Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust (BCH) - Quarter Report: 2021 December (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended December 31, 2021

or

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 000-56308

Grayscale® Bitcoin Cash Trust (BCH)

SPONSORED BY GRAYSCALE INVESTMENTS, LLC

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

c/o Grayscale Investments, LLC

290 Harbor Drive, 4th Floor

Stamford, Connecticut 06902

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(212) 668-1427

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust (BCH) Shares

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

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

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

Number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 3, 2022: 34,812,900

Grayscale® BITCOIN CASH Trust (BCH)

Table of Contents

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Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” with respect to the financial conditions, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of Grayscale Bitcoin Cash Trust (BCH) (the “Trust”). Statements preceded by, followed by or that include words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify some of the forward-looking statements. All statements (other than statements of historical fact) included in this Quarterly Report that address activities, events or developments that will or may occur in the future, including such matters as changes in market prices and conditions, the Trust’s operations, the plans of Grayscale Investments, LLC (the “Sponsor”) and references to the Trust’s future success and other similar matters are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially from such statements. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate in the circumstances. Whether or not actual results and developments will conform to the Sponsor’s expectations and predictions, however, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors. Forward-looking statements are made based on the Sponsor’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty or undertakes an obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, other than as required by applicable laws. Investors are therefore cautioned against relying on forward-looking statements.

Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” in this Quarterly Report refer to the Sponsor acting on behalf of the Trust.

A glossary of industry and other defined terms is included in this Quarterly Report, begins on page 25.

This Quarterly Report supplements and where applicable amends the Memorandum, as defined in the Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust and Trust Agreement, for general purposes.

Industry and Market Data

Although we are responsible for all disclosure contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in some cases we have relied on certain market and industry data obtained from third-party sources that we believe to be reliable. Market estimates are calculated by using independent industry publications in conjunction with our assumptions regarding the Bitcoin Cash industry and market. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding any market, industry or similar data presented herein, such data involves risks and uncertainties and is subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the headings Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in Exhibit 99.1 to Amendment No. 4 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on the Form 10 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 4, 2022 (the “Information Statement”).

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PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)

GRAYSCALE BITCOIN CASH TRUST (BCH)

STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except Share and per Share amounts)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.

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GRAYSCALE BITCOIN CASH TRUST (BCH)

SCHEDULES OF INVESTMENT (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except quantity of Bitcoin Cash and percentages)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.

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GRAYSCALE BITCOIN CASH TRUST (BCH)

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.

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GRAYSCALE BITCOIN CASH TRUST (BCH)

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS (UNAUDITED)

(Amounts in thousands, except change in Shares outstanding)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited financial statements.

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GRAYSCALE BITCOIN CASH TRUST (BCH)

NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

On July 20, 2020, the Trust received notice that its Shares were qualified for public trading on the OTCQX U.S. Marketplace of the OTC Markets Group Inc. (“OTCQX”). The Trust’s trading symbol on OTCQX is “BCHG” and the CUSIP number for its Shares is 38963P109.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our unaudited financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The following discussion may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those set forth under Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Quarterly Report or under “Risk Factors” or other sections of the Information Statement.

Trust Overview

The Trust is a passive entity that is managed and administered by the Sponsor and does not have any officers, directors or employees. The Trust holds BCH and, from time to time on a periodic basis, issues Creation Baskets in exchange for deposits of BCH. As a passive investment vehicle, the Trust’s investment objective is for the value of the Shares (based on BCH per Share) to reflect the value of BCH held by the Trust, determined by reference to the index price (the "Index Price"), of a BCH in U.S. dollars calculated by applying a weighting algorithm to the price and trading volume data for the immediately preceding 24-hour period as of 4:00 p.m. New York time derived from the selected digital asset exchanges that are reflected in the Index on such trade date, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities. To date, the Trust has not met its investment objective and the Shares quoted on OTCQX have not reflected the value of BCH held by the Trust, less the Trust’s expenses and other liabilities, but instead have traded at both premiums and discounts to such value, with variations that have at times been substantial. The Trust is not managed like a business corporation or an active investment vehicle.

Prior to February 1, 2022 and for the periods covered by this report, the Trust valued its BCH for operational purposes by reference to the volume-weighted average index price (the “Old Index Price”) of a BCH in U.S. dollars calculated by applying a weighting algorithm to the price and trading volume data for the immediately preceding 24-hour period as of 4:00 p.m., New York time derived from the selected digital asset exchanges that are reflected in the Index on such trade date. The Old Index Price was calculated using the same methodology as the Index Price with an additional averaging mechanism overlaid to the price produced resulting in the Old Index Price reflecting an average price for the 24-hour period. Effective February 1, 2022, the Trust ceased using the Old Index Price and began valuing its BCH for operational purposes by reference to the Index Price. There was no change to the Index used to determine the Index Price or the criteria used to select the digital asset exchanges included in the Index.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Investment Transactions and Revenue Recognition

The Trust considers investment transactions to be the receipt of BCH for Share creations and the delivery of BCH for Share redemptions or for payment of expenses in BCH. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. The Trust records its investment transactions on a trade date basis and changes in fair value are reflected as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method. Realized gains and losses are recognized in connection with transactions including settling obligations for the Sponsor’s Fee in BCH.

Principal Market and Fair Value Determination

To determine which market is the Trust’s principal market (or in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market) for purposes of calculating the Trust’s NAV, the Trust follows Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820-10, which outlines the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received for BCH in a current sale, which assumes an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 requires the Trust to assume that BCH is sold in its principal market to market participants or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market. Market participants are defined as buyers and sellers in the principal or most advantageous market that are independent, knowledgeable, and willing and able to transact.

The Trust only receives BCH from the Authorized Participant and does not itself transact on any Digital Asset Markets. Therefore, the Trust looks to the Authorized Participant when assessing entity-specific and market-based volume and level of activity for Digital Asset Markets. The Authorized Participant transacts in a Brokered Market, a Dealer Market, Principal-to-Principal Markets and Exchange Markets, each as defined in the FASB ASC Master Glossary. The Authorized Participant, as a related party of the Sponsor, provides information about the Digital Asset Markets on which it transacts to the Trust. In determining which of the eligible Digital Asset Markets is the Trust’s principal market, the Trust reviews these criteria in the following order:

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The Trust determines its principal market (or in the absence of a principal market the most advantageous market) annually and conducts a quarterly analysis to determine (i) if there have been recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s trading volume and level of activity in the trailing twelve months, (ii) if any Digital Asset Markets have developed that the Trust has access to, or (iii) if recent changes to each Digital Asset Market’s price stability have occurred that would materially impact the selection of the principal market and necessitate a change in the Trust’s determination of its principal market.

The cost basis of the investment in BCH recorded by the Trust for financial reporting purposes is the fair value of BCH at the time of transfer. The cost basis recorded by the Trust may differ from proceeds collected by the Authorized Participant from the sale of the corresponding Shares to investors.

Investment Company Considerations

The Trust is an investment company for GAAP purposes and follows accounting and reporting guidance in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 946, Financial Services – Investment Companies. The Trust uses fair value as its method of accounting for BCH in accordance with its classification as an investment company for accounting purposes. The Trust is not a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and these differences could be material.

Review of Financial Results (unaudited)

Financial Highlights for the Three and Six Months Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

(All amounts in the following table and the subsequent paragraphs, except Share and per Share, BCH and price of BCH amounts, are in thousands)

Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in BCH for the three months ended December 31, 2021 was ($24,184) which includes a realized gain of $363 on the transfer of BCH to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in BCH of ($24,547). Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in BCH for the period was driven by BCH price depreciation from $497.46 per BCH as of September 30, 2021 to $420.63 per BCH as of December 31, 2021. Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations was ($25,293) for the three months ended December 31, 2021, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized loss on investment in BCH, plus the Sponsor’s Fee of $1,109. Net assets decreased to $133,035 at December 31, 2021, a 16% decrease for the period. The decrease in net assets resulted from the aforementioned BCH price depreciation and the withdrawal of approximately 1,999 BCH to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in BCH for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was $24,002 which includes a realized loss of ($355) on the transfer of BCH to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in BCH of $24,357. Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in BCH for the period was driven by BCH price appreciation from

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$225.60 per BCH as of September 30, 2020 to $341.98 per BCH as of December 31, 2020. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $23,672 for the three months ended December 31, 2020, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized gain on investment in BCH, less the Sponsor’s Fee of $330. Net assets increased to $81,859 at December 31, 2020, a 115% increase for the period. The increase in net assets resulted from the aforementioned BCH price appreciation and the contribution of approximately 71,792 BCH with a value of $20,112 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period, partially offset by the withdrawal of approximately 1,198 BCH to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.

Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in BCH for the six months ended December 31, 2021 was ($31,320) which includes a realized gain of $758 on the transfer of BCH to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized depreciation on investment in BCH of ($32,078). Net realized and unrealized loss on investment in BCH for the period was driven by BCH price depreciation from $520.99 per BCH as of June 30, 2021 to $420.63 per BCH as of December 31, 2021. Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations was ($33,555) for the six months ended December 31, 2021, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized loss on investment in BCH, plus the Sponsor’s Fee of $2,235. Net assets decreased to $133,035 at December 31, 2021, a 14% decrease for the period. The decrease in net assets resulted from the aforementioned BCH price depreciation and the withdrawal of approximately 3,971 BCH to pay the foregoing Sponsor's Fee, partially offset by the contribution of approximately 21,840 BCH with a value of $11,124 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period.

Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in BCH for the six months ended December 31, 2020 was $17,134 which includes a realized loss of ($440) on the transfer of BCH to pay the Sponsor’s Fee and net change in unrealized appreciation on investment in BCH of $17,574. Net realized and unrealized gain on investment in BCH for the period was driven by BCH price appreciation from $221.14 per BCH as of June 30, 2020 to $341.98 per BCH as of December 31, 2020. Net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $16,654 for the six months ended December 31, 2020, which consisted of the net realized and unrealized gain on investment in BCH, less the Sponsor’s Fee of $480. Net assets increased to $81,859 at December 31, 2020, a 1,340% increase for the period. The increase in net assets resulted from the aforementioned BCH price appreciation and the contribution of approximately 215,455 BCH with a value of $59,520 to the Trust in connection with Share creations during the period, partially offset by the withdrawal of approximately 1,795 BCH to pay the foregoing Sponsor’s Fee.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Trust is not a party to any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Cash Resources and Liquidity

The Trust has not had a cash balance at any time since inception. When selling BCH, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency in the Digital Asset Market to pay Additional Trust Expenses, the Sponsor endeavors to sell the exact number of BCH, Incidental Rights and/or IR Virtual Currency needed to pay expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than BCH. As a consequence, the Sponsor expects that the Trust will not record any cash flow from its operations and that its cash balance will be zero at the end of each reporting period.

In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the periods covered by this Quarterly Report was the Sponsor’s Fee. The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, conditions or events that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs.

Selected Operating Data

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For accounting purposes, the Trust reflects creations and the BCH receivable with respect to such creations on the date of receipt of a notification of a creation but does not issue Shares until the requisite number of BCH is received. At this time, the Trust is not accepting redemption requests from shareholders. Subject to receipt of regulatory approval from the SEC and approval by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Trust may in the future operate a redemption program. The Trust currently has no intention of seeking regulatory approval to operate an ongoing redemption program.

As of December 31, 2021, the Trust had a net closing balance with a value of $136,064,507, based on the Old Index Price (non-GAAP methodology). As of December 31, 2021, the Trust had a total market value of $133,034,596, based on the principal market (Coinbase Pro).

As of December 31, 2020, the Trust had a net closing balance with a total value of $83,565,419, based on the Old Index Price (non-GAAP methodology). As of December 31, 2020, the Trust had a total market value of $81,858,732, based on the principal market (Coinbase Pro).

Historical Digital Asset Holdings and BCH Prices

As movements in the price of BCH will directly affect the price of the Shares, investors should understand recent movements in the price of BCH. Investors, however, should also be aware that past movements in the BCH price are not indicators of future movements. Movements may be influenced by various factors, including, but not limited to, government regulation, security breaches experienced by service providers, as well as political and economic uncertainties around the world.

For the period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, the average difference in price between the Old Index Price and the Index Price and the average difference in Digital Asset Holdings of the Trust as calculated using the Old Index Price and the Index Price was 0.15%.

The following chart illustrates the movement in the Index Price, the Old Index Price, the Trust's Digital Asset Holdings per Share based on the Old Index Price and the Index Price and the Trust’s net asset value per share as calculated in accordance with GAAP from March 1, 2018 (date of the first Creation Basket of the Trust) to December 31, 2021.

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The following table illustrates the movements in the Old Index Price from the beginning of the Trust’s operations on March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. Since the beginning of the Trust’s operations, the Old Index Price has ranged from $83.82 to $1,646.79, with the straight average being $447.55. The Sponsor has not observed a material difference between the Old Index Price and average prices from the constituent Digital Asset Exchanges individually or as a group.

The following table illustrates the movements in the Index Price from the beginning of the Trust’s operations on March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. Since the beginning of the Trust’s operations, the Index Price has ranged from $76.92 to $1,714.45, with the straight average being $447.66. The Sponsor has not observed a material difference between the Index Price and average prices from the constituent Digital Asset Exchanges individually or as a group.

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The following table illustrates the movements in the Digital Asset Market price of BCH, as reported on the Trust’s principal market, from the beginning of the Trust’s operations on March 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. Since the beginning of the Trust’s operations, the price of BCH has ranged from $76.78 to $1,719.00, with the straight average being $448.24.

The following chart sets out the historical closing prices for the Shares as reported by OTCQX and the Trust’s Digital Asset Holdings per Share based on the Index Price and the Old Index Price.

BCHG Premium/(Discount): BCHG Share Price vs. Digital Asset Holdings per Share ($)

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The following chart sets out the historical premium and discount for the Shares as reported by OTCQX and the Trust’s Digital Asset Holdings per Share based on the Index Price and the Old Index Price.

BCHG Premium/(Discount): BCHG Share Price vs. Digital Asset Holdings per Share (%)

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The Trust Agreement does not authorize the Trustee to borrow for payment of the Trust’s ordinary expenses. The Trust does not engage in transactions in foreign currencies which could expose the Trust or holders of Shares to any foreign currency related market risk. The Trust does not invest in derivative financial instruments and has no foreign operations or long-term debt instruments.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor, and to the audit committee of the Board of Directors of the Sponsor, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Under the supervision and with the participation of the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trusts disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Principal Executive Officer and the Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of the Sponsor concluded that the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There was no change in the Trust’s internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the Trust’s most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, these internal controls.

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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION:

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

None.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

There have been no material changes to the Risk Factors last reported under “Risk Factors” of the registrant’s Information Statement.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5. Other Information

None.

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Item 6. Exhibits