11月21日，中国计算机芯片制造商嘉楠耘智在美国纳斯达克上市，筹集资金9000万美元。盛信律师事务所、通商律师事务所及迈普达律师事务所分别担任了发行人的美国律师、中国律师及开曼群岛律师，中伦律师事务所及富而德律师事务所则为承销商提供了法律意见。
嘉楠2013年成立于北京，现总部设立在杭州，是全球第二大加密货币矿机生产商。嘉楠此次上市是全球区块链第一股，也是中国首家在美完成IPO的自主知识产权人工智能芯片厂商。
根据路透社的报道，嘉楠此前曾尝试在中国大陆及香港上市，此次赴美上市紧随10月底中国将区块链技术提升为未来国家发展方向的核心之一，在那之后，和区块链及加密货币相关的公司股价出现了大幅增长。嘉楠在招股书中透露，此次募集资金将用于资助人工智能及区块链研究，并用于偿还债务。
盛信团队此次牵头律师为合伙人Chris K.H. Lin；富而德团队牵头律师为香港合伙人赖志诚及纽约合伙人Valerie Ford Jacob和Michael Levitt；中伦团队的牵头合伙人为赵靖律师、郭克军律师、魏海涛律师和贾海波律师。
本次上市承销商包括瑞士信贷、花旗集团、中国复兴及招商国际证券。
C&F, Zhong Lun, STB, Freshfields act on first global blockchain IPO
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Maples and Calder and Commerce & Finance Law Offices have advised one of China’s biggest bitcoin mining hardware makers Canaan Creative on its $90 million initial public offering on the Nasdaq, with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Zhong Lun Law Firm advising the underwriters.
Founded in Beijing in 2013 and now headquartered in Hangzhou, Canaan Creative is the world’s second largest bitcoin mining machine designer and maker, it’s also the first listed blockchain company globally.
According to Reuters, the current IPO is Canaan’s third attempt to do so after previous failed tries in mainland China and Hong Kong, and this one came shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping made comments encouraging the development of blockchain technology. The firm said in the prospectus that it would use the cash to fund research into artificial intelligence and blockchain research, as well as pay off debts.
The STB team was led by partner Chris K.H. Lin, and the Freshfields team was led by Hong Kong partner Calvin C. Lai, as well as New York partners Valerie Ford Jacob and Michael Levitt. The Zhong Lun team was led by partners Zhao Jing, Guo Kejun, Wei Haitao and Jia Haibo.
The underwriters included Credit Suisse, Citigroup, China Renaissance and CMB International.
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