Eightco Holdings Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024

Our company was established in 2021, initially composed of three businesses - the Web3 business, the BTC Mining Hardware Business and the Corrugated Packaging Business, which we acquired from our former parent company, Vinco Ventures, Inc. (the “Former Parent”). These businesses had a more extended operating history than ours, and we include information related to their operations before our existence and acquisition in our discussions.

On October 1, 2022, the Company completed the acquisition of Forever 8 Fund, LLC (“Forever 8”), an inventory capital and management platform for e-commerce sellers. The Company’s business has since been focused primarily on the Corrugated Packaging Business and the Inventory Cash Flow Solutions business of Forever 8.

Our corporate headquarters are located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “OCTO.”

Forever 8

On October 1, 2022, the Company completed the acquisition of Forever 8. Forever 8 provides funding solutions for e-commerce businesses which sell on Amazon, Shopify and other leading online platforms. Forever 8 uses proprietary technology to review product sales data and determine funding potential for online retail entrepreneurs around the world. Forever 8’s process is automated and does not require a personal guarantee, credit check or traditional lending requirements. Forever 8’s unique approach directly purchases inventory on its customers’ behalf, applies a mark-up and collects the revenue as the products are sold. The Company assumes the role of supplier and acts as a principal in these transactions, and therefore recognizes revenue on a gross basis. At the time of entering into an agreement with the customer, Forever 8 takes title and assumes control of the inventory when it is purchased from its customers or directly from suppliers. This includes the responsibility for managing the inventory. Forever 8 has full discretion over the pricing of the inventory sold to its customers, established at the time of signing the agreement. Forever 8 also retains the right to liquidate inventory, exercising pricing discretion, particularly if certain sales thresholds are not met, which could result in selling below cost. Forever 8 is not entitled to incremental fees from vendor customers for unsold inventory but its pricing model includes variable pricing based on aged inventory. The primary source of revenue is from the sale of inventory to its customers at a markup. Under the terms of the agreement, Forever 8 does not have an option to put or sell unsold inventory back to vendor customers.

In the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, Forever 8 had revenue of $39,621,272 and $67,568,353, respectively.

Corrugated Packaging Business

The Corrugated Packaging Business, through Ferguson Containers, manufactures and sells custom packaging for a wide variety of products. In our experience, packaging has the capability to “tell” the products story, generating increased product awareness, promote brand image, and drive unit growth. Senior management has more than 100 years of combined experience marketing, producing and delivering packaging materials. A hallmark of our operation is our quick production cycle. We can often begin a production run within minutes of receipt of an order. Many of our products are manufactured from 100% post-consumer recycled material. When production is complete, we typically ship the product using our own trucks rather than relying on a common carrier. Ferguson Containers does not have long-term agreements with its customers, and instead manufactures and sells its packaging products subject to purchase orders from its customers.

On November 22, 2024, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “APA”) among Ferguson Containers, Ferguson Containers, LLC (the “Buyer”) and Edward Reichard and Derick Reichard (the “Buyer’s Owners” and together with the Buyer, the “Buying Parties”). Pursuant to the APA, we agreed to sell certain assets (the “Purchased Assets”) constituting the business of Ferguson Containers to the Buyer. The purchase price for the Purchased Assets will be (i) an aggregate of $557,835 in cash, (ii) $2,500,000 issued in the form of a seller note and (iii) the right to receive certain earnout consideration upon the achievement of certain milestones.

In December 2024, our shareholders approved the transactions contemplated by the APA and we are in the process of seeking to consummate such transactions.

In the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Corrugated Packaging Business had revenue of $6,823,277 and $7,729,131, respectively.

Business Strategy

Eightco is committed to driving revenue growth primarily through Forever 8. The Company intends to expand Forever 8’s market reach through strategic expansion while continuing to focus on revenue growth. Forever 8 generates revenue through the purchase and sale of products.

The Company plans to continually assess its businesses to allocate resources efficiently and maximize growth opportunities. With a diverse range of industries and revenue sources, management believes they are well-positioned to navigate changing economic conditions and customer preferences.

Eightco plans to expand through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. While strategic acquisitions may be considered, management believes that organic growth is the key to success through continued sales efforts.

The Company is dedicated to maintaining a close partnership with customers, which will enable them to effectively focus their efforts and respond to changing demands. Management believes that by listening to customers and adapting to their needs and preferences, they can remain relevant in constantly evolving industries.

Competition

We operate and plan to operate in a competitive market and encounter competition from both domestic and foreign participants. We believe we can effectively compete with our present competitors. We compete, and plan to compete, primarily based upon innovation, performance, price, quality, reliability, durability, consumer brand awareness, and customer service and support. Our competitors include a large number of private companies that directly compete with a number of our brands. Certain of our competitors may have more established brand names and stronger distribution channels than we do and have, or have through their owners, access to financial and marketing resources that are greater than we possess that may afford them the ability to invest more than we can in product development, intellectual property and marketing.

Forever 8’s competitors include Clearco and Payoneer. Competitors to our Corrugated Packaging Business include Sutherland Packaging, Acme Corrugated Box Company and Trenton Corrugated Products, Inc.

Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights

We recognize the importance of innovation and protecting our intellectual property. We will apply for patents whenever we develop innovative new products, unique designs, or processes of commercial importance and seek trademark protection when we believe they provide a marketing advantage. We do not believe that our business is materially dependent on any single patent or trademark.

We rely on a combination of trade secrets, trademarks, trade dress, customer records, monitoring, brand protection services, confidentiality agreements, and other contractual provisions to protect our intellectual property.

We intend to vigorously pursue and challenge infringements of our patents, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, and copyrights, as we believe the goodwill associated with them is a cornerstone of our branding strategy.

Information Systems

Our information systems use software enterprise resource platforms, including procurement, inventory management, receivables management, and accounting. We utilize QuickBooks Enterprise and Xero Accounting as our ERP systems.

Seasonality

Our business is not seasonal and there are not large fluctuations with our operations between quarterly revenues based on the time of year.

Government Regulations

Corrugated Packaging and Inventory Solutions Businesses

Like other manufacturers and distributors of consumer products, we are required to comply with a wide variety of federal, state, and international laws, rules, and regulations, including those related to consumer products and consumer protection, advertising and marketing, labor and employment, data protection and privacy, intellectual property, workplace health and safety, the environment, the import and export of products, and tax matters. Our failure to comply with applicable federal, state, and international laws, rules, and regulations may result in our being subject to claims, lawsuits, fines, and adverse publicity that could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. These laws, rules, and regulations currently impose significant compliance requirements on our business, and more restrictive laws rules and regulations may be adopted in the future.

For additional information about government regulation applicable to our business, see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Human Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2025, the companies that comprise Eightco had 23 employees that perform various administrative, finance and accounting, technology, and corporate management functions. Of the 23 employees, 14 employees were employed by Ferguson Containers and 9 were employed by Forever 8. None of our employees are represented by a union in collective bargaining with us. We consider relations with our employees to be good.

We are committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive space for all our employees, customers and retail partners. The core values of our Company include integrity, caring and inclusivity that affirms every individual. Our leadership team is committed to fostering an environment where everyone is welcomed, respected, listened to and valued for their unique contributions to the organization, and to providing a work environment that is free from all forms of harassment, discrimination and inequality. We recruit, employ, train, promote and compensate our employees without regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran’s status or disability. All facilities have established human resource departments with formal hiring processes and controls in place to ensure ethical and fair hiring practices. We compensate employees competitively relative to the industry and local labor market, and in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local wage, work hour, overtime and benefit laws.

Supply Chain and Production

Our Corrugated Packaging Business does not have long-term contractual arrangements with any of our suppliers that guarantee us production capacity, prices, lead times, or delivery schedules. Our reliance on independent party suppliers exposes us to vulnerability because of our dependence on a few sources of supply. We believe, however, that other sources of supply are available. In addition, we continually strive to develop relationships with other sources of supply in order to reduce our dependence on any one source of supply. As a result, we believe that our current and other available suppliers will ensure that we obtain a sufficient supply of goods built to our specifications in a timely manner and on satisfactory economic terms. The main raw material used by our Corrugated Packaging Business is corrugated cardboard. Our main suppliers of corrugated cardboard are Corrugated Supplies Company, Georgia Pacific, and Freedom Corrugated. We also purchased certain finished products from Delta Packaging for resale to end users.

Our Inventory Solutions Business purchases finished products from its suppliers and does not have long-term contractual arrangements that guarantee production capacity, prices, lead times, or delivery schedules. Our reliance on independent party suppliers exposes us to vulnerability because of our dependence on a few sources of supply. We believe, however, that other sources of supply are available. In addition, we continually strive to develop relationships with other sources of supply in order to reduce our dependence on any one source of supply. As a result, we believe that our current and other available suppliers will ensure that we obtain a sufficient supply of goods built to our specifications in a timely manner and on satisfactory economic terms.

Backlog

We currently do not have a material backlog of orders through our Corrugated Packaging Business. A backlog consists of orders for which purchase orders have been received and which are generally scheduled for shipment within six months or subject to capacity constraints, including lack of available products. We allow orders received that have not yet shipped to be cancelled; therefore, our backlog may not be indicative of future sales.

Segment Information

The Company uses “the management approach” in determining reportable operating segments. The management approach considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker for making operating decisions and assessing performance as the source for determining the Company’s reportable segments. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company, who reviews operating results to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance for the entire Company. The Company’s primary revenue streams include the sale of products under our inventory management solutions platform and corrugated packaging materials and therefore the Company has identified two reportable operating segments.

Corporate Information

Eightco Holdings Inc. was incorporated in the State of Nevada on September 21, 2021, and is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “OCTO.” On March 9, 2022, we changed our state of domicile to the State of Delaware. On April 3, 2023, we changed our corporate name from Cryptyde, Inc. to Eightco Holdings Inc. Our principal executive office is located at 101 Larry Holmes Dr., Suite 313, Easton, PA 18042, and our telephone number is (866) 980-2818. Our website is www.8co.holdings (http://www.8co.holdings),

Available Information

Our website, www.8co.holdings (http://www.8co.holdings), provides access, without charge, to our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The information provided on our website is not part of this Annual Report and is therefore not incorporated by reference unless such information is otherwise specifically referenced elsewhere in this Annual Report. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding our company that we file electronically with the SEC.

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves certain risks. Before deciding to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the following discussion of risks and uncertainties affecting us and our securities, together with other information in this Annual Report. Our business, business prospects, financial condition or results of operations could be seriously harmed as a result of these risks. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial, also may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Please also read carefully the section below entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Summary Risk Factors.”

Summary of our Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Business Generally

• We are a recently formed entity with little track record and limited historical financial information available;
• The Company has limited financial resources. Our auditors have expressed in the report of independent registered public accounting firm that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern;
• Loss of any or all of our key management personnel may present challenges;
• We could be adversely affected by declines in discretionary consumer spending, consumer confidence and general and regional economic conditions;
• We operate in highly competitive industries and our revenues, profits or market share could be harmed if we are unable to compete effectively;
• We may not be able to fund capital expenditures and investment in projects and offerings;
• A deterioration in the domestic and international economic environment, whether by way of current inflationary conditions or potential recessionary conditions, could adversely affect our operating results, cash flow and financial condition;
• Geopolitical risks, such as those associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, could result in a decline in the outlook for the U.S. and global economies;
• Cyber security risks and the failure to maintain the integrity of internal, partner, and consumer data could result in damages to our reputation, the disruption of operations and/or subject us to costs, fines or lawsuits;
• Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all possible losses that we could suffer and our insurance costs may increase;
• Our management has limited experience in operating a public company;
• The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract management; and
• Our business plan may require additional liquidity and capital resources that might not be available on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.

Risks Related to Our Corrugated Packaging Business

• We are subject to the costs and availability of raw materials, and we rely on a limited number of third-party suppliers of raw materials; and
• We may be affected by interruptions in the transportation of the materials we require to produce packaging.

Risks Related to Forever 8 and its Operations

• Our business depends on our strong and trusted brand, and failure to maintain and protect our brand, or any damage to our reputation, or the reputation of our partners, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations;
• We are dependent upon consumers continued and unimpeded access to the internet, and upon their willingness to use the internet for commerce; and
• Our results of operations may be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

Risks Related to Our Securities

• We do not expect to issue dividends;
• An active trading market for our securities may never develop, and the price of our securities may be volatile;
• We may issue shares of preferred or common stock in the future, which could dilute your percentage ownership of the Company; and
• In the event that we fail to satisfy any of the listing requirements of Nasdaq, our common stock may be delisted, which could affect our market price and liquidity.

10

Risks Related to Our Business Generally

We are a recently formed entity with little track record and limited historical financial information available.

Eightco Holdings Inc. was formed on September 21, 2021, in the State of Nevada and converted to a Delaware corporation on March 9, 2022. Our Corrugated Packaging Business was formed in 1966. However the rest of our businesses were recently started. Because we are in the early stages of executing our business strategy, we cannot provide assurance that, or when, we will be profitable. We will need to make significant investments to develop and operate the Company and expect to incur significant expenses in connection with operating components, including costs for developing technology, talent fees, marketing, and salaries. We expect to incur significant capital, operational and marketing expenses for a few years in connection with our strategy and growth plan. Any failure to achieve or sustain profitability may have a material adverse impact on the value of the shares of our common stock.

The Company has limited financial resources. Our auditors have expressed in the report of independent registered public accounting firm that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

The report of our independent registered accounting firm expresses substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern based on the absence of our significant losses from operations and our need for additional financing to fund all of our operations. It is not possible at this time for us to predict with assurance the potential success of our business. The revenue and income potential of our proposed business and operations are unknown. If we cannot continue as a viable entity, we may be unable to continue our operations and you may lose some or all of your investment in our common stock.

Loss of any or all of our key management personnel may present challenges.

We aim to recruit the most qualified candidates and strive for a diverse and well-balanced workforce. While we expect to reward and support employees through competitive pay, benefits, and perquisite programs that allow employees to thrive, due to our size we may not be able to provide compensation equal to our more established competitors and may not be able to attract qualified management personnel. If we are unable to retain the key management personnel at our Company, the underlying business could suffer.

We could be adversely affected by declines in discretionary consumer spending, consumer confidence and general and regional economic conditions.

Our success depends to a significant extent on discretionary consumer spending, which is heavily influenced by general economic conditions and the availability of discretionary income. We believe the markets that all of the Eightco businesses depend on are heavily reliant on discretionary consumer spending. The current economic environment, coupled with high volatility and uncertainty as to the future global economic landscape, may have an adverse effect on consumers’ discretionary income and consumer confidence. Future volatile, negative, or uncertain economic conditions and recessionary periods or periods of significant inflation may adversely impact consumer spending on our products and services, which would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Such effects can be especially pronounced during periods of economic contraction or slow economic growth.

We operate in highly competitive industries and our revenues, profits or market share could be harmed if we are unable to compete effectively.

Each of the Eightco businesses will face competition from existing competitors. Our competitors in the Inventory Management Solutions business include Clearco and Payoneer. With respect to the Corrugated Packaging Business, our competitors include Sutherland Packaging, Acme Corrugated Box Company, and Trenton Corrugated Products, Inc.

Competition in each of these areas may increase as a result of technological developments, changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, changes in market structure, and other factors. Increased competition may divert consumers from our products, which could reduce our revenue or increase our marketing costs. Our competitors may have substantially greater financial resources than we do, and they may be able to adapt more quickly to changes in consumer preferences or devote greater resources to promotion of their offerings and services or to development or acquisition of offerings and services that are perceived to be of a higher quality or value than our offerings and services. As a result, we may not be able to compete successfully against such competitors.

We may not be able to fund capital expenditures and investment in projects and offerings.

A principal competitive factor for a large portion of the Eightco businesses is the originality and perceived quality of our products and offerings. We will need to make continued capital investments to adapt to constantly changing consumer preferences. Our ability to fund capital expenditures will depend on our ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations and to raise capital from third parties. We cannot assure you that our operations will be able to generate sufficient cash flow to fund such costs, or that we will be able to obtain sufficient financing on adequate terms, or at all, which could cause us to delay or abandon certain projects or plans.

A deterioration in the domestic and international economic environment, whether by way of current inflationary conditions or potential recessionary conditions, could adversely affect our operating results, cash flow and financial condition.

Current inflationary conditions in the United States and other parts of the world have increased some of our costs, including our cost of materials and labor. While we thus far have been largely successful in mitigating the impact of current inflationary conditions, we may need to increase our own prices on goods and services sufficiently to offset cost increases, we may not be able to maintain acceptable operating margins and achieve profitability. Additionally, competitors operating in regions with less inflationary pressure may be able to compete more effectively, which could further impact our ability to increases prices and/or result in lost sales.

Recessionary economic conditions could lower discretionary spending of our consumers, which could result in a loss of sales. Recessionary economic conditions may cause difficulty in collecting accounts receivable and reduce the availability of credit and spending power for our customers, both of which may negatively impact our business.

Geopolitical risks, such as those associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, could result in a decline in the outlook for the U.S. and global economies.

The uncertain nature, magnitude, and duration of hostilities stemming from Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, including the potential effects of sanctions and retaliatory cyber-attacks on the world economy and markets, have contributed to increased market volatility and uncertainty, and such geopolitical risks could have an adverse impact on macroeconomic factors which affect our businesses, as well as our access to capital.

Cyber security risks and the failure to maintain the integrity of internal, partner, and consumer data could result in damages to our reputation, the disruption of operations and/or subject us to costs, fines or lawsuits.

We have and will continue to collect and retain large volumes of internal, partner and consumer data, including credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information, for business purposes, including for transactional or target marketing and promotional purposes, and our various information technology systems enter, process, summarize and report such data. We also maintain personally identifiable information about our employees. The integrity and protection of our customer, employee, and company data is critical to our business and our customers and employees are likely to have a high expectation that we will adequately protect their personal information. The regulatory environment, as well as the requirements imposed on us by the credit card industry, governing information, security and privacy laws is increasingly demanding and continues to evolve. Maintaining compliance with applicable security and privacy regulations may increase our operating costs and/or adversely impact our ability to market our products and services.

We also rely on accounting, financial and operational management information technology systems to conduct our operations. If these information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption or shutdown and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

We may face various security threats, including cyber security attacks on our data (including our vendors’ and customers’ data) and/or information technology infrastructure. Although we utilize various procedures and controls to monitor and mitigate these threats, there can be no assurance that these procedures and controls will be sufficient to prevent penetrations or disruptions to our systems. Furthermore, a penetrated or compromised data system or the intentional, inadvertent or negligent release or disclosure of data could result in theft, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer, employee, or company data which could harm our reputation or result in remedial and other costs, fines or lawsuits and require significant management attention and resources to be spent. In addition, our insurance coverage and indemnification arrangements that we enter into, if any, may not be adequate to cover all the costs related to cyber security attacks or disruptions resulting from such events.

Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all possible losses that we could suffer and our insurance costs may increase.

We seek to maintain comprehensive insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates. There can be no assurance that our insurance will be sufficient to cover the full extent of all losses or liabilities for which we are insured, and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to obtain insurance policies on favorable terms, or at all.

Our management has limited experience in operating a public company.

Our executive officers have limited experience in the management of a publicly traded company. Our management team may not successfully or effectively manage its transition to a public company that will be subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under federal securities laws. Their limited experience in dealing with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies could be a significant disadvantage in that it is likely that an increasing amount of their time may be devoted to these activities, which will result in less time being devoted to the management and growth of our business. We may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training in the accounting policies, practices or internal controls over financial reporting required of public companies in the U.S. The development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for us to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company in the U.S. may require costs greater than expected. It is possible that we will be required to expand our employee base and hire additional employees to support our operations as a public company, which will increase our operating costs in future periods.

The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources and distract management.

We incur significant costs associated with our public company reporting requirements and costs associated with applicable corporate governance requirements. These applicable rules and regulations are expected to significantly increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time consuming and costly than those for privately owned companies that are not registrants with the SEC. Compliance with these rules and regulations may divert management’s attention from other business concerns.

Our business plan may require additional liquidity and capital resources that might not be available on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.

We currently obtain a portion of the capital required for the development and operations of the Company from various forms of public and private financing. We may require additional capital and/or cash flow from future operations to fund the Company, our debt service obligations and our ongoing business. There is no assurance that we will be able to raise sufficient additional capital or generate sufficient future cash flow from our future operations to fund our ongoing business. If the amount of capital we are able to raise, together with any income from future operations, is not sufficient to satisfy our liquidity and capital needs, including funding our current debt obligations, we may be required to abandon or alter our plans for the Company. The Company may also have to raise additional capital through the equity market, which could result in substantial dilution to existing stockholders.

Our ability to obtain necessary financing may be impaired by factors such as the health of and access to capital markets, our limited track record and the limited historical financial information available, or the substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Any additional capital raised through the sale of additional shares of our capital stock, convertible debt or other equity may dilute the ownership percentage of our stockholders.

Risks Related to Our Corrugated Packaging Business

An increase in the cost or a reduction in the availability of wood fiber, other raw materials, energy and transportation may have an adverse effect on our profitability and results of operations.

Wood fiber, including old corrugated containers (“OCC”), is the principal raw material in many parts of the paper and packaging industry, including the corrugated cardboard on which our Corrugated Packaging Business relies. Wood fiber is a commodity, and prices historically have been cyclical and have varied on a regional basis. Environmental litigation and regulatory developments have caused, and may cause in the future, significant reductions in the amount of timber available for commercial harvest in the United States. In addition, future domestic or foreign legislation and litigation concerning the use of timberlands, the protection of endangered species, the promotion of forest health and the response to and prevention of catastrophic wildfires could also affect timber supplies. Availability of harvested timber may further be limited by fire, insect infestation, disease, ice storms, windstorms, flooding and other causes, thereby reducing supply and increasing prices. Demand for OCC, especially from China, could result in shortages or spikes in the cost of OCC.

Industry supply of commodity paper and wood products is also subject to fluctuation, as changing industry conditions can influence producers to idle or permanently close individual machines or entire mills. Oversupply in these markets can also result from producers introducing new capacity in response to favorable short-term pricing trends. Industry supply of commodity papers and wood products is also influenced by overseas production capacity, which has grown in recent years and is expected to continue to grow. Wood fiber pricing is subject to regional market influences, and the cost of wood fiber may increase in particular regions due to market shifts in those regions. In addition, the ability to obtain wood fiber from foreign countries may be impacted by economic, legal and political conditions in those countries as well as transportation difficulties.

Energy is a significant input cost for the paper and packaging industry. Increases in energy prices can be expected to adversely impact businesses.

Because we rely on a supply of corrugated sheets of cardboard to produce packaging, these uncertainties in the supply and cost of raw materials used to produce paper products could affect the availability of the corrugated sheets of cardboard we rely on. Increases in costs may need to be passed on to our customers, and ultimately may negatively affect our business.

Disruptions in transportation could adversely affect our supply of raw materials and could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, profitability, and liquidity.

Since we receive our supply of raw material from suppliers that use third-party shippers that rely on truck, rail, and other forms of transportation, the reduced availability of those modes of transportation could limit our ability to promptly produce products for our customers, which could have an adverse effect on our operations, financial condition, and liquidity. In addition, the increased cost of transportation of raw material from our suppliers may reduce our profitability if we are not able to recover those costs through price increases for our products.

Paper and packaging companies face strong competition.

We face competition from numerous competitors, domestic as well as foreign. Some of our competitors are larger, more vertically integrated companies that have greater financial and other resources, greater manufacturing economies of scale, greater energy self-sufficiency, and/or lower operating costs.

Certain paper and wood products are vulnerable to long-term declines in demand due to competing technologies or materials.

Companies in the paper and packaging industry are subject to possible declines in demand for their products as the use of alternative materials and technologies grows and the prices of such alternatives become more competitive. Any substantial shift in demand from wood and paper products to competing technologies or materials could result in a material decrease in sales of our products and could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows, and financial position. We cannot ensure that any efforts we might undertake to adapt our product offerings to such changes would be successful or sufficient.

Because we service customers in a variety of industries, we may be particularly impacted by general economic downturns.

Our Corrugated Packaging Business provides packaging for third-party customers in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical and e-commerce companies. Certain of our Corrugated Packaging Business customers provide goods that are discretionary items for consumers. Therefore, their business, and in turn our Corrugated Packaging Business, depends on the strength of the retail, commercial, and industrial sectors of the economy in various parts of the world, and trends therein. During a downturn in the economy, consumer purchases of discretionary items are affected, which could materially lower our customers’ demand for our packaging products, and negatively affect our profitability and financial condition.

We incur significant expenses to maintain our manufacturing equipment and any interruption in the operations of our facilities may harm our operating performance.

We regularly incur significant expenses to maintain our manufacturing equipment and facilities. The machines and equipment that we use to produce our products are complex, interdependent, and have many parts. We must perform routine maintenance on our equipment and will have to periodically replace a variety of parts.

Disruptions to our Corrugated Packaging Business could occur due to any number of circumstances, including prolonged power outages, mechanical or process failures, shortages of raw materials, natural catastrophes, disruptions in the availability of transportation, labor disputes, terrorism, changes in or non-compliance with environmental or safety laws, and the lack of availability of services from any of our facilities’ key suppliers. Any facility shutdowns may be followed by prolonged startup periods, regardless of the reason for the shutdown. Any prolonged disruption in operations at any of our facilities could cause significant lost production, which would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We rely on a limited number of third-party suppliers for certain raw materials required for the production of our products.

Our dependence on a limited number of third-party suppliers, and the challenges we may face in obtaining adequate supplies of raw materials, involve several risks, including limited control over pricing, availability, quality and delivery schedules. We cannot be certain that our current suppliers will continue to provide us with the quantities of these raw materials that we require or will continue to satisfy our anticipated specifications and quality requirements. Any supply interruption in limited raw materials could materially harm our ability to manufacture our products until a new source of supply, if any, could be identified and qualified. Although we believe there are other suppliers of these raw materials, we may be unable to find a sufficient alternative supply channel in a reasonable time or on commercially reasonable terms. Any performance failure on the part of our suppliers could interrupt production of our products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may not achieve the desired benefits of selling Ferguson Containers.

We have entered into the APA to sell Ferguson Containers. If we consummate the sale of Ferguson Containers pursuant to the APA, we may not achieve the expected benefits of such sale and may incur additional expenses related thereto. This may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations. It could also cause the market price of our securities to decline.

Risks Related to Forever 8 and its Operations

Our business depends on our strong and trusted brand, and failure to maintain and protect our brand, or any damage to our reputation, or the reputation of our partners, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We have developed a strong and trusted brand that has contributed significantly to the success of our business. We believe that maintaining and promoting our brand in a cost-effective manner is critical to achieving widespread acceptance of our products and services and expanding our base of customers.

Maintaining and promoting our brand will depend largely on our ability to continue to provide useful, reliable, secure, and innovative products and services, as well as our ability to maintain trust and remain a global payments leader. We may introduce, or make changes to, features, products, services, privacy practices, or terms of service that customers do not like, which may materially and adversely affect our brand. Our brand promotion activities may not generate customer awareness or increase revenue, and even if they do, any increase in revenue may not offset the expenses we incur in building our brand. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business could be materially and adversely affected.

We rely on relationships with marketplaces and enterprises to obtain and maintain customers. Our ability to acquire new customers could be materially harmed if we are unable to enter into or maintain these relationships on terms that are commercially reasonable to us, or at all.

Harm to our brand can arise from many sources, including failure by us or our partners and service providers to satisfy expectations of service and quality, inadequate protection or misuse of personally identifiable information (“PII”), compliance failures and claims, litigation and other claims, and misconduct by our partners or other counterparties.

We are dependent upon consumers’ continued and unimpeded access to the internet, and upon their willingness to use the internet for commerce.

Our success depends upon the general public’s ability to access the internet and its continued willingness to use the internet as a means to pay for purchases, communicate, research and conduct commercial transactions, including through mobile devices. The adoption of any laws or regulations that adversely affect the growth, popularity or use of the internet, including changes to laws or regulations impacting internet neutrality, could decrease the demand for our products, increase our operating costs, or otherwise adversely affect our business. Given uncertainty around these rules, we could experience discriminatory or anticompetitive practices that could impede both our and our merchants’ growth, increase our costs or adversely affect our business. If consumers or merchants become unable, unwilling or less willing to use the internet for commerce for any reason, including lack of access to high-speed communications equipment, congestion of traffic on the internet, internet outages or delays, disruptions or other damage to merchants’ and consumers’ computers, increases in the cost of accessing the internet and security and privacy risks or the perception of such risks, our business could be adversely affected.

If we do not successfully maintain a strong and trusted brand, our business could be materially and adversely affected.

Our results of operations may be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

We are subject to risks related to changes in currency rates as a result of our investments in international operations and from revenues generated in currencies other than the United States dollar. Our results of operations may be affected by such international operations as a result of changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

From time to time, we may utilize foreign currency forward contracts and other hedging instruments to mitigate the market value risks associated with foreign currency-denominated transactions and investments. These hedging strategies may not, however, eliminate all of the risks related to foreign currency translation, and we may forgo the benefits we would otherwise experience if currency exchange rates were to change in our favor.

In addition, our ability to optimize foreign exchange revenues as part of the payment delivery process may be adversely affected due to foreign exchange market and regulatory conditions outside of our control, as a result of which revenue and profit may decrease as compared to prior periods. In addition, we may become subject to exchange control regulations that restrict or prohibit the conversion of our foreign revenue currencies into United States dollars. Any of these factors could decrease the value of revenues and earnings we derive from our international operations and have a material adverse effect on our business.

Risks Related to Our Securities and other General Risks

We currently do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock. Consequently, our stockholders’ ability to achieve a return on their investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.

We do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock. Any future dividend payments are within the absolute discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, working capital requirements, capital expenditure requirements, financial condition, level of indebtedness, contractual restrictions with respect to payment of dividends, business opportunities, anticipated cash needs, provisions of applicable law and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.

As a result of being a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting in order to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). We may not complete our analysis of our internal control over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.

As a result of being a public company we are subject to SEC reporting and other regulatory requirements. We will incur expenses and diversion of our management’s time in its efforts to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding internal controls over financial reporting. Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or the subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm when required, may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retrospective changes to our consolidated financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. If we are unable to assert that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which would cause the price of our common stock to decline, and we may be subject to investigation or sanctions by the SEC.

Ferguson Containers has material weaknesses in its controls over financial reporting, which could negatively impact investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, and cause the price of our common stock to decline.

For Ferguson Containers’ fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, Ferguson Containers had the following material weakness in internal controls over financial reporting:

• Primarily due to the small size of Ferguson Containers, it does not maintain sufficient segregation of duties to ensure the processing, review and authorization of all transactions including non-routine transactions.
• Ferguson Containers’ processes lacked timely and complete reviews and analysis of information used to prepare its financial statements and disclosures in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

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The material weaknesses of Ferguson Containers’ internal control over financial reporting could negatively impact investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

An active, liquid trading market for our common stock may not develop, which may limit your ability to sell your shares.

Although our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq under the trading symbol “OCTO,” an active trading market for our common stock may never develop or be sustained. A public trading market having the desirable characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends upon the existence of willing buyers and sellers at any given time, such existence being dependent upon the individual decisions of buyers and sellers over which neither we nor any market maker has control. The failure of an active and liquid trading market to develop and continue would likely have a material adverse effect on the value of our common stock, and you may not be able to sell your shares of our common stock.

We may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise adversely affect holders of our common stock, which could depress the price of our common stock.

Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes us to issue one or more series of preferred stock. Our board of directors has the authority to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our preferred stock could be issued with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the rights of our common stock. The potential issuance of preferred stock may delay or prevent a change in control of us, discouraging bids for our common stock at a premium to the market price, and materially adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock.

On January 19, 2023, the Company filed a Certificate of Designation with the Delaware Secretary of State for its Series A Preferred Stock. The number of shares designated is three hundred thousand (300,000).

The trading price of our securities will likely be, and continue to be, volatile and you could lose all or part of your investment.

The trading price of our securities could be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including but not limited to our general business condition, the release of our financial reports and general economic conditions and forecasts. Broad market and industry factors may materially harm the market price of our securities irrespective of our operating performance. The stock market in general, and Nasdaq, have experienced price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the particular companies affected. The trading prices and valuations of these stocks, and of our securities, may not be predictable. A loss of investor confidence in the market for the stocks of other companies which investors perceive to be similar to us could depress our stock price regardless of our business, prospects, financial conditions or results of operations. A decline in the market price of our securities also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our stockholders’ investment in our securities, and our securities may trade at prices significantly below the price they paid for them. In such circumstances, the trading price of our securities may not recover and may experience a further decline.

Anti-takeover provisions contained in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, as well as provisions of Delaware law, could impair a takeover attempt.

Eightco’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that are intended to deter coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids by making such practices or bids unacceptably expensive to the bidder and to encourage prospective acquirers to negotiate with Eightco’s board of directors rather than to attempt a hostile takeover. These provisions include, among others:

• rules regarding how stockholders may present proposals or nominate directors for election at stockholder meetings;
• the right of Eightco’s board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval;
• the ability of Eightco’s directors, and not stockholders, to fill vacancies (including those resulting from an enlargement of the board of directors) on Eightco’s board of directors;
• the division of Eightco’s board of directors into three classes of directors, with each class serving a staggered term; and
• a provision that directors serving on a classified board may be removed by stockholders only for cause.

In addition, Eightco is subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). Section 203 provides that, subject to limited exceptions, persons that (without prior board approval) acquire, or are affiliated with a person that acquires, more than 15 percent of the outstanding voting stock of a Delaware corporation shall not engage in any business combination with that corporation, including by merger, consolidation or acquisitions of additional shares, for a three-year period following the date on which that person or its affiliate becomes the holder of more than 15 percent of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock.

Eightco believes these provisions will protect its stockholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with Eightco’s board of directors and by providing Eightco’s board of directors with more time to assess any acquisition proposal. These provisions are not intended to make Eightco immune from takeovers. However, these provisions will apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition that Eightco’s board of directors determines is not in the best interests of Eightco and its stockholders. These provisions may also prevent or discourage attempts to remove and replace incumbent directors.

These anti-takeover provisions may also limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees.

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the (i) Court of Chancery (the “Chancery Court”) of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for: (A) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of Eightco, (B) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of Eightco to Eightco or Eightco’s stockholders, (C) any action asserting a claim against the Eightco or any director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of the Eightco arising out of or relating to any provision of the DGCL, Eightco’s Certificate of Incorporation or Eightco’s Bylaws, or (D) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director, officer, stockholder, employee or agent of Eightco governed by the internal affairs doctrine of the State of Delaware. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Chancery Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over any such action or proceeding, including in the event claims are brought under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the sole and exclusive forum for such action or proceeding shall be another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware.

The choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in the proposed charter to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our securities will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If only a limited number of securities or industry analysts commence coverage of our Company, the trading price for our securities would likely be negatively impacted. In the event securities or industry analysts initiate coverage, if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our stock or publishes unfavorable research about our business, our stock price may decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our Company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our securities could decrease, which might cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.

We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and we are taking advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and are taking advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a registration statement under the Securities Act declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies, but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company, which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company that has opted out of using the extended transition period, difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the closing of the Company’s initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common equity that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the prior fiscal year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of any fiscal year for so long as either (1) the market value of our shares of common stock held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $250 million as of the prior June 30, or (2) our annual revenues did not equal or exceed $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our shares of common stock held by non-affiliates did not equal or exceed $700 million as of the prior December 31.

Because we subject the above listed reduced reporting requirements, investors may not be able to compare us to other companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We may not receive the desired benefits of selling Ferguson Containers.

We have entered into the APA to sell Ferguson Containers. If we consummate the sale of Ferguson Containers pursuant to the APA, we may not achieve the expected benefits of such sale and may incur additional expenses related thereto. This may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations. It could also cause the market price of our securities to decline.

Your percentage ownership in our company may be diluted in the future.

In the future, your percentage ownership in our company may be diluted because of equity issuances for warrant exercises, acquisitions, strategic investments, capital market transactions, or otherwise, including equity compensation awards that we grant to our directors, officers and employees. These awards would have a dilutive effect on our earnings per share, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. From time to time, we may issue additional equity compensation awards to our employees under our employee benefits plans.

In addition, our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes our board of directors to create and issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more series of preferred stock having such powers, preferences, and rights, if any, and such qualifications, limitations, and restrictions, if any, as established by our board of directors. The terms of one or more series of preferred stock that is created and issued by our board of directors may dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common stock. For example, our board of directors could create and issue one or more series of preferred stock having the right to elect one or more of our directors (in all events or on the happening of specified events) and/or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or dividend, distribution, or liquidation rights of a series of preferred stock created and issued by our board of directors could affect the residual value of the common stock.

Our common stock will be subordinate to all of our future indebtedness and any series of preferred stock, and effectively subordinated to all indebtedness and preferred equity claims against our subsidiaries.

Shares of our common stock will rank junior to all of our future indebtedness and other liabilities. Additionally, holders of our common stock may become subject to the prior dividend and liquidation rights of holders of any series of preferred stock that our board of directors may designate and issue without any action on the part of the holders of our common stock. Furthermore, our right to participate in a distribution of assets upon any of our subsidiaries’ liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of that subsidiary’s creditors.

Investors are subject to litigation risk and their respective investments in the shares of our common stock may be lost as a result of our legal liabilities or the legal liabilities of our affiliates.

We or our affiliates may from time to time be subject to claims by third parties and may be plaintiffs or defendants in civil proceedings. There can be no assurance that claims will not be brought in the future if we cannot generate the revenue that we forecast or raise sufficient capital to pay our liabilities. The expense of prosecuting claims, for which there is no guarantee of success, and/or the expense of defending against claims by third parties and paying any amounts pursuant to settlements or judgments, would generally be borne by the Company and could result in the reduction or complete loss of all of the assets of the Company, and investors in our common stock could lose all or a part of their investment.

In the event that we fail to satisfy any of the listing requirements of Nasdaq, our common stock may be delisted, which could affect our market price and liquidity.

Our common stock is listed on Nasdaq. For continued listing on Nasdaq, we are required to comply with the continued listing requirements, including the minimum market capitalization standard, the corporate governance requirements and the minimum closing bid price requirement, among other requirements.

In the event that we fail to satisfy any of the listing requirements of Nasdaq, our common stock may be delisted. If we are unable to remain listed on Nasdaq, it would likely be more difficult to trade in or obtain accurate quotations as to the market price of our common stock. If our common stock is delisted from trading on Nasdaq, and we are not able to list our common stock on another exchange or to have it quoted on Nasdaq, our securities could be quoted on the OTC Markets. As a result, we could face significant adverse consequences including, without limitation:

• a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;
• a determination that our common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;
• a limited amount of news and analyst coverage for our Company; and
• a decreased ability to issue additional securities (including pursuant to short-form registration statements on Form S-3 or obtain additional financing in the future).

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Cyber Risk Management and Strategy

We recognize the importance of assessing, identifying, and managing risks from cybersecurity threats. Our approach to cybersecurity risk management is aligned with our risk profile and business.

We have leveraged the support of third-party information technology and security providers, including to perform a risk assessment designed to identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks. Further, we follow a formal, documented process to assess the data protection practices of certain third-party vendors that handle sensitive information on our behalf.

Although risks from cybersecurity threats have to date not materially affected, and we do not believe they are reasonably likely to materially affect, us or our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition, we could, from time to time, experience threats and security incidents relating to our and our third-party vendors’ information systems. For more information, please see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Governance Related to Cybersecurity Risks

Our audit committee has oversight over cybersecurity risks. Our management provides periodic presentations to the audit committee on our cybersecurity program, including updates on cybersecurity risks and related cybersecurity strategy, as applicable. The audit committee provides updates regarding our cybersecurity program to the board of directors when material.

The following table summarizes pertinent details of our properties as of December 31, 2024:

We believe that our existing properties are adequate for the current operating requirements of our business and that additional space will be available as needed.

During the normal course of its business, the Company may be subject to occasional legal proceedings and claims. There are currently no legal proceedings or claims asserted against the Company or its subsidiaries.

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion and analysis contain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events including, without limitation, our ability to raise capital, our operational and strategic initiatives or our future financial performance. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by using terminology such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predict,” “should” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions; uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels or activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Overview

As used herein, “Eightco” and the “Company” refer to Eightco Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation originally incorporated on September 21, 2021 (date of inception) under the laws of the State of Nevada, and its subsidiaries. On March 9, 2022, the Company converted to a Delaware corporation pursuant to a plan of conversion entered into with the Former Parent. On April 3, 2023, the Company changed its name to Eightco Holdings Inc. from Cryptyde, Inc. and its stock symbol to “OCTO.” The Company is comprised of two main businesses, Forever 8’s Inventory Cash Flow Solution and the Corrugated Packaging Business of Ferguson Containers. We acquired Forever 8 in October 2022 and it is focused on purchasing inventory and becoming the supplier for e-commerce retailers. We no longer intend to generate revenue from our Web 3 Business. Our Corrugated Packaging Business manufactures and sells custom packaging for a wide variety of products and through packaging helps customers generate brand awareness and promote brand image.

On June 29, 2022, the Company separated from the Former Parent, Vinco Ventures Inc. (“Vinco”). As previously announced, we concluded a spin-off from Vinco in May 2022 (the “Separation”). Following the Separation, we are an independent, publicly traded company, and Vinco retains no ownership interest in our Company.

In connection with the Separation, we entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement and other agreements with Vinco to effect the Separation and provide a framework for our relationship with Vinco after the Separation. These agreements provide for the allocation between us and our subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Vinco and its subsidiaries, on the other hand, of the assets, liabilities, legal entities, and obligations associated with the Eightco Businesses, on the one hand, and Vinco’s other current businesses, on the other hand, and govern the relationship between our Company and our subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Vinco and its subsidiaries, on the other hand, following the Separation. In addition to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the other principal agreements entered into with Vinco include a Tax Matters Agreement and certain commercial agreements.

Financings and Forever 8 Acquisition

Financings

February 2024 Private Placement

On February 26, 2024, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain investors (the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Company sold to the Investors an aggregate of 865,856 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock at a purchase price of $0.82 per Share (the “Private Placement”). The Company received aggregate gross proceeds from the Private Placement of approximately $0.71 million. The Shares are being offered and sold in reliance on the exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, provided by Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D promulgated thereunder for transactions not involving a public offering.

The Purchase Agreement contains representations and warranties of the Company and the Investors that are typical for transactions of this type. The Purchase Agreement also contains covenants on the part of the Company that are typical for transactions of this type.

Series A Financing

On May 30, 2023, Forever 8 (the “Borrower”) entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Agreement”) with several individuals, financial institutions and entities as lenders. Under the terms of the Agreement, each lender will severally (and not jointly) make available to Borrower, in an amount not to exceed its respective Commitment, a Loan Advance amount to be determined by the lender (as such amount may be increased, the “Aggregate Commitment”) in the aggregate, of which (x) a certain amount will be deposited into an account of the Borrower in accordance with its written instructions (the “Initial Loan Advance”) and (y) the remaining balance of the Aggregate Commitment after deducting the Initial Loan Advance shall be deposited into the Escrow Account (the “Escrow Funds”). The Borrower may, at any time, request an advance for all or a portion of the Escrow Funds (each such advance, a “Subsequent Draw”).

The Borrower issued a Promissory Note to each of the lenders in the amount of the lender’s respective Initial Loan Advance. The principal balance of the Initial Loan Advance and each Subsequent Draw shall bear interest thereon from the Closing Date and applicable Advance Date, respectively, at 15.00% per annum. The Borrower shall pay each lender, according to its Applicable Percentage, an unused commitment fee on the actual daily amount of the Unused Commitment Amount during the immediately preceding calendar quarter at the rate of five percent (5.00%) per annum (the “Unused Commitment Fee”). In the event any payment is not paid on or within five (5) Business Days of the scheduled payment date, an amount equal to two percent (2.00%) of the past due amount shall be payable on demand, in addition to interest accruing. In addition, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default hereunder, the Initial Loan Advance and all Subsequent Draws, including principal, interest, compounded interest, and professional fees thereupon, shall upon the election of the lenders, bear interest at the Interest Rate, plus five (5) percentage points. In the event any interest is not paid when due hereunder, delinquent interest shall be added to principal and shall bear interest on interest, compounded.

As security for the prompt and complete payment when due (whether on the payment dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Borrower granted to the lenders a security interest in all of Borrower’s right, title, and interest in and to all Inventory or Equipment and machinery, in each case, purchased (or refinanced) with the proceeds of the Initial Loan Advance and any Subsequent Draw, and, to the extent not otherwise included, all Proceeds of each of the foregoing and all products, additions, increases and accessions to, substitutions and replacements for, and rents, profits and products of each of the foregoing.

As of the date of this filing, $2,375,000 has been committed by the lenders.

Series B Financing

On October 6, 2023, the Borrower entered into a Series B Loan and Security Agreement (the “Series B Agreement”) with an individual as lender. Under the terms of the Series B Agreement, the lender will make available to Borrower, in an amount not to exceed its respective Commitment, a Loan Advance amount to be determined by the lender (as such amount may be increased, the “Aggregate Commitment”) in the aggregate, of which (x) a certain amount will be deposited into an account of the Borrower in accordance with its written instructions (the “Initial Loan Advance”) and (y) the remaining balance of the Aggregate Commitment after deducting the Initial Loan Advance shall be deposited into the Escrow Account (the “Escrow Funds”). The Borrower may, at any time, request a Subsequent Draw for all or a portion of the Escrow Funds.

The Borrower issued a Promissory Note to the lender in the amount of the lender’s Initial Loan Advance. The principal balance of the Initial Loan Advance and each Subsequent Draw shall bear interest thereon from the Closing Date and applicable Advance Date, respectively, at 15.00% per annum. The Borrower shall pay the lender, according to its Applicable Percentage, an Unused Commitment Fee on the actual daily amount of the Unused Commitment Amount during the immediately preceding calendar quarter at the rate of five percent (5.00%) per annum. In the event any payment is not paid on or within five (5) Business Days of the scheduled payment date, an amount equal to two percent (2.00%) of the past due amount shall be payable on demand, in addition to interest accruing. In addition, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default hereunder, the Initial Loan Advance and all Subsequent Draws, including principal, interest, compounded interest, and professional fees thereupon, shall upon the election of the lender, bear interest at the Interest Rate, plus five (5) percentage points. In the event any interest is not paid when due hereunder, delinquent interest shall be added to principal and shall bear interest on interest, compounded.

As security for the prompt and complete payment when due (whether on the payment dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Borrower granted to the lender a security interest in all of Borrower’s right, title, and interest in and to all Inventory or Equipment and machinery, in each case, purchased (or refinanced) with the proceeds of the Initial Loan Advance and any Subsequent Draw, and, to the extent not otherwise included, all Proceeds of each of the foregoing and all products, additions, increases and accessions to, substitutions and replacements for, and rents, profits and products of each of the foregoing.

From October 12, 2023, through February 26, 2024, the Borrower entered into Lender Joinder Agreements (the “Joinder Agreement”) with several individuals and entities as subsequent lenders. Under the terms of the Joinder Agreement, the subsequent lenders agreed to become a lender and be bound by the terms of the Series B Agreement as a lender pursuant to the Series B Agreement.

As of the date of this filing, $175,000 has been committed by the lender and subsequent lenders.

Series C Financing

On October 19, 2023, the Borrower entered into a Series C Loan and Security Agreement (the “Series C Agreement”) with an individual as lender. Under the terms of the Series C Agreement, the lender will make available to Borrower, in an amount not to exceed its Commitment, a Loan Advance amount to be determined by the lender (as such amount may be increased, the “Aggregate Commitment”) in the aggregate, of which (x) a certain amount will be deposited into an account of the Borrower in accordance with its written instructions (the “Initial Loan Advance”) and (y) the remaining balance of the Aggregate Commitment after deducting the Initial Loan Advance shall be deposited into the Escrow Account (the “Escrow Funds”). The Borrower may, at any time, request a Subsequent Draw for all or a portion of the Escrow Funds.

The Borrower issued a Promissory Note to the lender in the amount of the lender’s Initial Loan Advance. The principal balance of the Initial Loan Advance and each Subsequent Draw shall bear interest thereon from the Closing Date and applicable Advance Date, respectively, at 18.00% per annum. The Borrower shall pay the Lender, according to its Applicable Percentage, an Unused Commitment Fee on the actual daily amount of the Unused Commitment Amount during the immediately preceding calendar quarter at the rate of five percent (5.00%) per annum. In the event any payment is not paid on or within five (5) Business Days of the scheduled payment date, an amount equal to two percent (2.00%) of the past due amount shall be payable on demand, in addition to interest accruing. In addition, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default hereunder, the Initial Loan Advance and all Subsequent Draws, including principal, interest, compounded interest, and professional fees thereupon, shall upon the election of the lender, bear interest at the Interest Rate, plus five (5) percentage points. In the event any interest is not paid when due hereunder, delinquent interest shall be added to principal and shall bear interest on interest, compounded.

As security for the prompt and complete payment when due (whether on the payment dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Borrower granted to the lender a security interest in all of Borrower’s right, title, and interest in and to all Inventory or Equipment and machinery, in each case, purchased (or refinanced) with the proceeds of the Initial Loan Advance and any Subsequent Draw, and, to the extent not otherwise included, all Proceeds of each of the foregoing and all products, additions, increases and accessions to, substitutions and replacements for, and rents, profits and products of each of the foregoing.

As of the date of this filing, $7,225,000 has been committed by the lender.

Series D Financing

On March 15, 2024, the Borrower entered into the Series D Loan and Security Agreement (the “Series D Agreement”), with the lenders party thereto from to time for an amount of up to $5,000,000.

In connection with the Series D Agreement, on March 15, 2024, Forever 8 also entered into a Subordination Agreement (the “Subordination Agreement”) with each of the lenders, the several individuals, financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “Senior Lenders”) and the collateral agent for the Senior Lenders. Forever 8 additionally entered into an Intercreditor Agreement (the “Intercreditor Agreement”) with the lenders party thereto and the collateral agent for such lenders. As of the date of this filing, a total of $250,000 has been committed by the lender.

May 2023 Debt Exchange

On May 30, 2023, the Borrower entered into a Debt Exchange Agreement (the “Debt Agreement”) with two Lenders for funds advanced to the Borrower pursuant to secured promissory notes (the “Old Notes”), executed by the Borrower in favor of the Lenders during 2021. Under the terms of the Debt Agreement, the Old Notes were exchanged for new Notes (“New Notes”) as per the terms of the Loan and Security Agreement dated May 30, 2023. The principal of the New Notes issued under the Debt Agreement is $1,650,000.

March 2023 Offering

On March 15, 2023, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with Hudson Bay Master Fund Ltd. (“Hudson Bay”) for the issuance and sale of a Senior Secured Convertible Note with an initial principal amount of $5,555,000 (the “Hudson Note”) at a conversion price of $6.245 per share of the Company’s common stock, and a warrant (the “Hudson Warrant”) to purchase up to 889,512 shares of Common Stock with an initial exercise price of $6.245 per share of Common Stock (the “Private Placement”). The purchase price of the Hudson Note and the Hudson Warrant is $5 million.

The entire outstanding principal balance on the Hudson Note and any outstanding fees or interest was due and payable in full on January 15, 2024 (“Maturity Date”). The Hudson Note did not bear interest, provided, however, that the Hudson Note would bear interest at 18% per annum upon the occurrence of an event of default. The Hudson Note was paid in full on February 26, 2024. Additionally, the Company redeemed all of the Hudson Warrants for $660,000 on October 23, 2023. Palladium Capital Group, LLC acted as placement agent for the Private Placement. For the acting as placement agent in the Private Placement, the Placement Agent received (i) cash compensation of $400,000 (8% of the gross proceeds to the Company) and (ii) a warrant to purchase up to 71,161 shares of Common Stock (8% of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Hudson Note).

The Company repaid the full amount under the Hudson Note and redeemed the Hudson Warrant in 2024. See “Note 16 – Convertible Note Payable” in the accompanying financial statements for further information.

Forever 8 Acquisition

On September 14, 2022, the Company entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) by and among the Company, Forever 8 and the former members of Forever 8 (the “Sellers”) pursuant to which Eightco was to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests of Forever 8 (the “Membership Interests”) from the Sellers (the “Acquisition”). On October 1, 2022, the closing of the acquisition occurred (the “Closing”).

Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Sellers received consideration consisting of (i) the Initial Base Preferred Units, subject to adjustments discussed below, (ii) the Promissory Notes, and (iii) the right to receive potential earnout amounts. In addition, $4.6 million in cash was transferred to the Company in consideration for the Company’s payment of certain of its obligations.

In the event that the VWAP of the Eightco Shares the later of (i) the 15 trading days immediately prior to the date the put right pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Amended Operating Agreement (as defined below) is exercisable and (ii) the 15 trading days following the Company’s filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 is less than $3.07, then Sellers shall be entitled to receive an additional number of Preferred Units (“Additional Base Preferred Units” and together with the Initial Base Preferred Units, the “Total Base Preferred Unit Consideration”) such that the Total Base Preferred Unit Consideration multiplied by the Additional Base Preferred Unit VWAP equals $21.5 million; provided that in no event shall more than 3,750,000 Additional Base Preferred Units be issued.

As indicated below, the Purchase Agreement provides that the Sellers are entitled to receive three potential earnout payments (the “Earnout Consideration). The Earnout Consideration is payable to the Sellers in cash or, at Eightco’s election, in up to 7,000,000 additional Preferred Units, upon the achievement of certain performance thresholds relating to cumulative collected revenues (each, an “Earn-Out Target”).

If Eightco elects to issue additional Preferred Units upon the achievement of any Earn-Out Target and the VWAP of Eightco’s common stock for the 15 trading days preceding the date that any Earn-Out Target is achieved (the “Earn-Out VWAP”) is (A) with respect to the first Earn-Out Target, less than $5.00, (B) with respect to the second Earn-Out Target, less than $6.00 or (C) with respect to the third Earn-Out Target, less than $5.00, then Sellers shall be entitled to receive an additional number of additional Preferred Units (the “True-up Units” and together with the additional Preferred Units, the “Total Additional Preferred Units”) such that the Total Additional Preferred Units multiplied by the Earn-Out VWAP equals (x) $15 million for the first Earn-Out Target, (y) $12 million for the second Earn-Out Target and (z) $10 million for the third Earn-Out Target; provided that in no event shall more than 4.5 million True-up Units be issued for the first Earn-Out Target, in no event shall more than 4.0 million True-up Units be issued for the Second Earn-Out Target and in no event shall more than 3.0 million True-up Units be issued for the Third Earn-Out Target.

In accordance with the Purchase Agreement, the Company’s existing operating agreement was amended and restated. The amended and restated operating agreement (the “Operating Agreement”) provides for, among other things, a put right for designated members (the “Preferred Members”). The Preferred Members (who are the Sellers) have a put right to cause Eightco to redeem certain Preferred Units, from time to time on or after the six-month anniversary following the Closing. Upon exercise of the put right, each Initial Base Preferred Unit (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) shall be exchanged for one Eightco share.

The Preferred Members have a put right, on terms and conditions set forth in Section 7.01 of the Operating Agreement, to cause Eightco to redeem the Preferred Units as follows:

(a) starting on the later of (i) six (6) months following the Closing and (ii) the Threshold Date (as defined in the Subordination Agreement), one (1) Eightco Share per Initial Base Preferred Unit being redeemed up to a maximum of 6,281,949 Initial Base Preferred Units;

(b) upon the satisfaction of (i) the receipt of Shareholder Approval on or prior to June 30, 2023, (ii) six (6) months following the Closing and (iii) the occurrence of the Threshold Date, one (1) Eightco Share per Initial Base Preferred Units that could not be converted due to the 6,281,949 unit limit in Section 7.01(a) of the Operating Agreement (such shares being an aggregate of 718,051 Initial Base Preferred Units being defined as the “Extra Initial Base Preferred Units”) being redeemed, and one (1) OCTO Share per Additional Base Preferred Unit being redeemed;

(c) if Shareholder Approval is not obtained on or before June 30, 2023, subject to both (i) six (6) months following the Closing and (ii) the terms of the Subordination Agreement, a cash payment equal to the difference between $3.07 minus the Additional Base Preferred Unit VWAP (as defined in the Purchase Agreement with it being subject to a $2.00 floor) (such difference being the “Additional Base Preferred Unit Cash Catch Up Amount”) with the Additional Base Preferred Unit Cash Catch Up Amount being multiplied by each Extra Initial Base Preferred Unit and each Additional Base Preferred Unit being redeemed;

(d) upon the satisfaction of (i) the receipt of Shareholder Approval on or prior to June 30, 2023, (ii) six (6) months following the time a Preferred Unit issued in connection with the first Earn-Out Target is earned under Section 1.04 of the Purchase Agreement and (iii) the occurrence of the Threshold Date, one (1) OCTO Share per Earnout One Unit being redeemed;

(e) if Shareholder Approval has not been obtained on or before June 30 2023, subject to both (i) six (6) months following the time an Earnout One Unit is earned under Section 1.04 of Purchase Agreement and (ii) the terms of the Subordination Agreement, a cash payment equal to the amount of $15,000,000 divided by the number of Earnout One Units (the “Earnout One Unit Redemption Amount”) with such Earnout One Unit Redemption Amount then being multiplied by each Earnout One Unit being redeemed;

(f) upon the satisfaction of (i) the receipt of Shareholder Approval on or prior to June 30, 2023, (ii) six (6) months following the time a Preferred Unit issued in connection with the second Earn-Out Target is earned under Section 1.04 of the Purchase Agreement and (iii) the occurrence of the Threshold Date, one (1) OCTO Share per Earnout Two Unit being redeemed;

(g) if Shareholder Approval has not been obtained on or before June 30 2023, subject to both (i) six (6) months following the time an Earnout Two Unit is earned under Section 1.04 of the Purchase Agreement and (ii) the terms of the Subordination Agreement, a cash payment equal to the amount of $12,000,000 divided by the number of Earnout Two Units (the “Earnout Two Unit Redemption Amount”) with such Earnout Two Unit Redemption Amount then being multiplied by each Earnout Two Unit being redeemed;

(h) upon the satisfaction of (i) the receipt of Shareholder Approval on or prior to June 30, 2023, (ii) six (6) months following the time a Preferred Unit issued in connection with the third Earn-Out Target is earned under Section 1.04 of the Purchase Agreement and (iii) the occurrence of the Threshold Date, one (1) OCTO Share per Earnout Three Unit being redeemed;

(i) if Shareholder Approval has not been obtained on or before June 30 2023, subject to both (i) six (6) months following the time an Earnout Three Unit is earned under Section 1.04 of the Purchase Agreement and (ii) the terms of the Subordination Agreement, a cash payment equal to the amount of $10,000,000 divided by the number of Earnout Three Units (the “Earnout Three Unit Redemption Amount”) with such Earnout Three Unit Redemption Amount then being multiplied by each Earnout Three Unit being redeemed.

Pursuant to the Operating Agreement, Eightco unconditionally guaranteed the payment, when due, of obligations pursuant to the put right. Eightco shall satisfy these obligations to the Preferred Members either in cash or, if Shareholder Approval has been obtained, through the issuance and delivery to each Preferred Member of one OCTO Share per Preferred Unit held by each Preferred Member.

Upon the Closing, Eightco issued the Promissory Notes. The Promissory Notes bear interest at the rate per annum equal to (i) ten (10%) for the first twelve (12) months of the Promissory Notes and (ii) twelve percent (12%) thereafter until the maturity date of the Promissory Notes (the “Note Maturity Date”). The Note Maturity Date is the date that is the later of (i) 91 days after the Maturity Date (as defined in the Investor Note (as defined below)) of the Senior Secured Convertible Note issued by Eightco in favor of the Investor on May 5, 2022 (the “Investor Note”) and (ii) three years following the Closing. Subject to the terms of the Subordination Agreement, the Promissory Notes may be prepaid in full or in part at any time without premium or penalty, provided, however, that Eightco agrees that, subject to the terms of the Subordination Agreement which specifically permit such prepayments in accordance therewith, it will make prepayments on the Promissory Notes and all other Seller Notes (as defined in the Promissory Notes) in amounts equal to the pro rata amount of the outstanding principal amount of the Seller Notes as a whole, as follows: (i) after Section 4(d) of the Amendment Agreement is satisfied such that excess cash may be removed from the Control Account, 50% of the cash proceeds of warrants exercised for common stock of the Eightco until an aggregate amount of $10 million in prepayments is made on the Seller Notes from such warrant exercises, (ii) 25% of all gross proceeds received by Eightco in any and all debt and equity capital raises by the Eightco (excluding warrant exercises) from and after the date of the Purchase Agreement and (iii) at least an aggregate of $11.5 million (including any prepayments made pursuant to clauses (i-ii) above) within the first twelve (12) months of the issuance of the Promissory Notes.

So long as the Eightco has received Shareholder Approval and the Threshold Date has been reached, at any time commencing after the 12-month anniversary of the date of the Promissory Notes, the holder of the Promissory Notes may, in its sole and absolute discretion, convert all or part of the Promissory Notes into shares of common stock of the Eightco (the “Conversion Shares”) at a per share conversion price equal to the VWAP of a OCTO Share for the ten trading days immediately preceding the conversion notice being provided to the Eightco by the holder of the Promissory Notes (the “Conversion Price”), with the Conversion Price being subject to a conversion price floor of $2.00 per share of common stock. If the VWAP is less than $2.00 and the holder converts all or part of the Note at $2.00 per share, then the holder shall be entitled to receive an additional Promissory Note with the same economic terms as the original Promissory Note in a principal amount equal to (A) $2.00 minus the VWAP multiplied by (B) the number of Conversion Shares issued upon the conversion.

During fiscal year 2024, the Company entered into a series of amendments with the Sellers to restructure obligations related to the Promissory Notes issued in connection with the Forever 8 acquisition.

On March 17, 2024, the Company entered into an initial amendment pursuant to which:

• Approximately $3.0 million in accrued interest was forgiven with no additional consideration,
• An additional $1.1 million in accrued interest was converted into 1.4 million shares of common stock, and
• All remaining payments under the Promissory Notes were deferred to October 30, 2024.

On March 27, 2024, the Company issued 120,974 shares of common stock which retired a portion of the Promissory Notes.

On June 14, 2024, the Company executed further amendments to accomplish the following:

• The Company recorded a gain of $6.1 million related to the full release of contingent consideration, originally recognized at the time of acquisition. This was recorded as other income in the consolidated statement of operations.
• The Sellers also forgave $5.4 million of principal outstanding under the related-party Promissory Notes. Due to the related-party nature of the transaction, the forgiveness was recorded as a non-cash gain directly to additional paid-in capital (APIC) in accordance with ASC 470-50 and ASC 850-10.
• In a concurrent amendment to the Purchase Agreement, the Sellers waived their contractual right to receive 215,000 Preferred Units, eliminating a significant future equity obligation.

On December 19, 2024, the Company entered into a final amendment, under which:

• Approximately $1.6 million in accrued interest was converted into 485,381 shares of common stock, and
• The payment deferral period under the Promissory Notes was extended through October 30, 2025.

In total, these amendments resulted in the forgiveness or conversion of approximately $5.7 million in accrued interest. The related-party forgiveness and equity conversions generated a combined non-cash gain of $3.86 million, which was recorded directly to APIC as a capital transaction. In addition, the forgiveness of $5.4 million was recorded directly to APIC as a capital transaction.

Series A Preferred Stock Designation and Dividend

On January 17, 2023, the board of directors of the Company declared a dividend of one one-thousandth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, for each outstanding share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share to stockholders of record at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 27, 2023 (the “Record Date”).

On January 19, 2023, the Company filed a Certificate of Designation with the Delaware Secretary of State for its Series A Preferred Stock. The number of shares designated is three hundred thousand (300,000). All shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued have been since redeemed.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

Our management’s 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 accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements as well as the reported expenses during the reporting periods. The accounting estimates that require our most significant, difficult and subjective judgments have an impact on revenue recognition, the determination of share-based compensation and financial instruments. We evaluate our estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Eightco Holdings Inc. and its wholly-owned or majority owned subsidiaries and consolidated variable interest entities.

Use of Estimates

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, together with amounts disclosed in the related notes to the financial statements.

The Company’s significant estimates used in these financial statements include, but are not limited to, accounts receivable reserves, the valuation allowance related to the Company’s deferred tax assets, the recoverability and useful lives of long-lived assets, debt conversion features, stock-based compensation, certain assumptions related to the valuation of the reserved shares and the assets acquired and liabilities assumed related to the Company’s acquisitions. Certain of the Company’s estimates could be affected by external conditions, including those unique to the Company and general economic conditions. It is reasonably possible that these external factors could have an effect on the Company’s estimates and could cause actual results to differ from those estimates.

Long-Lived Assets

We record intangible assets based on their fair value on the date of acquisition. Intangible assets include the cost of developed technology, customer relationships, trademarks and identifiable media and influencer platforms. Intangible assets are amortized utilizing the straight-line method over their remaining economic useful lives. A significant percentage of the Company’s’ long term assets are intangibles assets and therefore, estimates regarding the fair value of these assets have a material impact on our financial statements.

Goodwill

Goodwill is recorded for the difference between the fair value of the purchase consideration over the fair value of the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired. We perform an impairment assessment of goodwill on an annual basis, or whenever impairment indicators exist. In the absence of any impairment indicators, goodwill is assessed for impairment during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. Judgments regarding the existence of impairment indicators are based on market conditions and operational performance of the business.

We may assess our goodwill for impairment initially using a qualitative approach to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of these assets is greater than their carrying value. When performing a qualitative test, we assess various factors including industry and market conditions, macroeconomic conditions and performance of our businesses. If the results of the qualitative assessment indicate that it is more likely than not that our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired, a quantitative impairment analysis would be performed to determine if impairment is required. We may also elect to perform a quantitative analysis of goodwill initially rather than using a qualitative approach.

The impairment testing for goodwill is performed at the reporting unit level. The valuation methods used in the quantitative fair value assessment, discounted cash flow and market multiples method, requires our management to make certain assumptions and estimates regarding certain industry trends and future profitability of our reporting units. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the related carrying value, the reporting unit’s goodwill is considered not to be impaired and no further testing is performed. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recorded for the difference. The valuation of goodwill is affected by, among other things, our business plan for the future and estimated results of future operations. Future events could cause us to conclude that impairment indicators exist, and, therefore, that goodwill may be impaired. Goodwill is a significant percentage of the Company’s’ long term assets and therefore, estimates regarding the fair value of our goodwill have a material impact on our financial statements.

Warrant Accounting

The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”.

The Company classifies a warrant to purchase shares of its common stock as equity on its consolidated balance sheets as this warrant is a free-standing financial instrument that is indexed to the Company’s own stock and meets the criteria for equity classification. Each warrant is initially recorded within equity at the date of grant, net of issuance costs, and is not subsequently re-measured. Changes in the fair value of the warrant are not recognized after the initial measurement. The warrants will remain classified in equity until they are exercised or expire.

Key Components of our Results of Operations

Revenues

We generate the majority of our revenues from inventory financing through our wholly owned subsidiary, Forever 8. Additionally, we generate revenues from the sale of corrugated custom packaging to a wide array of customers. In 2022, the Company generated revenues from the sale of Bitcoin mining equipment through CW Machines, LLC. The Company no longer expects to generate revenue from this business line.

Cost of Revenues

Our cost of revenues includes inventory costs, materials and supplies costs, internal labor costs and related benefits, subcontractor costs, depreciation, overhead and shipping and handling costs. In 2022, we incurred costs related to the purchase and resale of Bitcoin mining equipment through CW Machines, LLC. We no longer anticipate purchasing and reselling Bitcoin mining equipment.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses consist of selling, marketing, advertising, payroll, administrative, finance and professional expenses.

Restructuring and Severance Expenses

Restructuring and severance expenses include costs related to workforce reductions, facility closures, and strategic realignments intended to improve operational efficiency and reduce future costs. These expenses may fluctuate based on the scope and timing of restructuring initiatives.

Interest Expense and Income, Net

Interest expense includes the cost of our borrowings under our debt arrangements. Interest income includes the interest earned under our notes receivable.

Other Income

Other income includes the gain on disposal of the building located in Washington, New Jersey.

Results of Operations

Year Ended December 31, 2024 versus the Year Ended December 31, 2023

Continuing Operations

The following table sets forth information comparing the components of net (loss) income from continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

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Revenue

For the year ended December 31, 2024, revenues decreased by $27,947,081 or 41.36%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily the result of decreased revenues due to less capital utilized to purchase inventory for our customers to allow for repayment of debt. In addition, the Company had revenues of $0 and $0 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to its BTC Mining Equipment Business. The Company no longer generates revenues related to CW Machines.

Cost of Revenues

For the year ended December 31, 2024, cost of revenues decreased by $27,669,287 or 45.13%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was largely attributable to the decrease in revenues. In addition, the Company had cost of revenues of $0 and $0 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to its BTC Mining Equipment Business. The Company no longer generates revenues related to CW Machines.

Gross Profit

For the year ended December 31, 2024, gross profit decreased by $277,794, or 4.44%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was largely attributable to the decrease in revenues. In addition, the Company had gross profit of $0 and $0 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, related to its BTC Mining Equipment Business. The Company no longer generates revenues related to CW Machines.

Operating Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $12,759,719 and $14,805,627 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, representing a decrease of $2,045,908, or 13.82%. The decrease was largely attributable to the decrease in salaries and professional fees offset by an increase in fees for investor relations.

Restructuring and severance expenses were $1,414,838 and $2,133,982 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, representing a decrease of $719,144, or 33.70%. The decrease was largely attributable to the completion of the restructuring plan.

Interest Expense

Interest expense was $5,287,920 for the year ended December 31, 2024, versus $11,553,477 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in interest expense was largely attributable to the full amortization of debt issuance costs related to borrowings under the convertible notes payable.

Total other (expense) income

Total other (expense) income was $8,347,033 for the year ended December 31, 2024 versus ($58,377,298) for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in total other income (expense) was largely attributable to no further charges for the loss on issuance of warrants and amortized interest expense under the convertible notes payable.

Income tax benefit

Income tax benefit was $(135,337) for the year ended December 31, 2024, versus an income tax expense benefit of $0 for the year ended December 31, 2023, respectively. The increase in income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2024 was a result of recovery for foreign taxes related to Forever 8 EU for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Net income (loss) from continuing operations

Net income (loss) from continuing operations was $289,811 for the year ended December 31, 2024, versus a net loss of ($69,057,115) for the year ended December 31, 2023. The improvment in net income (loss) was largely attributable to no further charges for the loss on issuance of warrants and amortized interest expense under the convertible notes payable.

Discontinued Operations

On November 22, 2024, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement to sell substantially all of the assets of Ferguson Containers, Inc., the Company’s Corrugated Packaging Business. As a result of this agreement, Ferguson Containers has been classified as a discontinued operation for all periods presented in the consolidated financial statements.

Revenue and operating results from Ferguson Containers are excluded from continuing operations and presented as a single line item in the consolidated statements of operations. Ferguson Containers generated revenues of $6.8 million and $7.7 million and operating income of $0.4 million and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

The Company expects the sale to close in the second quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

The following table sets forth information comparing the components of net (loss) income from discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

Revenue

For the year ended December 31, 2024, revenues from Corrugated Packaging decreased by $905,854 or 11.72%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to a reduction in revenue resulting from decreased orders from a key customer.

Cost of Revenues

For the year ended December 31, 2024, cost of revenues from Corrugated Packaging decreased by $516,124 or 9.39%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was largely attributable to the decrease in revenues.

Gross Profit

For the year ended December 31, 2024, gross profit from Corrugated Packaging decreased by $389,730, or 17.46%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was largely attributable to the decrease in revenues.

Operating Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $1,439,964 and $1,530,024 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, representing a decrease of $90,060, or 5.89%. The decrease was largely attributable to a decrease in salaries.

Interest Expense

Interest expense was $0 for the year ended December 31, 2024, versus $112 for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Total other income

Total other income was 6,613 for the year ended December 31, 2024 versus 34,056 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in total other income (expense) was largely attributable to insurance reimbursements.

Income tax benefit

Income tax benefit was $(9,128) for the year ended December 31, 2024, versus an income tax expense benefit of $0 for the year ended December 31, 2023, respectively.

Net income from discontinued operations

Net income from discontinued operations was $418,716 for the year ended December 31, 2024, versus net income of $736,701 for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in net income was largely attributable to the loss on of revenues related to the decrease in orders from one customer.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Eightco Holdings Inc. funds its operations primarily through borrowings under lines of credit and the sale of securities, either through private placements or its At-The-Market (“ATM”) offering program. As of March 31, 2025, the Company has approximately $9.7 million of outstanding debt obligations related to lines of credit.

As of April 14, 2025, the Company had approximately $0.2 million in cash. Management expects that additional capital will be required to support ongoing operations and to scale revenues beyond current levels. The Company intends to continue accessing capital through a combination of debt financing and equity offerings, as needed.

In November 2024, the Company entered into an agreement to sell substantially all of the assets of its Corrugated Packaging Business, Ferguson Containers, for a total purchase price of approximately $3.1 million, consisting of $557,835 in cash, a $2.5 million seller note, and up to $500,000 in earnout payments contingent on future performance. The buyer will also assume certain liabilities related to the Corrugated Packaging Business.

The Company expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2025. Upon closing, the Company expects to realize increased liquidity from the cash proceeds, with future cash flow impacts dependent on collection of the seller note and potential earnout realization. The sale aligns with the Company’s strategic decision to focus resources on scaling Forever 8, the Company’s inventory funding platform.

Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023

Since inception, Eightco Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries have primarily used its available cash to fund its operations. The following table sets forth a summary of cash flows for the periods presented:

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Operating Activities

Net cash (used in) operating activities was ($6,637,101) during the year ended December 31, 2024, which consisted primarily of a net income from continuing operations of $289,811 and net income from discontinued operations of $418,716 offset by non-cash depreciation expense of $2,454,661, amortization of debt issuance costs of $1,337,750, share based compensation of $573,788 and changes in assets and liabilities of $1,815,366 offset by gain on extinguishment of liabilities of $7,427,193 and gain on forgiveness of earnout of $6,100,000. Net cash (used in) operating activities was ($6,399,079) during the year ended December 31, 2023, which consisted primarily of a net loss of $68,320,414 offset by non-cash depreciation expense of $3,044,531, amortization of debt issuance costs of $8,109,078, impairment charges of $292,748, share-based compensation of ($358,937), loss on issuance of warrants of $46,928,815 and changes in assets and liabilities of $3,899,203.

Investing Activities

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities was ($70,098) during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to ($295,150) for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to lower purchases of property and equipment.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $1,698,550 during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $2,989,800 for the year ended December 31, 2023. This decrease was largely attributable to repayments of $4,915,000 under convertible notes payable, offset by proceeds from the issuance of common stock of $3,064,067 and borrowings under lines of credit of $3,750,000 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

Eightco Holdings Inc. has required funding from the Former Parent to launch operations. Ferguson Containers has historically had positive cash flows from operations. Since inception, Ferguson Containers Inc.’s operations have been funded principally through its operations.

Going Concern

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which assumes the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future. The Company has incurred a loss since inception resulting in an accumulated deficit of $112,570,049 as of December 31, 2024 and further losses are anticipated in the development of its business. Further, the Company has current liabilities in excess of current assets and has a stockholders’ deficit at December 31, 2024. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year from the issuance of these financial statements.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had approximately $0.2 million in cash and cash equivalents as compared to $5.2 million at December 31, 2023. The Company expects that its current cash and cash equivalents, approximately $0.2 million as of the date of this annual report, will not be sufficient to support its projected operating requirements for at least the next 12 months from this date.

The Company expects to need additional capital in order to increase revenues above current levels. Any additional equity financing, if available, may not be on favorable terms and would likely be significantly dilutive to the Company’s current stockholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. The Company’s ability to access capital when needed is not assured and, if not achieved on a timely basis, will likely have a materially adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In 2023, the Company began reducing headcount to reduce the corporate overhead. The Company raised capital in 2024 and intends to continue reducing costs in 2025 while raising additional capital as needed.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We did not have, during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any relationships with any organizations or financial partnerships, such as structured finance or special purpose entities, that would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on such evaluation, the Company’s Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were not effective to provide reasonable assurance that information that it is required to disclose in reports that the Company files with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the Exchange Act rules and regulations.

As of December 31, 2024, management completed an effective assessment of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the 2013 Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) framework. Management has concluded that as of December 31, 2024, our internal control over financial reporting was not effective to detect the inappropriate application of U.S. GAAP. Management identified the following material weakness set forth below in our internal control over financial reporting.

The Company was unable to provide a timely financial reporting package in connection with the year end audit. This was primarily the result of the Company’s limited accounting personnel. This also limits the extent to which the Company can segregate incompatible duties and has a lack of controls in place to ensure that all material transactions and developments impacting the financial statements are reflected. There is a risk under the current circumstances that intentional or unintentional errors could occur and not be detected.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting is not intended to provide absolute assurance that a misstatement of our financial statements would be prevented or detected. Under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Company conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 using the criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) (2013 Framework).

A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. In our assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, we determined that there were control deficiencies existing that constituted a material weakness.

As a result, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by COSO (2013 Framework).

This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal controls over financial reporting because this is not required of the Company pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 308(b).

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

During the year ended December 31, 2024, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that materially affected, or that are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.