Risk Disclosure Statement

Before trading or investing in Virtual Assets through ARP’s products and services, please carefully review this Risk Disclosure Statement. It outlines the general and specific risks associated with Virtual Assets. By accessing or using ARP’s platform, you acknowledge and accept these risks.

General Risks of Virtual Asset Trading

Trading and investing in Virtual Assets is highly speculative and complex, involving significant financial risks, including but not limited to:

  • Market Volatility: The value of Virtual Assets can fluctuate rapidly, potentially resulting in the loss of your entire investment.
  • Cybersecurity Threats: Virtual Assets and their underlying networks are vulnerable to hacking, fraud, and market manipulation.
  • Regulatory Uncertainty: Regulations governing Virtual Assets are evolving, and legal or regulatory changes may impact their use, transfer, exchange, or value.
  • Lack of Consumer Protections: Virtual Assets are not legal tender and are not backed or insured by any government or financial institution.
  • Personal Responsibility: You are solely responsible for understanding the risks associated with Virtual Assets and related technologies. Consult financial, legal, or tax professionals to determine whether trading or investing in Virtual Assets aligns with your financial condition and risk tolerance.

Key Risks Associated with Virtual Assets

  1. Legal and Regulatory Risks
    • Virtual Assets are not considered legal tender and do not have the same protections as traditional financial instruments.
    • Regulatory actions, government restrictions, or policy changes may affect the value, liquidity, or legality of Virtual Assets.
  2. Market and Liquidity Risks
    • Virtual Asset prices are highly volatile and can experience significant gains or losses within short periods.
    • There is no guarantee of liquidity; you may not be able to sell or exchange Virtual Assets when desired.
    • Digital Asset prices on the secondary market are driven by supply and demand and may be highly volatile. Limited liquidity may make it difficult or impossible to exit a position when desired.
  3. Counterparty Risk
    • You may be exposed to counterparty risk when using ARP’s services, including market makers, liquidity providers, and payment processors.
    • Borrowers may default on repayment obligations, delaying the redemption of deposits in certain products.
  4. Security and Fraud Risks
    • Virtual Assets are vulnerable to hacks, cyber-attacks, fraud, and security breaches.
    • Loss of private keys, phishing attacks, or other security failures can result in the permanent loss of Virtual Assets.
    • Transactions are irreversible, and losses due to fraud, errors, or unauthorized access may not be recoverable.
    • Digital Assets are inherently exposed to cybersecurity risks. While ARP takes reasonable measures to safeguard assets, no system can fully eliminate security risks.
  5. Network and Operational Risks
    • Virtual Asset transactions occur on decentralized networks, which may experience congestion, delays, or failures.
    • ARP’s platform relies on technology that may be subject to outages, disruptions, or technical failures affecting access, trading, or transfers.
    • There is no guarantee that ARP’s services will always be available. Unplanned service outages, network congestion, or system failures may prevent you from buying, selling, or transferring Digital Assets when desired.
  6. Third-Party Risks
    • Third parties such as payment providers, custodians, and banking partners may be involved in the provision of ARP’s services.
    • You may be subject to their terms and conditions, and ARP is not responsible for any loss arising from third-party service providers.
  7. Transparency and Privacy Risks
    • Transactions may be recorded on a public ledger, affecting anonymity and privacy.
    • The future acceptance and adoption of Virtual Assets for transactions are not guaranteed, and different assets may have varying degrees of technological, governance, and market risks.

Independent Investment Decisions

  • ARP does not provide investment advice, endorse specific Virtual Assets, or recommend trading strategies.
  • You are solely responsible for making investment decisions based on your personal financial objectives and risk tolerance.

Risk Disclosures for Specific Virtual Assets

ARP conducts due diligence before listing any Virtual Asset; however, risks may evolve over time. It is essential to conduct your own research and understand the risks associated with any Virtual Asset before trading or investing. This disclosure is not exhaustive, and additional risks may exist beyond those outlined in this statement.

By proceeding with Virtual Asset transactions on ARP’s platform, you acknowledge and accept the risks described above.

Crypto-Asset Specific Risk Disclosures

Bitcoin (BTC)

Type: Digital currency/store of value

Function: Peer-to-peer electronic cash system and store of value

Backing: Not backed by any asset; value derived from network security, scarcity, and market consensus

Specific Risks:

  • Price volatility can be extreme
  • Energy-intensive mining raises environmental and sustainability concerns
  • Limited transaction throughput during high network activity periods
  • Potential centralization of mining power among large entities
  • Regulatory uncertainty in many jurisdictions regarding its status as currency, commodity, or security

Ethereum (ETH)

Type: Smart contract platform/utility token

Function: Powers the Ethereum network which supports smart contracts, decentralized applications (dApps), and other tokens

Backing: Not backed by any asset; value derived from utility within the Ethereum ecosystem

Specific Risks:

  • Price volatility
  • Network congestion leading to high transaction fees during peak usage
  • Technical risks associated with smart contract vulnerabilities
  • Potential governance and security issues related to the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism
  • Regulatory uncertainty, particularly regarding DeFi applications and NFTs built on Ethereum

Tether (USDT)

Type: Stablecoin

Function: Digital token designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the US Dollar

Backing: Claims to be backed by cash, cash equivalents, and commercial paper

Specific Risks:

  • Counterparty risk related to the centralized issuer (Tether Limited)
  • Concerns about transparency regarding reserve assets
  • Regulatory scrutiny regarding compliance with securities and banking regulations
  • Potential for temporary deviations from the intended 1:1 USD peg
  • Concentration risk due to widespread use as trading pair across exchanges

USD Coin (USDC)

Type: Stablecoin

Function: Digital token designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the US Dollar

Backing: Claims to be backed by US dollars held in regulated financial institutions

Specific Risks:

  • Centralization risks as USDC is issued by regulated entities
  • Potential freezing of funds at the request of regulatory authorities
  • Possible deviations from the 1:1 USD peg during market stress
  • Regulatory changes that may affect its operations
  • Dependence on the financial health of Circle and its banking partners

Solana (SOL)

Type: Smart contract platform/utility token

Function: Powers the Solana network, a high-throughput blockchain for decentralized applications

Backing: Not backed by any asset; value derived from utility within the Solana ecosystem

Specific Risks:

  • Price volatility
  • Network outages and stability concerns
  • Relatively high validator hardware requirements leading to potential centralization
  • Competition from other high-performance blockchains
  • Technical vulnerabilities that may affect network security or performance

XRP

Type: Digital payment token

Function: Facilitates cross-border payments and currency exchange within the Ripple network

Backing: Not backed by assets; value derived from utility and adoption for payments

Specific Risks:

  • Regulatory uncertainty, including ongoing legal proceedings in some jurisdictions
  • Concentration of token ownership
  • Reliance on institutional adoption for its payment systems
  • Price volatility
  • Potential for changes in the consensus mechanism controlled by validator nodes

Chainlink (LINK)

Type: Utility token

Function: Powers the Chainlink oracle network, connecting smart contracts with real-world data

Backing: Not backed by assets; value derived from utility within the oracle ecosystem

Specific Risks:

  • Dependence on data sources that could be manipulated or contain errors
  • Smart contract vulnerabilities in the oracle system
  • Centralization risks in the node operator network
  • Competition from other oracle solutions
  • Price volatility affecting the economics of operating nodes

Aave (AAVE)

Type: Governance and utility token

Function: Governance of the Aave protocol, a decentralized lending platform

Backing: Not backed by assets; value derived from protocol utility and governance rights

Specific Risks:

  • Smart contract vulnerabilities in the lending protocol
  • Liquidity risks in lending pools
  • Interest rate fluctuations affecting borrowing and lending activities
  • Regulatory uncertainty surrounding decentralized lending platforms
  • Dependency on Ethereum network performance and fees
  • Competition from other DeFi lending platforms