Announcement • Jan 27
Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against Argo Blockchain plc and Certain Officers and Directors
Pomerantz LLP announced that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Argo Blockchain plc, and certain officers and directors. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 23-cv-00572, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired: (a) Argo American Depository Shares (“ADSs”) pursuant and/or traceable to the Offering Documents (defined below) issued in connection with the Company’s initial public offering conducted on or about September 23, 2021 (the “IPO” or “Offering”); and/or (b) Argo securities between September 23, 2021 and October 10, 2022, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”). Plaintiff pursues claims against the Defendants under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Argo, together with its subsidiaries, purports to engage in the cryptocurrency mining business worldwide, including the mining of Bitcoin or Bitcoin equivalents (together, “BTC”). Argo maintains a fleet of thousands of BTC mining machines at facilities located in Canada and Dickens County, Texas. The Company’s Texas facility is referred to as its “Helios” facility. On August 19, 2021, Argo filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the IPO, which, after several amendments, was declared effective by the SEC on September 22, 2021 (the “Registration Statement”). On September 23, 2021, Argo filed a prospectus on Form 424B4 with the SEC in connection with the IPO, which incorporated and formed part of the Registration Statement (the “Prospectus” and, together with the Registration Statement, the “Offering Documents”). On or about September 23, 2021, pursuant to the Offering Documents, Argo conducted the IPO, issuing 7.5 million ADSs to the public at the Offering price of $15 per ADS for approximate proceeds of $105 million to the Company before expenses and after applicable underwriting discounts and commissions. The complaint alleges that the Offering Documents were negligently prepared and, as a result, contained untrue statements of material fact or omitted to state other facts necessary to make the statements made not misleading and were not prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations governing their preparation. Additionally, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, the Offering Documents and Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Argo was highly susceptible to and/or suffered from significant capital constraints, electricity and other costs, and network difficulties; (ii) the foregoing issues hampered, inter alia, Argo’s ability to mine BTC, execute its business strategy, meet its obligations, and operate its Helios facility; (iii) as a result, Argo’s business was less sustainable than Defendants had led investors to believe; (iv) accordingly, Argo’s business and financial prospects were overstated; and (v) as a result, the Offering Documents and Defendants’ public statements throughout the Class Period were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein. On June 7, 2022, Argo issued a release providing an operational update, in which it disclosed that it had mined approximately 25% fewer BTC in May 2022 compared to April 2022 because of, inter alia, increased network difficulty, higher electricity prices, and the curtailment of mining operations at its Helios facility. On this news, Argo’s ADS price fell $0.28 per ADS, or 4.4%, to close at $6.09 per ADS on June 7, 2022. On October 7, 2022, Argo issued a release “announcing several strategic actions that are intended to bring in additional capital to the business and ensure that the Company has the working capital necessary to execute its current strategy and meet its obligations over the next twelve months.” Argo stated that in addition to measures being undertaken to reduce costs and preserve capital, the Company had signed a non-binding letter of intent with an affiliate of New York Digital Investment Group to amend an existing equipment financing agreement, plans to sell 3,400 mining machines for cash proceeds of £6 million, and intends to raise approximately £24 million via a proposed subscription with a strategic investor. On this news, Argo’s ADS price fell $0.97 per ADS, or 23.26%, to close at $3.20 per ADS on October 7, 2022. Then, on October 11, 2022, Argo issued a release providing an operational update, in which it announced that during the month of September, Argo mined 215 [BTC] compared to 235 BTC in August 2022” which was “primarily due to a 12% increase in average network difficulty during September.” Argo also stated that it “is continuing to curtail operations at its Helios facility in Dickens County, Texas during periods of high electricity prices” and was replacing the Company’s Chief Technology Officer. On this news, Argo’s ADS price fell $0.27 per ADS, or 10.98%, to close at $2.19 per ADS on October 11, 2022. As of the time the complaint was filed, Argo’s ADSs continued to trade below the $15 per ADS Offering price, damaging investors.