886 | 1071.1 | % |
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities. The primary source of our cash provided by operating activities is cash collections of our accounts receivable from customers following the sales and renewals of our product licenses, subscription services and product support, as well as consulting and education services. Our primary uses of cash in operating activities are for personnel-related expenditures for software development, personnel-related expenditures for providing consulting, education, and subscription services, and for sales and marketing costs, general and administrative costs, interest expense related to our long-term debt arrangements, and income taxes. In 2024 and 2023, non-cash items to further reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities consist primarily of depreciation and amortization, reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets, credit losses and sales allowances, deferred taxes, release of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, share-based compensation expense, digital asset impairment losses, amortization of the issuance costs on our long-term debt, and gains and losses on extinguishment of debt.
Net cash used in operating activities was $53.0 million in 2024, compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $12.7 million in 2023. The change in operating cash flows was due to a $1.596 billion decrease in net income and a $21.7 million decrease from changes in operating assets and liabilities, which was partially offset by a $1.552 billion net increase in non-cash items (principally related to digital asset impairment losses and losses on the extinguishment of certain debt instruments, partially offset by deferred taxes). In particular, our cash from operations has been negatively impacted by our continued transition of customers to subscription services offerings, which have resulted in (i) reduced cash collections due to lower revenues and invoicing over multiple years, (ii) increased costs of our cloud infrastructure to support increased usage, and (iii) increased commissions paid to our sales team to incentivize cloud migrations. We have also incurred additional employer payroll taxes related to the exercise or vesting of certain awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, legal and consulting fees, rent expense payments, marketing costs, and bitcoin custodial fees. Our interest payments in 2024 increased compared to the prior year primarily due to interest and fees incurred on trade credits or delayed settlements related to our bitcoin purchases. Cash paid for interest on our debt obligations did not materially change from the prior year due to the extinguishment of the 2028 Secured Notes and 2025 Convertible Notes in 2024 and the Secured Term Loan in 2023, for which the reduction in cash interest was substantially offset by increases in interest paid on the 2030 Convertible Notes, 2031 Convertible Notes, and 2032 Convertible Notes issued in 2024. Our cash from operations was favorably impacted in the current year by a significant reduction in income tax payments (net of refunds) and decreases in headcount, which resulted in reduced salary expenses, partially offset by increases in severance costs.
Net cash used in investing activities. In 2024 and 2023, the changes in net cash used in investing activities primarily relate to purchases of digital assets, advance deposits on a new corporate aircraft, and expenditures on property and equipment. Net cash used in investing activities increased $20.181 billion during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $20.170 billion increase in purchases of bitcoins and a $10.5 million deposit on a new corporate aircraft. During 2024, we purchased $22.073 billion of bitcoin using net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering programs, net proceeds from the issuances of our 2030 Convertible Notes, 2031 Convertible Notes, 2032 Convertible Notes, 2028 Convertible Notes, and 2029 Convertible Notes, and Excess Cash. During 2023, we purchased $1.902 billion of bitcoin using net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market offering programs, and Excess Cash.
Net cash provided by financing activities. In 2024 and 2023, the changes in cash provided by and used in financing activities primarily relate to the issuance and subsequent repayment of our long-term debt, the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering programs, the exercise or vesting of certain awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, and the sales of class A common stock under the 2021 ESPP. Net cash provided by financing activities increased $20.243 billion during 2024, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $14.310 billion increase in net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering programs during 2024 as compared to 2023, (ii) a $6.133 billion increase in long-term debt proceeds, net of issuance costs during 2024 as compared to 2023, (iii) the $160.0 million repayment of the 2025 Secured Term Loan and related third-party extinguishment costs during 2023, which was repaid using proceeds from our sale of class A common stock offered under our at-the-market equity offering programs, and (iv) a $153.8 million increase in proceeds from the exercise of stock options under the Stock Incentive Plans during 2024 as compared to 2023, partially offset by (v) the $515.4 million repayment of the 2028 Secured Notes and related third-party extinguishment costs during 2024, which was repaid using proceeds from the issuance of the 2028 Convertible Notes.
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Long-term Debt
The terms of each of the long-term debt instruments described below are discussed more fully in Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2020, we issued $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes; in February 2021, we issued $1.050 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes; in March 2024, we issued $800.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2030 Convertible Notes and $603.8 million aggregate principal amount of the 2031 Convertible Notes; in June 2024, we issued $800.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2032 Convertible Notes; in September 2024 we issued $1.010 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2028 Convertible Notes; and in November 2024 we issued $3.000 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2029 Convertible Notes. We principally used the net proceeds from the issuances of the Convertible Notes to acquire bitcoin, and we used a portion of the net proceeds from the 2028 Convertible Notes to redeem the 2028 Secured Notes, as discussed further below. During 2024 and 2023, we paid $16.5 million and $4.9 million, respectively, in interest to holders of the Convertible Notes. During 2024, we issued 16,323,050 shares of class A common stock and paid a nominal amount of cash in lieu of fractional shares in connection with conversions of $649.7 million aggregate principal amount of 2025 Convertible Notes and on July 15, 2024 redeemed $0.3 million aggregate principal amount of 2025 Convertible Notes, constituting all of the 2025 Convertible Notes then outstanding, at an aggregate redemption price of $0.3 million, equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, to but excluding such date.
In June 2021, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2028 Secured Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2028 Secured Notes to acquire bitcoin. During 2024 and 2023, we paid $23.9 million and $30.6 million, respectively, in interest to holders of the 2028 Secured Notes. On September 26, 2024, we redeemed all of the outstanding 2028 Secured Notes at an aggregate redemption price of approximately $523.9 million and all collateral securing the 2028 Secured Notes was released.
In March 2022, MacroStrategy, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a Credit and Security Agreement with Silvergate Bank, pursuant to which Silvergate Bank issued the $205.0 million 2025 Secured Term Loan to MacroStrategy. We principally used net proceeds from the 2025 Secured Term Loan to acquire bitcoin. On March 24, 2023, MacroStrategy voluntarily prepaid Silvergate approximately $161.0 million (the “Payoff Amount”), in full repayment, satisfaction, and discharge of the 2025 Secured Term Loan, and all collateral securing the 2025 Secured Term Loan, including the bitcoin that was serving as collateral, was released. During the first quarter of 2023, we made a final $5.1 million interest payment to Silvergate, $1.1 million of which was included in the Payoff Amount.
In June 2022, we, through one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, entered into a secured term loan agreement in the amount of $11.1 million, bearing interest at an annual rate of 5.2%, and maturing in June 2027. During 2024 and 2023, we paid $1.1 million and $1.1 million, respectively, in principal and interest to the lender.
Other than as discussed above, during 2024 and 2023, we did not repurchase or prepay any of our outstanding debt. We or our affiliates may, at any time and from time to time, seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for equity or debt, in open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will be upon such terms and at such prices as we may determine, and will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. We may also seek to prepay our outstanding indebtedness. The amounts involved in any such repurchase or prepayment may be material. We could seek to fund any such debt repurchases or prepayments using proceeds from equity offerings that we may choose to undertake from time-to-time.
On January 24, 2025, we delivered the Notice to the trustee for full redemption of our 2027 Convertible Notes. The Notice calls for the redemption of all of the outstanding 2027 Convertible Notes (the “Redemption”) on February 24, 2025 (the “Redemption Date”), at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid special interest, if any, to but excluding the Redemption Date, unless earlier converted. As a result of the delivery of the Notice, at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 20, 2025, the 2027 Convertible Notes are convertible, at the option of the holders of the 2027 Convertible Notes, at the applicable conversion rate of 7.0234 shares of our class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount (reflecting a conversion price of $142.38 per share (the “Adjusted Conversion Price”). We have elected to settle our conversion obligation with respect to the 2027 Convertible Notes by delivering solely shares of our class A common stock, together with cash in lieu of any fractional shares.
Prior to our delivery of the Notice, we received conversion requests at the original conversion price of $143.25 per share for approximately $1.8 million in principal amount of 2027 Convertible Notes. Subsequent to our delivery of the Notice, we have received conversion requests at the Adjusted Conversion Price. As of February 14, 2025, we have received from holders of the 2027 Convertible Notes conversion requests with respect to $857.4 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes, which equates to the issuance upon settlement of 6,022,026 shares of our class A common stock in the aggregate.
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At-the-Market Equity Offerings
From time to time, we have entered into sales agreements with agents pursuant to which we could issue and sell shares of our class A common stock through at-the-market equity offering programs. See Note 13, At-the-Market Equity Offerings, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding sales of our class A common stock pursuant to each of the sales agreements that were active during 2024 and 2023.
The following table sets forth total shares sold and total net proceeds received (net of sales commissions and expenses) from shares sold under our at-the-market equity offering programs during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands, except number of shares):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Total shares sold pursuant to at-the-market equity offering programs | 52,308,512 | 50,978,900 | |||||
| Total net proceeds received from shares sold pursuant to at-the-market equity offering programs | $ | 16,329,857 | $ | 2,020,089 |
As of December 31, 2024, approximately $6.775 billion of our class A common stock remained available for issuance and sale pursuant to the October 2024 Sales Agreement. As of February 14, 2025, approximately $4.168 billion of our class A common stock remained available for issuance and sale pursuant to the October 2024 Sales Agreement. The remaining sales agreements have been terminated or substantially depleted prior to December 31, 2024.
Unrecognized tax benefits
As of December 31, 2024, we had $10.2 million of total gross unrecognized tax benefits, including accrued interest, $2.9 million of which was recorded in “Other long-term liabilities” and $7.3 million of which was recorded in “Deferred tax assets, net.” The timing of any payments that could result from these unrecognized tax benefits will depend on a number of factors, and accordingly the amount and period of any future payments cannot be estimated. We do not expect any significant tax payments related to unrecognized tax benefits during 2025.
Recent Accounting Standards
See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We are providing supplemental non-GAAP financial measures below which management uses internally to help understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and to help make operating decisions. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are also useful to investors and analysts in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis. We also believe the use of these non-GAAP financial measures can facilitate comparison of our operating results to those of our competitors. These supplemental financial measures are not measurements of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and, as a result, these supplemental financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
Non-GAAP financial measures are subject to material limitations as they are not measurements prepared in accordance with GAAP, and are not a substitute for such measurements. For example, we expect that share-based compensation expense, which is excluded from certain of the non-GAAP financial measures below, will continue to be a significant recurring expense over the coming years and is an important part of the compensation provided to certain employees, officers, and directors. Similarly, we expect that interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs on our long-term debt, which is excluded from certain of the non-GAAP financial measures below, will continue to be a recurring expense over the terms of our long-term debt arrangements. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation and should be read only in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. We rely primarily on such Consolidated Financial Statements to understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and use the non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally.
Non-GAAP loss from operations
Non-GAAP loss from operations excludes share-based compensation expense, which is a significant non-cash expense that we believe is not reflective of our general business performance, and for which the accounting requires management judgment. Consequently, our accounting for share-based compensation expense could vary significantly in comparison to other companies. The following is a
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reconciliation of our non-GAAP loss from operations to loss from operations, its most directly comparable GAAP measure, (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP loss from operations: | ||||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (1,852,978 | ) | $ | (115,047 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense | 77,124 | 69,571 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP loss from operations | $ | (1,775,854 | ) | $ | (45,476 | ) |
Non-GAAP net (loss) income and non-GAAP diluted (loss) earnings per share
Non-GAAP net (loss) income and non-GAAP diluted (loss) earnings per share each exclude the impact of (i) share-based compensation expense, (ii) interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs on our long-term debt, (iii) gains and losses on extinguishment of debt, and (iv) related income taxes. We believe non-GAAP net (loss) income and non-GAAP diluted (loss) earnings per share offer management and investors insight as they exclude significant non-cash expenses, gains and losses on debt extinguishment, and their related income tax effects. The following are reconciliations of our non-GAAP net (loss) income and non-GAAP diluted (loss) earnings per share to net (loss) income and diluted (loss) earnings per share, respectively, their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands, except per share data), for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP net (loss) income: | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (1,166,661 | ) | $ | 429,121 | |||
| Share-based compensation expense | 77,124 | 69,571 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs | 15,336 | 8,808 | ||||||
| Loss (gain) on debt extinguishment | 22,933 | (44,686 | ) | |||||
| Income tax effects (1) | (243,102 | ) | (6,062 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP net (loss) income | $ | (1,294,370 | ) | $ | 456,752 | |||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP diluted (loss) earnings per share (2): | ||||||||
| Diluted (loss) earnings per share | $ | (6.06 | ) | $ | 2.64 | |||
| Share-based compensation expense (per diluted share) | 0.40 | 0.42 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs (per diluted share) (3) | 0.08 | 0.01 | ||||||
| Loss (gain) on debt extinguishment (per diluted share) | 0.12 | (0.27 | ) | |||||
| Income tax effects (per diluted share) (3) | (1.26 | ) | (0.02 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP diluted (loss) earnings per share | $ | (6.72 | ) | $ | 2.78 |
(1)
Income tax effects reflect the net tax effects of share-based compensation, which includes tax benefits and expenses on exercises of stock options and vesting of share-settled restricted stock units, interest expense for amortization of debt issuance costs, and gains and losses on debt extinguishment.
(2)
For reconciliation purposes, the non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations use the same weighted average shares outstanding as that used in the GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations for the same period. For example, in periods of GAAP net loss, otherwise dilutive potential shares of common stock from our share-based compensation arrangements and Convertible Notes are excluded from the GAAP diluted loss per share calculation as they would be antidilutive, and therefore are also excluded from the non-GAAP diluted earnings or loss per share calculation.
(3)
For the year ended December 31, 2023, interest expense from the amortization of issuance costs of the Convertible Notes has been added back to the numerator in the GAAP diluted earnings per share calculation (as disclosed in Note 12, Basic and Diluted (Loss) Earnings per Share, to the Consolidated Financial Statements), and therefore the per diluted share effects of the amortization of issuance costs of the Convertible Notes have been excluded from the “Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs (per diluted share)” and “Income tax effects (per diluted share)” lines in the above reconciliation for the year ending December 31, 2023.
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Non-GAAP Constant Currency Revenues, Cost of Revenues, and Operating Expenses
We present certain of our revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses on a non-GAAP constant currency basis, which excludes certain changes resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. These non-GAAP constant currency metrics allow our management and investors to compare operating results to prior years without the effects of certain changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which are not reflective of our general business performance and may vary significantly between periods. The following are reconciliations of our non-GAAP constant currency revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses to their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 48,567 | $ | (504 | ) | $ | 49,071 | $ | 75,351 | -35.5 | % | -34.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 106,776 | 65 | 106,711 | 81,179 | 31.5 | % | 31.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 243,805 | (214 | ) | 244,019 | 263,888 | -7.6 | % | -7.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 64,308 | (43 | ) | 64,351 | 75,843 | -15.2 | % | -15.2 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 33,289 | 34 | 33,255 | 22,434 | 48.4 | % | 48.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 50,679 | 284 | 50,395 | 53,805 | -5.8 | % | -6.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 138,081 | (273 | ) | 138,354 | 149,671 | -7.7 | % | -7.6 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 118,486 | (190 | ) | 118,676 | 120,530 | -1.7 | % | -1.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 140,537 | 56 | 140,481 | 115,312 | 21.9 | % | 21.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 75,351 | $ | 300 | $ | 75,051 | $ | 86,498 | -12.9 | % | -13.2 | % | ||||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 81,179 | 296 | 80,883 | 60,746 | 33.6 | % | 33.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 263,888 | 1,514 | 262,374 | 266,521 | -1.0 | % | -1.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 75,843 | 186 | 75,657 | 85,499 | -11.3 | % | -11.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 22,434 | 46 | 22,388 | 21,264 | 5.5 | % | 5.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 53,805 | 666 | 53,139 | 55,283 | -2.7 | % | -3.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 149,671 | 694 | 148,977 | 146,882 | 1.9 | % | 1.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 120,530 | (1,163 | ) | 121,693 | 127,428 | -5.4 | % | -4.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 115,312 | 235 | 115,077 | 111,421 | 3.5 | % | 3.3 | % |
(1)
The “Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact” reflects the estimated impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on international components of our Consolidated Statements of Operations. It shows the increase (decrease) in material international revenues or expenses, as applicable, from the same period in the prior year, based on comparisons to the prior year quarterly average foreign currency exchange rates. The term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada only where the functional currency is the local currency (i.e., excluding any location whose economy is considered highly inflationary).
(2)
The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency” reflects the current period GAAP amount, less the Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact.
(3)
The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change” reflects the percentage change between the current period Non-GAAP Constant Currency amount and the GAAP amount for the same period in the prior year.
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FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000950170-24-015847.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Information
The following discussion and analysis provides information which our management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. This discussion and analysis should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical financial information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that are based upon our current expectations, beliefs, estimates and projections, and various assumptions, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. See the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled “Forward Looking Information and Risk Factor Summary.” Actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, including comparison of our results for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Business Overview
MicroStrategy® recently announced that it considers itself the world’s first Bitcoin development company. We are a publicly-traded operating company committed to the continued development of the Bitcoin network through our activities in the financial markets, advocacy and technology innovation. As an operating business, we are able to use cash flows as well as proceeds from equity and debt financings to accumulate bitcoin, which serves as our primary treasury reserve asset. We also develop and provide industry-leading AI-powered enterprise analytics software that promotes our vision of Intelligence Everywhere™, and are using our software development capabilities to develop bitcoin applications. Our software business, which we have operated for over 30 years, is our predominant operational focus, providing cash flows and enabling us to pursue our bitcoin strategy. We believe that the combination of our operating structure, bitcoin strategy and focus on technology innovation differentiates us in the digital assets industry.
Bitcoin Strategy
Our bitcoin strategy includes (i) acquiring bitcoin using cash flows from operations and proceeds from equity and debt financings, (ii) developing product innovations that leverage Bitcoin blockchain technology, and (iii) periodically engaging in advocacy and educational activities regarding the continued acceptance and value of bitcoin as an open, secure protocol for an internet-native digital asset and the Lightning Network.
Enterprise Analytics Software Strategy
MicroStrategy is a pioneer in AI-powered business intelligence (BI), and a global leader in enterprise analytics solutions. We provide software and services designed to turn complex, chaotic data environments into rich, reliable, and convenient information feeds for our customers. Our vision is to make every worker a domain expert by delivering Intelligence Everywhere™.
Our cloud-native flagship, MicroStrategy ONE™, powers some of the largest analytics deployments in the world for customers spanning a wide range of industries, including retail, banking, technology, manufacturing, insurance, consulting, healthcare, telecommunications, and the public sector.
Integral to the MicroStrategy ONE platform are Generative AI capabilities that are designed to automate and accelerate the deployment of AI-enabled applications across our customers’ enterprises. By making advanced analytics accessible through conversational AI, MicroStrategy ONE provides non-technical users with the ability to directly access novel and actionable insights for decision-making.
The analytics market is highly competitive and subject to rapidly changing technology and market conditions. Our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors within and outside of our control. Some of these factors include software quality, performance and reliability; the quality of our service and support teams; marketing and prospecting effectiveness, the ability to incorporate artificial intelligence and other technically advanced features; and our ability to differentiate our products.
As we continue to transition our business strategy and product offerings to a cloud-native model, we are enhancing our go-to-market and sales strategies with the goal of focusing on acquiring new customers, driving revenue growth, increasing margins, and streamlining our operations. As part of this strategic transformation, we have taken and will continue to take measures to reorganize and optimize
47
efficiency across our business functions, including sales, marketing, consulting, product, engineering, as well as other corporate functions.
Our Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy
Our bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves acquiring bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements, and from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin. We view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin. We have not set any specific target for the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional financings to purchase additional bitcoin. This overall strategy also contemplates that we may (i) periodically sell bitcoin for general corporate purposes, including to generate cash for treasury management (which may include debt repayment), or in connection with strategies that generate tax benefits in accordance with applicable law, (ii) enter into additional capital raising transactions that are collateralized by our bitcoin holdings, and (iii) consider pursuing strategies to create income streams or otherwise generate funds using our bitcoin holdings.
Under our Treasury Reserve Policy, our treasury reserve assets consist of:
•
Cash Assets held by us that exceed working capital requirements; and
•
bitcoin held by us, with bitcoin serving as the primary treasury reserve asset on an ongoing basis, subject to market conditions and anticipated needs of the business for Cash Assets.
During 2022 and 2023, we used proceeds from various capital raising transactions to purchase bitcoin. As of December 31, 2023, we held an aggregate of approximately 189,150 bitcoins, with 16,081 bitcoins held directly by MicroStrategy Incorporated and 173,069 bitcoins held by MacroStrategy. As of December 31, 2023, all of the approximately 16,081 bitcoins held directly by MicroStrategy Incorporated, which had a market value of $683.9 million based on the $42,531.41 market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 31, 2023, are held in a separate custodial account from those held by MacroStrategy and serve as part of the collateral securing the 2028 Secured Notes. See below for further disclosure surrounding market value calculations of our bitcoin.
The following table presents a roll-forward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases, sales, and digital asset impairment losses within the respective periods:
| Source of Capital Used to Purchase Bitcoin | Digital Asset Original Cost Basis (in thousands) | Digital Asset Impairment Losses (in thousands) | Digital Asset Carrying Value (in thousands) | Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held (Disposed) | Approximate Average Purchase or Sale Price Per Bitcoin | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | 3,751,529 | $ | (901,319 | ) | $ | 2,850,210 | 124,391 | $ | 30,159 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (a) | 287,921 | 287,921 | 8,813 | 32,670 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (1,287,213 | ) | (1,287,213 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset sales * | (46,260 | ) | 35,370 | (10,890 | ) | (704 | ) | 16,786 | |||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | 3,993,190 | $ | (2,153,162 | ) | $ | 1,840,028 | 132,500 | $ | 30,137 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (b) | 1,902,299 | 1,902,299 | 56,650 | 33,580 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (115,851 | ) | (115,851 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2023 | $ | 5,895,489 | $ | (2,269,013 | ) | $ | 3,626,476 | 189,150 | $ | 31,168 |
* During 2022, we sold approximately 704 bitcoins having an original cost basis of $46.3 million and cumulative digital asset impairment losses of $35.4 million, resulting in a carrying value of $10.9 million at the time of sale. The approximately 704 bitcoins were sold for cash proceeds of $11.8 million, net of fees and expenses, resulting in gains on sale of $0.9 million.
(a)
During 2022, we purchased bitcoin using $190.5 million of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Secured Term Loan, $44.6 million of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common stock under an at-the-market equity offering program, $11.8 million in proceeds from sales of bitcoin, and Excess Cash.
(b)
During 2023, we purchased bitcoin using $1.864 billion of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common stock under at-the-market equity offering programs, and Excess Cash.
Excess Cash refers to cash in excess of the minimum Cash Assets that we are required to hold under our Treasury Reserve Policy, which may include cash generated by operating activities and cash from the proceeds of financing activities.
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The following table shows the approximate number of bitcoins held at the end of each respective period, as well as market value calculations of our bitcoin holdings based on the lowest, highest, and ending market prices of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) for each respective year, as further defined below:
| Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held at End of Year | Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (a) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Lowest Market Price (in thousands) (b) | Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (c) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Highest Market Price (in thousands) (d) | Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year (e) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price (in thousands) (f) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2021 | 124,391 | $ | 27,678.00 | $ | 3,442,894 | $ | 69,000.00 | $ | 8,582,979 | $ | 45,879.97 | $ | 5,707,055 | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2022 | 132,500 | $ | 15,460.00 | $ | 2,048,450 | $ | 48,240.00 | $ | 6,391,800 | $ | 16,556.32 | $ | 2,193,712 | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2023 | 189,150 | $ | 16,490.00 | $ | 3,119,084 | $ | 45,000.00 | $ | 8,511,750 | $ | 42,531.41 | $ | 8,044,816 |
(a)
The “Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year” represents the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(b)
The “Market Value of Bitcoin Held Using Lowest Market Price” represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year.
(c)
The “Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year” represents the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin.
(d)
The “Market Value of Bitcoin Held Using Highest Market Price” represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year.
(e)
The “Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year” represents the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year.
(f)
The “Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price” represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year.
The amounts reported as “Market Value” in the above table represent only a mathematical calculation consisting of the price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) in each scenario defined above multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. Bitcoin and bitcoin markets may be subject to manipulation and the spot price of bitcoin may be subject to fraud and manipulation. Accordingly, the Market Value amounts reported above may not accurately represent fair market value, and the actual fair market value of our bitcoin may be different from such amounts and such deviation may be material. Moreover, (i) the bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, potential susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, compliance and internal control failures at exchanges, and various other risks that are, or may be, inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network and (ii) we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at the Market Value amounts indicated above, at the market price as reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) on the date of sale, or at all.
Our digital asset impairment losses, net of gains on sale, have significantly contributed to our operating expenses. During 2023, digital asset impairment losses of $115.9 million represented 23.1% of our operating expenses, compared to digital asset impairment losses, net of gains on sale, of $1.286 billion during 2022, representing 76.9% of our operating expenses and contributing to our net loss of $1.470 billion for 2022.
As of February 14, 2024, we held approximately 190,000 bitcoins that were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of $5.933 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $31,224 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. As of February 14, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the market price of one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange was $51,744.68.
49
Operating Highlights
The following table sets forth certain operating highlights (in thousands) for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 75,351 | $ | 86,498 | ||||
| Subscription services | 81,179 | 60,746 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 156,530 | 147,244 | ||||||
| Product support | 263,888 | 266,521 | ||||||
| Other services | 75,843 | 85,499 | ||||||
| Total revenues | 496,261 | 499,264 | ||||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | 1,929 | 1,672 | ||||||
| Subscription services | 31,776 | 24,770 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 33,705 | 26,442 | ||||||
| Product support | 22,434 | 21,264 | ||||||
| Other services | 53,805 | 55,283 | ||||||
| Total cost of revenues | 109,944 | 102,989 | ||||||
| Gross profit | 386,317 | 396,275 | ||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 149,671 | 146,882 | ||||||
| Research and development | 120,530 | 127,428 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 115,312 | 111,421 | ||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses (gains on sale), net | 115,851 | 1,286,286 | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | 501,364 | 1,672,017 | ||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (115,047 | ) | $ | (1,275,742 | ) |
We have incurred and may continue to incur significant impairment losses on our digital assets, and we have recognized and may continue to recognize gains upon sale of our digital assets in the future, which are presented net of any impairment losses within operating expenses. In addition, we base our internal operating expense forecasts on expected revenue trends and strategic objectives in our enterprise analytics software business. Many of our expenses, such as office leases and certain personnel costs, are relatively fixed. Accordingly, any decrease in the price of bitcoin during any quarter, any sales by us of our bitcoin at prices above their then current carrying costs or any shortfall in revenue in our software business may cause significant variation in our operating results. We therefore believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results may not be a good indication of our future performance.
Share-based Compensation Expense
As discussed in Note 11, Share-based Compensation, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, under our 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended, the “2013 Equity Plan”) and 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2023 Equity Plan”, and together with the 2013 Equity Plan, the “Stock Incentive Plans”), we have awarded stock options to purchase shares of our class A common stock, restricted stock units, performance stock units, and certain other stock-based awards. Each restricted stock unit and performance stock unit represents a contingent right to receive a share of our class A common stock upon the satisfaction of applicable vesting requirements. We also provide opportunities for eligible employees to purchase shares of our class A common stock under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2021 ESPP”). Share-based compensation expense (in thousands) from these awards was recognized in the following cost of revenues and operating expense line items for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Cost of subscription services revenues | $ | 361 | $ | 304 | |||
| Cost of product support revenues | 2,156 | 2,039 | |||||
| Cost of consulting revenues | 1,940 | 1,754 | |||||
| Cost of education revenues | 99 | 177 | |||||
| Sales and marketing | 18,022 | 18,274 | |||||
| Research and development | 13,549 | 13,896 | |||||
| General and administrative | 33,444 | 27,175 | |||||
| Total share-based compensation expense | $ | 69,571 | $ | 63,619 |
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The $6.0 million increase in share-based compensation expense during 2023, as compared to the prior year, is primarily due to the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans as part of the expansion of our equity award program worldwide and the revaluation of certain liability-classified stock-based awards, partially offset by the forfeiture of certain stock awards and certain awards that became fully vested. As of December 31, 2023, we estimated that an aggregate of approximately $131.7 million of additional share-based compensation expense associated with the Stock Incentive Plans and the 2021 ESPP will be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 2.3 years.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. See Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of our significant accounting policies. As described in Note 2, the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and equity, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results and outcomes could differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Critical accounting estimates involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and are estimates that have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We consider certain estimates and judgments related to revenue recognition to be critical accounting estimates for us, as discussed further below.
Revenue Recognition
See Note 2(n), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Revenue Recognition, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding our significant accounting policies over revenue recognition.
Many of our contracts with customers include multiple performance obligations, and we make estimates and judgments to allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on an observable or estimated standalone selling price (“SSP”). The SSP is the price, or estimated price, of the software or service when sold on a standalone basis at contract inception. We consider our evaluation of SSP to be a critical accounting estimate.
An observable price of a good or service sold separately provides the best evidence of SSP. However, in many situations, SSP will not be readily observable, but must still be estimated using reasonably available information. We have observable standalone selling prices of our product support, consulting services, and education services, and therefore use historical transaction data on a standalone basis, along with our judgment, to establish SSP ranges for each of these services, as described in Note 2(n). However, SSP is not directly observable for product licenses (product licenses are not sold on a standalone basis and pricing is highly variable) and subscription services (the selling price of subscription services is highly variable), and we use a residual approach to establish SSP for these revenue streams. As such, the establishment of SSP of our product support, consulting services, and education services directly impacts the amount of product licenses and subscription services revenues recognized, and therefore also impacts the overall timing of revenue recognition.
We review and analyze the SSP ranges we have established for product support, consulting services, and education services semi-annually, and these SSP ranges do not change significantly year to year. We also perform analyses on a semi-annual basis using historical pricing data for both product license and subscription services transactions to assess whether the selling price is highly variable in order to support our conclusion that the residual method to estimate SSP of our product licenses and subscription services continues to be a fair allocation of the transaction price.
In the future, SSP for our software and services could be impacted by various factors, including potential changes in our pricing practices, customer demand for our products and services, and various market or economic conditions. However, we consider the risk of significant volatility in our established SSP to be small given our historical transaction experience and internal processes to monitor SSP ranges on an ongoing basis and work with management in the event a trend that could impact the future ranges is detected.
51
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
Revenues
Except as otherwise indicated herein, the term “domestic” refers to operations in the United States and Canada and the term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada.
Product licenses and subscription services revenues. The following table sets forth product licenses and subscription services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Licenses and Subscription Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product Licenses | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 39,193 | $ | 54,794 | -28.5 | % | ||||||
| International | 36,158 | 31,704 | 14.0 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses revenues | 75,351 | 86,498 | -12.9 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription Services | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 52,528 | 42,428 | 23.8 | % | ||||||||
| International | 28,651 | 18,318 | 56.4 | % | ||||||||
| Total subscription services revenues | 81,179 | 60,746 | 33.6 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services revenues | $ | 156,530 | $ | 147,244 | 6.3 | % |
Product licenses revenues. Product licenses revenues decreased $11.1 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an overall decrease in the volume and average size of deals, with two particularly large deals occurring during 2022. During 2023, our top three product licenses transactions totaled $8.9 million in recognized revenue, or 11.8% of total product licenses revenues, compared to $13.1 million, or 15.1% of total product licenses revenues, during 2022. Our product licenses revenues may continue to experience declines in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Subscription services revenues. Subscription services revenues are derived from our MCE cloud subscription service and are recognized ratably over the service period in the contract. Subscription services revenues increased $20.4 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to conversions to cloud-based subscriptions from existing on-premises customers, a net increase in the use of subscription services by existing customers, and sales contracts with new customers. We expect our subscription services revenues to continue to grow in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Product support revenues. The following table sets forth product support revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Support Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 158,308 | $ | 159,385 | -0.7 | % | ||||||
| International | 105,580 | 107,136 | -1.5 | % | ||||||||
| Total product support revenues | $ | 263,888 | $ | 266,521 | -1.0 | % |
Product support revenues are derived from providing technical software support and software updates and upgrades to customers. Product support revenues are recognized ratably over the term of the contract, which is generally one year. Product support revenues decreased $2.6 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to certain existing customers converting from perpetual product licenses with separate support contracts to our subscription services or term product licenses offerings, partially offset by a $1.5 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact. Our product support revenues may experience declines in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
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Other services revenues. The following table sets forth other services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Other Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 35,261 | $ | 39,147 | -9.9 | % | ||||||
| International | 36,814 | 41,697 | -11.7 | % | ||||||||
| Total consulting revenues | 72,075 | 80,844 | -10.8 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 3,768 | 4,655 | -19.1 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services revenues | $ | 75,843 | $ | 85,499 | -11.3 | % |
Consulting revenues. Consulting revenues are derived from helping customers plan and execute the deployment of our software. Consulting revenues decreased $8.8 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a decrease in billable hours worldwide, partially offset by an increase in average bill rates.
Education revenues. Education revenues are derived from the education and training that we provide to our customers to enhance their ability to fully utilize the features and functionality of our software. These offerings include self-tutorials, custom course development, joint training with customers’ internal staff, and standard course offerings, with pricing dependent on the specific offering delivered. Education revenues decreased $0.9 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower sales of annual subscriptions to training courses.
Costs and Expenses
Cost of revenues. The following table sets forth cost of revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Cost of Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses and subscription services: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 1,929 | $ | 1,672 | 15.4 | % | ||||||
| Subscription services | 31,776 | 24,770 | 28.3 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 33,705 | 26,442 | 27.5 | % | ||||||||
| Product support | 22,434 | 21,264 | 5.5 | % | ||||||||
| Other services: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | 51,311 | 50,820 | 1.0 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 2,494 | 4,463 | -44.1 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services | 53,805 | 55,283 | -2.7 | % | ||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 109,944 | $ | 102,989 | 6.8 | % |
Cost of product licenses revenues. Cost of product licenses revenues consists of referral fees paid to channel partners, the costs of product manuals and media, and royalties paid to third-party software vendors. Cost of product licenses revenues did not materially change during 2023 as compared to the prior year.
Cost of subscription services revenues. Cost of subscription services revenues consists of equipment, facility and other related support costs (including cloud hosting infrastructure costs), and personnel and related overhead costs. Cost of subscription services revenues increased $7.0 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $5.7 million increase in cloud hosting infrastructure costs, which is a result of the increased usage by new and existing cloud subscription services customers, (ii) a $0.5 million increase in employee salaries primarily attributable to an increase in average staffing levels and wage increases, and (iii) a $0.4 million increase in variable compensation.
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Cost of product support revenues. Cost of product support revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs, including those under our Enterprise Support program. Our Enterprise Support program utilizes primarily consulting personnel to provide product support to our customers at our discretion. Compensation related to personnel providing Enterprise Support services is reported as cost of product support revenues. Cost of product support revenues increased $1.2 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $1.7 million increase in compensation and related costs attributable to non-product support personnel providing an increased level of Enterprise Support services.
Cost of consulting revenues. Cost of consulting revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs, excluding those under our Enterprise Support program which are allocated to cost of product support revenues. Cost of consulting revenues increased $0.5 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $1.8 million increase in variable compensation, (ii) a $1.6 million increase in severance costs associated with streamlining our organization, (iii) a $0.6 million increase in facility and other related support costs, and (iv) a $0.5 million increase in employee salaries primarily attributable to wage increases, partially offset by a shift in staffing levels to lower cost regions, partially offset by (v) a $2.0 million decrease in subcontractor costs and (vi) a $1.8 million decrease in compensation and related costs attributable to consulting personnel providing an increased level of Enterprise Support services. Included in cost of consulting revenues for 2023 is an aggregate $0.7 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Cost of education revenues. Cost of education revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs. Cost of education revenues decreased $2.0 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $1.2 million decrease in employee salaries primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels and (ii) a $0.4 million decrease in variable compensation.
Sales and marketing expenses. Sales and marketing expenses consist of personnel costs, commissions, office facilities, travel, advertising, public relations programs, and promotional events, such as trade shows, seminars, and technical conferences. The following table sets forth sales and marketing expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | $ | 149,671 | $ | 146,882 | 1.9 | % |
Sales and marketing expenses increased $2.8 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $3.0 million increase in severance costs associated with streamlining our organization, (ii) a $2.3 million increase in travel and entertainment expenditures due to the return of in-person events and meetings, (iii) a $1.9 million increase in marketing costs due to the return of in-person events and meetings, and (iv) a $0.8 million increase in facility and other related support costs, partially offset by (v) a $2.8 million decrease in employee salaries primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels, partially offset by wage increases, (vi) a $2.4 million decrease in variable compensation primarily attributable to a decrease in commissions earned, partially offset by a decrease in net capitalized commissions and increases in other personnel costs and employee relations expenses, and (vii) a $0.2 million net decrease in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the forfeiture of certain awards, being substantially offset by the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans and the fair value remeasurement of certain liability-classified awards at the end of the reporting period. Included in sales and marketing expenses for 2023 is an aggregate $0.7 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Research and development expenses. Research and development expenses consist of the personnel costs for our software engineering personnel and related overhead costs. The following table summarizes research and development expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | $ | 120,530 | $ | 127,428 | -5.4 | % |
Research and development expenses decreased $6.9 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $3.9 million decrease in employee salaries primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels, partially offset by wage increases, (ii) a $2.0 million decrease in variable compensation, (iii) a $0.6 million decrease in recruiting costs, (iv) a $0.6 million decrease in facility and other related support costs, (v) a $0.5 million decrease in subcontractor costs, and (vi) a $0.3 million net decrease in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the forfeiture of certain awards, being substantially offset by the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans and the fair value remeasurement of certain liability-classified awards at the end of the reporting period, partially offset by (vii) a $1.7 million increase in severance costs associated with streamlining our organization. Included in research and development expenses for 2023 is an aggregate $1.2 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
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General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist of personnel and related overhead costs, and other costs of our executive, finance, human resources, information systems, and administrative departments, as well as third-party consulting, legal, and other professional fees. The following table sets forth general and administrative expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | 115,312 | $ | 111,421 | 3.5 | % |
General and administrative expenses increased $3.9 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $6.3 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the Stock Incentive Plans, partially offset by certain awards that became fully vested, (ii) a $1.2 million increase in the estimated minimum loss with respect to the Brazilian matters noted in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, (iii) a $0.7 million increase in severance costs associated with streamlining our organization, and (iv) a $0.5 million increase in directors and officers liability insurance expense, partially offset by (v) a $2.3 million decrease in costs related to the maintenance and operations of our corporate aircraft, (vi) a $0.9 million decrease in recruiting costs, (vii) a $0.6 million decrease in legal, consulting, advisory, and other third-party costs, and (viii) a $0.5 million decrease in variable compensation.
Digital asset impairment losses, (gains on sale), net. Digital asset impairment losses are recognized when the carrying value of our digital assets exceeds their lowest fair value at any time since their acquisition. Impaired digital assets are written down to fair value at the time of impairment, and such impairment loss cannot be recovered for any subsequent increases in fair value. Gains (if any) are not recorded until realized upon sale. The following table sets forth digital asset impairment losses (gains on sale), net (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | $ | 115,851 | $ | 1,287,213 | -91.0 | % | ||||||
| Gains on sale of digital assets | 0 | 927 | -100.0 | % | ||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses (gains on sale), net | $ | 115,851 | $ | 1,286,286 | -91.0 | % |
We may continue to incur significant digital asset impairment losses in the future. For example, we have incurred at least $28.9 million in digital asset impairment losses during the first quarter of 2024 on bitcoin we held as of December 31, 2023.
Interest Expense, Net
In 2023, interest expense, net, was comprised primarily of contractual interest expense and amortization of issuance costs related to our long-term debt arrangements and contractual interest expense incurred on short-term trade credits to purchase bitcoin, partially offset by interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents. In 2022, interest expense, net, was comprised primarily of contractual interest expense and amortization of issuance costs related to our long-term debt arrangements. Interest expense, net, decreased $4.2 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, and is expected to continue to decrease in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, as a result of the repayment of the 2025 Secured Term Loan in March 2023. Refer to Note 8, Long-term Debt, and Note 4, Digital Assets, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Gain on Debt Extinguishment
In 2023, the $44.7 million gain on debt extinguishment resulted from the repayment of the 2025 Secured Term Loan. Refer to Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Other (Expense) Income, Net
Other expense, net, of $5.2 million in 2023 was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net losses. Other income, net, of $6.4 million in 2022 was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net gains.
(Benefit from) Provision for Income Taxes
During 2023, we recorded a benefit from income taxes of $553.6 million on a pre-tax loss of $124.5 million that resulted in an effective tax rate of 444.6%, as compared to a provision for income taxes of $147.3 million on a pre-tax loss of $1.322 billion that resulted in an effective tax rate of (11.1)% during 2022. Our benefit from income taxes increased compared to the prior year primarily due (i) the release of the valuation allowance during 2023 on our deferred tax asset related to the impairment on our bitcoin holdings, attributable to the increase in market value of bitcoin as of December 31, 2023 compared to December 31, 2022, compared to (ii) the establishment of a valuation allowance during 2022 on our deferred tax asset related to the impairment on our bitcoin holdings, attributable to the decrease in market value of bitcoin as of December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021.
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The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed a mandatory deemed repatriation transition tax (“Transition Tax”) on previously untaxed accumulated and current earnings and profits of certain of our foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2023, $16.6 million of the Transition Tax was unpaid, of which $9.2 million is included in “Other long-term liabilities” and $7.4 million is netted against certain tax overpayments within “Prepaid expenses and other current assets” in our Consolidated Balance Sheet.
As of December 31, 2023, we had no U.S. federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and $3.0 million of foreign NOL carryforwards. As of December 31, 2023, we also had gross state NOLs of $10.1 million of which $9.1 million will expire by 2042 and the remainder can be carried forward indefinitely. As of December 31, 2023, digital asset impairment losses, other temporary differences and carryforwards resulted in deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances and deferred tax liabilities, of $757.2 million.
As of December 31, 2023, we had a valuation allowance of $1.4 million primarily related to our deferred tax assets related to foreign tax credits in certain jurisdictions. This is a significant change from the valuation allowance as of December 31, 2022 of $511.4 million. The largest deferred tax asset relates to the impairment on our bitcoin holdings. During 2023, the value of bitcoin increased substantially which allowed us to release the valuation allowance recorded against the deferred tax asset for impairment on our bitcoin holdings. Changes to the valuation allowance against the deferred tax asset are largely dependent on the change in the market value of bitcoin from the previous reporting date. If the market value of bitcoin declines or we are unable to regain profitability in future periods, we may be required to increase the valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets, which could result in a charge that would materially adversely affect net income (loss) in the period in which the charge is incurred. We routinely consider actions necessary to preserve or utilize tax attributes. We will continue to regularly assess the realizability of deferred tax assets.
As of December 31, 2023, we have not indefinitely reinvested any of our undistributed foreign earnings and have recorded a deferred tax liability of $2.9 million on undistributed foreign earnings related to foreign withholding tax and U.S. state income taxes.
Deferred Revenue and Advance Payments
Deferred revenue and advance payments represent amounts received or due from our customers in advance of our transferring our software or services to the customer. In the case of multi-year service contract arrangements, we generally do not invoice more than one year in advance of services and do not record deferred revenue for amounts that have not been invoiced. Revenue is subsequently recognized in the period(s) in which control of the software or services is transferred to the customer.
The following table summarizes deferred revenue and advance payments (in thousands), as of:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 3,579 | $ | 2,825 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 65,512 | 51,861 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 152,012 | 155,366 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 7,059 | 7,376 | |||||
| Total current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 228,162 | $ | 217,428 | |||
| Non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 0 | $ | 2,742 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 3,097 | 3,030 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 4,984 | 6,387 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 443 | 604 | |||||
| Total non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 8,524 | $ | 12,763 | |||
| Total current and non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 3,579 | $ | 5,567 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 68,609 | 54,891 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 156,996 | 161,753 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 7,502 | 7,980 | |||||
| Total current and non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 236,686 | $ | 230,191 |
The portions of multi-year contracts that will be invoiced in the future are not presented on the balance sheet in “Accounts receivable, net” and “Deferred revenue and advance payments” and instead are included in the remaining performance obligation disclosure below. Total deferred revenue and advance payments increased $6.5 million in 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in deferred revenue from new and renewed subscription services contracts, partially offset by (i) a decrease in deferred product support revenue from an increase in conversions from on-premises to subscription services contracts, and (ii) a decrease in deferred licenses revenue from the recognition of an early renewal of a large term license deal at the end of 2022.
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Our remaining performance obligation represents all future revenue under contract and includes deferred revenue and advance payments and billable non-cancelable amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods. The remaining performance obligation excludes contracts that are billed in arrears, such as certain time and materials contracts. As of December 31, 2023, we had an aggregate transaction price of $339.7 million allocated to the remaining performance obligation related to product support, subscription services, product licenses, and other services contracts. We expect to recognize approximately $255.5 million of the remaining performance obligation over the next 12 months and the remainder thereafter. However, the timing and ultimate recognition of our deferred revenue and advance payments and other remaining performance obligations depend on our satisfaction of various performance obligations, and the amount of deferred revenue and advance payments and remaining performance obligations at any date should not be considered indicative of revenues for any succeeding period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity.
Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents and on-going collection of our accounts receivable. Cash and cash equivalents may include holdings in bank demand deposits, money market instruments, certificates of deposit, and U.S. Treasury securities. Under our Treasury Reserve Policy and bitcoin acquisition strategy, we use a significant portion of our cash, including cash generated from capital raising transactions, to acquire bitcoins. In 2023 and 2022, we issued and sold 5,097,890 shares and 218,575 shares, respectively, of our class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering programs for aggregate net proceeds (net of sales commissions and expenses) of $2.020 billion and $46.2 million, respectively. For additional information, see “—At-the-Market Equity Offerings” below.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the amount of cash and cash equivalents held by our U.S. entities was $10.5 million and $14.8 million, respectively, and by our non-U.S. entities was $36.3 million and $29.0 million, respectively. We earn a significant amount of our revenues outside the United States and we repatriated foreign earnings and profits of $20.3 million during 2023 and $44.7 million during 2022.
Our material contractual obligations (explained in further detail in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, as referenced below) and cash requirements consist of:
•
principal and interest payments related to our long-term debt (Note 8, Long-term Debt);
•
rent payments under noncancellable operating leases (Note 7, Leases);
•
payments related to the Transition Tax (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies);
•
payments under various purchase agreements, primarily related to third-party cloud hosting services and third-party software supporting our products, marketing, and operations (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies); and
•
ongoing personnel-related expenditures and vendor payments.
We believe that existing cash and cash equivalents held by us and cash and cash equivalents anticipated to be generated by us are sufficient to meet working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures, and contractual obligations for at least the next 12 months. Beyond the next 12 months, our long-term cash requirements are primarily for obligations related to our long-term debt. We have principal due upon maturity of our long-term debt instruments in the aggregate of $2.208 billion in addition to $2.4 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2025 Convertible Notes, $15.3 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2028 Secured Notes, and $0.1 million due monthly in principal and interest related to our other long-term secured debt. We also have long-term cash requirements for obligations related to our operating leases, the Transition Tax, and our various purchase agreements. As of December 31, 2023, we do not expect cash and cash equivalents generated by our enterprise analytics software business to be sufficient to satisfy these obligations. As a result, we would seek to satisfy these obligations through various options that we expect to be available to us, such as refinancing our debt or generating cash from other sources, which may include the issuance and sale of shares of our class A common stock, borrowings collateralized by bitcoin, or the sale of our bitcoin. Furthermore, we may elect to settle the Convertible Notes upon a conversion of such Convertible Notes in cash, shares of our class A common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of class A common stock, which may enable us to reduce the amount of our cash obligations under the Convertible Notes.
The 2028 Secured Notes have a stated maturity date of June 15, 2028, but include a springing maturity feature that will cause the stated maturity date to spring ahead to the date that is (i) 91 days prior to the existing maturity date of the 2025 Convertible Notes (which is September 15, 2025), (ii) 91 days prior to the existing maturity date of the 2027 Convertible Notes (which is November 16, 2026), or (iii) 91 days prior to the maturity date of any future convertible debt that we may issue that is then outstanding, unless on such dates we meet specified liquidity requirements or less than $100,000,000 of aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes, the 2027 Convertible Notes, or such future convertible debt, as applicable, remains outstanding.
As of December 31, 2023, we held approximately 189,150 bitcoins, of which approximately 173,069 are unencumbered. We do not believe we will need to sell or engage in other transactions with respect to any of our bitcoins within the next twelve months to meet our
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working capital requirements, although we may from time to time sell or engage in other transactions with respect to our bitcoins as part of treasury management operations, as noted above. The bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in its price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, compliance and internal control failures at exchanges, and various other risks inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network. During times of instability in the bitcoin market, we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at reasonable prices or at all. As a result, our bitcoins are less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents. In addition, upon sale of our bitcoin, we may incur additional taxes related to any realized gains or we may incur capital losses as to which the tax deduction may be limited.
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 12,712 | $ | 3,211 | 295.9 | % | ||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (1,905,237 | ) | $ | (278,590 | ) | 583.9 | % | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 1,889,886 | $ | 265,188 | 612.7 | % |
Net cash provided by operating activities. The primary source of our cash provided by operating activities is cash collections of our accounts receivable from customers following the sales and renewals of our product licenses, subscription services and product support, as well as consulting and education services. Our primary uses of cash in operating activities are for personnel-related expenditures for software development, personnel-related expenditures for providing consulting, education, and subscription services, and for sales and marketing costs, general and administrative costs, interest expense related to our long-term debt arrangements, and income taxes. In 2023 and 2022, non-cash items to further reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities consist primarily of depreciation and amortization, reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets, credit losses and sales allowances, deferred taxes, release of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, share-based compensation expense, digital asset impairment losses, net of gains on sale, amortization of the issuance costs on our long-term debt, and gain on extinguishment of debt.
Net cash provided by operating activities increased $9.5 million during 2023, as compared to the prior year, due to a $1.899 billion increase in net income and a $15.6 million increase from changes in operating assets and liabilities, partially offset by a $1.905 billion decrease in non-cash items (principally related to digital asset impairment losses and deferred taxes and gain on extinguishment of debt).
Net cash used in investing activities. In 2023 and 2022, the changes in cash used in and provided by investing activities primarily relate to purchases and sales of digital assets and expenditures on property and equipment. Net cash used in investing activities increased $1.627 billion during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $1.614 billion increase in purchases of bitcoins and an $11.8 million decrease in sales of bitcoins. During 2023, we purchased $1.902 billion of bitcoin using net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market offering programs, and Excess Cash. During 2022, we purchased $287.9 million of bitcoin using net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Secured Term Loan, net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market offering program, proceeds from sales of bitcoin, and Excess Cash.
Net cash provided by financing activities. In 2023 and 2022, the changes in cash provided by and used in financing activities primarily relate to the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering program, the issuance and subsequent repayment of our long-term debt, the exercise or vesting of certain awards under the 2013 Equity Plan, and the sales of class A common stock under the 2021 ESPP. Net cash provided by financing activities increased $1.625 billion during 2023, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $1.974 billion increase in net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under our at-the-market equity offering program during 2023 as compared to 2022, (ii) a $29.1 million increase in proceeds from the exercise of stock options under the 2013 Equity Plan during 2023 compared to 2022, partially offset by (iii) a $215.4 million decrease in long-term debt proceeds, net of lender fees and issuance costs during 2023 as compared to 2022, (iv) the $160.0 million repayment of the 2025 Secured Term Loan and related third-party extinguishment costs during 2023, which was repaid using proceeds from our sale of class A common stock offered under our at-the-market equity offering program, (v) a $2.0 million increase in payment of withholding tax on vesting of restricted stock units during 2023 compared to 2022 and (vi) a $0.5 million decrease in proceeds from the sales of class A common stock under the 2021 ESPP during 2023 compared to 2022.
Long-term Debt
The terms of each of the long-term debt instruments described below are discussed more fully in Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2020, we issued $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes and in February 2021, we issued $1.050 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible
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Notes to acquire bitcoin. During 2023 and 2022, we paid $4.9 million and $4.9 million, respectively, in interest to holders of the 2025 Convertible Notes. The 2027 Convertible Notes do not bear regular interest and we have not paid any special interest to holders of the 2027 Convertible Notes to date.
In June 2021, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2028 Secured Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2028 Secured Notes to acquire bitcoin. As of December 31, 2023, approximately 16,081 bitcoins held by MicroStrategy Incorporated serve as part of the collateral for the 2028 Secured Notes. During 2023 and 2022, we paid $30.6 million and $30.6 million, respectively, in interest to holders of the 2028 Secured Notes.
In March 2022, MacroStrategy, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a Credit and Security Agreement with Silvergate Bank, pursuant to which Silvergate Bank issued the $205.0 million 2025 Secured Term Loan to MacroStrategy. We used $190.5 million of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Secured Term Loan to acquire bitcoin, $5.0 million of the net proceeds to establish a reserve account that served as collateral for the 2025 Secured Term Loan, and the remaining net proceeds to pay fees, interest, and expenses related to the 2025 Secured Term Loan. On March 24, 2023, MacroStrategy and Silvergate Bank entered into a Prepayment, Waiver and Payoff to Credit and Security Agreement, pursuant to which MacroStrategy voluntarily prepaid Silvergate approximately $161.0 million (the “Payoff Amount”), in full repayment, satisfaction, and discharge of the 2025 Secured Term Loan and all other obligations under the Credit and Security Agreement. Upon Silvergate’s receipt of the Payoff Amount on March 24, 2023, the Credit and Security Agreement was terminated, and Silvergate released its security interest in all of MacroStrategy’s assets collateralizing the 2025 Secured Term Loan, including the bitcoin that was serving as collateral. During the first quarter of 2023, we made a final $5.1 million interest payment to Silvergate, $1.1 million of which was included in the Payoff Amount. During 2022 we paid $7.7 million in interest to Silvergate.
In June 2022, we, through one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, entered into a secured term loan agreement in the amount of $11.1 million, bearing interest at an annual rate of 5.2%, and maturing in June 2027. During 2023 and 2022, we paid $1.1 million and $0.5 million, respectively, in principal and interest to the lender.
At-the-Market Equity Offerings
During 2022 and 2023, we entered into various sales agreements with sales agents pursuant to which we could issue and sell shares of our class A common stock through at-the-market equity offering programs. See Note 13, At-the-Market Equity Offerings, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the terms and provisions of each sales agreement.
The following table sets forth shares sold and net proceeds received (net of sales commissions and expenses) from shares sold under each sales agreement during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands, except number of shares):
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| Shares | Net proceeds | Shares | Net proceeds | ||||||||||||
| 2022 Sales Agreement | 1,348,855 | $ | 338,962 | 218,575 | $ | 46,219 | |||||||||
| May 2023 Sales Agreement | 1,079,170 | 333,494 | n/a | n/a | |||||||||||
| August 2023 Sales Agreement | 1,592,950 | 737,760 | n/a | n/a | |||||||||||
| November 2023 Sales Agreement | 1,076,915 | 609,873 | n/a | n/a | |||||||||||
| Total | 5,097,890 | $ | 2,020,089 | 218,575 | $ | 46,219 |
As of December 31, 2023, approximately $137.8 million of our class A common stock remained available for issuance and sale pursuant to the November 2023 Sales Agreement. The remaining sales agreements have been terminated as of December 31, 2023.
Debt repurchases and repayments. During the first quarter of 2023, MacroStrategy voluntarily prepaid Silvergate the Payoff Amount in full repayment, satisfaction, and discharge of the 2025 Secured Term Loan and all other obligations under the Credit and Security Agreement. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we did not repurchase or prepay any of our other outstanding debt. We or our affiliates may, at any time and from time to time, seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for equity or debt, in open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will be upon such terms and at such prices as we may determine, and will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. We may also prepay our outstanding indebtedness. The amounts involved in any such repurchase or repayment may be material. We may effect debt repurchases or prepayments using proceeds from the sale of our class A common stock pursuant to the November 2023 Sales Agreement (under which approximately $137.8 million remains available for sale as of the date hereof).
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Unrecognized tax benefits. As of December 31, 2023, we had $8.3 million of total gross unrecognized tax benefits, including accrued interest, all of which was recorded in “Other long-term liabilities.” The timing of any payments that could result from these unrecognized tax benefits will depend on a number of factors, and accordingly the amount and period of any future payments cannot be estimated. We do not expect any significant tax payments related to unrecognized tax benefits during 2024.
Recent Accounting Standards
See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We are providing supplemental non-GAAP financial measures below which management uses internally to help understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and to help make operating decisions. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are also useful to investors and analysts in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis. We also believe the use of these non-GAAP financial measures can facilitate comparison of our operating results to those of our competitors. These supplemental financial measures are not measurements of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and, as a result, these supplemental financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
Non-GAAP financial measures are subject to material limitations as they are not measurements prepared in accordance with GAAP, and are not a substitute for such measurements. For example, we expect that share-based compensation expense, which is excluded from certain of the non-GAAP financial measures below, will continue to be a significant recurring expense over the coming years and is an important part of the compensation provided to certain employees, officers, and directors. Similarly, we expect that interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs on our long-term debt, which is excluded from certain of the non-GAAP financial measures below, will continue to be a recurring expense over the terms of our long-term debt arrangements. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation and should be read only in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. We rely primarily on such Consolidated Financial Statements to understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and use the non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally.
Non-GAAP loss from operations
Non-GAAP loss from operations excludes share-based compensation expense, which is a significant non-cash expense that we believe is not reflective of our general business performance, and for which the accounting requires management judgment. Consequently, our accounting for share-based compensation expense could vary significantly in comparison to other companies. The following is a reconciliation of our non-GAAP loss from operations to loss from operations, its most directly comparable GAAP measure, (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP loss from operations: | ||||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (115,047 | ) | $ | (1,275,742 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense | 69,571 | 63,619 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP loss from operations | $ | (45,476 | ) | $ | (1,212,123 | ) |
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Non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share
Non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share each exclude the impact of (i) share-based compensation expense, (ii) interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs on our long-term debt, (iii) gain on extinguishment of debt, and (iv) related income taxes. We believe non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share offer management and investors insight as they exclude significant non-cash expenses, gains on debt extinguishment, and their related income tax effects. The following are reconciliations of our non-GAAP net income (loss) and non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share to net income (loss) and diluted earnings (loss) per share, respectively, their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands, except per share data), for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP net income (loss): | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 429,121 | $ | (1,469,797 | ) | |||
| Share-based compensation expense | 69,571 | 63,619 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs | 8,808 | 8,694 | ||||||
| Gain on debt extinguishment | (44,686 | ) | 0 | |||||
| Income tax effects (1) | (6,062 | ) | (13,250 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP net income (loss) | $ | 456,752 | $ | (1,410,734 | ) | |||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share (2): | ||||||||
| Diluted earnings (loss) per share | $ | 26.42 | $ | (129.83 | ) | |||
| Share-based compensation expense (per diluted share) | 4.20 | 5.62 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs (per diluted share) (3) | 0.10 | 0.77 | ||||||
| Gain on debt extinguishment (per diluted share) | (2.70 | ) | 0.00 | |||||
| Income tax effects (per diluted share) (3) | (0.24 | ) | (1.17 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share | $ | 27.78 | $ | (124.61 | ) |
(1)
Income tax effects reflect the net tax effects of share-based compensation expense, which includes tax benefits and expenses on exercises of stock options and vesting of share-settled restricted stock units, interest expense for amortization of debt issuance costs, and gain on debt extinguishment.
(2)
For reconciliation purposes, the non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations use the same weighted average shares outstanding as that used in the GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations for the same period. For example, in periods of GAAP net loss, otherwise dilutive potential shares of common stock from our share-based compensation arrangements and Convertible Notes are excluded from the GAAP diluted loss per share calculation as they would be antidilutive, and therefore are also excluded from the non-GAAP diluted earnings or loss per share calculation.
(3)
For the year ended December 31, 2023, interest expense from the amortization of issuance costs of the Convertible Notes has been added back to the numerator in the GAAP diluted earnings per share calculation (as disclosed in Note 12, Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share, to the Consolidated Financial Statements), and therefore the per diluted share effects of the amortization of issuance costs of the Convertible Notes have been excluded from the “Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs (per diluted share)” and “Income tax effects (per diluted share)” lines in the above reconciliation for the year ending December 31, 2023.
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Non-GAAP Constant Currency Revenues, Cost of Revenues, and Operating Expenses
We present certain of our revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses on a non-GAAP constant currency basis, which excludes certain changes resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. These non-GAAP constant currency metrics allow our management and investors to compare operating results to prior years without the effects of certain changes in foreign currency exchange rates, which are not reflective of our general business performance and may vary significantly between periods. The following are reconciliations of our non-GAAP constant currency revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses to their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2023 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 75,351 | $ | 300 | $ | 75,051 | $ | 86,498 | -12.9 | % | -13.2 | % | ||||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 81,179 | 296 | 80,883 | 60,746 | 33.6 | % | 33.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 263,888 | 1,514 | 262,374 | 266,521 | -1.0 | % | -1.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 75,843 | 186 | 75,657 | 85,499 | -11.3 | % | -11.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 22,434 | 46 | 22,388 | 21,264 | 5.5 | % | 5.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 53,805 | 666 | 53,139 | 55,283 | -2.7 | % | -3.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 149,671 | 694 | 148,977 | 146,882 | 1.9 | % | 1.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 120,530 | (1,163 | ) | 121,693 | 127,428 | -5.4 | % | -4.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 115,312 | 235 | 115,077 | 111,421 | 3.5 | % | 3.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2022 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 86,498 | $ | (2,762 | ) | $ | 89,260 | $ | 101,804 | -15.0 | % | -12.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 60,746 | (2,118 | ) | 62,864 | 43,069 | 41.0 | % | 46.0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 266,521 | (11,261 | ) | 277,782 | 281,209 | -5.2 | % | -1.2 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 85,499 | (5,140 | ) | 90,639 | 84,680 | 1.0 | % | 7.0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 21,264 | (745 | ) | 22,009 | 19,254 | 10.4 | % | 14.3 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 55,283 | (3,956 | ) | 59,239 | 54,033 | 2.3 | % | 9.6 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 146,882 | (5,698 | ) | 152,580 | 160,141 | -8.3 | % | -4.7 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 127,428 | (2,249 | ) | 129,677 | 117,117 | 8.8 | % | 10.7 | % | |||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 111,421 | (1,567 | ) | 112,988 | 95,501 | 16.7 | % | 18.3 | % |
(1)
The “Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact” reflects the estimated impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on international components of our Consolidated Statements of Operations. It shows the increase (decrease) in material international revenues or expenses, as applicable, from the same period in the prior year, based on comparisons to the prior year quarterly average foreign currency exchange rates. Beginning in the third quarter of 2023, the term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada only where the functional currency is the local currency (i.e., excluding any location whose economy is considered highly inflationary). Prior year comparative periods have been recast to conform to current period presentation.
(2)
The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency” reflects the current period GAAP amount, less the Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact.
(3)
The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change” reflects the percentage change between the current period Non-GAAP Constant Currency amount and the GAAP amount for the same period in the prior year.
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FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564590-23-002012.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Information
The following discussion and analysis provides information which our management believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. This discussion and analysis should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes that are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical financial information, this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that are based upon our current expectations, beliefs, estimates and projections, and various assumptions, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. See the section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled “Forward Looking Information and Risk Factor Summary.” Actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020, including comparison of our results for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Business Overview
MicroStrategy® pursues two corporate strategies in the operation of its business. One strategy is to acquire and hold bitcoin and the other strategy is to grow our enterprise analytics software business. We believe that undertaking these two, interdependent corporate strategies serves as a key differentiator for our business, as our bitcoin acquisition strategy has raised our profile with certain potential software customers while our enterprise analytics software business has provided stable cash flows that allow us to acquire and hold bitcoin for the long-term.
Our bitcoin acquisition strategy generally involves acquiring bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements, and from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities or engaging in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin. We view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings and expect to continue to accumulate bitcoin. We have not set any specific target for the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to engage in additional financings to purchase additional bitcoin. This overall strategy also contemplates that we may (i) periodically sell bitcoin for general corporate purposes, including to generate cash for treasury management or in connection with strategies that generate tax benefits in accordance with applicable law, (ii) enter into additional capital raising transactions that are collateralized by our bitcoin holdings, and (iii) consider pursuing additional strategies to create income streams or otherwise generate funds using our bitcoin holdings.
We believe that bitcoin is attractive because it can serve as a store of value, supported by a robust and public open-source architecture, that is untethered to sovereign monetary policy. We also believe that, due to its limited supply, bitcoin offers the opportunity for appreciation in value if its adoption increases and has the potential to serve as a hedge against inflation in the long-term. In addition, we believe that our bitcoin acquisition strategy is complementary to our enterprise analytics software business, as we believe that our bitcoin and related activities in support of the bitcoin network enhance awareness of our brand.
As of February 15, 2023, we hold approximately 132,500 bitcoin that were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of $3.993 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $30,137 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.
MicroStrategy is also a global leader in enterprise analytics software and services. Since our founding in 1989, we have focused on empowering organizations to leverage the immense value of data. Our vision is to enable Intelligence Everywhere™ by providing world-class software and services that elevate enterprise users with actionable insights.
Our customers include leading companies from a wide range of industries, including retail, banking, technology, consulting, manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, telecommunications, as well as the public sector.
The analytics market is highly competitive. Our future success depends on the effectiveness with which we can differentiate our offerings from those offered by large software vendors that provide products across multiple lines of business, including one or more products that directly compete with our offerings, and other potential competitors across analytics implementation projects of varying sizes. We believe a key differentiator of MicroStrategy is our modern, open, comprehensive enterprise platform that can be extended to other tools
46
and systems, can scale across the enterprise, is optimized for cloud or on-premises deployments, and can be combined with unique packages of our expert services and education offerings.
Our Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy
In September 2020, our Board of Directors adopted a Treasury Reserve Policy (as amended to date, the “Treasury Reserve Policy”) that updated our treasury management and capital allocation strategies, under which our treasury reserve assets will consist of:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments (“Cash Assets”) held by us that exceed working capital requirements; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | bitcoin held by us, with bitcoin serving as the primary treasury reserve asset on an ongoing basis, subject to market conditions and anticipated needs of the business for Cash Assets. |
In the first quarter of 2021, we adopted, in addition to and in conjunction with our Treasury Reserve Policy, a corporate strategy of acquiring and holding bitcoin. Pursuant to this corporate strategy, and from time to time, subject to market conditions, we issue debt or equity securities or engage in other capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.
During 2021 and 2022, we used the proceeds of the following capital raising transactions to purchase bitcoin. The transactions are further described in the “—Liquidity and Capital Resources— Long-term Debt” and “—Liquidity and Capital Resources— At-the-Market Equity Offerings” sections under this “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | $1.050 billion aggregate principal amount of 2027 Convertible Notes issued in February 2021; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (the “2028 Secured Notes”) issued in June 2021; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | 1,413,767 shares of class A common stock issued during 2021, for aggregate gross proceeds of $1.0 billion pursuant to our 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC, as agent (“Jefferies”); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | $205.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Secured Term Loan issued in March 2022; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | 218,575 shares of class A common stock issued during 2022, for aggregate gross proceeds of $46.6 million pursuant to our 2022 Sales Agreement with the 2022 Sales Agents. |
As of December 31, 2022, we held an aggregate of approximately 132,500 bitcoins, with 14,890 bitcoins held directly by MicroStrategy Incorporated and 117,610 bitcoins held by MacroStrategy LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MicroStrategy. As of December 31, 2022, all of the approximately 14,890 bitcoins held directly by MicroStrategy Incorporated serve as part of the collateral securing the 2028 Secured Notes, and approximately 34,619 of the 117,610 bitcoins held by MacroStrategy serve as part of the collateral securing the 2025 Secured Term Loan.
The following table presents a roll-forward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases, sales, and digital asset impairment losses within the respective periods:
| Source of Capital Used to Purchase Bitcoin | Digital Asset Original Cost Basis (in thousands) | Digital Asset Impairment Losses (in thousands) | Digital Asset Carrying Value (in thousands) | Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held (Disposed) | Approximate Average Purchase or Sale Price Per Bitcoin | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | $ | 1,125,000 | $ | (70,698 | ) | $ | 1,054,302 | 70,469 | $ | 15,964 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (a) | 2,626,529 | 2,626,529 | 53,922 | 48,710 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (830,621 | ) | (830,621 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | 3,751,529 | $ | (901,319 | ) | $ | 2,850,210 | 124,391 | $ | 30,159 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (b) | 287,921 | 287,921 | 8,813 | 32,670 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (1,287,213 | ) | (1,287,213 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset sales * | (46,260 | ) | 35,370 | (10,890 | ) | (704 | ) | 16,786 | |||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2022 | $ | 3,993,190 | $ | (2,153,162 | ) | $ | 1,840,028 | 132,500 | $ | 30,137 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| * | During 2022, we sold approximately 704 bitcoins having an original cost basis of $46.3 million and cumulative digital asset impairment losses of $35.4 million, resulting in a carrying value of $10.9 million at the time of sale. The approximately 704 bitcoins were sold for cash proceeds of $11.8 million, net of fees and expenses, resulting in gains on sale of $0.9 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (a) | During 2021, we purchased bitcoin using $1.026 billion in net proceeds from our issuance of the 2027 Convertible Notes, $990.5 million in net proceeds from our sale of 1,413,767 shares of class A common stock offered under the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement, $487.2 million in net proceeds from our issuance of the 2028 Secured Notes, and Excess Cash. |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (b) | During 2022, we purchased bitcoin using $190.5 million of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Secured Term Loan, $44.6 million of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common stock offered under the 2022 Sales Agreement, $11.8 million in proceeds from sales of bitcoin, and Excess Cash. |
Excess Cash refers to cash in excess of the minimum Cash Assets that we are required to hold under our Treasury Reserve Policy, which may include cash generated by operating activities and cash from the proceeds of financing activities.
The following table shows the approximate number of bitcoins held at the end of each respective period, as well as market value calculations of our bitcoin holdings based on the lowest, highest, and ending market prices of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) for each respective year, as further defined below:
| Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held at End of Year | Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (a) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Lowest Market Price (in thousands) (b) | Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (c) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Highest Market Price (in thousands) (d) | Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year (e) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price (in thousands) (f) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2020 | 70,469 | $ | 8,905.84 | $ | 627,586 | $ | 29,321.90 | $ | 2,066,285 | $ | 29,181.00 | $ | 2,056,356 | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2021 | 124,391 | $ | 27,678.00 | $ | 3,442,894 | $ | 69,000.00 | $ | 8,582,979 | $ | 45,879.97 | $ | 5,707,055 | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2022 | 132,500 | $ | 15,460.00 | $ | 2,048,450 | $ | 48,240.00 | $ | 6,391,800 | $ | 16,556.32 | $ | 2,193,712 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (a) | The "Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year" represents the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the lowest market price reported in the above table reflects the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the period July 1, 2020 (the beginning of the first quarterly period that we purchased and held bitcoin) to December 31, 2020. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (b) | The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held Using Lowest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year (or for 2020, during the period July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020) multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (c) | The "Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year" represents the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the highest market price reported in the above table reflects the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the period July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (d) | The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held Using Highest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year (or for 2020, during the period July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020) multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (e) | The "Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year" represents the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (f) | The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. |
The amounts reported as “Market Value” in the above table represent only a mathematical calculation consisting of the price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) in each scenario defined above multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. The Securities and Exchange Commission has previously stated that there has not been a demonstration that (i) bitcoin and bitcoin markets are inherently resistant to manipulation or that the spot price of bitcoin may not be subject to fraud and manipulation; and (ii) adequate surveillance-sharing agreements with bitcoin-related markets are in place, as bitcoin-related markets are either not significant, not regulated, or both. Accordingly, the Market Value amounts reported above may not accurately represent fair market value, and the actual fair market value of our bitcoin may be different from such amounts and such deviation may be material. Moreover, (i) the bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, potential susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, and various other risks that are, or may be, inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network and (ii) we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at the Market Value amounts indicated above, at the market price as reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) on the date of sale, or at all.
Our digital asset impairment losses, net of gains on sale, have significantly contributed to our operating expenses and net loss. During 2022, digital asset impairment losses, net of gains on sale, of $1.286 billion represented 76.9% of our operating expenses, contributing to our net loss of $1.470 billion for 2022, compared to digital asset impairment losses of $830.6 million during 2021, representing 69.0% of our operating expenses and contributing to our net loss of $535.5 million for 2021.
As of February 15, 2023, we held approximately 132,500 bitcoins that were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of $3.993 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $30,137 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. As of February 15, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the market price of one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange was $24,163.86.
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Impact of COVID-19 on Our Software Strategy
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted, and may continue to result, in significant economic disruption and uncertainty continues to exist concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers’ and prospects’ business and operations in future periods. Although our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were not materially impacted by COVID-19, our revenues may be negatively impacted in future periods.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that may negatively impact our business in future periods include, but are not limited to: limitations on the ability of our customers to conduct their businesses, purchase our products and services, and make timely payments; curtailed consumer spending; deferred purchasing decisions; delayed consulting services implementations; decreases in product licenses revenues driven by channel partners; and compliance costs and business disruptions associated with certain government requirements and recommendations adopted in response to the pandemic. We will continue to actively monitor the nature and extent of the impact to our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Operating Highlights
The following table sets forth certain operating highlights (in thousands) for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 86,498 | $ | 101,804 | ||||
| Subscription services | 60,746 | 43,069 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 147,244 | 144,873 | ||||||
| Product support | 266,521 | 281,209 | ||||||
| Other services | 85,499 | 84,680 | ||||||
| Total revenues | 499,264 | 510,762 | ||||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | 1,672 | 1,721 | ||||||
| Subscription services | 24,770 | 16,901 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 26,442 | 18,622 | ||||||
| Product support | 21,264 | 19,254 | ||||||
| Other services | 55,283 | 54,033 | ||||||
| Total cost of revenues | 102,989 | 91,909 | ||||||
| Gross profit | 396,275 | 418,853 | ||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 146,882 | 160,141 | ||||||
| Research and development | 127,428 | 117,117 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 111,421 | 95,501 | ||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses (gains on sale), net | 1,286,286 | 830,621 | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | 1,672,017 | 1,203,380 | ||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (1,275,742 | ) | $ | (784,527 | ) |
We have incurred and may continue to incur significant impairment losses on our digital assets and we have recognized and may continue to recognize gains upon sale of our digital assets in the future, which are presented net of any impairment losses within operating expenses. In addition, we base our internal operating expense forecasts on expected revenue trends and strategic objectives in our enterprise analytics software business. Many of our expenses, such as office leases and certain personnel costs, are relatively fixed. Accordingly, any decrease in the price of bitcoin during any quarter, any sales by us of our bitcoin at prices above their then current carrying costs or any shortfall in revenue in our software business may cause significant variation in our operating results. We therefore believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results may not be a good indication of our future performance.
49
Share-based Compensation Expense
As discussed in Note 11, Share-based Compensation, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, we have outstanding stock options to purchase shares of our class A common stock, restricted stock units, each of which represents a right to receive a share of our class A common stock upon the satisfaction of applicable vesting requirements, and certain other stock-based awards under our 2013 Equity Plan. We also provide opportunities to eligible employees to purchase shares of our class A common stock under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2021 ESPP”). Share-based compensation expense (in thousands) from these awards was recognized in the following cost of revenues and operating expense line items for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Cost of subscription services revenues | $ | 304 | $ | 282 | |||
| Cost of product support revenues | 2,039 | 1,176 | |||||
| Cost of consulting revenues | 1,754 | 799 | |||||
| Cost of education revenues | 177 | 112 | |||||
| Sales and marketing | 18,274 | 12,875 | |||||
| Research and development | 13,896 | 10,757 | |||||
| General and administrative | 27,175 | 18,125 | |||||
| Total share-based compensation expense | $ | 63,619 | $ | 44,126 |
The $19.5 million increase in share-based compensation expense during 2022, as compared to the prior year, is primarily due to the continued expansion of our equity award programs worldwide. As of December 31, 2022, we estimated that an aggregate of approximately $171.0 million of additional share-based compensation expense associated with the 2013 Equity Plan and the 2021 ESPP will be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 2.7 years.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We are providing supplemental financial measures for (i) non-GAAP loss from operations that excludes the impact of our share-based compensation expense, (ii) non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP diluted loss per share that exclude the impact of our share-based compensation expense, interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs on our long-term debt, and related income tax effects, and (iii) certain non-GAAP constant currency revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses that exclude foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. These supplemental financial measures are not measurements of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and, as a result, these supplemental financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally to help understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and to help make operating decisions.
We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are also useful to investors and analysts in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis. The first supplemental financial measure excludes a significant non-cash expense that we believe is not reflective of our general business performance, and for which the accounting requires management judgment and the resulting share-based compensation expense could vary significantly in comparison to other companies. The second set of supplemental financial measures excludes the impacts of (i) share-based compensation expense, (ii) non-cash interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs related to our long-term debt, and (iii) related income tax effects. The third set of supplemental financial measures excludes changes resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates so that results may be compared to the same period in the prior year on a non-GAAP constant currency basis. We believe the use of these non-GAAP financial measures can also facilitate comparison of our operating results to those of our competitors.
Non-GAAP financial measures are subject to material limitations as they are not measurements prepared in accordance with GAAP, and are not a substitute for such measurements. For example, we expect that share-based compensation expense, which is excluded from the first two non-GAAP financial measures, will continue to be a significant recurring expense over the coming years and is an important part of the compensation provided to certain employees, officers, and directors. Similarly, we expect that interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs will continue to be a recurring expense over the term of the long-term debt. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation and should be read only in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. We rely primarily on such Consolidated Financial Statements to understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and use the non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally.
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The following is a reconciliation of our non-GAAP loss from operations, which excludes the impact of share-based compensation expense, to its most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP loss from operations: | ||||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (1,275,742 | ) | $ | (784,527 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense | 63,619 | 44,126 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP loss from operations | $ | (1,212,123 | ) | $ | (740,401 | ) |
The following are reconciliations of our non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP diluted loss per share, in each case excluding the impacts of (i) share-based compensation expense, (ii) interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs on our long-term debt, and (iii) related income tax effects to their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands, except per share data) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP net loss: | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (1,469,797 | ) | $ | (535,480 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense | 63,619 | 44,126 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs | 8,694 | 7,201 | ||||||
| Income tax effects (1) | (13,250 | ) | (47,976 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP net loss | $ | (1,410,734 | ) | $ | (532,129 | ) | ||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP diluted loss per share (2): | ||||||||
| Diluted loss per share | $ | (129.83 | ) | $ | (53.44 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense (per diluted share) | 5.62 | 4.40 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs (per diluted share) | 0.77 | 0.72 | ||||||
| Income tax effects (per diluted share) | (1.17 | ) | (4.79 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP diluted loss per share | $ | (124.61 | ) | $ | (53.11 | ) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Income tax effects reflect the net tax effects of share-based compensation expense, which includes tax benefits and expenses on exercises of stock options and vesting of share-settled restricted stock units, and interest expense for amortization of debt issuance costs. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (2) | For reconciliation purposes, the non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations use the same weighted average shares outstanding as that used in the GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations for the same period. For example, in periods of GAAP net loss, otherwise dilutive potential shares of common stock from our share-based compensation arrangements and Convertible Notes are excluded from the GAAP diluted loss per share calculation as they would be antidilutive, and therefore are also excluded from the non-GAAP diluted earnings or loss per share calculation. |
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The following are reconciliations of certain non-GAAP constant currency revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses to their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2022 | 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 86,498 | $ | (4,618 | ) | $ | 91,116 | $ | 101,804 | -15.0 | % | -10.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 60,746 | (2,331 | ) | 63,077 | 43,069 | 41.0 | % | 46.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 266,521 | (11,570 | ) | 278,091 | 281,209 | -5.2 | % | -1.1 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 85,499 | (5,263 | ) | 90,762 | 84,680 | 1.0 | % | 7.2 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 21,264 | (1,130 | ) | 22,394 | 19,254 | 10.4 | % | 16.3 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 55,283 | (4,529 | ) | 59,812 | 54,033 | 2.3 | % | 10.7 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 146,882 | (6,733 | ) | 153,615 | 160,141 | -8.3 | % | -4.1 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 127,428 | (2,296 | ) | 129,724 | 117,117 | 8.8 | % | 10.8 | % | |||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 111,421 | (1,906 | ) | 113,327 | 95,501 | 16.7 | % | 18.7 | % | |||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2021 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 101,804 | $ | (858 | ) | $ | 102,662 | $ | 86,743 | 17.4 | % | 18.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 43,069 | 519 | 42,550 | 33,082 | 30.2 | % | 28.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 281,209 | 3,816 | 277,393 | 284,434 | -1.1 | % | -2.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 84,680 | 1,118 | 83,562 | 76,476 | 10.7 | % | 9.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 19,254 | 33 | 19,221 | 23,977 | -19.7 | % | -19.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 54,033 | 341 | 53,692 | 49,952 | 8.2 | % | 7.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 160,141 | 323 | 159,818 | 148,910 | 7.5 | % | 7.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 117,117 | 1,586 | 115,531 | 103,561 | 13.1 | % | 11.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 95,501 | 276 | 95,225 | 80,136 | 19.2 | % | 18.8 | % |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | The “Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact” reflects the estimated impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on international components of our Consolidated Statements of Operations. It shows the increase (decrease) in material international revenues or expenses, as applicable, from the same period in the prior year, based on comparisons to the prior year quarterly average foreign currency exchange rates. The term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency” reflects the current period GAAP amount, less the Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (3) | The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change” reflects the percentage change between the current period Non-GAAP Constant Currency amount and the GAAP amount for the same period in the prior year. |
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. See Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of our significant accounting policies. As described in Note 2, the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and equity, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results and outcomes could differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Critical accounting estimates involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and are estimates that have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We consider certain estimates and judgments related to revenue recognition to be critical accounting estimates for us, as discussed further below.
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Revenue Recognition
See Note 2(n), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Revenue Recognition, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding our significant accounting policies over revenue recognition.
Many of our contracts with customers include multiple performance obligations, and we make estimates and judgments to allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on an observable or estimated standalone selling price (“SSP”). The SSP is the price, or estimated price, of the software or service when sold on a standalone basis at contract inception. We consider our evaluation of SSP to be a critical accounting estimate.
An observable price of a good or service sold separately provides the best evidence of SSP. However, in many situations, SSP will not be readily observable, but must still be estimated using reasonably available information. We have observable standalone selling prices of our product support, consulting services, and education services, and therefore use historical transaction data on a standalone basis, along with our judgment, to establish SSP ranges for each of these services, as described in Note 2(n). However, SSP is not directly observable for product licenses (product licenses are not sold on a standalone basis and pricing is highly variable) and subscription services (the selling price of subscription services is highly variable), and we use a residual approach to establish SSP for these revenue streams. As such, the establishment of SSP of our product support, consulting services, and education services directly impacts the amount of product licenses and subscription services revenues recognized, and therefore also impacts the overall timing of revenue recognition.
We review and analyze the SSP ranges we have established for product support, consulting services, and education services semi-annually, and these SSP ranges have not changed significantly since adopting Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and its subsequent amendments (“ASU 2014-09”) effective January 1, 2018. We also perform analyses on a semi-annual basis using historical pricing data for both product license and subscription services transactions to assess whether the selling price is highly variable in order to support our conclusion that the residual method to estimate SSP of our product licenses and subscription services is a fair allocation of the transaction price. We have maintained our conclusion that the residual method is appropriate for our product licenses and subscription services since adopting ASU 2014-09.
In the future, SSP for our software and services could be impacted by various factors, including potential changes in our pricing practices, customer demand for our products and services, and various market or economic conditions. However, we consider the risk of significant volatility in our established SSP to be small given our historical transaction experience and internal processes to monitor SSP ranges on an ongoing basis and work with management in the event a trend that could impact the future ranges is detected.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
Revenues
Except as otherwise indicated herein, the term “domestic” refers to operations in the United States and Canada and the term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada.
Product licenses and subscription services revenues. The following table sets forth product licenses and subscription services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Licenses and Subscription Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product Licenses | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 54,794 | $ | 54,107 | 1.3 | % | ||||||
| International | 31,704 | 47,697 | -33.5 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses revenues | 86,498 | 101,804 | -15.0 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription Services | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 42,428 | 31,306 | 35.5 | % | ||||||||
| International | 18,318 | 11,763 | 55.7 | % | ||||||||
| Total subscription services revenues | 60,746 | 43,069 | 41.0 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services revenues | $ | 147,244 | $ | 144,873 | 1.6 | % |
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The following table sets forth a summary, grouped by size, of the number of recognized product licenses transactions for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Product Licenses Transactions with Recognized Licenses Revenue in the Applicable Period: | |||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 11 | 13 | |||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 14 | 19 | |||||
| Total | 25 | 32 | |||||
| Domestic: | |||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 9 | 10 | |||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 11 | 11 | |||||
| Total | 20 | 21 | |||||
| International: | |||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 2 | 3 | |||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 3 | 8 | |||||
| Total | 5 | 11 |
The following table sets forth the recognized revenue (in thousands) attributable to product licenses transactions, grouped by size, and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Licenses Revenue Recognized in the Applicable Period: | ||||||||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | $ | 23,858 | $ | 26,838 | -11.1 | % | ||||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 9,882 | 12,809 | -22.9 | % | ||||||||
| Less than $0.5 million in licenses revenue recognized | 52,758 | 62,157 | -15.1 | % | ||||||||
| Total | 86,498 | 101,804 | -15.0 | % | ||||||||
| Domestic: | ||||||||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 20,591 | 18,391 | 12.0 | % | ||||||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 8,124 | 7,364 | 10.3 | % | ||||||||
| Less than $0.5 million in licenses revenue recognized | 26,079 | 28,352 | -8.0 | % | ||||||||
| Total | 54,794 | 54,107 | 1.3 | % | ||||||||
| International: | ||||||||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 3,267 | 8,447 | -61.3 | % | ||||||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 1,758 | 5,445 | -67.7 | % | ||||||||
| Less than $0.5 million in licenses revenue recognized | 26,679 | 33,805 | -21.1 | % | ||||||||
| Total | $ | 31,704 | $ | 47,697 | -33.5 | % |
Product licenses revenues decreased $15.3 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, product licenses transactions with more than $0.5 million in recognized revenue represented 39.0% and 38.9%, respectively, of our product licenses revenues. During 2022, our top three product licenses transactions totaled $13.1 million in recognized revenue, or 15.1% of total product licenses revenues, compared to $12.6 million, or 12.4% of total product licenses revenues, during 2021. Our product licenses revenues may experience declines in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Domestic product licenses revenues. Domestic product licenses revenues increased $0.7 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in the average deal size of transactions, partially offset by a decrease in the number of transactions with less than $0.5 million in recognized revenue and a decrease in the number of transactions with more than $1.0 million in recognized revenue.
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International product licenses revenues. International product licenses revenues decreased $16.0 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a decrease in the number of transactions and a $4.6 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Subscription services revenues. Subscription services revenues are derived from our MCE cloud subscription service and are recognized ratably over the service period in the contract. Subscription services revenues increased $17.7 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to conversions to cloud-based subscriptions from existing on-premises customers, an increase in the use of subscription services by existing customers, and sales contracts with new customers, partially offset by a $2.3 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact. We expect our subscription services revenues to continue to grow in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Product support revenues. The following table sets forth product support revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Support Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 159,385 | $ | 161,288 | -1.2 | % | ||||||
| International | 107,136 | 119,921 | -10.7 | % | ||||||||
| Total product support revenues | $ | 266,521 | $ | 281,209 | -5.2 | % |
Product support revenues are derived from providing technical software support and software updates and upgrades to customers. Product support revenues are recognized ratably over the term of the contract, which is generally one year. Product support revenues decreased $14.7 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an $11.6 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact and certain existing customers converting from perpetual product licenses with separate support contracts to our subscription services or term product licenses offerings. Our product support revenues may experience declines in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Other services revenues. The following table sets forth other services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Other Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 39,147 | $ | 36,814 | 6.3 | % | ||||||
| International | 41,697 | 42,918 | -2.8 | % | ||||||||
| Total consulting revenues | 80,844 | 79,732 | 1.4 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 4,655 | 4,948 | -5.9 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services revenues | $ | 85,499 | $ | 84,680 | 1.0 | % |
Consulting revenues. Consulting revenues are derived from helping customers plan and execute the deployment of our software. Consulting revenues increased $1.1 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in average bill rates and an increase in billable hours worldwide, partially offset by a $5.1 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Education revenues. Education revenues are derived from the education and training that we provide to our customers to enhance their ability to fully utilize the features and functionality of our software. These offerings include self-tutorials, custom course development, joint training with customers’ internal staff, and standard course offerings, with pricing dependent on the specific offering delivered. Education revenues did not materially change during 2022 as compared to the prior year.
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Costs and Expenses
Cost of revenues. The following table sets forth cost of revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Cost of Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses and subscription services: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 1,672 | $ | 1,721 | -2.8 | % | ||||||
| Subscription services | 24,770 | 16,901 | 46.6 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 26,442 | 18,622 | 42.0 | % | ||||||||
| Product support | 21,264 | 19,254 | 10.4 | % | ||||||||
| Other services: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | 50,820 | 48,773 | 4.2 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 4,463 | 5,260 | -15.2 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services | 55,283 | 54,033 | 2.3 | % | ||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 102,989 | $ | 91,909 | 12.1 | % |
Cost of product licenses revenues. Cost of product licenses revenues consists of referral fees paid to channel partners, the costs of product manuals and media, and royalties paid to third-party software vendors. Cost of product licenses revenues did not materially change during 2022 as compared to the prior year.
Cost of subscription services revenues. Cost of subscription services revenues consists of equipment, facility and other related support costs (including cloud hosting infrastructure costs), and personnel and related overhead costs. Subscription services headcount increased 52.8% to 110 at December 31, 2022 from 72 at December 31, 2021. Cost of subscription services revenues increased $7.9 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $5.1 million increase in cloud hosting infrastructure costs, which is a result of the increased usage by new and existing cloud subscription services customers, (ii) a $1.7 million increase in employee salaries primarily attributable to an increase in average staffing levels and wage increases, and (iii) a $0.7 million increase in variable compensation. Included in cost of subscription services revenues for 2022 is an aggregate $0.7 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Cost of product support revenues. Cost of product support revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs, including those under our Enterprise Support program. Our Enterprise Support program utilizes primarily consulting personnel to provide product support to our customers at our discretion. Compensation related to personnel providing Enterprise Support services is reported as cost of product support revenues. Product support headcount increased 5.2% to 183 at December 31, 2022 from 174 at December 31, 2021. Cost of product support revenues increased $2.0 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $1.0 million increase in employee salaries primarily attributable to wage increases, (ii) a $0.9 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan, and (iii) a $0.6 million increase in variable compensation. Included in cost of product support revenues for 2022 is an aggregate $1.1 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Cost of consulting revenues. Cost of consulting revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs, excluding those under our Enterprise Support program which are allocated to cost of product support revenues. Consulting headcount increased 8.2% to 447 at December 31, 2022 from 413 at December 31, 2021. Cost of consulting revenues increased $2.0 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $1.0 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan and (ii) a $0.7 million increase in employee salaries primarily attributable to an increase in average staffing levels and wage increases, partially offset by a shift in staffing levels to lower cost regions, partially offset by (iii) a $0.9 million decrease in in subcontractor costs. Included in cost of consulting revenues for 2022 is an aggregate $4.3 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Cost of education revenues. Cost of education revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs. Education headcount decreased 55.6% to 16 at December 31, 2022 from 36 at December 31, 2021. Cost of education revenues decreased $0.8 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $0.6 million decrease in compensation and related costs primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels.
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Sales and marketing expenses. Sales and marketing expenses consist of personnel costs, commissions, office facilities, travel, advertising, public relations programs, and promotional events, such as trade shows, seminars, and technical conferences. Sales and marketing headcount decreased 7.7% to 434 at December 31, 2022 from 470 at December 31, 2021. The following table sets forth sales and marketing expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | $ | 146,882 | $ | 160,141 | -8.3 | % |
Sales and marketing expenses decreased $13.3 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $17.0 million decrease in variable compensation primarily attributable to a net increase in capitalized commissions and decreases in other personnel costs and employee relations expenses, (ii) a $1.8 million decrease in employee salaries primarily attributable to a decrease in average staffing levels, partially offset by wage increases, (iii) a $0.7 million decrease in marketing and advertising costs, (iv) a $0.7 million decrease in facility and other related support costs, and (v) a $0.6 million decrease in cloud hosting infrastructure costs, partially offset by (vi) a $5.4 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan, partially offset by the forfeiture of certain awards and the fair value remeasurement of certain liability-classified awards at the end of the reporting period and (vii) a $1.8 million increase in travel and entertainment expenditures that were undertaken as various COVID-19-related restrictions were lifted. Included in sales and marketing expenses for 2022 is an aggregate $6.7 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Research and development expenses. Research and development expenses consist of the personnel costs for our software engineering personnel, depreciation of equipment, and other related costs. Research and development headcount decreased 1.6% to 688 at December 31, 2022 from 699 at December 31, 2021. The following table summarizes research and development expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | $ | 127,428 | $ | 117,117 | 8.8 | % |
Research and development expenses increased $10.3 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $6.5 million increase in employee salaries primarily attributable to wage increases and an increase in average staffing levels, partially offset by a shift in staffing levels to lower cost regions, (ii) a $3.1 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan, partially offset by certain awards that became fully vested and the fair value remeasurement of certain liability-classified awards at the end of the reporting period, (iii) a $1.4 million increase in variable compensation, and (iv) a $0.5 million increase in consulting and advisory costs, partially offset by (v) a $1.5 million decrease in facility and other related support costs. Included in research and development expenses for 2022 is an aggregate $2.3 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist of personnel and related overhead costs, and other costs of our executive, finance, human resources, information systems, and administrative departments, as well as third-party consulting, legal, and other professional fees. General and administrative headcount increased 6.6% to 274 at December 31, 2022 from 257 at December 31, 2021. The following table sets forth general and administrative expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | 111,421 | $ | 95,501 | 16.7 | % |
General and administrative expenses increased $15.9 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to (i) a $9.1 million net increase in share-based compensation expense primarily attributable to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan, partially offset by certain awards that became fully vested, (ii) a $3.1 million increase in costs related to the maintenance and operations of our corporate aircraft, (iii) a $1.7 million increase in directors and officers liability insurance, (iv) a $1.3 million increase in employee salaries primarily attributable to wage increases and an increase in average staffing levels, partially offset by a shift in staffing levels to lower cost regions, (v) a $1.0 million increase in travel and entertainment expenditures that were undertaken as various COVID-19-related restrictions were lifted, (vi) a $0.9 million increase in employee relations expenses, and (vii) a $0.5 million increase in facility and other related support costs, partially offset by (viii) a $1.5 million decrease in custodial fees incurred on our bitcoin holdings. Included in general and administrative expenses for 2022 is an aggregate $1.9 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
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Digital asset impairment losses, (gains on sale), net. Digital asset impairment losses are recognized when the carrying value of our digital assets exceeds their lowest fair value at any time since their acquisition. Impaired digital assets are written down to fair value at the time of impairment, and such impairment loss cannot be recovered for any subsequent increases in fair value. Gains (if any) are not recorded until realized upon sale. The following table sets forth digital asset impairment losses (gains on sale), net (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | $ | 1,287,213 | $ | 830,621 | 55.0 | % | ||||||
| Gains on sale of digital assets | $ | 927 | $ | 0 | n/a | |||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses (gains on sale), net | $ | 1,286,286 | $ | 830,621 | 54.9 | % |
We may continue to incur significant digital asset impairment losses in the future.
Interest Expense, Net
During 2022, interest expense, net, of $53.1 million was primarily related to the contractual interest expense and amortization of issuance costs related to our long-term debt arrangements. During 2021, interest expense, net, of $29.1 million was primarily related to the contractual interest expense and amortization of issuance costs related to our long-term debt arrangements, and contractual interest expense incurred on trade credits with Coinbase. Refer to Note 8, Long-term Debt, and Note 4, Digital Assets, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Other Income, Net
During 2022, other income, net, of $6.4 million was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net gains. During 2021, other income, net, of $2.3 million was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net gains.
Provision for (Benefit from) Income Taxes
During 2022, we recorded a provision for income taxes of $147.3 million on a pre-tax loss of $1.322 billion that resulted in an effective tax rate of (11.1)%, as compared to a benefit from income taxes of $275.9 million on a pre-tax loss of $811.4 million that resulted in an effective tax rate of 34.0% during 2021. The change in our effective tax rate in 2022, as compared to the prior year, was primarily due to the establishment of a valuation allowance on our deferred tax asset related to the impairment of our bitcoin holdings, attributable to the decrease in the market value of bitcoin as of December 31, 2022.
The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposed a mandatory deemed repatriation transition tax (“Transition Tax”) on previously untaxed accumulated and current earnings and profits of certain of our foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2022, $22.1 million of the Transition Tax was unpaid, of which $16.6 million is included in “Other long-term liabilities” and $5.5 million is included in “Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and operating lease liabilities” in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
As of December 31, 2022, we had no U.S. federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and $3.3 million of foreign NOL carryforwards. As of December 31, 2022, digital asset impairment losses, other temporary differences and carryforwards resulted in deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances and deferred tax liabilities, of $188.0 million.
As of December 31, 2022, we had a valuation allowance of $511.4 million primarily related to our deferred tax asset related to the impairment of our bitcoin holdings that, in our present estimation, more likely than not will not be realized. If the market value of bitcoin continues to decline or we are unable to regain profitability in future periods, we may be required to increase further the valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets, which could result in a charge that would materially adversely affect net income (loss) in the period in which the charge is incurred. To the extent the market value of bitcoin rises we may decrease the valuation allowance against our deferred tax asset. We will continue to regularly assess the realizability of deferred tax assets.
Beginning in the third quarter of 2020, we determined to no longer permanently reinvest our foreign earnings and profits. As of December 31, 2022, we recorded a deferred tax liability of $2.2 million on undistributed foreign earnings related to foreign withholding tax and U.S. state income taxes.
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Deferred Revenue and Advance Payments
Deferred revenue and advance payments represent amounts received or due from our customers in advance of our transferring our software or services to the customer. In the case of multi-year service contract arrangements, we generally do not invoice more than one year in advance of services and do not record deferred revenue for amounts that have not been invoiced. Revenue is subsequently recognized in the period(s) in which control of the software or services is transferred to the customer.
The following table summarizes deferred revenue and advance payments (in thousands), as of:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 2,825 | $ | 993 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 51,861 | 35,589 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 155,366 | 166,477 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 7,376 | 6,801 | |||||
| Total current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 217,428 | $ | 209,860 | |||
| Non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 2,742 | $ | 68 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 3,030 | 1,064 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 6,387 | 6,203 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 604 | 754 | |||||
| Total non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 12,763 | $ | 8,089 | |||
| Total current and non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 5,567 | $ | 1,061 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 54,891 | 36,653 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 161,753 | 172,680 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 7,980 | 7,555 | |||||
| Total current and non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 230,191 | $ | 217,949 |
The portions of multi-year contracts that will be invoiced in the future are not presented on the balance sheet in “Accounts receivable, net” and “Deferred revenue and advance payments” and instead are included in the remaining performance obligation disclosure below. Total deferred revenue and advance payments increased $12.2 million in 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in deferred revenue from new subscription services contracts and an increase in deferred license revenue from the early renewal of a large term license deal at the end of 2022, partially offset by a decrease in deferred product support revenue from the timing of product support renewals and an increase in conversions from on-premises to subscription services contracts. Included in our international deferred revenue balances at December 31, 2022 is a $7.9 million unfavorable foreign currency impact from the general strengthening of the U.S. dollar compared to the prior year.
Our remaining performance obligation represents all future revenue under contract and includes deferred revenue and advance payments and billable non-cancelable amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods. The remaining performance obligation excludes contracts that are billed in arrears, such as certain time and materials contracts. As of December 31, 2022, we had an aggregate transaction price of $324.8 million allocated to the remaining performance obligation related to product support, subscription services, product licenses, and other services contracts. We expect to recognize approximately $241.5 million of the remaining performance obligation over the next 12 months and the remainder thereafter. However, the timing and ultimate recognition of our deferred revenue and advance payments and other remaining performance obligations depend on our satisfaction of various performance obligations, and the amount of deferred revenue and advance payments and remaining performance obligations at any date should not be considered indicative of revenues for any succeeding period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity. Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents and on-going collection of our accounts receivable. Cash and cash equivalents may include holdings in bank demand deposits, money market instruments, certificates of deposit, and U.S. Treasury securities. Under our Treasury Reserve Policy and bitcoin acquisition strategy, we use a significant portion of our cash, including cash generated from capital raising transactions, to acquire bitcoins. As discussed in Note 2(g) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Digital Assets, to our Consolidated Financial Statements, our bitcoin are classified as indefinite-lived intangible assets. In September 2022, we entered into a new at-the-market equity offering program, pursuant to which we may from time-to-time issue and sell shares of our class A common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $500.0 million. For additional information, see “—At-the-Market Equity Offerings” below.
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As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the amount of cash and cash equivalents held by our U.S. entities was $14.8 million and $13.1 million, respectively, and by our non-U.S. entities was $29.0 million and $50.3 million, respectively. We earn a significant amount of our revenues outside the United States and we repatriated foreign earnings and profits of $44.7 million during 2022 and $57.5 million during 2021.
Our material contractual obligations (explained in further detail in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, as referenced below) and cash requirements consist of:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | principal and interest payments related to our long-term debt (Note 8, Long-term Debt); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | rent payments under noncancellable operating leases (Note 7, Leases); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | payments related to the Transition Tax (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | payments under various purchase agreements, primarily related to third-party software supporting our products, marketing, and operations (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies); and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | ongoing personnel-related expenditures and vendor payments. |
We believe that existing cash and cash equivalents held by us and cash and cash equivalents anticipated to be generated by us are sufficient to meet working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures, and contractual obligations for at least the next 12 months. Beyond the next 12 months, our long-term cash requirements are primarily for obligations related to our long-term debt. We have principal due upon maturity of our long-term debt instruments in the aggregate of $2.413 billion in addition to $2.4 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2025 Convertible Notes, $15.3 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2028 Secured Notes, an estimated $1.3 million due monthly in variable coupon interest for the 2025 Secured Term Loan (based on the interest rate in effect at December 31, 2022), and $0.1 million due monthly in principal and interest related to our other long-term secured debt. We also have long-term cash requirements for obligations related to our operating leases, the Transition Tax, and our various purchase agreements. If cash and cash equivalents generated by future operating activities are not sufficient to enable us to satisfy these obligations, we may seek to generate cash and cash equivalents from other sources. The sources could include the sale of bitcoins, additional borrowings collateralized by our bitcoins, as well as the issuance and sale of shares of our class A common stock. Furthermore, if certain conditions are met, we may have the right to elect to settle the Convertible Notes upon a conversion of such Convertible Notes in shares of our class A common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of class A common stock, which may enable us to reduce the amount of our cash obligations under the Convertible Notes.
The 2028 Secured Notes have a stated maturity date of June 15, 2028, but include a springing maturity feature that will cause the stated maturity date to spring ahead to the date that is (i) 91 days prior to the existing maturity date of the 2025 Convertible Notes (which is September 15, 2025), (ii) 91 days prior to the existing maturity date of the 2027 Convertible Notes (which is November 16, 2026), or (iii) the maturity date of any future convertible debt that we may issue that is then outstanding, unless on such dates we meet specified liquidity requirements or less than $100,000,000 of aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes, the 2027 Convertible Notes, or such future convertible debt, as applicable, remains outstanding.
As of December 31, 2022, we held approximately 132,500 bitcoins, of which approximately 82,991 are unencumbered. We do not believe we will need to sell or engage in other transactions with respect to any of our bitcoins within the next twelve months to meet our working capital requirements, although we may from time to time sell or engage in other transactions with respect to our bitcoins as part of treasury management operations, as noted above. The bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in its price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, and various other risks inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network. During times of instability in the bitcoin market, we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at reasonable prices or at all. As a result, our bitcoins are less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents. In addition, upon sale of our bitcoin, we may incur additional taxes related to any realized gains or we may incur capital losses as to which the tax deduction may be limited.
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 3,211 | $ | 93,833 | -96.6 | % | ||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (278,590 | ) | $ | (2,629,235 | ) | -89.4 | % | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 265,188 | $ | 2,541,685 | -89.6 | % |
Net cash provided by operating activities. The primary source of our cash provided by operating activities is cash collections of our accounts receivable from customers following the sales and renewals of our product licenses, subscription services and product support, as well as consulting and education services. Our primary uses of cash in operating activities are for personnel-related expenditures for software development, personnel-related expenditures for providing consulting, education, and subscription services, and for sales and marketing costs, general and administrative costs, interest expense related to our long-term debt arrangements, and income taxes. In
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2022 and 2021, non-cash items to further reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities consist primarily of depreciation and amortization, reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets, credit losses and sales allowances, deferred taxes, release of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, share-based compensation expense, digital asset impairment losses (gains on sale), net, and amortization of the issuance costs on our long-term debt.
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $90.6 million during 2022, as compared to the prior year, due to a $934.3 million increase in net loss and a $47.7 million decrease from changes in operating assets and liabilities, partially offset by an $891.4 million increase in non-cash items (principally related to digital asset impairment losses and deferred taxes). In particular, we had a $23.0 million increase in interest payments, primarily with respect to the 2028 Senior Secured Notes and the 2025 Secured Term Loan, and a $15.0 million increase in income tax payments due primarily to decreased income tax benefits from a lower level of stock option exercises. We also had other increased payments, most notably those related to employee-related costs as we continued to invest in our workforce, and investment in our cloud infrastructure to support the growth in sales of subscription services. Additional transitions of customers from our perpetual license arrangements to our subscription services offerings has also negatively impacted our cash provided by operating activities in 2022 as compared to 2021 as invoicing for subscription services generally occurs over multiple years, whereas perpetual licenses are invoiced up-front.
Net cash used in investing activities. In 2022 and 2021, the changes in net cash (used in) provided by investing activities primarily relate to purchases and sales of digital assets and expenditures on property and equipment. Net cash used in investing activities decreased $2.351 billion during 2022, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $2.339 billion decrease in purchases of bitcoins, partially offset by an $11.8 million increase in sales of bitcoins. During 2022, we purchased bitcoin using $190.5 million of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Secured Term Loan, $44.6 million of the net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under the 2022 Sales Agreement, $11.8 million in proceeds from sales of bitcoin, and Excess Cash. During 2021, we purchased bitcoin using the net proceeds from the issuance of our 2027 Convertible Notes and 2028 Secured Notes, the sale of class A common stock under the Open Market Sale Agreement, and Excess Cash.
Net cash provided by financing activities. In 2022 and 2021, the changes in net cash provided by (used in) financing activities primarily relate to the issuance of our long-term debt, the sale of class A common stock under the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement and 2022 Sales Agreement, the exercise of stock options under the 2013 Equity Plan, the sales of class A common stock under the 2021 ESPP, the payment of withholding tax on vesting of restricted stock units, and the repayments of other long-term secured debt. Net cash provided by financing activities decreased $2.276 billion during 2022, as compared to the prior year, due to (i) a $1.297 billion year-over-year reduction in proceeds, net of issuance costs, from long-term debt from our 2027 Convertible Notes and 2028 Secured Notes during 2021 as compared to the proceeds, net of issuance costs, from long-term debt from our 2025 Secured Term Loan and other long-term secured debt during 2022, (ii) a $944.2 million reduction in net proceeds from the sale of class A common stock under public offerings from the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement and the 2022 Sales Agreement, and (iii) a $39.3 million decrease in proceeds from the exercise of stock options under the 2013 Equity Plan during 2022 compared to 2021, partially offset by (iv) a $2.6 million decrease in payment of withholding tax on vesting of restricted stock units during 2022 compared to 2021 and (v) a $1.6 million increase in proceeds from the sales of class A common stock under the 2021 ESPP during 2022 compared to 2021.
Long-term Debt
The terms of each of the long-term debt instruments described below are discussed more fully in Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
In December 2020, we issued $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes and in February 2021, we issued $1.050 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible Notes to acquire bitcoin. During 2022 and 2021, we paid $4.9 million and $4.9 million, respectively, in interest to holders of the 2025 Convertible Notes. The 2027 Convertible Notes do not bear regular interest and we have not paid any special interest to holders of the 2027 Convertible Notes to date.
In June 2021, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2028 Secured Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2028 Secured Notes to acquire bitcoin. As of December 31, 2022, all of the approximately 14,890 bitcoins held by MicroStrategy Incorporated serve as part of the collateral for the 2028 Secured Notes. During 2022 and 2021, we paid $30.6 million and $15.4 million, respectively, in interest to holders of the 2028 Secured Notes.
In March 2022, MacroStrategy, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into a Credit and Security Agreement with Silvergate Bank, pursuant to which Silvergate Bank issued the $205.0 million 2025 Secured Term Loan to MacroStrategy. We used $190.5 million of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2025 Secured Term Loan to acquire bitcoin, used $5.0 million of the net proceeds to establish a reserve account that serves as collateral for the 2025 Secured Term Loan, and have used and expect to continue to use the remaining net proceeds to pay fees, interest, and expenses related to the 2025 Secured Term Loan. As of December 31, 2022, approximately 34,619
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of the bitcoins held by MacroStrategy serve as part of the collateral for the 2025 Secured Term Loan. Subject to certain conditions described in Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, MacroStrategy can withdraw excess collateral held in the Bitcoin Collateral Account. During 2022, we paid $7.7 million in interest to Silvergate.
In June 2022, we, through one of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, entered into a secured term loan agreement in the amount of $11.1 million, bearing interest at an annual rate of 5.2%, and maturing in June 2027. During 2022, we paid $0.5 million in principal and interest to the lender.
At-the-Market Equity Offerings
On June 14, 2021, we entered into the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies, pursuant to which we issued and sold shares of our class A common stock having an aggregate offering price of approximately $1.0 billion from time to time through Jefferies. The terms of the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement are discussed more fully in Note 13, At-the-Market Equity Offerings, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. During 2021, we issued and sold 1,413,767 shares of our class A common stock under the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement, at an average gross price per share of approximately $707.33, for aggregate net proceeds (less $9.5 million in sales commissions and expenses) of approximately $990.5 million. As of December 31, 2021, the cumulative aggregate offering price of the shares of class A common stock sold under the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement was approximately $1.0 billion, inclusive of sales commissions, constituting the maximum program amount under the 2021 Open Market Sale Agreement.
On September 9, 2022, we entered into the 2022 Sales Agreement with the 2022 Sales Agents, pursuant to which we may issue and sell shares of our class A common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $500.0 million from time to time through the 2022 Sales Agents. The terms of the 2022 Sales Agreement are discussed more fully in Note 13, At-the-Market Equity Offerings, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. During 2022, we issued and sold 218,575 shares of our class A common stock under the 2022 Sales Agreement, at an average gross price per share of approximately $213.16, for aggregate net proceeds (less $0.4 million in sales commissions and expenses) of approximately $46.2 million. As of December 31, 2022, approximately $453.4 million of our class A common stock remained available for issuance and sale pursuant to the 2022 Sales Agreement.
Share repurchases. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we did not repurchase any shares of our class A common stock. See “Part II. Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” of this Annual Report and Note 14, Treasury Stock, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
Debt repurchases and repayments. During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we did not repurchase any of our outstanding debt. We or our affiliates may, at any time and from time to time, seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for equity or debt, in open-market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will be upon such terms and at such prices as we may determine, and will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. We may also repay our outstanding indebtedness, including our 2025 Secured Term Loan. The prepayment of the 2025 Secured Term Loan is subject to a prepayment premium of 0.50% or 0.25% of the principal balance being prepaid, if such prepayment is made during the first year or second year, respectively, of the 2025 Secured Term Loan. The amounts involved in any such repurchase or repayment may be material. We may effect debt repurchases or repayments using proceeds from the sale of our class A common stock pursuant to the 2022 Sales Agreement (under which approximately $453.4 million remains available for sale as of the date hereof).
Unrecognized tax benefits. As of December 31, 2022, we had $6.1 million of total gross unrecognized tax benefits, including accrued interest, all of which was recorded in “Other long-term liabilities.” The timing of any payments that could result from these unrecognized tax benefits will depend on a number of factors, and accordingly the amount and period of any future payments cannot be estimated. We do not expect any significant tax payments related to unrecognized tax benefits during 2023.
Recent Accounting Standards
See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
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FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564590-22-005287.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Information
This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including without limitation, certain statements regarding industry prospects and our results of operations or financial position, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The important factors discussed under “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors,” among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements made herein and presented elsewhere by management from time to time. Such forward-looking statements represent management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Investors are warned that actual results may differ from management’s expectations.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019, including comparison of our results for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Business Overview
MicroStrategy pursues two corporate strategies in the operation of its business. One strategy is to acquire and hold bitcoin and the other strategy is to grow our enterprise analytics software business. We believe that undertaking these two, interdependent corporate strategies serves as a key differentiator for our business, as our bitcoin acquisition strategy has raised our profile with potential software customers while our enterprise analytics software business has provided stable cash flows that allow us to acquire and hold bitcoin for the long-term.
We pursue, as part of our overall corporate strategy, a strategy of acquiring bitcoin with our liquid assets that exceed working capital requirements, and from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities in capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin. We view our bitcoin holdings as long-term holdings, and we do not plan to engage in regular trading of bitcoin and have not hedged or otherwise entered into derivative contracts with respect to our bitcoin holdings, though we may sell bitcoin in future periods as needed to generate cash for treasury management and other general corporate purposes. We have not set any specific target for the amount of bitcoin we seek to hold, and we will continue to monitor market conditions in determining whether to conduct debt or equity financings to purchase additional bitcoin.
We believe that bitcoin is attractive because it can serve as a store of value, supported by a robust and public open source architecture, that is untethered to sovereign monetary policy and can therefore serve as a hedge against inflation. We also believe that bitcoin offers additional opportunity for appreciation in value with increasing adoption due to its limited supply. In addition, we believe that our bitcoin acquisition strategy is complementary to our enterprise analytics software and services business, as we believe that our bitcoin and related activities in support of the bitcoin network enhance awareness of our brand and can provide opportunities to secure new customers for our analytics offerings. We are also exploring opportunities to apply bitcoin related technologies such as blockchain analytics into our software offerings.
As of February 14, 2022, we hold approximately 125,051 bitcoin that were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of $3.777 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $30,200 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses.
We are also a global leader in enterprise analytics software and services. Our vision is to enable Intelligence Everywhere. The MicroStrategy platform brings together data from our customers’ enterprise applications, such as their financial systems, human resources systems, and supply chain and customer relationship management tools, to provide analytics for actionable insights. Customers can also use our consulting and education offerings to harness MicroStrategy’s innovative technology and empower their people to make better, faster decisions.
Our customers include leading companies from a wide range of industries, including retail, consulting, technology, manufacturing, banking, insurance, finance, healthcare, telecommunications, as well as the public sector.
The analytics market is highly competitive. Our future success depends on the effectiveness with which we can differentiate our offerings from those offered by large software vendors that provide products across multiple lines of business, including one or more products that directly compete with our offerings, and other potential competitors across analytics implementation projects of varying sizes. We
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believe a key differentiator of MicroStrategy is our modern, open, comprehensive enterprise platform that can be extended to other tools and systems, can scale across the enterprise, is optimized for cloud or on-premises deployments, and can be combined with unique packages of our expert services and education offerings.
Our Bitcoin Acquisition Strategy
In September 2020, our Board of Directors adopted a Treasury Reserve Policy (as amended to date, the “Treasury Reserve Policy”) that updated our treasury management and capital allocation strategies, under which our treasury reserve assets will consist of:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments (“Cash Assets”) held by us that exceed working capital requirements; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | bitcoin held by us, with bitcoin serving as the primary treasury reserve asset on an ongoing basis, subject to market conditions and anticipated needs of the business for Cash Assets. |
In the first quarter of 2021, we adopted, in addition to and in conjunction with our Treasury Reserve Policy, a corporate strategy of acquiring and holding bitcoin, and from time to time, subject to market conditions, issuing debt or equity securities in capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.
During 2020 and 2021, we issued the following debt and equity securities to raise capital to purchase bitcoin, which issuances are further described in the “Convertible Senior Notes and 2028 Senior Secured Notes” and “Open Market Sale Agreement” sections under this “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of 0.750% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Convertible Notes”) issued in December 2020; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | $1.050 billion aggregate principal amount of 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Convertible Notes” and, together with the 2025 Convertible Notes, the “Convertible Notes”) issued in February 2021; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (the “2028 Secured Notes”) issued in June 2021; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | 1,413,767 shares of class A common stock issued during 2021, for aggregate gross proceeds of $1.0 billion pursuant to our Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC, as agent (“Jefferies”). |
The following table presents a rollforward of our bitcoin holdings, including additional information related to our bitcoin purchases and digital asset impairment losses within the respective periods. We have not sold any of our bitcoin as of the date of this Annual Report.
| Source of Capital Used to Purchase Bitcoin | Digital Asset Original Cost Basis (in thousands) | Digital Asset Impairment Losses (in thousands) | Digital Asset Carrying Value (in thousands) | Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held | Approximate Average Purchase Price Per Bitcoin | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | $ | 0 | 0 | n/a | |||||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (a) | 1,125,000 | 1,125,000 | 70,469 | 15,964 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (70,698 | ) | (70,698 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | $ | 1,125,000 | $ | (70,698 | ) | $ | 1,054,302 | 70,469 | $ | 15,964 | |||||||||||
| Digital asset purchases | (b) | 2,626,529 | 2,626,529 | 53,922 | 48,710 | ||||||||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | (830,621 | ) | (830,621 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2021 | $ | 3,751,529 | $ | (901,319 | ) | $ | 2,850,210 | 124,391 | $ | 30,159 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (a) | During 2020, we purchased bitcoin using $634.7 million in net proceeds from our issuance of the 2025 Convertible Notes and excess cash, including cash from the liquidation of short-term investments. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (b) | During 2021, we purchased bitcoin using $1.026 billion in net proceeds from our issuance of the 2027 Convertible Notes, $990.5 million in net proceeds from our sale of 1,413,767 shares of class A common stock offered under the Open Market Sale Agreement, $487.2 million in net proceeds from our issuance of the 2028 Secured Notes, and excess cash. |
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The following table shows the approximate number of bitcoins held at the end of each respective period, as well as market value calculations of our bitcoin holdings based on the lowest, highest, and ending market prices of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) for each respective year, as further defined below:
| Approximate Number of Bitcoins Held at End of Year | Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (a) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Lowest Market Price (in thousands) (b) | Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year (c) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Highest Market Price (in thousands) (d) | Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year (e) | Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price (in thousands) (f) | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2019 | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2020 | 70,469 | $ | 8,905.84 | $ | 627,586 | $ | 29,321.90 | $ | 2,066,285 | $ | 29,181.00 | $ | 2,056,356 | ||||||||||||||
| December 31, 2021 | 124,391 | $ | 27,678.00 | $ | 3,442,894 | $ | 69,000.00 | $ | 8,582,979 | $ | 45,879.97 | $ | 5,707,055 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (a) | The "Lowest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year" represents the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the lowest market price reported in the above table reflects the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the period July 1, 2020 (the beginning of the first quarterly period that we purchased and held bitcoin) to December 31, 2020. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (b) | The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held Using Lowest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the lowest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year (or for 2020, during the period July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020) multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (c) | The "Highest Market Price Per Bitcoin During Year" represents the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year, without regard to when we purchased any of our bitcoin. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the highest market price reported in the above table reflects the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the period July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (d) | The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held Using Highest Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the highest market price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange during the respective year (or for 2020, during the period July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020) multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (e) | The "Market Price Per Bitcoin at End of Year" represents the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (f) | The "Market Value of Bitcoin Held at End of Year Using Ending Market Price" represents a mathematical calculation consisting of the market price of one bitcoin on the Coinbase exchange at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the respective year multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. |
The amounts reported as “Market Value” in the above table represent only a mathematical calculation consisting of the price for one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) in each scenario defined above multiplied by the number of bitcoins held by us at the end of the applicable year. The Securities and Exchange Commission has previously stated that there has not been a demonstration that (i) bitcoin and bitcoin markets are inherently resistant to manipulation or that the spot price of bitcoin may not be subject to fraud and manipulation; and (ii) adequate surveillance-sharing agreements with bitcoin-related markets are in place, as bitcoin-related markets are either not significant, not regulated, or both. Accordingly, the Market Value amounts reported above may not accurately represent fair market value, and the actual fair market value of our bitcoin may be different from such amounts and such deviation may be material. Moreover, (i) the bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, potential susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, and various other risks that are, or may be, inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network and (ii) we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at the Market Value amounts indicated above, at the market price as reported on the Coinbase exchange (our principal market) on the date of sale, or at all.
Our digital asset impairment losses have significantly contributed to our operating expenses and net loss. During 2021, digital asset impairment losses of $830.6 million represented 69.0% of our operating expenses, contributing to our net loss of $535.5 million for 2021, compared to digital asset impairment losses of $70.7 million during 2020, representing 17.5% of our operating expenses and contributing to our net loss of $7.5 million for 2020.
As of February 14, 2022, we held approximately 125,051 bitcoins that were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of $3.777 billion and an average purchase price of approximately $30,200 per bitcoin, inclusive of fees and expenses. As of February 14, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the market price of one bitcoin reported on the Coinbase exchange was $42,202.99.
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Impact of COVID-19 on Our Software Strategy
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted, and may continue to result, in significant economic disruption despite progress made in the development and distribution of vaccines. It has continued to disrupt global travel and supply chains and adversely impacted global commercial activity. Considerable uncertainty still surrounds COVID-19, the evolution of its variants, its potential long-term economic effects, as well as the effectiveness of any responses taken by government authorities and businesses and of various efforts to inoculate the global population. The travel restrictions, limits on hours of operations and/or closures of non-essential businesses, and other efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 have significantly disrupted business activity globally and there is uncertainty as to when these disruptions will fully subside.
Significant uncertainty continues to exist concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers’ and prospects’ business and operations in future periods. Although our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were not materially impacted by COVID-19, we believe our revenues may be negatively impacted in future periods until the effects of the pandemic have fully subsided and the current macroeconomic environment has substantially recovered. The uncertainty related to COVID-19 may also result in increased volatility in the financial projections we use as the basis for estimates and assumptions used in our financial statements.
We have adapted our operations to meet the challenges of this uncertain and rapidly evolving situation, including establishing remote working arrangements for our employees, limiting non-essential business travel, and cancelling or shifting our customer, employee, and industry events to a virtual-only format for the foreseeable future. Our sales and marketing expenses decreased significantly since December 31, 2019, as we adapted to the challenges of selling in the current depressed macroeconomic environment, adopted virtual sales and marketing practices, and streamlined our team to sell in this new environment.
We have received, and may continue to receive, government assistance from various relief packages available in countries where we operate. For example, in the United States, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) was enacted on March 27, 2020 to provide broad-based economic relief to various sectors of the U.S. economy through a variety of means, including payroll and income tax deferrals and employee retention credits. In the Asia Pacific region, government assistance provided to us during 2020 was primarily in the form of employer payroll tax exemptions. We deferred payment of $4.6 million of our employer portion of U.S. social security taxes accrued through December 31, 2020, half of which we paid as of December 31, 2021 and the remainder of which we expect to pay by December 31, 2022. Where taxes payable to government entities have been deferred to a later date, no reduction of expenses has been recorded.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that may negatively impact our business in future periods include, but are not limited to: limitations on the ability of our customers to conduct their business, purchase our products and services, and make timely payments; curtailed consumer spending; deferred purchasing decisions; delayed consulting services implementations; and decreases in product licenses revenues driven by channel partners. We will continue to actively monitor the nature and extent of the impact to our business, operating results, and financial condition.
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Operating Highlights
The following table sets forth certain operating highlights (in thousands) for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 101,804 | $ | 86,743 | ||||
| Subscription services | 43,069 | 33,082 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 144,873 | 119,825 | ||||||
| Product support | 281,209 | 284,434 | ||||||
| Other services | 84,680 | 76,476 | ||||||
| Total revenues | 510,762 | 480,735 | ||||||
| Cost of revenues | ||||||||
| Product licenses | 1,721 | 2,293 | ||||||
| Subscription services | 16,901 | 14,833 | ||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 18,622 | 17,126 | ||||||
| Product support | 19,254 | 23,977 | ||||||
| Other services | 54,033 | 49,952 | ||||||
| Total cost of revenues | 91,909 | 91,055 | ||||||
| Gross profit | 418,853 | 389,680 | ||||||
| Operating expenses | ||||||||
| Sales and marketing | 160,141 | 148,910 | ||||||
| Research and development | 117,117 | 103,561 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 95,501 | 80,136 | ||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | 830,621 | 70,698 | ||||||
| Total operating expenses | 1,203,380 | 403,305 | ||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (784,527 | ) | $ | (13,625 | ) |
We have incurred and may continue to incur significant impairment losses on our digital assets and we may recognize gains upon sale of our digital assets in the future, which would be presented net of any impairment losses within operating expenses. In addition, we base our internal operating expense forecasts on expected revenue trends and strategic objectives in our enterprise analytics software business. Many of our expenses, such as office leases and certain personnel costs, are relatively fixed. Accordingly, any decrease in the price of bitcoin during any quarter, any sales by us of our bitcoin at prices above their then current carrying costs or any shortfall in revenue in our software business may cause significant variation in our operating results. We therefore believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results may not be a good indication of our future performance.
Share-based Compensation Expense
As discussed in Note 11, Share-based Compensation, to the Consolidated Financial Statements, we have outstanding stock options to purchase shares of our class A common stock, restricted stock units, and certain other stock-based awards under our 2013 Equity Plan, as well as opportunities for eligible employees to purchase shares of our class A common stock under our 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2021 ESPP”). Share-based compensation expense (in thousands) from these awards was recognized in the following cost of revenues and operating expense line items in our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Cost of subscription services revenues | $ | 282 | $ | 75 | |||
| Cost of product support revenues | 1,176 | 155 | |||||
| Cost of consulting revenues | 799 | 23 | |||||
| Cost of education revenues | 112 | 202 | |||||
| Sales and marketing | 12,875 | 1,609 | |||||
| Research and development | 10,757 | 2,740 | |||||
| General and administrative | 18,125 | 6,349 | |||||
| Total share-based compensation expense | $ | 44,126 | $ | 11,153 |
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The $33.0 million increase in share-based compensation expense during 2021, as compared to the prior year, is primarily due to the continued expansion of our equity award programs worldwide and an overall increase in the fair value of new awards during 2021, driven primarily by the increase in the market value of our class A common stock. As of December 31, 2021, we estimated that an aggregate of approximately $143.8 million of additional share-based compensation expense associated with the 2013 Equity Plan and the 2021 ESPP will be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 3.1 years.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We are providing supplemental financial measures for (i) non-GAAP loss from operations that excludes the impact of our share-based compensation expense, (ii) non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP diluted loss per share that exclude the impact of our share-based compensation expense, interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs and (in 2020, before the adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06, Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU 2020-06”)) the debt discount on our long-term debt, and related income tax effects, and (iii) certain non-GAAP constant currency revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses that exclude foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. These supplemental financial measures are not measurements of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and, as a result, these supplemental financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures internally to help understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and to help make operating decisions.
We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures are also useful to investors and analysts in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis. The first supplemental financial measure excludes a significant non-cash expense that we believe is not reflective of our general business performance, and for which the accounting requires management judgment and the resulting share-based compensation expense could vary significantly in comparison to other companies. The second set of supplemental financial measures excludes the impact of (i) share-based compensation expense, (ii) non-cash interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs and (in 2020, before the adoption of ASU 2020-06) the debt discount related to our long-term debt, and (iii) related income tax effects. The third set of supplemental financial measures excludes changes resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates so that results may be compared to the same period in the prior year on a non-GAAP constant currency basis. We believe the use of these non-GAAP financial measures can also facilitate comparison of our operating results to those of our competitors.
Non-GAAP financial measures are subject to material limitations as they are not in accordance with, or a substitute for, measurements prepared in accordance with GAAP. For example, we expect that share-based compensation expense, which is excluded from the first two non-GAAP financial measures, will continue to be a significant recurring expense over the coming years and is an important part of the compensation provided to certain employees, officers, and directors. Similarly, we expect that interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs will continue to be a recurring expense over the term of the long-term debt. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation and should be read only in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. We rely primarily on such Consolidated Financial Statements to understand, manage, and evaluate our business performance and use the non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally.
The following is a reconciliation of our non-GAAP loss from operations, which excludes the impact of share-based compensation expense, to its most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP loss from operations: | ||||||||
| Loss from operations | $ | (784,527 | ) | $ | (13,625 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense | 44,126 | 11,153 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP loss from operations | $ | (740,401 | ) | $ | (2,472 | ) |
The following are reconciliations of our non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP diluted loss per share, in each case excluding the impact of (i) share-based compensation expense, (ii) interest expense arising from the amortization of debt issuance costs and (in 2020, before the
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adoption of ASU 2020-06) the debt discount on our long-term debt, and (iii) related income tax effects to their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands, except per share data) for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP net loss: | ||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (535,480 | ) | $ | (7,524 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense | 44,126 | 11,153 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discount | 7,201 | 1,543 | ||||||
| Income tax effects (1) | (47,976 | ) | (5,656 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP net loss | $ | (532,129 | ) | $ | (484 | ) | ||
| Reconciliation of non-GAAP diluted loss per share (2): | ||||||||
| Diluted loss per share | $ | (53.44 | ) | $ | (0.78 | ) | ||
| Share-based compensation expense (per diluted share) | 4.40 | 1.15 | ||||||
| Interest expense arising from amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discount (per diluted share) | 0.72 | 0.16 | ||||||
| Income tax effects (per diluted share) | (4.79 | ) | (0.58 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP diluted loss per share | $ | (53.11 | ) | $ | (0.05 | ) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Income tax effects reflect the net tax effects of share-based compensation expense, which includes tax benefits on exercises of stock options and vesting of share-settled restricted stock units, and interest expense for amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discount. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (2) | For reconciliation purposes, the non-GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations use the same weighted average shares outstanding as that used in the GAAP diluted earnings (loss) per share calculations for the same period. For example, in periods of GAAP net loss, otherwise dilutive potential shares of common stock from our share-based compensation arrangements and Convertible Notes are excluded from the GAAP diluted loss per share calculation as they would be antidilutive, and therefore are also excluded from the non-GAAP diluted earnings or loss per share calculation. |
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The following are reconciliations of certain non-GAAP constant currency revenues, cost of revenues, and operating expenses to their most directly comparable GAAP measures (in thousands) for the periods indicated.
| Years Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2021 | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 101,804 | $ | (858 | ) | $ | 102,662 | $ | 86,743 | 17.4 | % | 18.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 43,069 | 519 | 42,550 | 33,082 | 30.2 | % | 28.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 281,209 | 3,816 | 277,393 | 284,434 | -1.1 | % | -2.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 84,680 | 1,118 | 83,562 | 76,476 | 10.7 | % | 9.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 19,254 | 33 | 19,221 | 23,977 | -19.7 | % | -19.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 54,033 | 341 | 53,692 | 49,952 | 8.2 | % | 7.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 160,141 | 323 | 159,818 | 148,910 | 7.5 | % | 7.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 117,117 | 1,586 | 115,531 | 103,561 | 13.1 | % | 11.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 95,501 | 276 | 95,225 | 80,136 | 19.2 | % | 18.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| GAAP | Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact (1) | Non-GAAP Constant Currency (2) | GAAP | GAAP % Change | Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 2020 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Product licenses revenues | $ | 86,743 | $ | (1,227 | ) | $ | 87,970 | $ | 87,471 | -0.8 | % | 0.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Subscription services revenues | 33,082 | 121 | 32,961 | 29,394 | 12.5 | % | 12.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Product support revenues | 284,434 | (358 | ) | 284,792 | 292,035 | -2.6 | % | -2.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Other services revenues | 76,476 | 304 | 76,172 | 77,427 | -1.2 | % | -1.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of product support revenues | 23,977 | (142 | ) | 24,119 | 28,317 | -15.3 | % | -14.8 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Cost of other services revenues | 49,952 | (347 | ) | 50,299 | 54,365 | -8.1 | % | -7.5 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | 148,910 | (2,184 | ) | 151,094 | 191,235 | -22.1 | % | -21.0 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | 103,561 | 42 | 103,519 | 109,423 | -5.4 | % | -5.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 80,136 | (444 | ) | 80,580 | 86,697 | -7.6 | % | -7.1 | % |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | The “Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact” reflects the estimated impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on international components of our Consolidated Statements of Operations. It shows the increase (decrease) in material international revenues or expenses, as applicable, from the same period in the prior year, based on comparisons to the prior year quarterly average foreign currency exchange rates. The term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency” reflects the current period GAAP amount, less the Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Impact. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (3) | The “Non-GAAP Constant Currency % Change” reflects the percentage change between the current period Non-GAAP Constant Currency amount and the GAAP amount for the same period in the prior year. |
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. See Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of our significant accounting policies. As described in Note 2, the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and equity, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results and outcomes could differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Critical accounting estimates involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and are estimates that have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. We consider certain estimates and judgments related to revenue recognition to be critical accounting estimates for us, as discussed further below.
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Revenue Recognition
See Note 2(n), Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Revenue Recognition, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding our significant accounting policies over revenue recognition.
Many of our contracts with customers include multiple performance obligations, and we make estimates and judgments to allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation based on an observable or estimated standalone selling price (“SSP”). The SSP is the price, or estimated price, of the software or service when sold on a standalone basis at contract inception. We consider our evaluation of SSP to be a critical accounting estimate.
An observable price of a good or service sold separately provides the best evidence of SSP. However, in many situations, SSP will not be readily observable, but must still be estimated using reasonably available information. We have observable standalone selling prices of our product support, consulting services, and education services, and therefore use historical transaction data on a standalone basis, along with our judgment, to establish SSP ranges for each of these services, as described in Note 2(n). However, SSP is not directly observable for product licenses (product licenses are not sold on a standalone basis and pricing is highly variable) and subscription services (the selling price of subscription services is highly variable), and we use a residual approach to establish SSP for these revenue streams. As such, the establishment of SSP of our product support, consulting services, and education services directly impacts the amount of product licenses and subscription services revenues recognized, and therefore also impacts the overall timing of revenue recognition.
We review and analyze the SSP ranges we have established for product support, consulting services, and education services semi-annually, and these SSP ranges have not changed significantly since adopting Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and its subsequent amendments (“ASU 2014-09”) effective January 1, 2018. We also perform analyses on a semi-annual basis using historical pricing data for both product license and subscription services transactions to assess whether the selling price is highly variable in order to support our conclusion that the residual method to estimate SSP of our product licenses and subscription services is a fair allocation of the transaction price. We have maintained our conclusion that the residual method is appropriate for our product licenses and subscription services since adopting ASU 2014-09.
In the future, SSP for our software and services could be impacted by various factors, including potential changes in our pricing practices, customer demand for our products and services, and various market or economic conditions. However, we consider the risk of significant volatility in our established SSP to be small given our historical transaction experience and internal processes to monitor SSP ranges on an ongoing basis and work with management in the event a trend that could impact the future ranges is detected.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Revenues
Except as otherwise indicated herein, the term “domestic” refers to operations in the United States and Canada and the term “international” refers to operations outside of the United States and Canada.
Product licenses and subscription services revenues. The following table sets forth product licenses and subscription services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Licenses and Subscription Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product Licenses | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 54,107 | $ | 51,504 | 5.1 | % | ||||||
| International | 47,697 | 35,239 | 35.4 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses revenues | 101,804 | 86,743 | 17.4 | % | ||||||||
| Subscription Services | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 31,306 | 24,684 | 26.8 | % | ||||||||
| International | 11,763 | 8,398 | 40.1 | % | ||||||||
| Total subscription services revenues | 43,069 | 33,082 | 30.2 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services revenues | $ | 144,873 | $ | 119,825 | 20.9 | % |
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The following table sets forth a summary, grouped by size, of the number of recognized product licenses transactions for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Product Licenses Transactions with Recognized Licenses Revenue in the Applicable Period: | |||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 13 | 10 | |||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 19 | 18 | |||||
| Total | 32 | 28 | |||||
| Domestic: | |||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 10 | 8 | |||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 11 | 10 | |||||
| Total | 21 | 18 | |||||
| International: | |||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 3 | 2 | |||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 8 | 8 | |||||
| Total | 11 | 10 |
The following table sets forth the recognized revenue (in thousands) attributable to product licenses transactions, grouped by size, and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Licenses Revenue Recognized in the Applicable Period: | ||||||||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | $ | 26,838 | $ | 25,599 | 4.8 | % | ||||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 12,809 | 12,096 | 5.9 | % | ||||||||
| Less than $0.5 million in licenses revenue recognized | 62,157 | 49,048 | 26.7 | % | ||||||||
| Total | 101,804 | 86,743 | 17.4 | % | ||||||||
| Domestic: | ||||||||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 18,391 | 20,108 | -8.5 | % | ||||||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 7,364 | 6,568 | 12.1 | % | ||||||||
| Less than $0.5 million in licenses revenue recognized | 28,352 | 24,828 | 14.2 | % | ||||||||
| Total | 54,107 | 51,504 | 5.1 | % | ||||||||
| International: | ||||||||||||
| More than $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 8,447 | 5,491 | 53.8 | % | ||||||||
| Between $0.5 million and $1.0 million in licenses revenue recognized | 5,445 | 5,528 | -1.5 | % | ||||||||
| Less than $0.5 million in licenses revenue recognized | 33,805 | 24,220 | 39.6 | % | ||||||||
| Total | $ | 47,697 | $ | 35,239 | 35.4 | % |
Product licenses revenues increased $15.1 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, product licenses transactions with more than $0.5 million in recognized revenue represented 38.9% and 43.5%, respectively, of our product licenses revenues. During 2021, our top three product licenses transactions totaled $12.6 million in recognized revenue, or 12.4% of total product licenses revenues, compared to $15.3 million, or 17.6% of total product licenses revenues, during 2020.
Domestic product licenses revenues. Domestic product licenses revenues increased $2.6 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in the average deal size of transactions with less than $0.5 million in recognized revenue and an increase in the number of transactions with recognized revenue between $0.5 million and $1.0 million, partially offset by a decrease in the average deal size of transactions with more than $1.0 million in recognized revenue.
International product licenses revenues. International product licenses revenues increased $12.5 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in the number of transactions with less than $0.5 million in recognized revenue and an increase in the number of transactions with more than $1.0 million in recognized revenue, partially offset by $0.9 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact.
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Subscription services revenues. Subscription services revenues are derived from MCE, a cloud subscription service, that are recognized ratably over the service period in the contract. Subscription services revenues increased $10.0 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to conversions to cloud-based subscriptions from existing on-premises customers, an increase in the use of subscription services by existing customers, sales contracts with new customers, and a $0.5 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact. We expect our subscription services revenues to continue to grow in future periods as we continue to promote our cloud offering to new and existing customers.
Product support revenues. The following table sets forth product support revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Product Support Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 161,288 | $ | 167,266 | -3.6 | % | ||||||
| International | 119,921 | 117,168 | 2.3 | % | ||||||||
| Total product support revenues | $ | 281,209 | $ | 284,434 | -1.1 | % |
Product support revenues are derived from providing technical software support and software updates and upgrades to customers. Product support revenues are recognized ratably over the term of the contract, which is generally one year. Product support revenues decreased $3.2 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to certain existing customers converting from perpetual product licenses with separate support contracts to our subscription services or term product licenses offerings, partially offset by a $3.8 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact.
Other services revenues. The following table sets forth other services revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Other Services Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | $ | 36,814 | $ | 33,021 | 11.5 | % | ||||||
| International | 42,918 | 38,324 | 12.0 | % | ||||||||
| Total consulting revenues | 79,732 | 71,345 | 11.8 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 4,948 | 5,131 | -3.6 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services revenues | $ | 84,680 | $ | 76,476 | 10.7 | % |
Consulting revenues. Consulting revenues are derived from helping customers plan and execute the deployment of our software. Consulting revenues increased $8.4 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an increase in billable hours worldwide and a $1.0 million favorable foreign currency exchange impact, partially offset by a decrease in average bill rates and a decrease in billable travel and entertainment expenditures.
Education revenues. Education revenues are derived from the education and training that we provide to our customers to enhance their ability to fully utilize the features and functionality of our software. These offerings include self-tutorials, custom course development, joint training with customers’ internal staff, and standard course offerings, with pricing dependent on the specific offering delivered. Education revenues did not materially change during 2021, as compared to the prior year.
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Costs and Expenses
Cost of revenues. The following table sets forth cost of revenues (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Cost of Revenues: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses and subscription services: | ||||||||||||
| Product licenses | $ | 1,721 | $ | 2,293 | -24.9 | % | ||||||
| Subscription services | 16,901 | 14,833 | 13.9 | % | ||||||||
| Total product licenses and subscription services | 18,622 | 17,126 | 8.7 | % | ||||||||
| Product support | 19,254 | 23,977 | -19.7 | % | ||||||||
| Other services: | ||||||||||||
| Consulting | 48,773 | 42,923 | 13.6 | % | ||||||||
| Education | 5,260 | 7,029 | -25.2 | % | ||||||||
| Total other services | 54,033 | 49,952 | 8.2 | % | ||||||||
| Total cost of revenues | $ | 91,909 | $ | 91,055 | 0.9 | % |
Cost of product licenses revenues. Cost of product licenses revenues consists of referral fees paid to channel partners, the costs of product manuals and media, and royalties paid to third-party software vendors. Cost of product licenses revenues did not materially change during 2021, as compared to the prior year.
Cost of subscription services revenues. Cost of subscription services revenues consists of equipment, facility and other related support costs, and personnel and related overhead costs. Subscription services headcount increased 46.9% to 72 at December 31, 2021 from 49 at December 31, 2020; however, average headcount for the respective periods did not materially change. Cost of subscription services revenues increased $2.1 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $2.8 million increase in cloud hosting infrastructure costs, which is a result of the increased usage by new and existing cloud subscription services customers, partially offset by a $0.6 million decrease in salaries.
Cost of product support revenues. Cost of product support revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs, including those under our Enterprise Support program. Our Enterprise Support program utilizes primarily consulting personnel to provide product support to our customers at our discretion. Compensation related to personnel providing Enterprise Support services is reported as cost of product support revenues. Product support headcount increased 13.0% to 174 at December 31, 2021 from 154 at December 31, 2020. Cost of product support revenues decreased $4.7 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $2.8 million decrease in compensation and related costs due to a decrease in product support average staffing levels and a shift in staffing levels to lower cost regions, a $2.4 million decrease in compensation and related costs attributable to non-product support personnel providing a decreased level of Enterprise Support services, and a $0.6 million decrease in facility and other related support costs, partially offset by a $1.0 million net increase in share-based compensation expense. The $1.0 million net increase in share-based compensation expense is primarily due to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan and an overall increase in the fair value of new awards during 2021.
Cost of consulting revenues. Cost of consulting revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs, excluding those under our Enterprise Support program which are allocated to cost of product support revenues. Consulting headcount increased 5.1% to 413 at December 31, 2021 from 393 at December 31, 2020. Cost of consulting revenues increased $5.9 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $4.1 million increase in subcontractor costs, a $2.1 million increase in compensation and related costs attributable to consulting personnel providing a decreased level of Enterprise Support services, and a $0.8 million net increase in share-based compensation expense, partially offset by a $1.0 million decrease in travel and entertainment expenditures primarily attributable to higher expenses during the first quarter of 2020 which was not materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The $0.8 million net increase in share-based compensation expense is primarily due to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan and an overall increase in the fair value of new awards during 2021.
Cost of education revenues. Cost of education revenues consists of personnel and related overhead costs. Education headcount decreased 2.7% to 36 at December 31, 2021 from 37 at December 31, 2020. Cost of education revenues decreased $1.8 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to a $0.8 million decrease in cloud hosting infrastructure costs associated with education offerings that we made available at no charge for a limited time period during the first half of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a $0.6 million decrease in compensation and related costs due to a decrease in average staffing levels.
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Sales and marketing expenses. Sales and marketing expenses consist of personnel costs, commissions, office facilities, travel, advertising, public relations programs, and promotional events, such as trade shows, seminars, and technical conferences. Sales and marketing headcount decreased 1.9% to 470 at December 31, 2021 from 479 at December 31, 2020. The following table sets forth sales and marketing expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Sales and marketing expenses | $ | 160,141 | $ | 148,910 | 7.5 | % |
Sales and marketing expenses increased $11.2 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an $11.3 million net increase in share-based compensation expense, a $10.3 million increase in variable compensation (of which $2.1 million was due to the cancellation of a sales employee awards event in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic), and a $0.5 million increase in recruiting costs, partially offset by a $5.5 million decrease in employee salaries due to a decrease in average staffing levels, a $2.9 million decrease in travel and entertainment expenditures primarily attributable to higher expenses during the first quarter of 2020 which was not materially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, a $1.4 million decrease in facility and other related support costs, and a $0.5 million decrease in subcontractor costs. The $11.3 million net increase in share-based compensation expense is primarily due to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan and the 2021 ESPP and an overall increase in the fair value of new awards during 2021.
Research and development expenses. Research and development expenses consist of the personnel costs for our software engineering personnel, depreciation of equipment, and other related costs. Research and development headcount increased 8.9% to 699 at December 31, 2021 from 642 at December 31, 2020. The following table summarizes research and development expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Research and development expenses | $ | 117,117 | $ | 103,561 | 13.1 | % |
Research and development expenses increased $13.6 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an $8.0 million net increase in share-based compensation expense, a $3.1 million increase in variable compensation (of which $0.5 million was due to certain COVID-19-related employer payroll tax exemptions in the Asia Pacific region in 2020), a $1.7 million increase in employee salaries primarily due to periodic wage increases partially offset by a decrease in average staffing levels and a shift in staffing levels to lower cost regions, a $1.4 million gain on partial lease termination of our corporate headquarters lease recorded during the fourth quarter of 2020 and allocated to research and development expenses, and a $0.7 million increase in recruiting costs, partially offset by a $0.9 million decrease in facility and other related support costs. The $8.0 million net increase in share-based compensation expense is primarily due to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan and the 2021 ESPP and an overall increase in the fair value of new awards during 2021. Included in research and development expenses for 2021 is an aggregate $1.6 million unfavorable foreign currency exchange impact.
General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses consist of personnel and related overhead costs, and other costs of our executive, finance, human resources, information systems, and administrative departments, as well as third-party consulting, legal, and other professional fees. General and administrative headcount increased 5.8% to 257 at December 31, 2021 from 243 at December 31, 2020. The following table sets forth general and administrative expenses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | $ | 95,501 | $ | 80,136 | 19.2 | % |
General and administrative expenses increased $15.4 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to an $11.8 million net increase in share-based compensation expense, a $3.5 million increase in legal, consulting, and other advisory costs which includes costs from executing our new bitcoin acquisition strategy in 2021, a $3.1 million increase in custodial fees incurred on our bitcoin holdings, a $0.6 million gain on partial lease termination of our corporate headquarters lease recorded during the fourth quarter of 2020 and allocated to general and administrative expenses, and a $0.5 million increase in cloud hosting infrastructure costs, partially offset by a $3.2 million decrease in compensation and related costs due to a decrease in average staffing levels and a $1.2 million decrease in bad debt expense. The $11.8 million net increase in share-based compensation expense is primarily due to the grant of additional awards under the 2013 Equity Plan and an overall increase in the fair value of new awards during 2021, partially offset by certain awards becoming fully vested.
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Digital asset impairment losses. Digital asset impairment losses are recognized when the carrying value of our digital assets exceeds their lowest fair value at any time since their acquisition. Impaired digital assets are written down to fair value at the time of impairment, and such impairment loss cannot be recovered for any subsequent increases in fair value. The following table sets forth digital asset impairment losses (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Digital asset impairment losses | $ | 830,621 | $ | 70,698 | 1,074.9 | % |
We did not sell any of our digital assets during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. We may continue to incur significant digital asset impairment losses in the future. For example, we have incurred at least $163.3 million in digital asset impairment losses during the first quarter of 2022 on bitcoin we held as of December 31, 2021.
Interest (Expense) Income, Net
During 2021, interest expense, net, of $29.1 million was primarily related to the contractual interest expense related to our 2028 Secured Notes and 2025 Convertible Notes, the amortization of issuance costs related to our long-term debt arrangements, and contractual interest expense incurred on trade credits with Coinbase Credit, Inc. Refer to Note 8, Long-term Debt, and Note 4, Digital Assets, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information. During 2020, interest income, net, of $0.7 million was primarily related to interest earned on cash and cash equivalents balances and the amortization of the discount on our short-term investments, partially offset by the amortization of the debt discount, the contractual interest expense, and the amortization of issuance costs related to our 2025 Convertible Notes.
Other Income (Expense), Net
During 2021, other income, net, of $2.3 million was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net gains. During 2020, other expense, net, of $7.0 million was comprised primarily of foreign currency transaction net losses.
Benefit from Income Taxes
During 2021, we recorded a benefit from income taxes of $275.9 million on pre-tax losses of $811.4 million that resulted in an effective tax rate of 34.0%, as compared to a benefit from income taxes of $12.4 million on pre-tax losses of $20.0 million that resulted in an effective tax rate of 62.3% during 2020. The change in our effective tax rate in 2021, as compared to the prior year, was primarily due to certain discrete items, overall loss level, and the change in the proportion of U.S. versus foreign (loss) income.
The Tax Act imposed a mandatory deemed repatriation transition tax (“Transition Tax”) on previously untaxed accumulated and current earnings and profits of certain of our foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2021, $25.1 million of the Transition Tax was unpaid, of which $22.1 million is included in “Other long-term liabilities” and $3.0 million is included in “Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and operating lease liabilities” in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
As of December 31, 2021, we had no U.S. federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and $4.1 million of foreign NOL carryforwards. As of December 31, 2021, digital asset impairment losses, other temporary differences and carryforwards, and credits resulted in deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances and deferred tax liabilities, of $319.7 million.
As of December 31, 2021, we had a valuation allowance of $1.0 million primarily related to certain foreign tax credit carryforward tax assets that, in our present estimation, more likely than not will not be realized. If the market value of bitcoin declines or we are unable to regain profitability in future periods, we may be required to increase the valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets, which could result in a charge that would materially adversely affect net (loss) income in the period in which the charge is incurred. We will continue to regularly assess the realizability of deferred tax assets.
Beginning in the third quarter of 2020, we determined to no longer permanently reinvest our foreign earnings and profits. As of December 31, 2021, we recorded a deferred tax liability of $1.7 million on undistributed foreign earnings of $117.0 million related to foreign withholding tax and U.S. state income taxes.
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Deferred Revenue and Advance Payments
Deferred revenue and advance payments represent amounts received or due from our customers in advance of our transferring our software or services to the customer. In the case of multi-year service contract arrangements, the Company generally does not invoice more than one year in advance of services and does not record deferred revenue for amounts that have not been invoiced. Revenue is subsequently recognized in the period(s) in which control of the software or services is transferred to the customer.
The following table summarizes deferred revenue and advance payments (in thousands), as of:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 993 | $ | 1,495 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 35,589 | 26,258 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 166,477 | 156,216 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 6,801 | 7,281 | |||||
| Total current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 209,860 | $ | 191,250 | |||
| Non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 68 | $ | 139 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 1,064 | 8,758 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 6,203 | 5,055 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 754 | 710 | |||||
| Total non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 8,089 | $ | 14,662 | |||
| Total current and non-current: | |||||||
| Deferred product licenses revenue | $ | 1,061 | $ | 1,634 | |||
| Deferred subscription services revenue | 36,653 | 35,016 | |||||
| Deferred product support revenue | 172,680 | 161,271 | |||||
| Deferred other services revenue | 7,555 | 7,991 | |||||
| Total current and non-current deferred revenue and advance payments | $ | 217,949 | $ | 205,912 |
Total deferred revenue and advance payments increased $12.0 million in 2021, as compared to the prior year, primarily due to the timing of product support, an increase in deferred revenue from new subscription services contracts, and an increase in conversions from on-premises to subscription services, partially offset by the presentation of multi-year contracts. The portions of such multi-year contracts that will be invoiced in the future are not presented on the balance sheet in “Accounts receivable, net” and “Deferred revenue and advance payments” and instead are included in the remaining performance obligation disclosure below. Included in our international deferred revenue balances at December 31, 2021 is a $5.9 million unfavorable foreign currency impact from the general strengthening of the U.S. dollar compared to the same period in the prior year.
Our remaining performance obligation represents all future revenue under contract and includes deferred revenue and advance payments and billable non-cancelable amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods. The remaining performance obligation excludes contracts that are billed in arrears, such as certain time and materials contracts. As of December 31, 2021, we had an aggregate transaction price of $267.6 million allocated to the remaining performance obligation related primarily to subscription services, product support, and product licenses. We expect to recognize approximately $219.2 million of the remaining performance obligation over the next 12 months and the remainder thereafter. However, the timing and ultimate recognition of our deferred revenue and advance payments and other remaining performance obligations depend on our satisfaction of various performance obligations, and the amount of deferred revenue and advance payments and remaining performance obligations at any date should not be considered indicative of revenues for any succeeding period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity. Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents and on-going collection of our accounts receivable. Cash and cash equivalents may include holdings in bank demand deposits, money market instruments, certificates of deposit, and U.S. Treasury securities. Under our Treasury Reserve Policy and bitcoin acquisition strategy, we use a significant portion of our cash, including cash generated from capital raising activities, to acquire bitcoins. As discussed in Note 2(g) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Digital Assets, to our Consolidated Financial Statements, our bitcoin are classified as indefinite-lived intangible assets.
As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the amount of cash and cash equivalents held by our U.S. entities was $13.1 million and $13.7 million, respectively, and by our non-U.S. entities was $50.3 million and $46.0 million, respectively. We earn a significant amount of
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our revenues outside the United States and our accumulated undistributed foreign earnings and profits as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $117.0 million and $136.3 million, respectively. We repatriated foreign earnings and profits of $57.5 million during 2021 and $186.6 million during 2020.
Our material contractual obligations (explained in further detail in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, as referenced below) and cash requirements consist of:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | principal and interest payments related to our long-term debt (Note 8, Long-term Debt); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | rent payments under noncancellable operating leases (Note 7, Leases); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | payments related to the Transition Tax (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies); |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | payments under various purchase agreements, primarily related to third-party software supporting our products, marketing, and operations (Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies); and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | ongoing personnel-related expenditures and vendor payments. |
We believe that existing cash and cash equivalents held by us and cash and cash equivalents anticipated to be generated by us are sufficient to meet working capital requirements, anticipated capital expenditures, and contractual obligations for at least the next 12 months. Beyond the next 12 months, our long-term cash requirements are primarily for obligations related to our long-term debt (principal due upon maturity of each debt instrument ($650 million in the case of the 2025 Convertible Notes, $1.050 billion in the case of the 2027 Convertible Notes and $500 million in the case of the 2028 Secured Notes), $2.4 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2025 Convertible Notes, and $15.3 million in coupon interest due each semi-annual period for the 2028 Secured Notes). We also have long-term cash requirements for obligations related to our operating leases, the Transition Tax, and our various purchase agreements. If cash and cash equivalents generated by future operating activities are not sufficient to enable us to satisfy these obligations, we may seek to generate cash and cash equivalents from other sources. The sources could include the sale of bitcoins, as well as the issuance and sale of shares of our class A common stock (as we have done through the Open Market Sale Agreement). Furthermore, if certain conditions are met, we may have the right to elect to settle the Convertible Notes upon a conversion of such Convertible Notes in shares of our class A common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of class A common stock, which may enable us to reduce the amount of our cash obligations under the Convertible Notes.
As of December 31, 2021, we held approximately 124,391 bitcoins. We do not believe we will need to sell any of our bitcoins within the next twelve months to meet our working capital requirements, although we may from time to time sell bitcoins as part of treasury management operations, as noted above. The bitcoin market historically has been characterized by significant volatility in its price, limited liquidity and trading volumes compared to sovereign currencies markets, relative anonymity, a developing regulatory landscape, susceptibility to market abuse and manipulation, and various other risks inherent in its entirely electronic, virtual form and decentralized network. During times of instability in the bitcoin market, we may not be able to sell our bitcoins at reasonable prices or at all. As a result, our bitcoins are less liquid than our existing cash and cash equivalents and may not be able to serve as a source of liquidity for us to the same extent as cash and cash equivalents. In addition, upon sale of our bitcoin, we may incur additional taxes related to any realized gains or we may incur capital losses as to which the tax deduction may be limited.
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows (in thousands) and related percentage changes for the periods indicated:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | ||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 93,833 | $ | 53,619 | 75.0 | % | ||||||
| Net cash used in investing activities | $ | (2,629,235 | ) | $ | (1,018,693 | ) | 158.1 | % | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | $ | 2,541,685 | $ | 563,233 | 351.3 | % |
Net cash provided by operating activities. The primary source of our cash provided by operating activities is cash collections of our accounts receivable from customers following the sales and renewals of our product licenses and product support, as well as consulting, education, and subscription services. Our primary uses of cash in operating activities are for personnel-related expenditures for software development, personnel-related expenditures for providing consulting, education, and subscription services, and for sales and marketing costs, general and administrative costs, and income taxes. Non-cash items to further reconcile net (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities consist primarily of depreciation and amortization, reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease ROU assets, credit losses and sales allowances, deferred taxes, release of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, share-based compensation expense, digital asset impairment losses, amortization of the issuance costs and debt discount on our long-term debt, and gain on partial lease termination.
Net cash provided by operating activities increased $40.2 million during 2021, as compared to the prior year, due to a $534.3 million increase from changes in non-cash items (principally related to digital asset impairment losses offset by deferred taxes) and a $33.9 million increase from changes in operating assets and liabilities, partially offset by a $528.0 million increase in net loss.
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Net cash used in investing activities. The changes in net cash (used in) provided by investing activities primarily relate to purchases of digital assets, purchases and redemptions of short-term investments, and expenditures on property and equipment. Net cash used in investing activities increased $1.611 billion during 2021, as compared to the prior year, due to a $1.502 billion increase in purchases of bitcoins and a $119.9 million decrease in proceeds from the redemption of short-term investments, partially offset by a $9.9 million decrease in purchases of short-term investments and a $0.9 million decrease in purchases of property and equipment. During 2021, we purchased bitcoin using the net proceeds from the issuance of our 2027 Convertible Notes and 2028 Secured Notes, the issuance and sale of class A common stock under the Open Market Sale Agreement, and excess cash. During 2020, we purchased bitcoin using the net proceeds from the issuance of our 2025 Convertible Notes and excess cash, including cash from the liquidation of short-term investments.
Net cash provided by financing activities. The changes in net cash provided by (used in) financing activities primarily relate to the issuance of our long-term debt, the sale of class A common stock offered under the Open Market Sale Agreement, the purchase of treasury stock, the exercise of stock options under the 2013 Equity Plan, the issuance of class A common stock under the 2021 ESPP, and the payment of withholding tax on vesting of restricted stock units. Net cash provided by financing activities increased $1.978 billion during 2021, as compared to the prior year, due to $1.050 billion in gross proceeds from our 2027 Convertible Notes, $1.000 billion in gross proceeds from the sale of class A common stock offered under the Open Market Sale Agreement, $500.0 million in gross proceeds from our 2028 Secured Notes, a $123.2 million decrease in purchases of treasury stock, and $2.9 million in proceeds from the issuance of class A common stock under the 2021 ESPP, partially offset by $650.0 million in gross proceeds in 2020 from our 2025 Convertible Notes, $12.8 million of issuance costs paid for our 2028 Secured Notes, a $10.4 million decrease in proceeds from the exercise of stock options under the 2013 Equity Plan, a $10.2 million increase in issuance costs paid for our Convertible Notes, $9.5 million of issuance costs paid related to the Open Market Sale Agreement, and $4.7 million of withholding tax paid on vesting of restricted stock units.
Convertible Senior Notes and 2028 Senior Secured Notes
In December 2020, we issued $650.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Convertible Notes and in February 2021, we issued $1.050 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Convertible Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible Notes to acquire bitcoin. The terms of the Convertible Notes are discussed more fully in Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. During 2021, we paid $4.9 million in interest to holders of the 2025 Convertible Notes. The 2027 Convertible Notes do not bear regular interest and we have not paid any special interest to holders of the 2027 Convertible Notes to date.
In June 2021, we issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2028 Secured Notes. We used the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2028 Secured Notes to acquire bitcoin. The terms of the 2028 Secured Notes are discussed more fully in Note 8, Long-term Debt, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. During 2021, we paid $15.4 million in interest to holders of the 2028 Secured Notes.
Open Market Sale Agreement
On June 14, 2021, we entered into the Open Market Sale Agreement with Jefferies, pursuant to which we issued and sold shares of our class A common stock having an aggregate offering price of approximately $1.0 billion from time to time through Jefferies. The terms of the Open Market Sale Agreement are discussed more fully in Note 13, Open Market Sale Agreement, to the Consolidated Financial Statements. During 2021, we sold 1,413,767 shares of our class A common stock under the Open Market Sale Agreement, at an average gross price per share of approximately $707.33, for aggregate net proceeds (less $9.5 million in sales commissions and expenses) of approximately $990.5 million. As of December 31, 2021, the cumulative aggregate offering price of the shares of class A common stock sold under the Open Market Sale Agreement was approximately $1.0 billion, inclusive of sales commissions, constituting the maximum program amount under the Open Market Sale Agreement.
Share repurchases. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we did not repurchase any shares of our class A common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we repurchased an aggregate of 444,769 shares of our class A common stock at an average price per share of $139.12 and an aggregate cost of $61.9 million pursuant to the Share Repurchase Program. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we also repurchased an aggregate of 432,313 shares of our class A common stock through a modified Dutch Auction tender offer at a price of $140.00 per share for an aggregate cost of $61.3 million, inclusive of $0.8 million in certain fees and expenses related to such tender offer. See “Part II. Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” of this Annual Report and Note 14, Treasury Stock, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
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Unrecognized tax benefits. As of December 31, 2021, we had $6.2 million of total gross unrecognized tax benefits, including accrued interest, of which $2.1 million was recorded in “Other long-term liabilities” and $4.1 million was recorded in “Deferred tax assets, net.” The timing of any payments that could result from these unrecognized tax benefits will depend on a number of factors, and accordingly the amount and period of any future payments cannot be estimated. We do not expect any significant tax payments related to these obligations during 2022.
Recent Accounting Standards
See Note 3, Recent Accounting Standards, to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.