Block 10-Q 2022-03-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

______________________

FORM 10-Q

______________________

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022

OR

For the transition period from ________ to ________

Commission File Number: 001-37622

______________________

Block, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

______________________

Address Not Applicable****1

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(415) 375-3176

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

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

Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐

1 We do not designate a headquarters location as we have adopted a distributed work model.

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

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

As of April 29, 2022, the number of shares of the registrant’s Class A common stock outstanding was 518,807,380 and the number of shares of the registrant’s Class B common stock outstanding was 61,696,578.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “appears,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “continue,” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. Forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q include, but are not limited to, statements about our future financial performance, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures on our business, customers, and employees, our expectations regarding transaction and loan losses, the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses on loans held for investment, or increased delinquencies, and the impact of inaccurate estimates or inadequate reserves, our potential exposure as a participant in the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP"), our anticipated growth and growth strategies and our ability to effectively manage that growth, our ability to invest in and develop our products and services to operate with changing technology, the expected benefits of our products to our customers and the impact of our products on our business, and our expectations regarding Gross Payment Volume ("GPV", as defined below in Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations), and revenue, including our expectations regarding the Cash App and Square ecosystems, our expectations regarding product launches, the expected impact of our recent acquisitions, including the integration of Afterpay Limited ("Afterpay") with our business and its benefits to the Square and Cash App ecosystems, our plans with respect to patents and other intellectual property, our expectations regarding litigation and regulatory matters and the adequacy of reserves for such matters, our expectations regarding share-based compensation, our expectations regarding the impacts of accounting guidance and the timing of our compliance therewith, our expectations regarding restricted cash, and the sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents and cash generated from operations to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements.

We have based the forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, business strategy, and financial needs. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We cannot assure you that the results, events, and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are based on information and estimates available to the Company at the time of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and are not guarantees of future performance. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Part I—Financial Information

BLOCK, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

BLOCK, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share data)

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You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the information set forth within the condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as our Annual Report on Form 10-K. The statements in this discussion regarding our expectations of our future performance, liquidity and capital resources, our plans, estimates, beliefs and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, and other non-historical statements in this discussion are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements.

Overview

On December 1, 2021, we changed our name from Square to Block. Block is the name for the company as a corporate entity. We started Block with the Square ecosystem in February 2009 to enable businesses (sellers) to accept card payments, an important capability that was previously inaccessible to many businesses. However, sellers need many solutions to thrive, and we have expanded to provide them additional products and services and to give them access to a cohesive ecosystem of tools to help them manage and grow their businesses. Similarly, with Cash App, we have built an ecosystem of financial services to help individuals manage their money. We also added TIDAL and TBD as businesses to contribute to our purpose of economic empowerment. TIDAL, a global music and entertainment platform, focuses on putting both the artist experience and fan experience at the center of decisions, providing artists direct access to their audience, and allowing fans deeper connections to their favorite artists through original, exclusive, and curated content and events. TBD, a bitcoin-focused business, was established to build an open developer platform with the goal of making it easy to create non-custodial, permissionless, and decentralized financial services. In January 2022, we completed the acquisition of Afterpay Limited, a buy now pay later ("BNPL") platform that facilitates commerce between retail merchants and consumers by allowing its retail merchant clients to offer their customers the ability to buy goods and services on a BNPL basis.

Square is a cohesive commerce ecosystem that helps sellers start, run, and grow their businesses, and consists of over 30 distinct software, hardware, and financial services products. We monetize the majority of these products through a combination of transaction, subscription, and service fees. Our suite of cloud-based software solutions are integrated to create a seamless experience and enable a holistic view of sales, customers, employees, and locations. With our offerings, a seller can accept payments in person via swipe, dip, or tap of a card, or online via Square Invoices, Square Virtual Terminal, or the seller’s website. We also provide hardware to facilitate commerce for sellers, which includes magstripe readers, contactless and chip readers, Square Stand, Square Register, Square Terminal, and third-party peripherals. In July 2021, we launched Square Banking for our U.S. sellers, which consists of a suite of products including Square Savings, Square Checking, and Square Loans (formerly known as Square Capital). Square Checking is offered through a partner bank, and Square Savings and Square Loans are offered through our wholly-owned subsidiary Square Financial Services, Inc. ("Square Financial Services"). Square Financial Services offers banking services including certain loan and deposit products. In addition to the United States, we also offer Square Loans in Australia and Canada. Square Savings allows sellers to automatically set aside funds from daily sales into savings accounts that earn interest. Square Checking provides sellers with an FDIC-insured account allowing them instant access to their sales and the ability to use those funds for business expenses using their Square Debit Card, withdraw from an ATM, transfer via ACH, or pay employees via Square Payroll. Square Loans offers sellers access to business loans based on the seller's payment processing history. We recognize revenue upon the sale of the loans to third-party investors or over time as the sellers pay down the outstanding amounts for the loans that we hold as available for sale or for investment. We have grown rapidly to serve millions of sellers that represent a diverse set of industries including services, food-related business, and retail businesses; and sizes, ranging from a single vendor at a farmers’ market to multi-location businesses. Square sellers also span geographies, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and Spain.

Our Cash App ecosystem provides financial tools for individuals to store, send, receive, spend, and invest money. With Cash App, customers can fund their account with a bank account or debit card, send and receive peer-to-peer payments, add physical cash at participating retailers, deposit mobile checks, and receive direct deposit payments. Customers can make purchases with their Cash Card, a Visa prepaid card that is linked to the balance stored in Cash App. Additionally, customers can use Cash App Pay, a checkout option which allows customers to pay using their Cash App account. With Cash Boost, customers receive instant discounts when they make Cash Card purchases at designated merchants. Customers can also use their stored funds to buy and sell bitcoin and equity investments within Cash App. The Cash App ecosystem also includes a tax filing product for individuals, providing a seamless, mobile-first solution for individuals to file their taxes for free.

As mentioned above, with the acquisition of Afterpay, we added a BNPL platform to our offerings. Through the use of this BNPL platform, consumers can split their purchases across four installments, generally due in two-week increments, without paying fees (if payments are made on time). Afterpay provides consumers with the ability to get desired items now but pay for them later and can simultaneously help merchants increase sales and order values. The Company pays BNPL sellers the full order value upfront, less a merchant fee, and assumes the risk of non-payment from the end-customer. Apart from capped late payment fees, consumers do not incur additional fees. Afterpay also provides an online shop directory, which allows consumers to search by product category for stores that offer Afterpay as a payment option, and offers an Afterpay in-store card for in-person transactions at a merchant’s point of sale. The BNPL platform is being integrated into the Cash App and Square ecosystems, strengthening the connection between these ecosystems, expanding access to more sellers and customers, increasing Square’s omnichannel platform, and helping drive more commerce between our sellers and customers. Customers will be able to manage their installments and repayments directly within Cash App, potentially driving increased engagement, while the commerce discovery functionality will be integrated with Cash App to help drive lead generation for merchants and customer engagement.

Update on the Impact of COVID-19 on Current Trends and Outlook

In 2022, our Square business experienced improvements which have been mainly as a result of continued economic recovery and re-openings in the majority of U.S. markets. We experienced growth in our Square Gross Payment Volume ("GPV," as defined below within Key Operating Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures) performance, as in-person activity at sellers continued to increase on a year-over-year basis. Overall, we continued to experience improvements in our business in our interna

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We have operations both within the United States and globally, and we are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business, including the effects of interest rate changes and foreign currency fluctuations. Information relating to quantitative and qualitative disclosures about these market risks is described below.

Equity Price Risk

Marketable Equity Investments

Our marketable equity investments are investments held in publicly traded companies and are measured using quoted prices in active markets which could result in material volatility in our net income in future periods. As of March 31, 2022, our marketable equity investments were immaterial. Adjustments are recorded in other (expense) income, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and establish a new carrying value for the investment. A hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in the fair value of our marketable equity investments would not have a material effect on our financial results.

Non-Marketable Equity Investments

Our non-marketable equity investments are investments in privately-held companies that we hold for purposes other than trading. These investments are inherently risky because there is no established market for these securities and the markets for the technologies or products these companies are developing are typically in the early stages. As such, we could lose our entire investment in these companies. Adjustments are recorded in other expense (income), net on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and establish a new carrying value for the investment. As of March 31, 2022, the aggregate carrying value of our non-marketable equity investments included in other non-current assets was $156.2 million. A hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in the carrying value of our non-marketable equity investments would not have a material effect on our financial results.

Bitcoin Market Price Risk

We invested $220.0 million in bitcoin as of December 31, 2021, with no additional investments during the three months ended March 31, 2022. Bitcoin is accounted for as an indefinite-lived intangible asset, and thus, is subject to impairment losses if the fair value of bitcoin decreases below the carrying value during the assessed reporting period. Impairment losses cannot be recovered for any subsequent increase in fair value until the sale of the asset. As of March 31, 2022, the fair value of the investment in bitcoin was $365.5 million based on observable market prices resulting in $216.5 million in unrecognized gains. We did not record an impairment charge in the three months ended March 31, 2022. Our cumulative impairment charges to date were $71.1 million, recorded due to the market price of bitcoin decreasing below the carrying value of our bitcoin investment in that period. Any decreases to the carrying value of bitcoin assets are recorded in operating expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. A hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in the market price of bitcoin would not have a material effect on our financial results.

Interest Rate Sensitivity

Our cash and cash equivalents, and marketable debt securities as of March 31, 2022 were held primarily in cash deposits, money market funds, U.S. government and agency securities, commercial paper, and corporate bonds. The fair value of our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable debt securities would not be significantly affected by either an increase or decrease in interest rates due mainly to the short-term nature of a majority of these instruments. Additionally, we have the ability to hold these instruments until maturity if necessary to reduce our risk. Any future borrowings incurred under our credit facility would accrue interest at a floating rate based on a formula tied to certain market rates at the time of incurrence (as described above). A hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in interest rates would not have a material effect on our financial results.

Foreign Currency Risk

Our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars. Most of our revenue is earned in U.S. dollars and, subsequent to the acquisition of Afterpay, a portion is earned in Australian Dollars. Our foreign operations are denominated in the currencies of the countries in which our operations are located, and may be subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates in the Japanese Yen, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, Euro, British Pound, Chinese Yuan, Swedish Krona, Singapore Dollar, Polish Zloty, and Brazilian Real. Our results of operations and cash flows are, therefore, subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and may cause us to recognize transaction gains and losses in our financial statements.

During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the change in the relative value of the U.S. dollar against the Australian Dollar resulted in an immaterial increase in net foreign currency translation adjustments recorded within our statement of comprehensive income. In the three months ended March 31, 2022, we entered into foreign currency derivative contracts to provide an economic hedge of our foreign currency risk associated with the repayment of foreign denominated debt. A hypothetical 10% increase or decrease in current exchange rates would not have a material effect on our financial results.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on such evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Rules 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) of the Exchange Act that occurred during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Part II—Other Information

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

We are currently a party to, and may in the future be involved in, various litigation matters (including intellectual property litigation), legal claims, and government investigations. For information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved, see “Litigation and Regulatory Matters” in Note 19, Commitments and Contingencies within Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In addition, from time to time, we are involved in various other legal matters, investigations, claims, and disputes arising in the ordinary course of business. We cannot at this time fairly estimate a reasonable range of exposure, if any, of the potential liability with respect to these other matters. While we do not believe, at this time, that any ultimate liability resulting from any of these other matters will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity, we cannot give any assurance regarding the ultimate outcome of these other matters, and their resolution could be material to our operating results for any particular period.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes, before making any investment decision with respect to our securities. The risks and uncertainties described below may not be the only ones we face. If any of the risks actually occur, our business could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.

The following description of risk factors includes any material changes to, and supersedes the description of, risk factors associated with the Company’s business previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 under the heading “Risk Factors.”

Risk Factors Summary

Our business operations are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those outside of our control, that could cause our actual results to be harmed, including risks regarding the following:

Risks related to our business and our industry:

• our ability to maintain, protect, and enhance our brands;

• our participation in government relief programs set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic;

• our ability to retain existing sellers and customers, attract new sellers and customers, and increase sales to both new and existing sellers and customers;

• our investments in our business and ability to maintain profitability;

• our efforts to expand our product portfolio and market reach;

• our ability to develop products and services to address the rapidly evolving market for payments and financial services;

• competition in our industry;

• any acquisitions, strategic investments, entries into new businesses, joint ventures, divestitures and other transactions that we may undertake;

• liabilities that may exist at Afterpay;

• the successful integration of our business with Afterpay;

• additional risks of our majority interest in TIDAL;

• expanding our business globally;

• additional risks of BNPL lending;

• additional risks of Square Banking relating to the structure of bank partnerships, and FDIC and other regulatory obligations; and

• additional risks of Square Loans related to the availability of capital, seller payments, interest rate, deposit insurance premiums, and general macroeconomic conditions.

Operational risks:

• real or perceived improper or unauthorized use of, disclosure of, or access to sensitive data;

• real or perceived security breaches or incidents or human error in administering our software, hardware, and systems;

• systems failures, interruptions, delays in service, catastrophic events, and resulting interruptions in the availability of our products or services or those of our sellers;

• any inability to access our private keys required to access our bitcoins or any hack or other data loss relating to the bitcoins we hold;

• our risk management efforts;

• our dependence on payment card networks and acquiring processors;

• our reliance on third parties and their systems for a variety of services, including the processing of transaction data and settlement of funds;

• our dependence on key management and any failure to attract, motivate, and retain our employees;

• our operational, financial, and other internal controls and systems;

• any shortage, price increases, tariffs, changes, delay or discontinuation of our key components;

• our ability to accurately forecast demand for our products and adequately manage our product inventory;

• the integration of our services with a variety of operating systems and the interoperation of our hardware that enables merchants to accept payment cards with third-party mobile devices utilizing such operating systems; and

• difficulties estimating the amount payable under TIDAL's license agreements.

Economic, financial, and tax risks:

• the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread;

• a deterioration of general macroeconomic conditions;

• any inability to secure financing on favorable terms, or at all, or covenants in our existing credit agreement, the indentures, or future agreements;

• our ability to service our convertible notes and our senior notes;

• counterparty risk with respect to our convertible note hedge transactions;

• our bitcoin investments being subject to volatile market prices, impairment, and other risks of loss;

• foreign exchange rates risks; and

• any greater-than-anticipated tax liabilities or significant valuation allowances on our deferred tax assets.

Legal, regulatory, and compliance risks:

• extensive regulation and oversight in a variety of areas of our business;

• complex and evolving regulations and oversight related to privacy and data protection;

• litigation, including intellectual property claims, government investigations or inquiries, and regulatory matters or disputes;

• obligations and restrictions as a licensed money transmitter;

• regulatory scrutiny or changes in the BNPL space;

• regulation and scrutiny of our subsidiary Cash App Investing, which is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA, including net capital and other regulatory capital requirements;

• changes to our business practices imposed by FINRA based on our ownership of Cash App Investing;

• regulation and scrutiny of our subsidiary Square Financial Services, which is a Utah state-chartered industrial bank, including the requirement that we serve as a source of financial strength to it;

• supervision and regulation of Square Financial Services, including the Dodd-Frank Act and its related regulations'

• any inability to protect our intellectual property rights; and

• assertions by third parties of infringement of intellectual property rights by us.

Risks related to ownership of our common stock:

• the dual class structure of our common stock;

• volatility of the market price of our Class A common stock;

• the dual-listing of our Class A common stock on the NYSE and our CDIs on the Australian Securities Exchange;

• our convertible note hedge and warrant transactions;

• anti-takeover provisions contained in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our second amended and restated bylaws, and provisions of Delaware law; and

• exclusive forum provisions in our bylaws.

Risks Related to Our Business and Our Industry

Our business depends on our ability to maintain, protect, and enhance our brands.

Having a strong and trusted brand has contributed significantly to the success of our business. We believe that maintaining, promoting, and enhancing the Square brand, the Cash App brand, the TIDAL brand, and our other brands, 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 brands 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 be a technology 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 brands. 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 brands. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brands or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business could be materially and adversely affected.

The introduction and promotion of new p

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Not applicable.

The documents listed in the Exhibit Index of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are incorporated by reference or are filed with this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K).

EXHIBIT INDEX

• Filed herewith.

+ Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.

† The certifications attached as Exhibit 32.1 that accompany this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are deemed furnished and not filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Block, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

BLOCK, INC.