Exhibit 2.2
Description of Rights of Securities
Registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
The ordinary shares of BitVentures Limited (“BitVentures,” “we,” “our,” “our company,” or “us”) are listed and traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market and registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). This exhibit contains a description of the rights of the holders of ordinary shares.
Description of Ordinary Shares
The following is a summary of material provisions of our currently effective third amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (the “Memorandum and Articles of Association” or “our memorandum and articles of association”), as well as the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands (the “Companies Act”) insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares. Notwithstanding this, because it is a summary, it may not contain all the information that you may otherwise deem important. For more complete information, you should read the entire Memorandum and Articles of Association, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as Exhibit 3.1 to our current report on Form 6-K (File No. 001-40238) furnished to the SEC on January 7, 2026, and became effective on December 29, 2025.
Type and Class of Securities (Item 9.A.5 of Form 20-F)
Each ordinary share has US$0.0020 par value. The number of ordinary shares that are issued and outstanding as of the last day of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026 is provided on the cover of the annual report on Form 20-F filed on October 16, 2026 (the “Form 20-F”). Our ordinary shares may be held in either certificated or uncertificated form.
Preemptive Rights (Item 9.A.3 of Form 20-F)
The shareholders of BitVentures do not have preemptive rights.
Limitations or Qualifications (Item 9.A.6 of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
Rights of Other Types of Securities (Item 9.A.7 of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
Rights of Ordinary Shares (Item 10.B.3 of Form 20-F)
General
Our ordinary shares are issued in registered form and are issued when registered in our register of members. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.
Dividends
The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, dividends may be declared and paid out of funds legally available therefor, namely out of either profit or our share premium account, and provided further that a dividend may not be paid out of our share premium account if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business immediately following the date on which the dividend is proposed to be paid.
Voting Rights
At any shareholders’ meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll. Subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, each shareholder present in person or by proxy or, if a corporate shareholder, by its duly authorized representative, has one vote for each share held on a poll.
A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of shareholders present and holding not less than one third in nominal value of the total issued voting shares in our company entitled to vote upon the business to be transacted. Shareholders may be present in person or by proxy or, if the shareholder is a legal entity, by its duly authorized representative. Shareholders’ meetings may be convened by our board of directors on its own initiative or upon shareholders’ requisition. A shareholders’ requisition is a requisition of shareholders holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than two-thirds in par value of the issued shares which as at that date carry the right to vote at general meetings of the Company. Advance notice of at least five clear days is required for the convening of our shareholders’ general meeting.
An ordinary resolution to be passed at a meeting by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast at a meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast at a meeting. Both ordinary resolutions and special resolutions may also be passed by a unanimous written resolution signed by all the shareholders of our company, as permitted by the Companies Act and our memorandum and articles of association. A special resolution will be required for important matters such as a change of name or making amendments to our memorandum of association or articles of association. Holders of the ordinary shares may, among other things, subdivide or consolidate their shares by ordinary resolution.
Transfer of Ordinary Shares
Subject to the restrictions set out below, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form, in a form prescribed by the Nasdaq Capital Market, or any other form approved by our board of directors.
Our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, refuse to register a transfer of any ordinary share which is not a fully paid up share to a person of whom it does not approve, or any share under any share incentive scheme for employees upon which a restriction on transfer imposed thereby still subsists or any share that is not fully paid up on which we have a lien. Our board of directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless:
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the instrument of transfer is lodged at our registered office or such other place at which our register of members is kept, accompanied by any relevant share certificate(s) and/or such other evidence as our board of directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer; |
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the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of shares, and the shares are fully paid and free of any lien; |
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the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if applicable; |
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in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the ordinary share is to be transferred does not exceed four; and |
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a fee of such maximum sum as the Nasdaq Capital Market may determine to be payable or such lesser sum as our directors may from time to time require is paid to us in respect thereof. |
If our directors refuse to register a transfer they shall, within one month after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to the transferee notice of such refusal.
The registration of transfers may, after compliance with any notice requirement of the Nasdaq Capital Market, be suspended and the register closed at such times and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine, provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended nor the register closed for more than 30 days in any year.
Liquidation
Pursuant to our articles of association, if our Company is wound up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of a Special Resolution and any other sanction required by the Companies Act, divide among the Members in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and may, for that purpose, value any assets and determine how the division shall be carried out as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of the assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the shareholders as he with the like sanction determines, but no shareholder shall be compelled to accept any assets upon which there is a liability.
If our Company shall be wound up and the assets available for distribution amongst the shareholders as such shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the paid up capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the shareholders in proportion to the capital paid up, or which ought to have been paid up, at the commencement of the winding up, on the shares held by them respectively. And if in a winding up the assets available for distribution amongst the shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the capital paid up at the commencement of the winding up, the excess shall be distributed pari passu amongst the shareholders in proportion to the capital paid up at the commencement of the winding up on the shares held by them respectively.
Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares
Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 clear days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture.
Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Ordinary Shares
We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders thereof, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined, before the issue of such shares, by our board of directors. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares in such manner and on such terms as our board of directors may determine and agree with the relevant shareholder. Under the Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company’s profits or out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purposes of the redemption or repurchase, out of our share premium account, or out of capital, provided that immediately following a payment out of capital our company can pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up or (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no issued shares other than treasury shares. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration. Such a surrender may not leave our company with no issued shares other than treasury shares.
Issuance of Additional Shares
Our memorandum and articles of association authorize our board of directors to issue additional ordinary shares from time to time as our board of directors shall determine, to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares, without the need for any further approval or authorization from our shareholders.
Our memorandum and articles of association also authorize our board of directors, without the need for any further approval or authorization from our shareholders, to establish from time to time one or more series of preferred shares and to determine, with respect to any series of preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:
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the designation of the series; |
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the number of shares of the series; |
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the dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights; and |
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the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences. |
Our board of directors may issue preferred shares without the need for any further approval or authorization from, or other action by, our shareholders to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of ordinary shares.
Inspection of Books and Records
Holders of our ordinary shares will have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records (other than our memorandum and articles of association and special resolutions, and our register of mortgages and charges). However, we will provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Some provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that:
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authorize our board of directors to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders; and |
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limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders. |
However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our memorandum and articles of association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.
General Meetings of Shareholders and Shareholder Proposals
Our shareholders’ general meetings may be held in such place within or outside the Cayman Islands as our board of directors considers appropriate.
As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Act to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that we may (but are not obliged to) in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting.
Shareholders’ annual general meetings and any other general meetings of our shareholders may be convened by a majority of our board of directors. Our board of directors shall give not less than five clear days’ written notice of a shareholders’ meeting to those persons whose names appear as members in our register of members on the date the notice is given (or on any other date determined by our directors to be the record date for such meeting) and who are entitled to vote at the meeting.
Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our memorandum and articles of association allow our shareholders holding not less than two-thirds in par value of the issued shares of our company that carry the right to vote at general meetings to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our directors are obliged to call such meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting; however, our memorandum and articles of association do not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders. Shareholders requisitioning such a meeting may propose only ordinary resolutions and may not propose resolutions concerning the election, appointment or removal of directors or the size of our board of directors.
Requirements to Change the Rights of Holders of Ordinary Shares (Item 10.B.4 of Form 20-F)
Variations of Rights of Shares
The rights attached to any class or series of shares (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or series) may be varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two thirds of the issued shares of that class or series or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class or series. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with such existing class of shares.
Limitations on the Rights to Own Ordinary Shares (Item 10.B.6 of Form 20-F)
There are no limitations under the laws of the Cayman Islands or under the Memorandum and Articles of Association that limit the right of non-resident or foreign owners to hold or vote ordinary shares.
Provisions Affecting Any Change of Control (Item 10.B.7 of Form 20-F)
Anti-Takeover Provisions in the Memorandum and Articles of Association
Some provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that:
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authorize our board of directors to issue ordinary shares or preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders; and |
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limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders. |
However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our memorandum and articles of association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.
Ownership Threshold (Item 10.B.8 of Form 20-F)
There are no provisions under the laws of the Cayman Islands which are applicable to the Company, or under the Memorandum and Articles of Association, that require our company to disclose shareholder ownership above any particular ownership threshold.
Differences Between the Law of Different Jurisdictions (Item 10.B.9 of Form 20-F)
The Companies Act of the Cayman Islands is modeled after that of the English companies legislation but does not follow recent English law statutory enactments, and accordingly there are significant differences between the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands and the current Companies Act of England. In addition, the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands differs from laws applicable to Delaware corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the significant differences between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to Delaware corporations and their shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements
The Companies Act permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (a) “merger” means the merging of two or more constituent companies and the vesting of their undertakings, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company and (b) a “consolidation” means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a consolidated company and the vesting of the undertakings, property and liabilities of such companies to the consolidated company. In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (a) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company, and (b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. The written plan of merger or consolidation must be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands together with a declaration as to the solvency of the consolidated or surviving company, a declaration as to the assets and liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and creditors of each constituent company and that notification of the merger or consolidation will be published in the Cayman Islands Gazette.
A merger between a Cayman parent company and its Cayman subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require authorization by a resolution of shareholders of that Cayman subsidiary if a copy of the plan of merger is given to every member of that Cayman subsidiary to be merged unless that member agrees otherwise. For this purpose a company is a “parent” of a subsidiary if it holds issued shares that together represent at least ninety percent (90%) of the votes at a general meeting of the subsidiary.
The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest over a constituent company is required unless this requirement is waived by a court in the Cayman Islands.
Dissenting shareholders have the right to be paid the fair value of their shares (which, if not agreed between the parties, will be determined by the Cayman Islands court) if they follow the required procedures, subject to certain exceptions. The exercise of dissenter rights shall exclude the enforcement by the shareholder of any right to which that person might otherwise be entitled by virtue of that person holding shares save for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful. Court approval is not required for a merger or consolidation which is effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.
In addition, there are statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies by way of schemes of arrangement, provided that the arrangement is approved by (a) a majority in number of each class of creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made, and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value of each such class of creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose; or (b) shareholders representing three-fourths in value of each class of shareholders that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings, convened for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:
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the statutory provisions as to the due majority vote have been met; |
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the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question and the statutory majority are acting bona fide without coercion of the minority to promote interests adverse to those of the class; |
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the arrangement is such that may be reasonably approved by an intelligent and honest man of that class acting in respect of his interest; and |
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the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Act. |
The Companies Act also contains a statutory power of compulsory acquisition which may facilitate the “squeeze out” of dissentient minority shareholders upon a takeover offer. When a takeover offer is made and accepted by holders of 90% of the shares affected (within four months), the offeror may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such shares on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.
If the arrangement and reconstruction by way of scheme of arrangement is thus approved, in accordance with the foregoing statutory procedures, the dissenting shareholder would have no rights comparable to appraisal rights, save that objectors to a takeover offer may apply to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands for various orders that the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands has a broad discretion to make, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of United States corporations, providing rights to receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Shareholders’ Suits
In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff and as a general rule a derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive authority in the Cayman Islands, there are exceptions to the foregoing principle, including when:
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a company acts or proposes to act illegally or ultra vires and is therefore incapable of ratification by the shareholder; |
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the act complained of, although not ultra vires, could only be effected duly if authorized by more than a simple majority vote that has not been obtained; and |
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those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.” |
Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability
The ability of Cayman Islands companies to provide in their articles of association for indemnification of officers and directors is not limited, except that any indemnity would not be effective if it were held by the Cayman Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, which would include any attempt to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. The Memorandum and Articles of Association provide that our directors and officers shall be indemnified against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such director or officer, other than by reason of such person’s own dishonesty, wilful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such director or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings concerning our company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers that will provide such persons with additional indemnification beyond that provided in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Directors’ Fiduciary Duties
Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components, the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director must act in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. A director must not use his or her corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interests of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, the director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.
As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company, and therefore it is considered that he or she owes the following duties to the company including a duty to act bona fide in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a personal profit out of his or her position as director (unless the company permits him or her to do so), a duty not to put himself or herself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his or her personal interests or his or her duty to a third party and a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care.
Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association, our directors who are in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or proposed contract with our company must declare the nature of their interest at a meeting of the board of directors. A director must disclose any material interest pursuant to the Articles of Association, and such director may not vote at any meeting of Directors or of a committee of Directors on any resolution concerning a matter in which he has, directly or indirectly, an interest or duty. The director shall be counted in the quorum present at a meeting when any such resolution is under consideration and such resolution may be passed by a majority of the disinterested Directors present at the meeting even if such disinterested directors together constitute less than a quorum.
Shareholder Proposals
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided that it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.
The Companies Act provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. The Memorandum and Articles of Association allow any one or more of our shareholders who together hold not less than two-thirds in par value of the issued shares of our company that carry the right to vote at general meetings to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our board of directors is obliged to convene an extraordinary general meeting and to put the proposals so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. Other than this right to requisition a shareholders’ meeting, the Memorandum and Articles of Association do not provide our shareholders with any other right to put proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders. As an exempted Cayman Islands company, we are not obliged by law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Shareholders requisitioning such a meeting may propose only ordinary resolutions and may not propose resolutions concerning the election, appointment or removal of directors or the size of our board of directors.
Cumulative Voting
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled for a single director, which increases the shareholder’s voting power with respect to electing such director. There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under the laws of the Cayman Islands but the Memorandum and Articles of Association do not provide for cumulative voting.
Removal of Directors
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation may be removed with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association, directors may be removed with or without cause, by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders. In addition, a director’s office shall be vacated if the director (i) dies, or is, in the opinion of all his co-directors, incapable by reason of mental disorder of discharging his duties as director, or becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; (ii) becomes prohibited by law from being a director; (iii) resigns his office by notice in writing to the company; (iv) is removed from office pursuant to any other provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association; or (v) has for more than six months been absent without permission of the directors from meetings of Directors held during that period and the directors resolve that his office be vacated.
Transactions with Interested Shareholders
The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to Delaware public corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of incorporation, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date on which such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is one which owns or owned 15% or more of the target’s outstanding voting shares within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquiror to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquiror of a Delaware public corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.
Cayman Islands law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders, it does provide that such transactions entered into must be bona fide in the best interests of the company, for a proper corporate purpose and not with the effect of perpetrating a fraud on the minority shareholders.
Dissolution; Winding Up
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. The Delaware General Corporation Law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board of directors. Under the Companies Act, our company may be wound up by a special resolution, or by an ordinary resolution on the basis that our company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so.
Variation of Rights of Shares
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association and as permitted by the Companies Act, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, the rights attaching to any class or series of shares (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class or series) may be varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than two-thirds of the issued shares of that class or series or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class or series.
Amendment of Governing Documents
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s governing documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under the Companies Act, the Memorandum and Articles of Association may only be amended by a special resolution passed by our shareholders.
Anti-takeover Provisions
Some provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that authorize our board of directors to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders and limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders.
However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under the Memorandum and Articles of Association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.
Rights of Non-Resident or Foreign Shareholders
There are no limitations imposed by Cayman Islands law or by the Memorandum and Articles of Association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our ordinary shares.
Disclosure of Ownership Threshold
There are no provisions in the Memorandum and Articles of Association that require our company to disclose shareholder ownership above any particular ownership threshold.
Directors’ Power to Issue Shares
Under the Memorandum and Articles of Association, our board of directors is empowered to issue or allot shares or grant options and warrants with or without preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions.
Exempted Company
The Companies Act in the Cayman Islands distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. An exempted company shall not carry on a trade or business in the Cayman Islands with any person, except in furtherance of the business of the exempted company carried on outside of the Cayman Islands, unless that exempted company holds a licence to carry on business in the Cayman Islands under any applicable law. The requirements for an exempted company are similar to an ordinary company except for the exemptions and privileges listed below:
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an exempted company does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies; |
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an exempted company’s register of members is not required to be open to inspection; |
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an exempted company does not have to hold an annual general meeting; |
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an exempted company may issue no par value shares; |
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an exempted company may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance); |
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an exempted company may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands; |
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an exempted company may register as a limited duration company; and |
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an exempted company may register as a segregated portfolio company. |
“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on that shareholder’s shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).
Changes in Capital (Item 10.B.10 of Form 20-F)
Our shareholders may from time to time by ordinary resolutions increase our share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such amounts, as the resolution shall prescribe, and may:
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consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of a larger amount than our existing shares; |
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convert all or any of our paid up shares into stock and reconvert that stock into paid up shares of any denomination; |
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subdivide our existing shares, or any of them into shares of a smaller amount provided that in the subdivision the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced share shall be the same as it was in case of the share from which the reduced share is derived; and |
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cancel any shares that, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of our share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled. |
Subject to the Companies Act, our shareholders may by special resolution reduce our share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorized by law.
Debt Securities (Item 12.A of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
Warrants and Rights (Item 12.B of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
Other Securities (Item 12.C of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.