Note 10 – Options and warrants

Options

All stock options have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. The fair value of each option award is estimated using a Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model. The Company has not paid any cash dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Consequently, the Company uses an expected dividend yield of zero in the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model. Volatility is an estimate based on the calculated historical volatility of similar entities in industry, in size and in financial leverage, whose share prices are publicly available. The expected life of awards granted represents the period of time that they are expected to be outstanding. The Company has no historical experience with which to establish a basis for determining an expected life of these awards. Therefore, the Company only gave consideration to the contractual terms and did not consider the vesting schedules, exercise patterns and pre-vesting and post-vesting forfeitures significant to the expected life of the option award. The Company bases the risk-free interest rate used in the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury issues with an equivalent remaining term equal to the expected life of the award.

On May 3, 2023, the Company issued Andrew Berman, a Director of the Company, an option to purchase 350,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The option is exercisable at a price of $0.21 per share and expires on September 30, 2027. Options to purchase 50% of the shares can be exercised immediately. Options to purchase 25% of the shares can be exercised after June 30, 2023. Options to purchase 25% of the shares can be exercised after March 30, 2024. The Company also issued Mr. Berman an option to purchase an additional 400,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The option is exercisable at a price of $.21 per share. The option to purchase these 400,000 shares will not be exercisable unless and until the Company (i) sells all or substantially all of its assets or (ii) the Company mergers with another entity and the Company is not the surviving entity in the merger. Notwithstanding the above, the option will not be issued if condition (i) or (ii) are not met by September 29, 2027. However, if the option is issued, the option will expire on September 30, 2027.

The following is a summary of the Company’s stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2023:

Summary of Stock Option Activity 

The following tables summarize information about stock options outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2023:

Schedule of Stock Options Outstanding and Exercisable Exercise Price Range 

Total stock-based compensation expense in connection with options and modified awards recognized in the consolidated statement of operations for years ended December 31, 2023 was $50,180 and $327,596, respectively.