Jiayin Group Inc.
Annual Report 2020

Plain-text annual report

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 20-F (Mark One) ☐ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 ☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 OR For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. OR ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to OR ☐ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Date of event requiring this shell company report Commission file number: 001-38806 Jiayin Group Inc. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) N/A (Translation of Registrant’s name into English) Cayman Islands (Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) 18th Floor, Building No. 1, Youyou Century Plaza, 428 South Yanggao Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200122 People’s Republic of China (Address of principal executive offices) Bei Bai, Co-Chief Financial Officer Jin Chen, Co-Chief Financial Officer Tel: 86 21-6190-6826 E-mail: baibei@jiayinfintech.cn chenjin1@jiayinfintech.cn 18th Floor, Building No. 1, Youyou Century Plaza, 428 South Yanggao Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200122 People’s Republic of China (Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person) Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class American Depositary Shares, each representing four Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000005 per share Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000005 per share* Trading Symbol(s) JFIN Name of each exchange on which registered The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC * Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market of American depositary shares. Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None (Title of Class) Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None (Title of Class) Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the Issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report. There were 216,100,000 ordinary shares outstanding, consisting of 108,100,000 Class A ordinary shares and 108,000,000 outstanding Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000005 per share, as of December 31, 2020. Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒ If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ☐ No ☒ 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, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): Accelerated filer Emerging growth company Large accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer ☐ ☒ ☒ If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, 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. ☒ † The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012. Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐ Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing: U.S. GAAP ☒ International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ☐ Other ☐ If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow. Item 17 ☐ Item 18 ☐ If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒ (APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court. Yes ☐ No ☐ TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS PART I ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES PART II ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS ITEM 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS ITEM 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT ITEM 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ITEM 16H. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE PART III ITEM 17 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ITEM 18 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ITEM 19. EXHIBITS i Page 1 3 4 4 4 4 47 75 75 94 102 105 106 106 117 117 120 120 120 120 121 121 121 122 122 122 122 122 123 123 123 123 Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires in this annual report on Form 20-F: INTRODUCTION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • “ADSs” refers to our American depositary shares, each of which represents four Class A ordinary shares; “Annual percentage rate of charge” or “APR” refers to the overall borrowing cost collected from borrowers, including interest, service fees and other charges to be collected from borrowers, excluding penalty fees for late payments, as a percentage of the loan principal, multiplied by the number of days of the loan as a percentage of 360; “approval rate” refers to the percentage of loan applications approved in a certain period out of all loan applications during such period; “China” or the “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this annual report only, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; “consolidated VIE” refers to Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. (“Jiayin Finance”); “investment volume” for a certain period refers to the sum of the principal amount of all investment transactions executed by investors, including institutional funding partners and individual investors, through our platform during such period. The calculation of the investment volume of an investment made by an investor through the automated investment program does not take into account automated reinvestments enabled by the automated investment program; “investors” include our institutional funding partners and prior to the completion of our funding source transition to only institutional funding partners in April 2020, individual investors; “loan origination volume” refers to the total amount of loans facilitated through our platform during a certain period; “M3+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage” refers to the total amount of principal for all loans in a vintage for which any repayment was more than 90 days past due as of a particular date, less the total amount of past due principal recovered for such loans, and divided by the total amount of principal for all loans in such vintage. M3+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage for quarter vintage is calculated as the weighted average of M3+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage for each month in such quarter by loan origination volume; number of “borrowings” for a certain period refers to the total borrowing applications which were funded during such period; number of “borrowers” for a certain period refers to the total number of borrowers whose loans facilitated through our platform were funded during such period; number of “investment transactions” for a certain period refers to the total number of investment transactions executed by investors, including institutional funding partners and individual investors, through our platform during such period. An investment through our automated investment programs is counted as a single investment transaction though the amount may be facilitated to match multiple loans, and the calculation does not take into account automated reinvestments enable by the automated investment program; number of “investors” in a certain period refers to the total number of investors who executed investment transactions through our platform during such period; “net payouts” refers to total amount of cash paid to investors upon borrower’s default, and net of the amount that is subsequently collected from borrower during a specific period of time; “outstanding principal” refers to the aggregate principal amount of loans facilitated through our platform and historically loans covered by the investor assurance program that was acquired from Shanghai Niwodai Financial Information Services Co., Ltd., (“Niwodai Finance”) that were not repaid by borrowers or repaid by the investor assurance programs; “registered users” refer to individuals who have registered on our platform; “repeat borrowers” during a certain period refers to borrowers who borrowed in such period and have borrowed at least twice since such borrowers’ registration with us until the end of such period; “ordinary shares” refers to our Class A and Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000005 per share; “RMB” and “Renminbi” refer to the legal currency of China; “US$,” “U.S. dollars,” “$,” and “dollars” refer to the legal currency of the United States; “vintage” refers to borrowings facilitated through our platform during a certain period; 1 • • “we,” “us,” “our company,” “our group” and “our” refer to Jiayin Group Inc., a Cayman Islands company and its subsidiaries, consolidated VIE, and its subsidiaries; and “VIE and VIE’s subsidiaries” refers to Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries. Our reporting currency is the Renminbi because our business is mainly conducted in China and all of our revenues are denominated in Renminbi. This annual report contains translations of Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specific rates solely for the convenience of the reader. The conversion of Renminbi into U.S. dollars in this annual report is based on the rate certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi in this annual report were made at RMB6.5250 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate on December 31, 2020 set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board. We make no representation that any Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate, the rates stated below, or at all. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of Renminbi into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. 2 FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigations Reform Act of 1995. You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to: • • • • • • • • • our mission and strategies; our future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the online consumer finance market in China; our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our products and services; our expectations regarding our relationships with borrowers and institutional funding partners; competition in our industry; general economic and business condition in China and elsewhere; relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry; and the impact of COVID-19. These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. Our actual results could be materially different from our expectations. You should thoroughly read this annual report and the documents that we refer to with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. In addition, the rapidly changing nature of the online consumer finance industry results in significant uncertainties for any projections or estimates relating to the growth prospects or future condition of our market. Furthermore, if any one or more of the assumptions underlying the market data are later found to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements made in this annual report relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this annual report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 3 ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS Not applicable. ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE PART I Not applicable. ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION A. Selected Financial Data The following selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data and selected consolidated cash flows data for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The following selected consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income data for the year ended December 31, 2017 and selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2017 and 2018 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements not included in this annual report. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our historical results do not necessarily indicate results expected for any future periods. You should read this Selected Financial Data section together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” below. 4 The following table presents our selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. 2017 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB (in thousands, except for share and per share data) 2018 RMB RMB 2020 US$ Net revenue Operating cost and expenses: Origination and servicing Sales and marketing General and administrative Research and development Allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others Provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program Total operating cost and expenses Income from operations Gain from de-recognition of other payable associated with disposal of Caiyin Impairment of short-term investment Interest income Other income, net Income before income taxes and income from investment in affiliates Income tax expense Income(loss) from investment in affiliates Net income Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest shareholders Net income attributable to Jiayin Group Inc. Net income per share: - Basic - Diluted Weighted average shares used in calculating net income per share: - Basic - Diluted Net income Other comprehensive income, net of tax of nil Foreign currency translation adjustments Comprehensive income Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests Total Comprehensive income attributable to Jiayin Group Inc. 2,250,850 2,881,940 2,230,176 1,300,160 199,258 (229,353) (884,866) (95,597) (180,967) (401,679) (726,582) (150,465) (184,302) (425,565) (606,049) (230,248) (201,404) (239,199) (375,063) (154,963) (151,550) (36,659) (57,481) (23,749) (23,226) (130,943) (265,978) (232,241) (77,278) (11,843) (42,463) (1,564,189) 686,661 (467,728) (2,196,734) 685,206 — (1,695,507) 534,669 — (998,053) 302,107 — (152,958) 46,300 — — 1,922 12,609 701,192 (161,647) — 539,545 — — 169 20,298 705,673 (93,915) — 611,758 — — 5,720 23,425 117,021 (67,169) 7,716 6,711 563,814 (37,007) 378 527,185 366,386 (108,811) (7,509) 250,066 — 539,545 — 611,758 (562) 527,747 (2,817) 252,883 17,934 (10,294) 1,183 1,029 56,152 (16,676) (1,151) 38,325 (432) 38,757 2.70 2.70 3.06 3.06 2.51 2.51 1.17 1.17 0.18 0.18 200,000,000 200,000,000 210,409,863 216,100,000 216,100,000 200,000,000 200,000,000 210,409,863 216,100,000 216,100,000 38,325 250,066 527,185 539,545 611,758 — 539,545 — 611,758 471 527,656 (13,366) 236,700 (2,048) 36,277 — — (560) (2,897) (444) 539,545 611,758 528,216 239,597 36,721 5 The following table presents our selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Selected Consolidated Balance Sheets Data: Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable and contract assets, net Assets from the investor assurance program, net Amounts due from related parties Short-term investment Total assets Payroll and welfare payables Liabilities from the investor assurance program Refund liabilities Other guarantee liabilities Tax payables Accrued expenses and other current liabilities Other payable related to the disposal of Shanghai Caiyin Total liabilities Total net liabilities 2017 RMB 2018 RMB As of December 31, 2019 RMB (in thousands) 2020 RMB US$ 606,097 799,291 270,276 517,685 — 2,530,532 105,386 3,017,124 156,111 701,228 203,990 143,286 41,441 539,929 5,525 — — 801,879 110,562 1,547,072 84,498 4,060 422,177 201,007 122,149 139,164 — 130,722 69,618 701,072 48,524 — 180,104 — 179,421 158,705 — 4,462,074 1,931,542 — 2,453,885 1,652,006 839,830 1,442,671 741,599 117,320 158,064 — 542 — 525,372 58,288 — — — 279,383 70,954 566,532 989,137 463,765 17,980 24,224 — 83 — 80,517 8,933 — — — 42,817 10,875 86,825 151,592 71,075 The following table presents our selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. 2017 RMB 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB (in thousands) 2020 RMB US$ 104,752 61,215 13,876 (228,368) (16,423) (433,600) 26,291 (234,178) 244,674 (35,505) 33,226 10,595 (5,439) 5,092 1,624 581,489 761,332 82,941 122,149 18,720 761,332 82,941 122,149 119,320 18,287 Summary Consolidated Cash Flow Data: Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year B. Capitalization and Indebtedness Not applicable. C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds Not applicable. D. Risk Factors Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry We operate in China’s online consumer finance marketplace, an emerging and evolving industry, which makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects. China’s online consumer finance industry is relatively new and may not develop as expected. The regulatory framework for this industry is also evolving and may remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. China’s online consumer finance industry in general remains at a rather preliminary development stage and may not develop at the anticipated growth rate. It is possible that the PRC laws 6 and regulations may change in ways that do not favor our development. If that happens, there may not be adequate loans facilitated on our platform, and our current business model may be negatively affected. As a new industry, there are very few established players whose business models we can follow or build upon. Potential borrowers and investors may not be familiar with this new industry and may have difficulty distinguishing our services from those of our competitors. Attracting and retaining borrowers and institutional funding partners is critical to increase the volume of loans facilitated through our platform. The emerging and evolving online consumer finance market makes it difficult to effectively assess our future prospects. In addition, our business has grown substantially in recent years, but our past growth rates may not be indicative of our future growth. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and challenges we encounter or may encounter in this developing and rapidly evolving industry. These risks and challenges include our ability to, among other things: • • • • • • • • • • • • navigate an evolving regulatory environment; expand the base of borrowers and institutional funding partners served on our platform; maintain our credit standards; enhance our risk management capabilities; improve our operational efficiency; continue to scale our technology infrastructure to support the growth of our platform and higher transaction volume; broaden our loan product offerings; operate without being adversely affected by the negative publicity about the industry in general and our company in particular; maintain the security of our platform and the confidentiality of the information provided and utilized across our platform; cultivate a vibrant consumer finance ecosystem; attract, retain and motivate talented employees; and defend ourselves in litigation, and against regulatory, intellectual property, privacy or other claims. If the market for our platform does not develop as we expect, if we fail to educate potential users and funding sources about the value of our platform and services, or if we fail to address the needs of our target customers, our reputation, business and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected. The laws and regulations governing online consumer finance industry in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If we fail to comply with existing and future applicable laws, regulations or requirements of local regulatory authorities, our business, financial conditions and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected. Due to the relatively short history of the online consumer finance industry in China, the PRC government has yet to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework governing our industry. Before any industry-specific regulations were introduced in mid-2015, the PRC government relied on general and basic laws and regulations for governing the online consumer finance industry, including the Civil Code of the PRC and related judicial interpretations promulgated by the Supreme People’s Court. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Finance Services.” In July 2015, the People’s Bank of China, or the PBOC, together with nine other PRC regulatory agencies jointly issued a series of policy measures applicable to the online finance industry titled the Guidelines on Promoting the Healthy Development of Online Finance Industry, or the Guidelines. The Guidelines formally introduced for the first time the regulatory framework and basic principles governing the online finance industry, including the provision of online lending information services in China. Following the core principles of the Guidelines, a series of additional restrictions and affirmative obligations were imposed on online lending information intermediaries by the Implementation Strategies Targeted towards Risks related to Online Finance circulated by the General Office of the State Council in April 2016, the Interim Measures on Administration of Business Activities of Online Lending Information Intermediaries , or the Interim Measure, issued by the CBRC and other PRC regulatory agencies in August 2016, the Circular on Regulating and Rectifying of “Cash Loan” Services , or the Circular 141, issued by the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Internet Financial Risks and the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Peer-to-peer Lending Risks in December 2017, the Notice on the Improvement and Acceptance of P2P Online Lending Risks (“Circular 57”) and the Notice on Conducting Compliance Inspection on P2P Lending Platforms issued by the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Peer-to-peer Lending Risks in December 2017 and in August 2018, respectively. In addition, in February 2017 and August 2017, the CBRC issued the Guidelines on Online Lending Funds Custodian Business, or the Custodian Guidelines, and the Guidelines on Information Disclosure of the Business Activities of Online Lending Information Intermediaries, or the Disclosure Guidelines, respectively. The Custodian Guidelines further clarified the requirement of setting up custody accounts with 7 commercial banks for the funds of individual investors and borrowers held by online consumer finance platforms, while the Disclosure Guidelines further specified the disclosure requirements for online lending information service providers. It has been reported that in January 2019, the Online Lending Rectification Office enacted the Circular on Further Implementation of Online Lending Intermediaries Compliance Inspection and Follow-up Work, or Circular 1, which has not been officially published. According to Circular 1, for each administrative region, the number of online lending intermediaries, the number of investors and the business volume therein shall be reduced, and for an online lending intermediary, the number of investors, business volume and number of borrowers thereon shall also be reduced. The laws, regulations, rules and governmental policies are expected to continue to evolve in our industry. The growth in popularity of online consumer finance in China increases the likelihood for the government authorities to further regulate our industry. We are unable to predict with certainty the impact, if any, that future legislation, judicial interpretations or regulations relating to the online consumer finance industry, or the status and scrutiny of implementation thereof will have on our business, financial condition and results of operations. To the extent that we are not able to fully comply with any applicable laws or regulations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. If our practice is deemed to violate any PRC laws and regulations, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected. The PRC regulatory regime with respect to the online consumer finance industry is relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement are subject to significant uncertainties, which result in difficulties in determining whether our existing practices may be interpreted to violate any applicable laws and regulations. To comply with existing laws, regulations, rules and governmental policies relating to the online consumer finance industry, we have implemented various policies and procedures to conduct our business and operations. However, due to the lack of detailed implementation rules on certain key requirements of the regulations and different interpretation of the regulations by the local authorities, we cannot be certain that our existing practices would not be deemed to be in violation of any existing or future laws, rules and regulations that are applicable to our business. Circular 141 requires banking financial institutions that participate in the “cash loan” business to ensure that no third parties will charge borrowers any interest or fees from borrowers and they themselves will not accept any credit enhancement services or other similar services from third parties without qualification to provide guarantee. Since the third quarter of 2019, we have proactively made an adjustment to our cooperation model with institutional funding partners through Geerong Yunke Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Geerong Yunke”) and Geerong Yun (Shanghai) Enterprise Development Co., Ltd. (“Geerong Yun”, formerly known as “Jirongyun (Shanghai) Enterprise Development Co., Ltd.”). To comply with Circular 141, we cooperate with certain institutional partners such as banks and microcredit companies by having them charge fees directly from borrowers and pay service fees for credit assessment, borrower matching and information support to us. Additionally, we do not offer credit enhancement services directly to institutional partners for loans facilitated. Instead, the credit enhancement services are offered by licensed third-party credit enhancement service providers. However, due to the lack of interpretation and implementation rules and the fact that the laws and regulations are rapidly evolving, we cannot assure you that our business model will be in full compliance with existing and future laws and regulations. Moreover, Circular 141 prohibits banking financial institutions from outsourcing core businesses, such as credit examination and risk control. Currently, loans facilitated by Geerong Yunke and Geerong Yun are directly funded to the borrowers. We refer to such institutional funding partners qualified credit applications from borrowers, and only provide initial screening, preliminary credit examination and technical services. They will then review the applications and conduct risk controls themselves. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that government authorities could consider our services to be in violation of Circular 141. If any of our services are deemed to be in violation of Circular 141, we could face penalties, including but not limited to suspensions of operation, orders to rectify and condemnation. If this is the case, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, on October 9, 2019, CBIRC issued the Notice on Printing and Distributing the Supplementary Provisions on the Supervision and Management of Financing Guarantee Companies (the “CBIRC Circular 37”), which explicitly provides that institutions providing customer promotion, credit assessment and other services for various lending institutions shall not provide financing guarantee services without approval. During our cooperation with certain institutional funding partners since the third quarter of 2019, the credit enhancement services have been provided by licensed third-party credit enhancement service providers (the “Licensed Credit Enhancement Providers”), the Licensed Credit Enhancement Providers also demand counter-guarantees by another company in some contracts. Meanwhile, we also provide commitment letter of balance complements to the institutional funding partners or the Licensed Credit Enhancement Providers as required by them. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations. If the behavior of Jiayin Finance was deemed to be financing guarantee 8 services without approval according to CBIRC Circular 37, we might be subject to licensing requirements and might be subject to penalties such as suspension of relevant business. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been subject to any material fines or other penalties under any PRC laws or regulations, including those governing the online consumer finance industry in China. If our practice is deemed to violate any laws, regulations and rules, we may face, among others, regulatory warning, corrective order, condemnation, fines and criminal liability. If such situations occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects would be materially and adversely affected. The growth of our business is limited by PRC laws and regulations, and we have changed our business into loan facilitation platform. The rapid growth of China’s online consumer finance industry has attracted a large number of market players. However, business failures of, or accusations of fraud and unfair dealing against, certain companies in the online consumer finance industry in China have surfaced in recent years, creating a negative public perception of online consumer finance market players. In an effort to manage risks and maintain market integrity, PRC regulatory authorities have issued various guidelines and policies that impose stricter requirements on online consumer finance platforms. Further, certain of these policies impose limits on the growth of the online consumer finance industry and market. In accordance with Circular 57, online lending marketplaces shall optimize their business portfolios continuously and manage the scale of their business. Marketplaces that have received rectification notices shall ensure steady decrease of the balance of non-compliant business on these marketplaces and shall not engage in any new non-compliant operations. It has also been reported that according to Circular 1, for each administrative region, the number of online lending intermediaries, the number of investors and the business volume therein shall be reduced; with respect to each online lending intermediary, the number of investors, business volume and number of borrowers thereon shall also be reduced. We may, however, be encouraged by government authorities to convert into other types of online financing institutions such as online small loan companies or loan facilitation platforms. If we were to change the type of business we operate, our business, financial condition and results of operation might be materially and adversely affected. As of the date of this annual report, we have not received any notice from government agencies that sets any limit on our loan balance or number of investors. Based on our interpretation of these regulations, in order to stay compliant with these circulars, we closely monitor our outstanding principal and number of investors and lenders, and voluntarily manage these operating metrics so that they do not experience any significant increase since June 30, 2017. Considering the regulatory environment on online lending information intermediaries, we ceased to offer new loans for online investors’ subscription since April 2020 and transitioned to a full institutional funding partner model. In November 2020, the outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P lending business was reduced to zero. As we transitioned to a full institutional funding partner model, we have worked with a diversified group of funding partners, which includes commercial banks, trusts and microcredit companies. We believe our capital-light strategy of pursuing diversified funding sources will support our continuous growth, allow us to offer or facilitate a wide variety of loans under changing market conditions and provide more affordable credit products. We will further optimize and diversify our funding sources by cooperating with additional entities, while also seeking to strengthen our mutually beneficial relationships with existing funding partners by leveraging our technology and data services to ensure the scalability, stability and sustainability of our funding. The growth and success of our future operations depend on the availability of adequate lending capital, at a commercially reasonable cost, to meet borrower demand for loans facilitated on our platform. If the funding partners’ risk appetite changes due to changes in economic conditions, regulatory regime, any unexpected shortage of funds, availability of licensed third party credit enhancement service providers or other reasons, funding partners may choose to offer different investment terms, which are not acceptable to us, or choose to not invest in loans facilitated on our platforms. To the extent that it is necessary to obtain additional lending capital from funding partners, such lending capital may not be available to our platforms on acceptable terms or at all. If adequate funds are not available to meet borrowers’ demand for loans when they arise, our platforms may not be able to fulfill all loan requests and the volume of loans facilitated on our platforms may be significantly impacted. If our platforms are unable to provide potential borrowers with loans or fund the loans on a timely basis due to insufficient lending capital on our platforms, we may experience a loss of market share or slower than expected growth, in which case our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Our cooperation with institutional funding partners may expose us to regulatory uncertainties and we may be required to obtain additional government approval or license due to our cooperation with institutional funding partners. We have expanded our institutional funding partner base and the volume of loans funded by our institutional funding partners in 2020 and since April 2020, we collaborate exclusively with institutional funding partners to fund our loans. Our collaboration with institutional funding partners has exposed us to and may continue to expose us to additional regulatory uncertainties faced by such institutional funding partners. For example, Circular 141 provides a series of guidance on the cash loan business of financial institutions. In July 2020, the CBIRC issued the Interim Measures for the Administration of Online Loans by Commercial Banks to 9 provide detailed rules on online loans provided by commercial banks. Further, on February 19, 2021, the CBIRC further issued the Notice of Further Regulating Online Loan Business of Commercial Banks, also known as Circular 24, which provides that the commercial banks shall independently carry out the risk management of online loans and are forbidden from outsourcing the material procedures of loan management. Circular 24 will also apply by analogy to branches of foreign banks, trusts, consumer finance companies and auto finance companies. To comply with such guidance, our institutional funding partners, such as banks and trusts, may need to change their cooperation model with their business partners, including us, which may adversely affect our business. In addition, we cannot assure you that the business operations of our institutional funding partners currently are or will be in compliance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations, and in the event that our institutional funding partners do not operate their businesses in accordance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations, they will be exposed to various regulatory risks and therefore, our business, financial condition and prospects would be materially and adversely affected. In addition, CBIRC Circular 37 explicitly provides that institutions providing customer promotion, credit assessment and other services for various lending institutions shall not provide financing guarantee services without approval. During our cooperation with certain institutional funding partners since the third quarter of 2019, the credit enhancement services have been provided by the Licensed Credit Enhancement Providers, and the Licensed Credit Enhancement Providers also demand counter-guarantees by another company in some contracts. Meanwhile, we also provide commitment letter of balance complements to the institutional funding partners or the Licensed Credit Enhancement Providers as required by them. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations. If the behavior of Jiayin Finance was deemed to be financing guarantee services without approval according to CBIRC Circular 37, we might be subject to licensing requirements and might be subject to penalties such as suspension of relevant business. 2020 is a year of comprehensive transformation for the marketplace lending industry and the laws and regulations in relation to the marketplace lending industry are still evolving. We are unable to predict with certainty the impact, if any, of future laws or regulations governing the marketplace lending industry will have on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we are unable to maintain and increase the number of our borrowers or the volume of loans facilitated through our platform, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected. The total loan origination volume facilitated through our platform was RMB23.7 billion in 2018, RMB19.1 billion in 2019, and RMB 11.6 billion (US$1.8 billion) in 2020, respectively. To maintain the high growth momentum of our platform, we must continuously increase the volume of loans by retaining current participants and attracting more users whose financing needs can be met on our platform. If there are insufficient institutional funding sources, borrowers may not be able to obtain capital through our platform and may turn to other sources for their borrowing needs. If we are unable to attract qualified borrowers and sufficient institutional funding, or if borrowers do not continue to participate in our platform at the current rates due to any changes or other business or regulatory reasons, we may be required to modify the way we conduct our business to ensure compliance with existing or new PRC laws and regulations, we might not be able to increase our loan transaction volume and revenues as we expect, and our business and results of operations may be adversely affected. If we are unable to secure funding from institutional funding partners on terms acceptable to us, or at all, our reputation, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. We collaborate with institutional funding partners to fund certain loans we facilitate. Our current institutional funding partners include banks, trusts and microcredit companies. The availability of funding from institutional funding partners depends on many factors, some of which are out of our control. Some of our institutional funding partners have limited operating history, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to rely on their funding in the future. Our ability to cooperate with new institutional funding partners may be subject to regulatory or other limitations. In addition, regardless of our risk management efforts, loans facilitated by us may nevertheless be considered riskier and have a higher delinquency rate than loans provided by traditional financial institutions. In the event there is a sudden or unexpected shortage of funds from our institutional funding partners, or if our institutional funding partners have determined not to continue to collaborate with us, we may not be able to maintain necessary levels of funding without incurring high costs of capital, or at all. While we have managed to diversify our funding sources, there can be no assurance that our funding sources will remain or become increasingly diversified in the future. If we become dependent on a small number of institutional funding partners and any such institutional funding partner determines not to collaborate with us or limits the funding that is available, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow may be materially and adversely affected. Our institutional funding partners typically agree to provide funding to our users who meet their predetermined criteria, subject to their approval process. In addition, while our users’ loan requests are usually approved if they fall within the parameters set and agreed upon by us and our institutional funding partners, they may implement additional requirements in their approval process outside of our monitor and control. Thus, there is no assurance that our institutional funding partners could provide reliable, sustainable and adequate funding to support the required liquidity as they could decline to fund user loans originated on our platform. In addition, if PRC laws and regulations impose more restrictions on cooperation with institutional funding partners, these institutional 10 funding partners will become more selective in choosing cooperation partners, which may drive up the funding costs and the competition among online lending platforms to cooperate with a limited number of institutional funding partners as well as other non-institutional funding sources. Any of the above may materially increase our funding costs, which may adversely affect our results of operations and profitability. Furthermore, if PRC laws and regulations are issued that prohibit our cooperation with our institutional funding partners, our cooperation with our funding partners may have to be terminated or suspended, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If our existing and new loan products and programs do not achieve sufficient market acceptance, our financial results and competitive position will be harmed. We have devoted significant resources to, and will continue to emphasize, upgrading and marketing our existing loan products and programs and enhancing their market awareness. We also incur expenses and expend resources upfront to develop, acquire and market new loan products and programs that incorporate additional features, improve functionality or otherwise make our platform more desirable to borrowers. New loan products and programs must achieve high levels of market acceptance in order for us to recoup our investment in developing, acquiring and bringing them to market. Our existing and new loan products and programs could fail to attain sufficient market acceptance for many reasons, including: • • • • • • • borrowers may not find terms of our loan products, such as costs and credit limit, competitive or appealing; our failure to predict market demand accurately and provide loan products that meet this demand in a timely fashion; borrowers and institutional funding partners using our platform may not like, find useful or agree with, any changes; defects, errors or failures in our platform; negative publicity about our loan products or our platform’s performance or effectiveness; views taken by regulatory authorities that the new products or platform changes do not comply with PRC laws, regulations or rules applicable to us; and the introduction or anticipated introduction of competing products by our competitors. In addition, our platform features a high proportion of repeat borrowers. Out of the total loan volume facilitated through our platform in 2018, 2019 and 2020, 38.6%, 50.4% and 72.8%, respectively, was attributable to repeat borrowers who had successfully borrowed on our platform before. The loan size of repeat borrowing of repeat borrowers tends to be larger than that of first time borrowing. Repeat borrowing also generally contributes to a higher overall credit quality of borrowers on our platform as we only permit borrowers with positive repayment histories to become repeat borrowers. If our repeat borrowing rate decreases in the future, or if the repeat borrowing rate is not as high as our expectations, our overall profitability may be adversely affected. If we are unable to increase the number of repeat borrowers on our platform, the credit quality, amount of transaction and service fees and overall profitability of our platform may be adversely affected. If our existing and new loan products do not achieve adequate acceptance in the market, especially among our existing borrowers, our competitive position, results of operations and financial condition could be harmed. If we are unable to provide a high-quality user experience, our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected. The success of our business largely depends on our ability to provide high-quality user experience, which in turn depends on a variety of factors. These factors include our ability to continue to offer loan products at competitive amount of financing interest and service fees and adequate credit limits, reliable and user-friendly website interface and mobile apps for users to browse, apply for credit, and further improve our online transaction process. If users are not satisfied with our loan products or our services, or our system is severely interrupted or otherwise fail to meet the borrowers’ requests, our reputation and borrower loyalty could be adversely affected. In addition, if our user service representatives fail to provide satisfactory service, or if waiting time for our user service hotline is too long due to the high volume of inquiries from users and borrowers at peak times, our brands and borrower loyalty may be adversely affected. In addition, any negative publicity or poor feedback regarding our borrower service may harm our brands and reputation and in turn cause us to lose borrowers and market share. As a result, if we are unable to continue to maintain or enhance our borrower experience and provide a high-quality borrower service, we may not be able to retain borrowers or attract prospective borrowers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 11 Any negative publicity with respect to us, the online consumer finance industry in general and our third-party partners may materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Reputation of our brand is critical to our business and competitiveness. Factors that are vital to our reputation include but are not limited to our ability to: • • • • • maintain the quality and reliability of our platform; provide borrowers and funding partners with a superior experience in our platform; enhance and improve our credit assessment and pricing models; effectively manage and resolve borrower and investor complaints; and effectively protect personal information and privacy of borrowers and funding partners. Any malicious or negative allegation made by the media or other parties about the foregoing or other aspects of our company, including but not limited to our management, business, compliance with law, financial condition or prospects, whether with merit or not, could severely compromise our reputation and harm our business and operating results. As the China online consumer finance industry is new and the regulatory framework for this industry is also evolving, negative publicity about this industry may arise from time to time. Negative publicity about China’s online consumer finance industry in general may also have a negative impact on our reputation, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. The PRC government has recently instituted specific rules to develop a more transparent regulatory environment for the online consumer finance industry. Any players in China’s online consumer finance industry who are not in compliance with these regulations may adversely impact the reputation of the industry as a whole. Furthermore, any negative development in, or negative perception of, the online consumer finance industry as a whole, even if factually incorrect or based on isolated incidents, could compromise our image, undermine the trust and credibility we have established and impose a negative impact on our ability to attract new funding partners and borrowers. Negative developments in the online consumer finance industry, such as widespread borrower defaults, fraudulent behavior and/or the closure of other online consumer finance platforms, may also lead to tightened regulatory scrutiny of the sector and limit the scope of permissible business activities that may be conducted by online consumer finance platforms like us. For instance, there were a number of reports of business failures of, or accusations of fraud and unfair dealing against, certain companies in the online consumer finance industry in China. Although the market exits of these companies may result in more healthy and stable development of the overall online consumer finance industry, to the extent borrowers or funding partners associate our company with these companies, they may be less willing to initiate transactions on our platform. Our business, financial condition and results of operations were adversely affected by such unfavorable market developments. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” There is still substantial uncertainty with respect to PRC regulatory policies in this field and the condition of the online consumer finance market, and we cannot assure you that similar negative news reports will not appear again in the future. In addition, negative publicity about our partners, service providers or other counterparties, such as negative publicity about their loan collection practices and any failure by them to adequately protect the information of our funding partners and borrowers, to comply with applicable laws and regulations or to otherwise meet required quality and service standards could harm our reputation. If any of the foregoing takes place, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Changes in PRC regulations relating to interest rates for marketplace and microcredit lending could have a material adverse effect on our business. According to the relevant PRC laws and regulations, in the context of lending activities between individuals, entities or other organizations that are not licensed financial institutions, if the interest rate of a loan exceeds 36% per annum, the exceeding part of the interest rate is invalid and void; if the interest rate of a loan exceeds 24% per annum but is no more than 36% per annum, the exceeding part will be treated as natural obligation—valid but not enforceable in the PRC judicial system, while the enforceability of the 24% per annum part will not be affected. In addition, on August 4, 2017, the Supreme People’s Court promulgated the Circular of Several Suggestions on Further Strengthening the Judicial Practice Regarding Financial Cases, which provides, among others, that (i) the claim of a borrower under a financial loan agreement to adjust or cut down the part of interest exceeding 24% per annum on the basis that the aggregate amount of interest, compound interest, default interest, liquidated damages and other fees collectively claimed by the lender is overly high shall be supported by the PRC courts; and (ii) in the context of online finance disputes, if the online lending information intermediary platforms and the lender circumvent the upper limit of the judicially protected interest rate by charging intermediary fee, it shall be ruled as invalid. In addition, under Circular 141, the overall borrowing costs charged to borrowers should be calculated by loan interest together with all relevant fees and presented in an annualized form. On July 22, 2020, the Supreme People’s Court and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly released the Opinions on Providing Judicial Services and Safeguards for Accelerating the Improvement of the Socialist Market Economic System for the New Era. This document states that if the interest and fees, including interest, compound interest, penalty interest, liquidated damages and other fees, claimed by one party to the loan contract exceed the upper limit under judicial protection, the claim will not 12 be supported by the court, and if the parties to the loan disguise the financing cost in an attempt to circumvent the upper limit, the rights and obligations of all parties to the loan will be determined by the actual loan relationship. On September 1, 2015, the Provisions of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Private Lending Cases came into effect and was then amended on August 20, 2020 and January 1, 2021. Under these amendments, if the service fees or other fees that we charge are deemed to be loan interest or fees related to loans (inclusive of any default rate and default penalty and any other fee), then in the event that the sum of the annualized interest that lenders charge and fees we and our business partners charge exceed four times the one-year Loan Prime Rate at the time of the establishment of the agreement, the borrower may refuse to pay the portion that exceeds the limit. In that case, PRC courts will not uphold our request to demand the payment of fees that exceed the limit from the borrower. The aforementioned one-year Loan Prime Rate refers to the one-year loan market quoted interest rate issued by the National Bank Interbank Funding Center. The one-year loan market quoted interest rate issued by the National Bank Interbank Funding Center on March 22, 2021 was 3.85%, and we cannot assure you that the one-year loan market quoted interest rate or the upper limit on interest and fee rates will not decrease in the future. As to the cases accepted by PRC courts of first instance on or after August 20, 2020 and in which the loan contracts were established before August 20, 2020, if the lender requests that the court apply the previous limits of 24% and 36% for calculating the loan interest accrued from the establishment of the loan contracts up to August 19, 2020, such request will be supported by the court, but the loan interest accrued from August 20, 2020 to the date of the loan repayment shall be calculated by applying the new limit of four times the one-year Loan Prime Rate at the time of the filing of the lawsuit. On December 29, 2020, the Supreme People’s Court also issued the Reply Regarding the Scope of Application of the New Private Lending Judicial Interpretation, which provides that the two amendments are not applicable to disputes arising from the relevant financial business of microcredit companies, financing guarantee companies, and five other types of local financial organizations which are regulated by local financial authorities. However, there remain uncertainties in the interpretation and implementation of the two amendments, including their applicability in practice, the basis of the formula used to calculate the interest limit, and the scope of inclusion of related fees, as well as inconsistencies between the standard and the level of enforcement by different PRC courts. If we are unable to comply with such regulatory requirements, supervision or guidance or are deemed to be charging above the maximum interest rates permitted by the relevant laws, regulations, policies or guidance, we could be subject to orders of suspension, cessation or rectification, cancellation of qualifications, or other penalties, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and our cooperation with business partners could be materially and adversely affected as a result. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Online consumer finance Services—Regulations on Online Peer-to-Peer Lending Intermediary Information Services” for more details. We are subject to credit cycles and the risk of deterioration of credit profiles of borrowers. Our business is subject to credit cycle, which is in turn associated with the volatility of general economy. If economic conditions deteriorate, we may face increased risk of default or delinquency of borrowers, which will result in lower returns or even losses. In the event that the creditworthiness of our borrowers deteriorates or we cannot track the deterioration of their creditworthiness, the criteria we use for the analysis of borrower credit profiles may be rendered inaccurate, and our risk management system may be subsequently rendered ineffective. This in turn may lead to higher default rates and adverse impact on our reputation, business, results of operations and financial positions. Broader macro, political and socio-economic factors and regulatory environment in China affecting market conditions can materially and adversely affect our business and operating results. General economic, macro, political and socio-economic factors beyond our control and regulatory environment in China may deter borrowers’ interest in seeking loans through our platform, and similarly, funding partners’ willingness to lend. Such factors include the general interest rate, unemployment rates, residential home values and availability of other investment opportunities. If any of these risk factors should materialize, the volume of loans facilitated on our platform will necessarily decline, and our revenues and operating results may be adversely affected. For instance, from the second quarter of 2019, the loan origination volume on our platform decreased due to Circular 1, which requires an online lending intermediary to reduce the number of individual investors, business volume and number of borrowers. In view of the changing regulatory environment, we have stopped funding our loans with individual investors in April 2020, which negatively affected our business and financial performance in 2020. We cannot guarantee that economic conditions will remain favorable for our business or industry and that demand and supply for consumer loans such as those we primarily facilitate over our platform will continue to be met at current levels. If demand or supply reduces, or if the default rate increases, our growth and revenue will be negatively impacted. Credit and other information that we receive from prospective borrowers and third parties about a borrower may be inaccurate or may not accurately reflect the borrower’s creditworthiness, which may compromise the accuracy of our credit assessment. For the purpose of credit assessment, we obtain from prospective borrowers and third parties certain information of the prospective borrowers, which may not be complete, accurate or reliable. The third parties whom we collaborate with include industry 13 anti-fraud service providers, Internet or wireless service providers, online shopping websites and payment service providers. A credit score assigned to a borrower may not reflect that particular borrower’s actual creditworthiness because the credit score may be based on outdated, incomplete or inaccurate borrower information. Additionally, once we have obtained a borrower’s information, the borrower may subsequently (i) become delinquent in the payment of an outstanding obligation; (ii) default on a pre-existing debt obligation; (iii) take on additional debt; or (iv) sustain other adverse financial events, making the information we have previously obtained inaccurate. We currently cannot determine whether borrowers have outstanding loans through other online consumer finance platforms at the time they obtain a loan from us. This creates the risk that a borrower may borrow money through our platform in order to pay off loans on other online consumer finance platforms and vice versa. If a borrower incurs additional debt before fully repaying any loan such borrower takes out on our platform, the additional debt may impair the ability of that borrower to make payments on his or her loan and the funding partner’s ability to receive returns associated with such loan. In addition, the additional debt may adversely affect the borrower’s creditworthiness generally, and could result in the financial distress or insolvency of the borrower. To the extent that a borrower has or incurs other indebtedness and cannot repay all of his or her indebtedness, the obligations under the loans will rank pari passu to each other and the borrower may choose to make payments to other creditors rather than to funding partners on our platform. The additional debt may adversely affect the borrower’s creditworthiness generally, and could result in the financial distress or insolvency of the borrower, impairing the borrower’s ability to repay the loan and the funding partner’s ability to receive investment returns associated with such loan. In addition, if a borrower incurs debt on other online lending platforms in order to repay our loans, the borrower’s ability to repay such loans is limited by the availability of funding sources subject to factors beyond the borrower’s control, which may adversely affect our results of operations. For instance, in the first half of 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic increased market uncertainties and resulted in an unexpected short-term volatility of borrower credit performance across our industry, and in particular, we observed a slightly increase in our delinquency rate in the first quarter of 2020. Such inaccurate or incomplete borrower information could compromise the accuracy of our credit assessment and adversely affect the effectiveness of our risk management, which could in turn harm our reputation, and as a result our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. We rely on our proprietary credit assessment model in assessing the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the risks associated with loans. If our credit assessment model is flawed or ineffective, or if we otherwise fail or are perceived to fail to manage the default risks of loans facilitated through our platform, our reputation and market share would be materially and adversely affected, which would severely impact our business and results of operations. Our ability to attract funding partners and borrowers to, and build trust in, our platform is significantly dependent on our ability to effectively evaluate borrowers’ credit profiles and likelihood of default. To conduct this evaluation, we utilize our proprietary and open credit assessment model, which is built based on massive data collected through various channels and strengthened by our sophisticated artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning techniques. Our credit assessment model conducts in-depth anti-fraud and delinquency history analysis of the borrowers, assigns the borrowers a credit score based on their risk profile, which directly affect the interests rate and credit limit available to the borrower. However, our credit assessment model may not effectively assess the credit risk of the borrower or predict future delinquency rate and loan losses. If we are unable to effectively classify borrowers into the relative risk categories, we may be unable to effectively manage the default risks of loans facilitated through our platform, which may adversely affect our ability to accurately account for risk related to such loans, and furthermore, our ability to offer attractive interest rates for borrowers and returns for funding partners. Because investment in loans on our platform involves inherent risks, we are unable to completely eliminate borrowers’ default despite various preventive and funding partner protection measures we have taken or will take. In addition, if a borrower’s financial condition worsens after his or her loan application is approved, we may not be able to take measures to prevent default on the part of the borrower and thereby maintain a reasonably low default rate for loans facilitated through our platform. Our credit assessment model may not be able to timely and accurately adjust down the credit rating assigned to a borrower if such borrower’s creditworthiness deteriorates. In addition, certain line items on our financial statements, including allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others and provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program that we historically managed, are and were recorded based on the default rate that we estimate. Since our estimate of the risks might be inaccurate, our consolidated financial statements may be materially misstated. While we continuously refine the algorithms, data processing and machine learning used by our credit assessment model to reduce the likelihood of mispricing loans or misclassifying borrower, our loan pricing and approval process could be negatively affected if any of these decision-making and scoring systems contain programming or other errors, are ineffective or the data provided by borrowers or third parties are incorrect or stale. If any of the foregoing were to occur in the future, borrowers may seek to revise the terms of their loans or reduce the use of our platform for financing, and our reputation and market share would be materially and adversely affected, which would severely impact our business and results of operations. 14 We have obligations to verify information relating to borrowers and detecting fraud. If we fail to perform such obligations to meet the requirements of relevant laws and regulations, we may be subject to liabilities. Our reputation may be harmed if information supplied by borrowers is inaccurate, misleading or incomplete. Our business of connecting funding partners and borrowers constitutes an intermediary service, and our contracts with funding partners and/or borrowers are intermediation contracts under the Civil Code. Under the Civil Code, an intermediary that intentionally conceals any material information or provides false information in connection with the conclusion of an intermediation contract which results in harm to the client’s interests may not claim any service fee for its intermediary services, and is liable for any damage incurred by the client. Therefore, if we fail to provide material information to funding partners and are found to be at fault for our failure or deemed failure to exercise proper care to conduct adequate information verification or supervision, we could be subject to liabilities as an intermediary under the Civil Code. Furthermore, if we fail to complete our obligations under the agreements with institutional funding partners and borrowers, we could also be held liable for damages caused to borrowers or institutional funding partners pursuant to the Civil Code. In addition, the Interim Measures have imposed on online lending information intermediaries, including us, additional obligations to verify the truthfulness of the information provided by or in relation to loan applicants and to actively detect fraud. We leverage a large database of fraudulent account information and sophisticated rule-based detection technology to detect fraudulent behaviors. We update our database on a monthly basis based on new data collected and fraudulent behavior detected during the ordinary course of our business operations. As the Interim Measures are relatively new, it is still unclear to what extent online lending information intermediaries should exercise care in detecting fraud. Although we believe that as an information intermediary, we should not bear the credit risk for funding partners as long as we take reasonable measures to detect fraudulent behavior, we cannot assure you that we would not be subject to liability under the Interim Measures if we fail to detect any fraudulent behavior. Any such liability could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. We do not impose restrictions on the use of our loans or prohibit our borrowers from incurring other debt or impose financial covenants on borrowers during the term of the loan, which will increase the risk of non-payment on our loans. We are faced with the risk that borrowers borrow money from our platform to pay off loans on other online consumer finance platforms. Subject to credit assessment result, borrowers may take out new loans on our platform to pay off their other existing loans facilitated by others. We also do not prohibit our borrowers from incurring additional indebtedness, which may impair the borrower’s ability to observe his or her payment obligations on the loan product we facilitated and therefore adversely affect the relevant funding partner’s returns. Although we take certain measures to monitor our borrowers’ credit records and indebtedness, we may not be able to effectively prevent the occurrence of such behavior given the practical difficulty in tracking and controlling the usage of borrowed funds and the financial activities of our borrowers. If a borrower becomes insolvent or otherwise run into financial distress, any unsecured loan (including those obtained through our platform) will rank pari passu to each other and the borrower may cherry-pick among his or her creditors and our funding partner may suffer losses. For secured loans, the ability of other secured lenders to exercise remedies against the assets of the borrower may impair the borrower’s ability to repay the loan to our funding partner. Funding partners may lose their confidence in us and our reputation and business may be adversely affected. Fraudulent activity on our platform could negatively impact our operating results, brand and reputation and cause the use of our loan products and services to decrease. We are subject to the risk of fraudulent activity both on our platform and associated with borrowers, funding partners and third parties handling borrower and funding partner information. Our resources, technologies and fraud detection tools may be insufficient to accurately detect and prevent fraud. Significant increases in fraudulent activity could negatively impact our brand and reputation, result in losses suffered by the funding partners, reduce the volume of loans facilitated through our platform and lead us to take additional steps to reduce fraud risk, which could increase our costs and expenses. High profile fraudulent activity could even lead to regulatory intervention and litigation, and may divert our management’s attention and cause us to incur additional expenses and costs. If any of the foregoing were to occur, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. Our risk management system comprising our policy framework, credit assessment and fraud detection technology and modules may not be adequate, which may adversely affect the reliability of our platform, and in turn damage our reputation, business and results of operations. The success of our online platform relies heavily on our ability to detect, assess and control credit risk, and therefore to prevent fraud. Despite the measures we take to assess and manage risk, the information and data we collect may not be sufficient to allow us to adequately capture a borrower applicant’s credit risk. Such information and data include, among others, demographic information, credit history with us and with other financial institutions, and employment information and blacklists maintained by other forums and organizations. We constantly update and optimize our risk management system, but the system may have loopholes or defects which may prevent us from effectively identifying risks, or the data provided may be inaccurate or stale or insufficient, such that we may misjudge the risk and misalign the risk profile and loan price. The information may also not be sufficient for prediction of future non- 15 payment. Such risks and errors may erode funding partner confidence in our platform and therefore harm our reputation and adversely affect our business and results of operations. Interim period results can vary significantly due to a host of variables and may not accurately reflect the underlying performance of our business. Our interim period results of operations, including operating revenue, expenses, the number of loans and other key performance indicators, may fluctuate significantly such that comparisons of our operating results period-on-period may not be meaningful. Results of any interim period cannot accurately indicate future performance. Fluctuations may be due to any number of variables, including some beyond our control, such as: • • • • • • • • our ability to grow our users base by attracting new and retaining repeat borrowers; the volume, quality, mix of loans and the acquisition of funding partners and borrowers; the level of operating expenses in the acquisition of funding partners and borrowers, the growth and maintenance of our business, operations and infrastructure and the timing; disruptions to the telecommunications network or security breaches; general macroeconomic and socio-political factors affecting the market and industry, particularly with respect to interest rates, consumer spending and levels of disposable income; seasonality of our loan products, which are generally higher in the third and fourth quarters due to national holidays and consumer spending patterns; our strategy with a focus on long-term growth instead of immediate profitability; and The incurring of expenses related to acquisitions activities of businesses or technologies and potential future charges for impairment of goodwill, if any. Fluctuations in our interim period results may affect the price of our ADSs in an adverse manner. We incurred net losses in the past and may incur net losses in the future. Furthermore, we experienced net cash outflows in the past and may experience liquidity pressure in the future. Although we had net income of RMB611.8 million, RMB527.2 million and RMB250.1 million (US$38.3million) in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively, we have had net losses in the past. We had accumulated deficits of RMB2,047.5 million, RMB1,519.7 million and RMB1,266.8 million (US$194.1 million) as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. We cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to generate net income in the future. Furthermore, we experienced net cash outflows from operating activities in 2020 of RMB35.5 million (US$5.4 million), we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to grow our revenue and operating cash inflows. We generate a substantial majority of our total revenues from service fees we collect from our institutional funding partners. Any material decrease in our service fees would have a substantial impact on our profit margin and liquidity status. We may also experience an increase in our operating cash outflows as we anticipate that our operating cost and expenses may increase in the foreseeable future as we continue to grow our business, attract funding partners and borrowers and further enhance and develop our products, enhance our risk management capabilities and increase brand recognition. These efforts may prove more costly than we currently anticipate, and we may not succeed in increasing our revenue sufficiently to offset these higher expenses. There are other factors that could negatively affect our financial condition. For example, the delinquency rates of the loans facilitated may be higher than expected, which may lead to lower than expected revenue, additional expenses and higher provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program. Furthermore, we have adopted share incentive plans in the past and may adopt new share incentive plans in the future, which have caused, and will result in, significant share-based compensation expenses to us, which will decrease our income. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, our net income margins may decline or we may incur additional net losses in the future and may not be able to maintain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Furthermore, our liquidity status may deteriorate. In addition, our ability to satisfy our liquidity and capital needs may be affected by additional factors and events that affects the online consumer finance industry, as well as other macroeconomic and socio-political factors that increase our cash needs making us face continuing or greater liquidity pressure. Our failure to compete effectively could adversely affect our results of operations and market share. The online consumer finance market is an emerging industry in China. We face competition from other online consumer finance platforms, online platforms that engage in online lending and traditional financial institutions. We compete with other online consumer finance platforms directly for both investors and borrowers. In addition, we compete with other online platforms that engage 16 in online lending businesses for borrowers. We also compete with traditional financial institutions, including credit card issuers, online consumer finance business units in commercial banks and other online consumer finance companies. Our competitors operate with different business models, have different cost structures or participate selectively in different market segments. They may ultimately prove more successful or more adaptable to new regulatory, technological and other developments. Some of our current and potential competitors have significantly more financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their platforms. Our competitors may also have more extensive borrower or funding partner bases, greater brand recognition and brand loyalty and broader partner relationships than us. Additionally, a current or potential competitor may acquire one or more of our existing competitors or form a strategic alliance with one or more of our competitors. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and future growth. In addition, our competitors may be better at developing new products, responding faster to new technologies. When new competitors seek to enter our target market, or when existing market participants seek to increase their market share, they sometimes undercut the pricing and/or terms prevalent in that market, which could adversely affect our market share or ability to exploit new market opportunities. Also, since the online consumer finance industry in China is relatively new and fast evolving, potential funding partners and borrowers may not fully understand how our platform works and may not be able to fully appreciate the additional customer protections and features that we have invested in and adopted on our platform as compared to others. Our pricing and terms could deteriorate if we fail to act to meet these competitive challenges. Furthermore, to the extent that our competitors are able to offer more attractive terms to our business partners, such business partners may choose to terminate their relationships with us. If we are unable to compete with such companies and meet the need for innovation in our industry, the demand for our platform could stagnate or substantially decline, we could experience reduced revenues and our platform could fail to achieve or maintain more widespread market acceptance, any of which could harm our business and results of operations. If we fail to promote and maintain our brand in a cost-efficient way, our business and results of operations may be harmed. We believe that developing and maintaining awareness of our brand effectively is critical to attracting new and retaining existing funding partners and borrowers to our platform. This depends largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts and the success of the channels we use to promote our platform. If any of our current marketing channels become less effective, if we are unable to continue to use any of these channels, or if the cost of using these channels were to significantly increase or if we are not successful in generating new channels, we may not be able to attract new funding partners and borrowers in a cost-effective manner or convert potential funding partners and borrowers into active funding partners and borrowers on our platform. Our efforts to build our brand have caused us to incur significant expenses, and it is likely that our future marketing efforts will require us to incur significant additional expenses. The costs of any such advertising campaign is likely to be considerable. These efforts may not result in increased revenues in the immediate future or at all and, even if they do, any increases in revenues may not offset the expenses incurred. If we fail to successfully promote and maintain our brand while incurring substantial expenses, our results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected, which may impair our ability to grow our business. We operate in a market where the credit infrastructure is still at an early stage of development. China’s credit infrastructure is still at an early stage of development. The nationwide financial basic credit reporting system operated by the Credit Reference Center, which was established by the People’s Bank of China in 2006, only records limited credit information, such as tax payments, civil lawsuits, foreclosure and bankruptcy. Moreover, this credit database is accessible to data owners themselves and data users who have obtained written authorization from the data owners. In 2015, the People’s Bank of China announced that it would open the credit reporting market to private sectors with a view to spurring competition and innovation, but it may be a long-term process to establish a widely- applicable, reliable and sophisticated credit infrastructure in the market we operate. Our fee rates may decline in the future. We generate a substantial majority of our total revenues from service fees we collect from our institutional funding partners. These fee rates may be affected by our product mix, the macroeconomic factors as well as the competition in the online consumer finance industry. We may be unable to offer attractive service fee rates while driving the growth and profitability of our business. Furthermore, our competitors may lower their fee rates in an effort to lure funding partners away from us. If we reduce our fee rates in order to compete more effectively, the profitability of our business could be adversely affected. If we do not reduce our rates, funding partners may leave our platform, and the total service fees we collect may decline. Any material decline in our fee rates or the fees we collect could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. 17 Our business depends on the continued efforts of our senior management. If one or more of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, our business may be severely disrupted. Our business operations depend on the continued services of our senior management, particularly the executive officers named in this annual report. While we have provided different incentives to our management, we cannot assure you that we can continue to retain their services. There have been departures of our senior management members in the past and we cannot assure you that our existing senior management members will not terminate their employment with us in the future. If one or more of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all, our future growth may be constrained, our business may be severely disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. In addition, although we have entered into confidentiality and non-competition agreements with our management, there is no assurance that any member of our management team will not join our competitors or form a competing business. If any dispute arises between our current or former officers and us, we may have to incur substantial costs and expenses in order to enforce such agreements in China or we may be unable to enforce them at all. We face risks related to natural disasters, health epidemics and other outbreaks, which could significantly disrupt our operations We are vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. Fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks or similar events may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures or Internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to provide products and services on our platform. Our business could also be adversely affected by the effects of coronavirus, Ebola virus disease, Zika virus disease, H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, avian flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, or other epidemics. Our business operations could be disrupted if any of our employees is suspected of having coronavirus, Ebola virus disease, Zika virus disease, H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, avian flu, SARS or other epidemic, since it could require our employees to be quarantined and/or our offices to be disinfected. In particular, the outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, first reported in December 2019, has spread rapidly throughout the world. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “pandemic” on March 11, 2020. The global outbreak has caused market panics, which materially and negatively affected the global financial markets. Such disruption and the potential slowdown of China’s and the world’s economy has had and could continue to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. In particular, we, our institutional funding partners and third-party collection agencies have experienced business disruptions due to quarantine measures to contain the spread of this outbreak. In addition, our results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that the outbreak harms the Chinese economy in general. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic affects our operations and financial performance will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID- 19 and the actions to contain the coronavirus, such as the availability of effective vaccines or cure, among others. To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this annual report, such as those relating to our level of indebtedness, our need to generate sufficient cash flows to service our indebtedness and our ability to comply with the covenants contained in the agreements that govern our indebtedness. Our headquarters are located in Shanghai, where most of our directors and management and a large majority of our employees currently reside. In addition, most of our system hardware and back-up systems are hosted in leased facilities located in Shanghai. Consequently, if any of the abovementioned natural disasters, health epidemics or other outbreaks were to occur in Shanghai or other locations where we operate in, our operation may experience material disruptions, such as temporary closure of our offices and suspension of services, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our business operation could also be disrupted if any of our employees are suspected of having contracted any contagious disease or condition, since it could require our employees to be quarantined or our offices to be closed down and disinfected. All of these would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition in the near terms. Additionally, if the outbreak persists or escalates, we may be subject to further negative impact on our business operations and financial condition. Our operation could also be severely disrupted if our users or business partners were affected by such natural disasters or health epidemics. Misconduct, errors and failure to function by our employees and third-party service providers could harm our business and reputation. We are exposed to many types of operational risks, including the risk of misconduct and errors by our employees and third-party service providers. Our business depends on our employees and third-party service providers to interact with potential funding partners and borrowers, process large numbers of transactions and support the loan collection process, all of which involve the use and disclosure of personal information. We could be materially adversely affected if transactions were redirected, misappropriated or otherwise improperly executed, if personal information was disclosed to unintended recipients or if an operational breakdown or failure in the processing of transactions occurred, whether as a result of human error, purposeful sabotage or fraudulent manipulation of our operations or systems. In addition, the manner in which we store and use certain personal information and interact with funding 18 partners and borrowers through our platform is governed by various PRC laws. It is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct or errors by employees or third-party service providers, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses. If any of our employees or third-party service providers take, convert or misuse funds, documents or data or fail to follow protocol when interacting with funding partners and borrowers, we could be liable for damages and be subject to regulatory actions and penalties. We could also be perceived to have facilitated or participated in the illegal misappropriation of funds, documents or data, or the failure to follow protocol, and therefore be subject to civil or criminal liability. In addition to our own collecting team, we also use certain third-party service providers for loan collection services. Aggressive practices or misconduct by any of our third-party service providers in the course of collecting loans could damage our reputation. Cyber-attacks, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or similar disruptions of us or of a third-party, including events beyond our control, could result in disclosure or misuse of confidential information and misappropriation of funds of our funding partners and borrowers, subject us to liabilities, reduce the attractiveness of our platform and cause reputational harm and adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition. Our platform collects, stores and processes certain personal and other sensitive data from our funding partners and borrowers. The massive data that we have processed and stored makes us or third-party service providers who host our servers a target and potentially vulnerable to cyber-attacks, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or similar disruptions. While we have taken steps to protect the confidential information that we have access to, our security measures could be breached. Because techniques used to sabotage or obtain unauthorized access to systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until they are launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any accidental or willful security breaches or other unauthorized access to our platform could cause confidential borrower and funding partner information to be stolen and used for criminal purposes. As personally identifiable and other confidential information is increasingly subject to legislation and regulations in numerous domestic and international jurisdictions, any inability to protect confidential information of our funding partners and borrowers could result in additional cost and liability for us, damage our reputation, inhibit the use of our platform and harm our business. We also face indirect technology, cybersecurity and operational risks relating to the third parties whom we work with to facilitate or enable our business activities, including, among others, third-party online payment service providers who manage accounts for certain borrower and funding partner funds and external cloud service provider. As a result of increasing consolidation and interdependence of technology systems, a technology failure, cyber-attack or other information or security breach that significantly compromises the systems of one entity could have a material impact on its counterparties. Any cyber-attack, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins or similar disruptions of such third-party payment service providers could, among other things, adversely affect our ability to serve our users, and could even result in misappropriation of funds of our funding partners and borrowers. If that were to occur, both we and third-party payment service providers could be held liable to funding partners and borrowers who suffer losses from the misappropriation. Security breaches or unauthorized access to confidential information could also expose us to liability related to the loss of the information, time-consuming and expensive litigation and negative publicity. If security measures are breached because of third-party action, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise, or if design flaws in our technology infrastructure are exposed and exploited, our relationships with funding partners and borrowers could be severely damaged, we could incur significant liability and our business and operations could be adversely affected. If we are unable to protect the confidential information of our users and adapt to the relevant regulatory framework regarding protection of such information, our business and operations may be adversely affected. The PRC government authorities have enacted a series of laws and regulations on the protection of personal information, under which Internet service providers and other network operators are required to comply with the principles of legality, justification and necessity, to clearly indicate the purposes, methods and scope of any information collection and usage, and to obtain the consent of users, as well as to establish a user information protection system with appropriate remedial measures. We have obtained written consent from our users to use their personal information within the scope of authorization and we have taken technical measures to ensure the security of such personal information and to prevent any loss or divergence of personal information from. However, there is uncertainty as to the interpretation and application of such laws. If such laws or regulations are to be interpreted and applied in a manner inconsistent with our current policies and practices, changes to the features of our system may be required and additional costs may be incurred. We cannot assure you that our existing user information protection system and technical measures will be considered sufficient under applicable laws and regulations. If we are unable to address any information protection concerns, or to comply with the then applicable laws and regulations, we may incur additional costs and liability and our reputation, business and operations might be adversely affected. See ‘‘Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Internet Companies—Regulations on Privacy Protection’’ for more details. 19 On June 1, 2017, the Cyber Security Law of the PRC became effective. The law requires network products and services providers as we are, among other things, to strictly preserve the secrecy of user information they collect and to store within mainland China data that is gathered or produced by such network products and services provider in the country. If we are deemed to have violated the law, potential penalties include, depending on the nature of violation, forced shut down of our websites, revocation of business licenses, freezing of assets, and fines imposed on the company ranging from approximately RMB10,000 to RMB1 million or management personnel ranging from approximately RMB5,000 to RMB1 million. Due to the relatively new nature of the Cyber Security Law of the PRC and the lack of clarity in the statutory law itself as to the circumstances and standard under which the law should apply and violations may be found, there are great uncertainties as to the interpretation and application of the law. The law’s vagueness in its own statutory language also indicates that the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, the designated government enforcement agency, will have broad latitude to direct how the law is interpreted and enforced, thus creating greater uncertainties with regard to the interpretation and application of the law since the government enforcement agency has yet to provide further guidance on the enforcement mechanism of the law. If we are found to have violated the Cyber Security Law of the PRC in a government enforcement action, we may face severe penalties that may result in monetary losses, losses of access to assets essential for daily operation of our business or for the continuance of service provision, and temporary or total disruption of our business for an extended period of time. In addition, the finding of a violation of the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, even if later repealed, may cause damages to our reputation and our brand name, causing users to lose confidence in our service and to refrain from choosing or continuing to use our products and services. All of these consequences may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the stringent reporting obligation imposed by the Cyber Security Law of the PRC itself, without a finding of violation, may have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations. As we are obligated by the law to inform our users of any security flaw or vulnerability as they are discovered, users may become wary of the existence or frequency of such reports and lose confidence in the security of our system, and thus may be discouraged from choosing or continuing to use our products and services, even if the security flaws or vulnerabilities are readily fixable and can be easily overcome. In addition, the Personal Information Security Specification came into force in May 2018, and the final amended version of it came into force on October 1, 2020. Although the Personal Information Security Specification is not yet a mandatory regulation, it nonetheless has a key implementing role under China’s Cyber Security Law with respect to protecting personal information in China. Furthermore, it is likely that the Personal Information Security Specification will be relied on by Chinese government agencies as a standard to determine whether businesses have abided by China’s data protection rules. Meanwhile, under the Personal Information Security Specification, the data controller must provide the purpose of collecting and using personal information, as well as the business functions of such purpose, and the Personal Information Security Specification requires the data controller to distinguish its core function from additional functions to ensure the data controller will only collect personal information as needed. In addition, on July 3, 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress released the Data Security Law (Draft) to solicit public comments. The Data Security Law (Draft) sets forth specific provisions regarding establishing basic systems for data security management, including hierarchical data classification management system, risk assessment system, monitoring and early warning system, and emergency disposal system. It also clarifies the data security protection obligations of organizations and individuals carrying out data activities and implementing data security protection responsibility. On October 21, 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress published a consultation draft of the Personal Information Protection Law, which takes revocable consent as its principal basis for processing personal information. It introduces extra-territorial effect and restrictions on international data transfers and imposes revenue-based fines as the principal penalty for non-compliance. The relevant regulatory authorities in China continue to monitor websites and apps in relation to the protection of personal data, privacy and information security, and may impose additional requirements from time to time. We believe that we have conformed our practices in line with current requirements. However, we cannot assure that our existing user information protection system and technical measures will be considered sufficient under all applicable laws and regulations. There are uncertainties as to the interpretation and application of laws in one jurisdiction which may be interpreted and applied in a manner inconsistent to another jurisdiction and may conflict with our current policies and practices or require changes to the features of our system. If we are unable to address any information protection concerns, any compromise of security that results unauthorized disclosure or transfer of personal data, or to comply with the then applicable laws and regulations, we may incur additional costs and liability and result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation, fines and penalties or adverse publicity and could cause our users and clients to lose trust in us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. 20 The trend of tightening regulations on protection of data security also appear in other jurisdictions. For example, in May 2018, a new data protection regime, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation became applicable; the General Data Protection Regulation can apply to the processing of personal data by companies outside of the European Union, including where the processing of personal data relates to the offering of goods and services to, or monitoring the behavior of, individuals in the European Union. The General Data Protection Regulation and data protection laws in other jurisdictions may apply to our processing of personal data in the future. The application of these laws to our business would impose on us more stringent compliance requirements with more significant penalties for non- compliance than PRC data protection laws and regulations, and our compliance with such requirements could require significant resources and result in substantial costs, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We collect, process and store personal information concerning our borrowers, as well as personal information pertaining to our business partners and employees. Compliance with applicable personal information and information security laws and regulations is a rigorous and time-intensive process. As global information protection laws and regulations increase in number and complexity, we cannot assure you that our information protection systems will be considered sufficient under all applicable laws and regulations due to factors including the uncertainty of the interpretation and implementation of these laws and regulations. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that the information we receive from our third-party data partners are obtained and transmitted to us in full compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Moreover, there could be new laws, regulations or industry standards that require us to change our business practices and privacy policies, and we may also be required to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with new information protection laws, all of which may increase our costs and materially harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in reputational damage or proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities, individuals or others. These proceedings or actions could subject us to significant civil or criminal penalties and negative publicity, result in the delayed or halted processing of personal information that we need to undertake to carry on our business, as well as the forced transfer or confiscation of certain personal information. Any failure by our third-party service providers or institutional funding partners to comply with applicable anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws and regulations could damage our reputation. Currently, we rely on our third-party service providers, in particular payment companies that handle the transfer of funds between borrowers and lenders, to have their own appropriate anti-money laundering policies and procedures. For institutional funding partners, they generally transfer the funds to borrowers directly. The payment companies and our institutional funding partners are subject to anti-money laundering obligations under applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations and are regulated in that respect by the People’s Bank of China. If any of our third-party service providers or institutional funding partners fails to comply with applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations, our reputation could suffer and we could become subject to regulatory intervention, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our platform is subject to anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing in PRC and other jurisdictions where we operate. While we are in the process of formulating policies and procedures, including internal controls and “know-your-customer” procedures, aimed at preventing money laundering and terrorism financing, we cannot assure you that we will be able to establish and maintain effective anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing policies and procedures to protect our platform from being exploited for money laundering or terrorism financing purposes or that such policies and procedures, if adopted, will be deemed to be in compliance with applicable anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws and regulations. We have not been subject to fines or other penalties, or suffered business or other reputational harm, as a result of actual or alleged money laundering or terrorist financing activities in the past. However, our policies and procedures may not be completely effective in preventing other parties from using us, any of our users, clients or third-party partners as a conduit for money laundering (including illegal cash operations), terrorist financing or sanctioned activities without our knowledge. If we were to be associated with money laundering (including illegal cash operations), terrorist financing or sanctioned activities, our reputation could suffer and we could become subject to regulatory fines, sanctions, or legal enforcement, including being added to any “blacklists” that would prohibit certain parties from engaging in transactions with us, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the laws and regulations on anti- money laundering and anti-terrorist financing might be tightened in the future, which may impose more obligations on us and our users, clients and third-party partners. Even if we, our users, clients and business partners comply with the applicable domestic and overseas anti-money laundering laws and regulations, we may not be able to fully eliminate money laundering and other illegal or improper activities in light of the complexity and the secrecy of these activities. 21 If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations or prevent fraud. We are a public company in the United State subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. Among other things, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, adopted rules requiring every public company, including us, to include a management report on the company’s internal control over financial reporting in its annual report, which contains management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting. We are required to include such report in our annual report on Form 20-F starting from the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. In addition, once we cease to be an “emerging growth company,” as such term is defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (as amended by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015), or the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm may be required to attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and co-chief financial officers, has performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was ineffective as of December 31, 2020 due to the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal controls, 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. One material weakness relates to lack of sufficient accounting staff with U.S. GAAP knowledge and SEC reporting experience related to the accounting and reporting of complex transactions. The other material weakness relates to our lack of formal risk assessment process and internal control framework over financial reporting. We lack of a formal group-wide risk assessment process to identify, assess, address or mitigate the risks identified, and internal control over financial reporting framework to maintain effective internal controls within the organization, which may increase risk of error, fraud, misstatement of financial reporting, or non- compliance with related regulations for a U.S. listed group. See “Item 15. Controls and Procedures—Internal Control over Financial Reporting.” In response to the identified material weaknesses, we have implemented the following measures to address the material weaknesses that have been identified, including (i) participating in trainings and seminars provided by professional services firms on a regular basis, (ii) providing internal training to our current accounting team on U.S. GAAP knowledge, (iii)hiring a new reporting officer and an additional financial reporting manager with experience in U.S. GAAP accounting and SEC reporting to lead accounting and financial reporting matters, (iv) setting up a systematic accounting manual for U.S. GAAP and financial closing process and (v) hiring experienced internal auditors and setting up the internal audit department. We are also in the process of implementing the following measures, including (i) perform self-assessment of internal control effectiveness on a continuous basis, and (ii) engaging professional service companies to help implement SOX 404 compliance together with the establishment of internal audit function. Although we have begun to implement measures to address the material weaknesses, the implementation of these measures may not fully address the material weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting, and we cannot conclude that they have been fully remedied. In the future we may determine that we have additional material weaknesses, or our independent registered public accounting firm may disagree with our management assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls. Our failure to correct the material weaknesses and control deficiencies or our failure to discover and address any other material weaknesses or control deficiencies could result in inaccuracies in our financial statements and could also impair our ability to comply with applicable financial reporting requirements and related regulatory filings on a timely basis. As a result, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ADSs, may be materially and adversely affected. Moreover, ineffective internal control over financial reporting significantly hinders our ability to prevent fraud. Furthermore, it is possible that, had our independent registered public accounting firm conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting, such accountant might have identified additional material weaknesses and deficiencies. As we are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Section 404 of the Sarbanes- Oxley Act, or Section 404, we are required to include a report from management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. In addition, once we cease to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal controls or the level at which our controls are designed, implemented and operated, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, as a public company, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to timely complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation. 22 During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify other weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause funding partners to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of our ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods. Borrower growth and activity on mobile devices depend upon effective use of mobile operating system, networks and standards, which we do not control. Our loan products are mostly offered through mobile apps. As new mobile devices and platforms are released, it is difficult to predict the problems we may encounter in developing applications for these new devices and platforms, and we may need to devote significant resources to the development, support and maintenance of such applications. In addition, our future growth and our results of operations could suffer if we experience difficulties in the future in integrating our loan products into mobile devices or if problems arise with our relationships with providers of mobile operating systems or mobile app stores, or if we face increased costs to distribute or have users utilize our loan products on mobile devices. We are further dependent on the interoperability of providing our loan products on popular mobile operating systems that we do not control, such as iOS and Android, and any changes in such systems that degrade the accessibility of our loan products or give preferential treatment to competing products could adversely affect the usability of our loan products on mobile devices. In the event that it is more difficult for our users to access and utilize our loan products on their mobile devices, or if our users choose not to access or utilize our loan products on their mobile devices or to use mobile operating systems that do not offer access to our loan products, our user growth could be harmed and our business, financial condition and operating results may be adversely affected. Our operations depend on the performance of the Internet infrastructure and telecommunications networks in China. Almost all access to the Internet in China is maintained through state-owned telecommunication operators under the administrative control and regulatory supervision of the MIIT. We primarily rely on a limited number of telecommunication service providers to provide us with data communications capacity through local telecommunications lines and Internet data centers to host our servers. We have limited access to alternative networks or services in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with China’s Internet infrastructure or the fixed telecommunications networks provided by telecommunication service providers. With the expansion of our business, we may be required to upgrade our technology and infrastructure to keep up with the increasing traffic on our platform. We cannot assure you that the Internet infrastructure and the fixed telecommunications networks in China will be able to support the demands associated with the continued growth in Internet usage. In addition, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by telecommunication service providers. If the prices we pay for telecommunications and Internet services rise significantly, our results of operations may be adversely affected. Furthermore, if Internet access fees or other charges to Internet users increase, our user traffic may decline and our business may be harmed. Our platform and internal systems rely on software that is highly technical, and if it contains undetected errors, our business could be adversely affected. Our platform and internal systems rely on software that is highly technical and complex. In addition, our platform and internal systems depend on the ability of such software to store, retrieve, process and manage immense amounts of data. In particular, we open credit assessment platforms to these expert consultants, where they have access to a limited amount of desensitized, grouped and tagged borrower data, based on which they use such data to develop their own credit assessment models. The software on which we rely may have contained, and may now or in the future contain, undetected errors or bugs. Some errors may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or internal use. Errors or other design defects within the software on which we rely may result in a negative experience for funding partners and borrowers using our platform, delay introductions of new features or enhancements, result in errors or compromise our ability to protect borrower or funding partner data or our intellectual property. Any errors, bugs or defects discovered in the software on which we rely could result in harm to our reputation, loss of borrowers or funding partners or liability for damages, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position. We regard our trademarks, domain names, know-how, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on a combination of intellectual property laws and contractual arrangements, including confidentiality, 23 invention assignment and non-compete agreements with our employees and others to protect our proprietary rights. See also “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview— Intellectual Property.” Despite these measures, any of our intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or misappropriated, or such intellectual property may not be sufficient to provide us with competitive advantages. In addition, because of the rapid pace of technological change in our industry, parts of our business rely on technologies developed or licensed by third parties, and we may not be able to obtain or continue to obtain licenses and technologies from these third parties on reasonable terms, or at all. It is often difficult to maintain and enforce intellectual property rights in China. Statutory laws and regulations are subject to judicial interpretation and enforcement and may not be applied consistently due to the lack of clear guidance on statutory interpretation. Confidentiality, invention assignment and non-compete agreements may be breached by counterparties, and there may not be adequate remedies available to us for any such breach. Accordingly, we may not be able to effectively protect our intellectual property rights or to enforce our contractual rights in China. Preventing any unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly and the steps we take may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our intellectual property. In the event that we resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, such litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our managerial and financial resources. We can provide no assurance that we will prevail in such litigation. In addition, our trade secrets may be leaked or otherwise become available to, or be independently discovered by, our competitors. To the extent that our employees or consultants use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related know-how and inventions. Any failure in protecting or enforcing our intellectual property rights could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which may be expensive to defend and may disrupt our business and operations. We cannot be certain that our operations or any aspects of our business do not or will not infringe upon or otherwise violate trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights held by third parties. We may be from time to time in the future subject to legal proceedings and claims relating to the intellectual property rights of others. In addition, there may be third-party trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights that are infringed by our products, services or other aspects of our business without our awareness. Holders of such intellectual property rights may seek to enforce such intellectual property rights against us in China, the United States or other jurisdictions. If any third-party infringement claims are brought against us, we may be forced to divert management’s time and other resources from our business and operations to defend against these claims, regardless of their merits. As the date of this annual report, the applications for certain trademarks filed by us are still pending. If we are unable to complete these registrations, we may not be able to prohibit unauthorized use or prevent other infringements of these trademarks. In addition, certain of the trademarks we use for the daily operation or promotion of our business have already been registered by independent third parties outside of our control, and such trademarks are currently subject to administrative or legal proceedings. In the event that these administrative and legal proceedings are resolved adversely to us, we may be prohibited from using such trademarks and subject to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Additionally, the application and interpretation of China’s intellectual property right laws and the procedures and standards for granting trademarks, patents, copyrights, know-how or other intellectual property rights in China are still evolving and are uncertain, and we cannot assure you that PRC courts or regulatory authorities would agree with our analysis. If we were found to have violated the intellectual property rights of others, we may be subject to liability for our infringement activities or may be prohibited from using such intellectual property, and we may incur licensing fees or be forced to develop alternatives of our own. As a result, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. We may be held liable for information or content displayed on, retrieved from or linked to our mobile applications, which may materially and adversely affect our business and operating results. In addition to our website, we also offer online consumer finance products through our mobile applications, which are regulated by the Administrative Provisions on Mobile Internet Applications Information Services, or the app Provisions, promulgated by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, on June 28, 2016 and effective on August 1, 2016. According to the app Provisions, the providers of mobile applications shall not create, copy, publish or distribute information and content that is prohibited by laws and regulations. We have implemented internal control procedures screening the information and content on our mobile applications to ensure their compliance with the app Provisions. However, we cannot assure that all the information or content displayed on, retrieved from or linked to our mobile applications complies with the requirements of the app Provisions at all times. If our mobile applications were found to be violating the app Provisions, we may be subject to administrative penalties, including warning, service suspension or removal of our mobile applications from the relevant mobile application store, which may materially and adversely affect our business and operating results. 24 We may from time to time be subject to claims, controversies, lawsuits and legal proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and reputation. We may from time to time become subject to or involved in various claims, controversies, lawsuits, and legal proceedings. Claims, lawsuits, and litigations are subject to inherent uncertainties, and we are uncertain whether the foregoing claim would develop into a lawsuit. Lawsuits and litigations may cause us to incur defense costs, utilize a significant portion of our resources and divert management’s attention from our day-to-day operations, any of which could harm our business. Any settlements or judgments against us could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, negative publicity regarding claims or judgments made against us may damage our reputation and may result in a material adverse impact on us. In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. For example, on September 11, 2020, a securities class action complaint was filed against us and our officers and directors in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. An amended complaint was filed on February 1, 2021, which added as defendants the underwriters for our initial public offering. The plaintiff asserted claims under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 based on purported misstatements and omissions in Form F-1 registration statement for our initial public offering. The plaintiff brought his claims individually and on behalf of all other persons who acquired our American Depositary Shares pursuant and/or traceable to our initial public offering, and seeks compensatory damages, rescission, injunctive relief, and costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees and expert fees in unidentified amounts. On April 2, 2021, we, one of the underwriters for our initial public offering and certain of our directors and officers filed a joint motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s amended complaint in its entirety and with prejudice. The plaintiff’s opposition to the motion to dismiss is due June 1, 2021, and the motion is scheduled to be fully briefed on July 16, 2021. The class action suits that we are aware of and if we were involved in a class action suit in the future, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. From time to time we may evaluate and potentially consummate strategic investments or acquisitions, which could require significant management attention, disrupt our business and adversely affect our financial results. We may evaluate and consider strategic investments, combinations, acquisitions or alliances to further increase the value of our platform and better match funding partners and borrowers. These transactions could be material to our financial condition and results of operations if consummated. If we are able to identify an appropriate business opportunity, we may not be able to successfully consummate the transaction and, even if we do consummate such a transaction, we may be unable to obtain the benefits or avoid the difficulties and risks of such transaction. Strategic investments or acquisitions will involve risks commonly encountered in business relationships, including: • • • • • • • • • • • • • difficulties in assimilating and integrating the operations, personnel, systems, data, technologies, rights, platforms, products and services of the acquired business; inability of the acquired technologies, products or businesses to achieve expected levels of revenue, profitability, productivity or other benefits; difficulties in retaining, training, motivating and integrating key personnel; diversion of management’s time and resources from our daily operations; difficulties in maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies within the combined organizations; difficulties in retaining relationships with our funding partners and borrowers, employees and suppliers of the acquired business; risks of entering markets in which we have limited or no prior experience; regulatory risks, including remaining in good standing with existing regulatory bodies or receiving any necessary pre-closing or post-closing approvals, as well as being subject to new regulators with oversight over an acquired business; assumption of contractual obligations that contain terms that are not beneficial to us, require us to license or waive intellectual property rights or increase our risk for liability; failure to successfully further develop the acquired technology; liability for activities of the acquired business before the acquisition, including intellectual property infringement claims, violations of laws, commercial disputes, tax liabilities and other known and unknown liabilities; potential disruptions to our ongoing businesses; and unexpected costs and unknown risks and liabilities associated with strategic investments or acquisitions. 25 We have made certain investments and acquisitions during past years, including setting up a subsidiary in Indonesia and a joint venture company with local partners in Mexico to expand our overseas business. Also, we have acquired certain equity interest in Keen Best Investments Limited (“Keen Best”) and Shanghai Bweenet Network Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Bweenet”). See “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Related Party Transactions.” Keen Best principally engages in the internet microcredit business in the PRC. Shanghai Bweenet principally engages in design of chips specialized in cryptocurrency mining, design and distribution of cryptocurrency mining hardware, and management of cryptocurrency mining farms and mining pools. However, our investments and acquisitions may not be successful, may not benefit our business strategy, may not generate sufficient revenues to offset the associated acquisition costs or may not otherwise result in the intended benefits. In addition, we cannot assure you that any future investment in or acquisition of new businesses or technology will lead to the successful development of new or enhanced loan products and services or that any new or enhanced loan products and services, if developed, will achieve market acceptance or prove to be profitable Competition for employees is intense, and we may not be able to attract and retain the qualified and skilled employees needed to support our business. We believe our success depends on the efforts and talent of our employees, including risk management, software engineering, financial and marketing personnel. Our future success depends on our continued ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain qualified and skilled employees. Competition for highly skilled technical, risk management and financial personnel is extremely intense. We may not be able to hire and retain these personnel at compensation levels consistent with our existing compensation and salary structure. Some of the companies with which we compete for experienced employees have greater resources than we have and may be able to offer more attractive terms of employment. In addition, we invest significant time and expenses in training our employees, which increases their value to competitors who may seek to recruit them. If we fail to retain our employees, we could incur significant expenses in hiring and training new employees, and the quality of our services and our ability to match funding partners and borrowers could diminish, resulting in a material adverse effect to our business. Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations. The economy in China has experienced increases in inflation and labor costs in recent years. As a result, average wages in the PRC are expected to continue to increase. In addition, we are required by PRC laws and regulations to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pension, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase. Unless we are able to control our labor costs or pass on these increased labor costs to our users by increasing the fees of our services, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. Loss of or failure to maintain relationships with our business partners may adversely affect our business and results of operations. We currently work with a number of business partners in various aspects of our business. Pursuing, establishing and maintaining relationships with business partners require significant time and resources as does integrating third-party data and services with our system. Our current agreements with partners generally do not prohibit them from working with our competitors or from offering competing services. Our competitors may be more effective in providing incentives to our partners to favor their products or services, which may in turn reduce the volume of loans facilitated through our platform. Certain types of partners may devote more resources to support their own competing businesses. In addition, these partners may not perform as expected under our agreements with them, and we may have disagreements or disputes with them, which could adversely affect our brand and reputation. If we cannot successfully enter into and maintain effective relationships with business partners, our business will be harmed. We do not have any business insurance coverage. Insurance companies in China currently do not offer as extensive an array of insurance products as insurance companies in more developed economies. Currently, we do not have any business liability or disruption insurance to cover our operations. We have determined that the costs of insuring for these risks and the difficulties associated with acquiring such insurance on commercially reasonable terms make it impractical for us to have such insurance. Any uninsured business disruptions may result in our incurring substantial costs and the diversion of resources, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We may not be able to obtain additional capital on favorable terms or at all. We anticipate that our current cash, cash provided by operating activities and funds available through our current and anticipated bank loans and credit facilities will be sufficient to meet our current and anticipated needs for general corporate purposes. 26 However, we need to make continued investments in facilities, hardware, software, technological systems and to retain talents to remain competitive. Due to the unpredictable nature of the capital markets and our industry, we cannot assure you that we will be able to raise additional capital on terms favorable to us, or at all, if and when required, especially if we experience disappointing operating results. If adequate capital is not available to us as required, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of unanticipated opportunities, develop or enhance our infrastructure or respond to competitive pressures could be significantly limited, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we do raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interests of our shareholders could be significantly diluted. These newly issued securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing shareholders. Some aspects of our digital operations include open source software, and any failure to comply with the terms of one or more of these open source licenses could negatively affect our business. Some aspects of our digital operations include software covered by open source licenses. The terms of various open source licenses have not been interpreted by PRC courts, and there is a risk that such licenses could be construed in a manner that imposes unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our online and mobile-based channels. If portions of our proprietary software are determined to be subject to an open source license, we could be required to publicly release the affected portions of our source code, re-engineer all or a portion of our technologies if required so by the license, or otherwise be limited in the licensing of our technologies, each of which could reduce or eliminate the value of our technologies and loan products. In addition to risks related to license requirements, usage of open source software can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or controls on the origin of the software. Many of the risks associated with use of open source software cannot be eliminated, and could adversely affect our business. The audit report included in this annual report is prepared by an auditor who is not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you are deprived of the benefits of such inspection. Auditors of companies that are registered with the SEC, and traded publicly in the United States, including our independent registered public accounting firm, must be registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, and are required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Because we have substantial operations within the PRC and the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections of the work of our auditors as it relates to those operations without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditor’s work related to our operations in China is not currently inspected by the PCAOB. This lack of PCAOB inspections of audit work performed in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly and fully evaluating audit work of any auditors that was performed in China, including that performed by our independent registered public accounting firm. As a result, investors may be deprived of the full benefits of PCAOB inspections. As part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular China’s, in June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of Congress that would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which the PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges (EQUITABLE) Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for such issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from national securities exchanges such as Nasdaq of issuers included for three consecutive years on the SEC’s list. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed S. 945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA. The HFCAA was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 2, 2020. On December 18, 2020, the former U.S. president signed into law the HFCAA. In essence, the HFCAA requires the SEC to prohibit foreign companies from listing securities on U.S. securities exchanges if a company retains a foreign accounting firm that cannot be inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, beginning in 2021. The enactment of the HFCAA and any additional rulemaking efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could cause investor uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, and the market price of our ADSs could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we are unable to cure the situation to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement in time. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCAA, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. In addition, on June 4, 2020, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump issued a memorandum ordering the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, to submit a report to the President within 60 days of the memorandum that includes recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch and by the SEC or PCAOB on Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the U.S. On August 6, 2020, the PWG released a report recommending that the SEC take steps to implement the five recommendations outlined in the report. In particular, to address companies from non-cooperating jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfill its statutory mandate, 27 including China, the PWG recommends enhanced listing standards on U.S. stock exchanges. This would require, as a condition to initial and continued exchange listing, PCAOB access to work papers of the principal audit firm for the audit of the listed company. Companies unable to satisfy this standard as a result of governmental restrictions on access to audit work papers and practices in non-cooperating jurisdictions may satisfy this standard by providing a co-audit from an audit firm with comparable resources and experience where the PCAOB determines it has sufficient access to audit work papers and practices to conduct an appropriate inspection of the co-audit firm. The report permits the new listing standards to provide for a transition period until January 1, 2022 for listed companies, but would apply immediately to new listings once the necessary rulemakings and/or standard-setting are effective. If we fail to meet the new listing standards before the deadline specified thereunder, we could face possible de-listing from Nasdaq, deregistration from the SEC and/or other risks, which may materially and adversely affect, or effectively terminate, our ADS trading in the United States. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of audit work performed in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures as compared to auditors in other jurisdictions that are subject to PCAOB inspections on all of their work. Investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements. Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted Foreign Investment Law of the PRC and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations. On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress adopted the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, which became effective on January 1, 2020 and replaced three existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprises, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures , the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Sino-Foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures , together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law of the PRC embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since it is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For example, the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC adds a catch-all clause to the definition of “foreign investment” so that foreign investment, by its definition, includes “investments made by foreign investors in China through other means defined by other laws or administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council” without further elaboration on the meaning of “other means”. It leaves leeway for the future legislations promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. On December 26, 2019, the State Council promulgated the Implementation Regulations on the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, or the Implementation Regulations, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. However, the Implementation Regulations on the Foreign Investment Law still remains silent on whether contractual arrangements should be deemed as a form of foreign investment. It is therefore uncertain whether our corporate structure will be seen as violating the foreign investment rules as we are currently leveraging the contractual arrangement to operate certain businesses in which foreign investors are prohibited from or restricted from investing. Furthermore, if future legislations prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangement, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. If we fail to take appropriate and timely measures to comply with any of these or similar regulatory compliance requirements, our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations could be materially and adversely affected. If the PRC government deems that the Contractual Arrangements in relation to Jiayin Finance do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. Foreign investors are generally not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (except e- commerce, domestic multi-party communication, storage and forwarding and call center) and major foreign investor must have experience in providing value-added telecommunications services overseas and maintain a good track record in accordance with the Special Management Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment promulgated on June 23, 2020, which became effective on July 23, 2020, and other applicable laws and regulations. We are a Cayman Islands company and our subsidiaries in the PRC, or PRC subsidiaries, are considered foreign invested enterprises. We believe the online consumer finance services offered through our online platform constitute a type of value-added telecommunication services that foreign ownership and investment is restricted and therefore we should operate our online platform through a consolidated VIE, Jiayin Finance, to ensure compliance with the relevant PRC laws and regulations. We set up a series of Contractual Arrangements entered into among Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd.(“Shanghai Kunjia”), Jiayin Finance and the shareholders of Jiayin Finance to conduct our operations in China. For a detailed description of these Contractual Arrangements, see 28 “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and the Shareholders of Jiayin Finance.” As a result of these Contractual Arrangements, we exert control over Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries and consolidate their operating results in our financial statements under U.S. GAAP. Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd., (“Niwodai Internet”) has been operating our online consumer finance business, including, among others, operations of our www.niwodai.com website and our apps since its incorporation. Niwodai Internet had made applications for value- added telecommunication business license with the relevant local telecommunication regulatory authority. In the opinion of our PRC counsel, King & Wood Mallesons, our current ownership structure, the ownership structure of Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries, and the Contractual Arrangements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and the shareholders of Jiayin Finance are not in violation of existing PRC laws, regulations and rules; and these Contractual Arrangements are valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with their terms and applicable PRC laws and regulations currently in effect. However, King & Wood Mallesons has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current or future PRC laws, rules and regulations and there can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is consistent with the opinion of our PRC counsel, King & Wood Mallesons. We have been further advised by our PRC legal counsel that if the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating our online lending information services and Internet related value-added business do not comply with PRC government restrictions on foreign investment in the aforesaid business we engage in, we could be subject to severe penalties including being prohibited from continuing operations. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws, regulations or rules relating to the “variable interest entity” structure, or the VIE structure, will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. If the ownership structure, Contractual Arrangements and business of our company, our subsidiaries, Jiayin Finance or its subsidiaries are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or we fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant governmental authorities would have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including levying fines, confiscating our income or the income of Jiayin Finance or its subsidiaries, revoking the business licenses or operating licenses of Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance or its subsidiaries, shutting down our servers or blocking our online platform, discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operations, requiring us to undergo a costly and disruptive restructuring, restricting or prohibiting our use of proceeds from our initial public offering to finance our business and operations in China, and taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business. Any of these actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations and severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of these occurrences results in our inability to direct the activities of Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries, and/or our failure to receive economic benefits from Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries, we may not be able to consolidate their results into our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We rely on Contractual Arrangements with Jiayin Finance and shareholders of Jiayin Finance for a significant portion of our business operations, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control. We have relied and expect to continue to rely on Contractual Arrangements with our consolidated VIE, Jiayin Finance and the shareholders of Jiayin Finance, to operate our online consumer finance platform business, including, among others, the operation of www.niwodai.com and our apps, as well as certain other complementary businesses. For a description of these Contractual Arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and the Shareholders of Jiayin Finance.” These Contractual Arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our consolidated VIE. For example, Jiayin Finance, or shareholders of Jiayin Finance may fail to fulfill their contractual obligations with us, such as failure to maintain our website and use the domain names and trademarks in a manner as stipulated in the Contractual Arrangements, or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If we had direct ownership of our consolidated VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of consolidated VIE, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current Contractual Arrangements, we rely on the performance by Jiayin Finance, shareholders of Jiayin Finance of their obligations under the Contractual Arrangements to exercise control over our consolidated VIE. Our consolidated VIE and its shareholders may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to operate our business through the Contractual Arrangements with Jiayin Finance and shareholders of Jiayin Finance. If any of Jiayin Finance and shareholders of Jiayin Finance is uncooperative or any dispute relating to these contracts remains unresolved, we will have to enforce our rights under these contracts through the operations of PRC laws and arbitration, litigation and other legal proceedings, the outcome of which will be subject to uncertainties. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—Any failure by Jiayin Finance or shareholders of Jiayin Finance to perform their obligations under our Contractual Arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business.” Therefore, our Contractual Arrangements with Jiayin Finance and shareholders of Jiayin Finance may not be as effective in ensuring our control over the relevant portion of our business operations as direct ownership would be. 29 Any failure by Jiayin Finance or shareholders of Jiayin Finance to perform their obligations under our Contractual Arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our business. We have entered into a series of Contractual Arrangements with Jiayin Finance, our consolidated VIE and the shareholders of Jiayin Finance. For a description of these Contractual Arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.” If our consolidated VIE or the shareholders of Jiayin Finance fail to perform their respective obligations under the Contractual Arrangements, we may incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you that it will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholders of Jiayin Finance were to refuse to transfer their equity interests in Jiayin Finance to us or our designee when we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these Contractual Arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal actions to compel them to perform their contractual obligations. All the agreements under our Contractual Arrangements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these Contractual Arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how Contractual Arrangements in the context of a variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that we are unable to enforce these Contractual Arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these Contractual Arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China — Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.” The shareholders of our consolidated VIE may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition. The equity interests of our consolidated VIE are held by their respective shareholders. Their interests may differ from the interests of our company as a whole. These shareholders may breach, or cause our consolidated VIE to breach, the existing Contractual Arrangements we have with them and our consolidated VIE, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to effectively control our consolidated VIE and subsidiaries of our consolidated VIE, and receive economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders of Jiayin Finance may be able to cause our agreements with Jiayin Finance to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the Contractual Arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor. Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and our company, except that we could exercise our call option under the exclusive call option agreement with shareholders of Jiayin Finance to request them to transfer all of their equity interests in Jiayin Finance to a PRC entity or individual designated by us, to the extent permitted by PRC laws. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of our consolidated VIE, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in the disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings. Contractual Arrangements in relation to our consolidated VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or consolidated VIE owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment. Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. The PRC enterprise income tax law requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the Contractual Arrangements in relation to our consolidated VIE were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, regulations and rules, and adjust the income of Jiayin Finance in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by Jiayin Finance for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase their tax liabilities without reducing tax 30 expenses of Shanghai Kunjia. In addition, if Shanghai Kunjia requests the shareholders of Jiayin Finance to transfer their equity interests in Jiayin Finance at nominal or no value pursuant to these Contractual Arrangements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject Shanghai Kunjia to PRC income tax. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on Jiayin Finance for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if Jiayin Finance’s tax liabilities increase or if they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties. We may lose the ability to use and enjoy assets held by Jiayin Finance and Niwodai Internet that are material to the operation of our business if the entity goes bankrupt or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding. Jiayin Finance and Niwodai Internet hold certain assets that are material to the operation of our business, including, among others, intellectual properties, hardware and software. We also expect Niwodai Internet to apply for, obtain and hold our value-added telecommunication business license for our online consumer finance platform business. Under the Contractual Arrangements, Jiayin Finance and Niwodai Internet may not, and the shareholders of Jiayin Finance may not cause them to, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of their assets or their legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. However, in the event Jiayin Finance’s shareholders breach these Contractual Arrangements and voluntarily liquidate Jiayin Finance or Niwodai Internet, or Jiayin Finance or Niwodai Internet declares bankruptcy and all or part of their assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of without our consent, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, or access the risk reserve fund, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If Jiayin Finance or Niwodai Internet undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, independent third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Risks Relating to Doing Business in China Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Substantially all of our operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole. The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. While the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate increases, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, and since 2012, the Chinese economy has slowed down. Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy may reduce the demand for our products and services and materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations. A downturn in the Chinese or global economy could reduce the demand for consumer loans and investments, which could materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition. The global financial markets have experienced significant disruptions between 2008 and 2009, and the United States, Europe and other economies have experienced periods of recessions. The recovery from the economic downturns of 2008 and 2009 has been uneven and is facing new challenges, including the announcement of Brexit which creates additional global economic uncertainty and the slowdown of the Chinese economy since 2012. It is unclear whether the Chinese economic growth will resume its high growth rate. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including the United States and China. There have 31 also been concerns over unrest in the Middle East and Africa, which have resulted in volatility in financial and other markets. There have also been concerns about the economic effect of the tensions in the relationship between China and surrounding Asian countries. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions. Any prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy may reduce the demand for consumer loans and investments and have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs. Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties. In particular, PRC laws and regulations concerning the online consumer finance industry are developing and evolving. Although we have taken measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to our business operations, including the regulatory principles raised by the CBIRC, and avoid conducting any non-compliant activities under the applicable laws and regulations, such as illegal fund-raising, forming capital pool or providing guarantee to investors, the PRC government authority may promulgate new laws and regulations regulating the online consumer finance industry in the future. We cannot assure you that our practice would not be deemed to violate any new PRC laws or regulations relating to online consumer finance. Moreover, developments in the online consumer finance industry may lead to changes in PRC laws, regulations and policies or in the interpretation and application of existing laws, regulations and policies that may limit or restrict online consumer finance platform like us, which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations. From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations. We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulation of Internet-related businesses and companies, and any lack of requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to our business may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. The PRC government extensively regulates the Internet industry, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit requirements pertaining to, companies in the Internet industry. These Internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations. We only have contractual control over our website. We do not directly own the website due to the restriction of foreign investment in businesses providing value-added telecommunication services in China, including Internet information provision services. This may significantly disrupt our business, subject us to sanctions, compromise enforceability of related contractual arrangements, or have other harmful effects on us. The evolving PRC regulatory system for the Internet industry may lead to the establishment of new regulatory agencies. For example, in May 2011, the State Council announced the establishment of a new department, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, (with the involvement of the State Council Information Office, the MIIT, and the Ministry of Public Security). The primary role of this new agency is to facilitate the policy-making and legislative development in this field, to direct and coordinate with the relevant departments in connection with online content administration and to deal with cross-ministry regulatory matters in relation to the Internet industry. Our online platform, operated by Niwodai Internet, may be deemed to be providing commercial Internet information services, which would require Niwodai Internet to obtain certain value-added telecommunications business license. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation— Regulations Relating to Internet Companies—Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunication Services.” Furthermore, it is uncertain if Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries will be required to obtain a separate operating license with respect to our mobile applications in addition to the value-added telecommunications business license. 32 The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and possible new laws, regulations or policies relating to the Internet industry have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of, Internet businesses in China, including our business. We cannot assure you that we have obtained all the permits or licenses required for conducting our business in China or will be able to maintain our existing licenses or obtain new ones. If the PRC government considers that we were operating without the proper approvals, licenses or permits or promulgates new laws and regulations that require additional approvals or licenses or imposes additional restrictions on the operation of any part of our business, it has the power, among other things, to levy fines, confiscate our income, revoke our business licenses, and require us to discontinue our relevant business or impose restrictions on the affected portion of our business. Any of these actions by the PRC government may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business. We are a holding company, and we rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and service any debt we may incur. If our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may require our PRC subsidiaries to adjust its taxable income under the Contractual Arrangements it currently has in place with Jiayin Finance and its shareholders and Niwodai Internet in a manner that would materially and adversely affect their ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—Contractual Arrangements in relation to our consolidated VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or consolidated VIE owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.” Under the Company Law of the PRC, our PRC subsidiaries, as wholly foreign-owned enterprises in China, may pay dividends only out of their respective accumulated after-tax profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our subsidiaries, our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entity in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds until such reserve funds reach 50% of its registered capital. Furthermore, each of our subsidiaries, our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a discretionary surplus fund at their discretion. Our PRC subsidiaries will not be able to pay dividends until they generate accumulated profits and meet the requirements for statutory reserve funds. PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. Any funds we transfer to our PRC subsidiaries, either as a shareholder loan or as an increase in registered capital, are subject to approval by or registration with relevant governmental authorities in China. According to the relevant PRC regulations on foreign-invested enterprises in China, capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to the requirement of registration with PRC State Administration for Market Regulation or its local counterparts, and filed with the Ministry of Commerce or its local counterparts. In addition, (a) any foreign loan procured by our PRC subsidiaries is required to be registered with SAFE, or its local branches, and (b) each of our PRC subsidiaries may not procure loans which exceed statutory limits. Any medium or long term loan to be provided by us to a VIE of our company must be recorded and registered by the National Development and Reform Committee and the SAFE or its local branches. We may not complete such recording or registrations on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future capital contributions or foreign loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to complete such recording or registration, our ability to use the foreign currency we hold, including the proceeds of our initial public offering and to capitalize our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business. In 2008, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 142, which used to regulate the conversion by foreign-invested enterprises of foreign currency into Renminbi by restricting the usage of converted Renminbi. On March 30, 2015, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on Reforming the Management Approach Regarding the Foreign Exchange Capital Settlement of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19. SAFE Circular 19 took effect as of June 1, 2015 and superseded SAFE Circular 142 on the same date. SAFE Circular 19 launched a nationwide reform of the administration of the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of foreign-invested enterprises and allows foreign-invested enterprises to settle their foreign exchange capital at their discretion, but continues to prohibit foreign-invested enterprises from using the Renminbi fund converted from their foreign exchange capitals for expenditures beyond their business scopes. On June 9, 2016, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on Reforming and Standardizing the Administrative Provisions on Capital Account Foreign 33 Exchange, or SAFE Circular 16. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 continue to prohibit foreign-invested enterprises from, among other things, using RMB fund converted from its foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond its business scope, investment and financing (except for security investment or guarantee products issued by bank), providing loans to non-affiliated enterprises or constructing or purchasing real estate not for self-use. On October 23, 2019, SAFE promulgated the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Promoting the Facilitation of Cross-Border Trade and Investment, or SAFE Circular 28, which removes the restrictions on domestic equity investments by non-investment foreign-invested enterprises with their capital funds, provided that certain conditions are met. If our consolidated VIE requires financial support from us or our PRC subsidiaries in the future, and we find it necessary to use foreign currency-denominated capital to provide such financial support, our ability to fund our VIE’s operations will be subject to statutory limits and restrictions, including those described above. The applicable foreign exchange circulars and rules may limit our ability to transfer the net proceeds from this offering and the concurrent private placements to our PRC subsidiaries and convert the net proceeds into RMB, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the price of our ADSs. The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions in China and by China’s foreign exchange policies. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar, and the Renminbi appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system and we cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future. Significant revaluation of the Renminbi may have a material and adverse effect on your investment. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our initial public offering into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency. Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our net revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment. The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our net revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, our company in the Cayman Islands relies on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Therefore, our PRC subsidiaries are able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without prior approval from SAFE, subject to the condition that the remittance of such dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulation, such as the overseas investment registrations by the beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents. But approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. In light of the flood of capital outflows of China in 2016 due to the weakening RMB, the PRC government has imposed more restrictive foreign exchange policies and stepped up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement. More restrictions and substantial vetting process are put in place by SAFE to regulate cross- border transactions falling under the capital account. The PRC government may at its discretion further restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs. 34 Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans and withhold individual income tax on employees’ salaries as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties. Companies operating in China are required to participate in various government sponsored employee benefit plans, including certain social insurance, housing provident funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of our employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where we operate our businesses. The requirement of employee benefit plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. Companies are required to make payments to the employee benefit plans for its employees in accordance with the percentages stipulated under relevant regulations and are required to withhold the amounts that are required to be contributed by employees. Companies operating in China are also required to withhold individual income tax on employees’ salaries based on the actual salary of each employee upon payment. Prior to March 2018, we failed to make adequate employee benefit plan payments or employee individual income tax withholdings. We have recorded accruals for estimated underpaid amounts in our financial statements accordingly. As of the date of the annual report, we have not received any notification from the relevant PRC authorities alleging that we have not made adequate payments and demanding payment of the same. We also are not aware of any employee’s complaint or demand for payment of the same, nor have we received any notification from labor arbitration tribunals or the PRC courts regarding disputes with respect to social welfare and housing provident fund contributions. Remitting such underpaid amounts involves conditions on the implementation level, including, for instance, varying levels of acceptance by our employees of the employee benefit plans, some of which are beyond our control. In accordance with relevant PRC laws and regulations, we may be required to settle such underpaid amounts of employee benefit payments or employee withholding individual income tax payments on our own before a stipulated deadline, which would adversely affect our liquidity status. Furthermore, we may also be subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid amounts. For instance, we may be subject to a late fee of 0.05% or 0.2%, depending on the circumstances, of the amount of overdue social insurance payments per day and a fine ranging from one to three times of the overdue amount. In addition, we may be subject to a fine in relation to the overdue employee withholding payments ranging from 50% to three times of the overdue amount. If we are subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits or withhold individual income tax on employees’ salaries, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China. The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOC shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOC that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOC, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. The MOC in December 2020 have established procedures and requirements that are expected to make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOC or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share. PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law. The SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to PRC Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, in July 2014 that requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes material events relating to any change of basic information (including change of such PRC residents or entities, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, or 35 mergers or divisions. According to the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Policies for the Foreign Exchange Administration of Direct Investment released on February 13, 2015 by the SAFE, local banks will examine and handle foreign exchange registration for overseas direct investment, including the initial foreign exchange registration and amendment registration, under Circular 37. If our shareholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, our PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with the SAFE registration described above could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. Mr. Dinggui Yan, Mr. Guanglin Zhang and Mr. Yuanle Wu, who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Cayman Islands holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents have completed the foreign exchange registrations in accordance with SAFE Circular 37. However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interest in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with the requirements of SAFE Circular 37. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents or entities have complied with, and will in the future make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE Circular 37. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE Circular 37, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects. Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee share incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 37, PRC residents who participate in stock incentive plans in overseas non-publicly-listed companies may submit applications to SAFE or its local branches for the foreign exchange registration with respect to offshore special purpose vehicles. In the meantime, our directors, executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens, subject to limited exceptions, and who have been granted stock options by us, may follow the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company, promulgated by the SAFE in 2012, or 2012 SAFE Notices. Pursuant to the 2012 SAFE Notices, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of no less than one year who participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiaries of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. In addition, an overseas entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests. We and our directors, executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who reside in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who have been granted stock options are subject to these regulations. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions, and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiaries and limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange—Regulations on Employee Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company.” The State Administration of Taxation, or SAT, has issued certain circulars concerning employee stock options and restricted shares. Under these circulars, our employees working in China who exercise stock options or are granted restricted shares will be subject to PRC individual income tax. Our PRC subsidiaries have obligations to file documents related to employee stock options or restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of those employees who exercise their share options. If our employees fail to pay or we fail to withhold their income taxes according to relevant laws and regulations, we may face sanctions imposed by the tax authorities or other PRC governmental authorities. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation— Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange—Regulations on Employee Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company.” If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non- PRC shareholders or ADS holders. Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with a “de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a resident enterprise and will be subject to the enterprise income tax on its global income at the rate of 25%. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises 36 full and substantial control over and overall management of the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In April 2009, the SAT issued a circular, known as SAT Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners like us, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to SAT Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the senior executives and core management departments in charge of the day-to-day operations have their presence mainly in the PRC; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in the PRC; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in the PRC; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in the PRC. We believe none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. See “Item 10. Additional Information— E. Taxation— People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations.” However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” As substantially all of our management members are based in China, it remains unclear how the tax residency rule will apply to our case. If the PRC tax authorities determine that Jiayin Group Inc. or any of our subsidiaries outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, then Jiayin Group Inc. or such subsidiary could be subject to PRC tax at a rate of 25% on its world- wide income, which could materially reduce our net income. In addition, we will also be subject to PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. Furthermore, if the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, dividends we pay on, and gains realized on the sale or other disposition of, our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. We may not be able to obtain certain benefits under relevant tax treaty on dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries to us through our Hong Kong subsidiary. We are a holding company incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands and as such rely on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiaries to satisfy part of our liquidity requirements. Pursuant to the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, a withholding tax rate of 10% currently applies to dividends paid by a PRC “resident enterprise” to a foreign enterprise investor, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for preferential tax treatment. Pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, and Circular 81 issued by the SAT, such withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if the PRC enterprise is at least 25% held by a Hong Kong enterprise for at least 12 consecutive months prior to distribution of the dividends and is determined by the relevant PRC tax authority to have satisfied other conditions and requirements under the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement and other applicable PRC laws. Furthermore, under the Announcement of the State Taxation Administration on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-resident Taxpayers’ Enjoyment of Treaty Benefits, which became effective in January 2020, the non-resident enterprises shall determine whether they are qualified to enjoy the preferential tax treatment under the tax treaties and file the Information Reporting Form for Non-resident Taxpayers Claiming Treaty Benefits. The non-resident enterprises shall directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate when performing tax filings and collet and retain relevant supporting documents, which will be subject to post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. There are also other conditions for enjoying the reduced withholding tax rate according to other relevant tax rules and regulations. See “Item 10. Additional Information— E. Taxation—People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations.” We cannot assure you that our determination regarding our qualification to enjoy the preferential tax treatment will not be challenged by the relevant PRC tax authority or we will be able to complete the necessary filings with the relevant PRC tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiaries to Geerong (HK) Limited (“Geerong (HK)”, formerly known as “Jiayin (HK) Limited”), our Hong Kong subsidiary. We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies. According to the Bulletin of the SAT on Several Issues Concerning the Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7, promulgated by the SAT in February 2015, if a non-resident enterprise transfers the equity interests of a PRC resident enterprise indirectly by transfer of the equity interests of an offshore holding company (other than a purchase and sale of shares issued by a PRC resident enterprise in public securities market) without a reasonable commercial purpose, 37 the PRC tax authorities have the power to reassess the nature of the transaction and the indirect equity transfer will be treated as a direct transfer. As a result, the gain derived from such transfer, which means the equity transfer price minus the cost of equity, will be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10%. Under the terms of SAT Bulletin 7, a transfer which meets all of the following circumstances shall be directly deemed as having no reasonable commercial purposes: (i) over 75% of the value of the equity interests of the offshore holding company are directly or indirectly derived from PRC taxable properties; (ii) at any time during the year before the indirect transfer, over 90% of the total properties of the offshore holding company are investments within PRC territory, or in the year before the indirect transfer, over 90% of the offshore holding company’s revenue is directly or indirectly derived from PRC territory; (iii) the function performed and risks assumed by the offshore holding company are insufficient to substantiate its corporate existence; or (iv) the foreign income tax imposed on the indirect transfer is lower than the PRC tax imposed on the direct transfer of the PRC taxable properties. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations Relating to Tax.” We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries or investments. Our company and our non-PRC resident investors may be subject to filing obligations or taxed or subject to withholding obligations in such transactions, under SAT Bulletin 7. See “Item 10. Additional Information— E. Taxation—People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations.” For transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing under SAT Bulletin 7. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with SAT Bulletin 7 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. The audit report included in this annual report is prepared by an auditor who is not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you are deprived of the benefits of such inspection. Auditors of companies that are registered with the SEC, and traded publicly in the United States, including our independent registered public accounting firm, must be registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, and are required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards. Because we have substantial operations within the PRC and the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections of the work of our auditors as it relates to those operations without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditor’s work related to our operations in China is not currently inspected by the PCAOB. This lack of PCAOB inspections of audit work performed in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly and fully evaluating audit work of any auditors that was performed in China, including that performed by our independent registered public accounting firm. As a result, investors may be deprived of the full benefits of PCAOB inspections. As part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular China’s, in June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of Congress that would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which the PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges (EQUITABLE) Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for such issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from national securities exchanges such as Nasdaq of issuers included for three consecutive years on the SEC’s list. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed S. 945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA. The HFCAA was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 2, 2020. On December 18, 2020, the former U.S. president signed into law the HFCAA. In essence, the HFCAA requires the SEC to prohibit foreign companies from listing securities on U.S. securities exchanges if a company retains a foreign accounting firm that cannot be inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, beginning in 2021. The enactment of the HFCAA and any additional rulemaking efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could cause investor uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, and the market price of our ADSs could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we are unable to cure the situation to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement in time. On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCAA. We will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies us as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCAA, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above. In addition, on June 4, 2020, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump issued a memorandum ordering the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, to submit a report to the President within 60 days of the memorandum that includes recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch and by the SEC or PCAOB on Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the U.S. On August 6, 2020, the PWG released a report recommending that the SEC take steps to implement the five recommendations outlined in the report. In particular, to address companies from non-cooperating jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfill its statutory mandate, 38 including China, the PWG recommends enhanced listing standards on U.S. stock exchanges. This would require, as a condition to initial and continued exchange listing, PCAOB access to work papers of the principal audit firm for the audit of the listed company. Companies unable to satisfy this standard as a result of governmental restrictions on access to audit work papers and practices in non-cooperating jurisdictions may satisfy this standard by providing a co-audit from an audit firm with comparable resources and experience where the PCAOB determines it has sufficient access to audit work papers and practices to conduct an appropriate inspection of the co-audit firm. The report permits the new listing standards to provide for a transition period until January 1, 2022 for listed companies, but would apply immediately to new listings once the necessary rulemakings and/or standard-setting are effective. If we fail to meet the new listing standards before the deadline specified thereunder, we could face possible de-listing from Nasdaq, deregistration from the SEC and/or other risks, which may materially and adversely affect, or effectively terminate, our ADS trading in the United States. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of audit work performed in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures as compared to auditors in other jurisdictions that are subject to PCAOB inspections on all of their work. Investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements. Risks Relating to our American Depositary Shares The market price for our ADSs may be volatile. The trading prices of our ADSs are likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation in the market prices or the underperformance or deteriorating financial results of other listed Internet or other companies based in China that have listed their securities in the United States in recent years. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings, including, in some cases, substantial price declines in their trading prices. The trading performances of other Chinese companies’ securities after their offerings, including Internet and e-commerce companies, may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have conducted any inappropriate activities. In addition, securities markets may from time to time experience significant price and volume fluctuations that are not related to our operating performance, such as the large decline in share prices in the United States, China and other jurisdictions in late 2008, early 2009, the second half of 2011 and the first quarter of 2020, which may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our ADSs. In addition to the above factors, the price and trading volume of our ADSs may be highly volatile due to multiple factors, including the following: • • • • • • • • • • • • regulatory developments affecting us, our users, or our industry; conditions in the online consumer finance industries; announcements of studies and reports relating to the quality of our product and service offerings or those of our competitors; changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other online consumer finance market; actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results; changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts; announcements by us or our competitors of new product and service offerings, acquisitions, strategic relationships, joint ventures or capital commitments; additions to or departures of our senior management; detrimental negative publicity about us, our management or our industry; fluctuations of exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollar; release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding shares or ADSs; and sales or perceived potential sales of additional Class A ordinary shares or ADSs If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our ADSs and trading volume could decline. The trading market for our ADSs will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If research analysts do not establish and maintain adequate research coverage or if one or more of the 39 analysts who cover us downgrade our ADSs or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price or trading volume for our ADSs to decline. Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of our ADSs for return on your investment. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our ADSs as a source for any future dividend income. Our board of directors has discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain restrictions under Cayman Islands law, namely that our company may only pay dividends out of profits or share premium, and provided always that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ADSs. There is no guarantee that our ADSs will appreciate in value in the future or even maintain the price at which you purchased the ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in our ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment in our ADSs. Substantial future sales or perceived potential sales of our ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline. Sales of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our ADSs to decline. As of March 31, 2021, we had 108,100,000 Class A ordinary shares and 108,000,000 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding. Among these Class A ordinary shares, 26,025,232 Class A ordinary shares are represented by ADS. All our ADSs are freely transferable without restriction or additional registration under the Securities Act. The remaining ordinary shares issued and outstanding will be available for sale subject to volume and other restrictions as applicable under Rules 144 and 701 under the Securities Act. To the extent shares are released before the expiration of the lock-up period and sold into the market, the market price of our ADSs could decline. Certain holders of our ordinary shares may cause us to register under the Securities Act the sale of their shares, subject to the 180-day lock-up period in connection with our initial public offering. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in ADSs representing these shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration. Sales of these registered shares in the form of ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline. The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to direct the voting of the underlying Class A ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs. As a holder of our ADSs, you will not have any direct right to attend general meetings of our shareholders or to cast any votes at such meetings. You will only be able to exercise the voting rights which attach to the underlying Class A ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs indirectly by giving voting instructions to the depositary in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you may vote only by giving voting instructions to the depositary, as the holder of the underlying Class A ordinary shares which are represented by your ADSs. Upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will endeavor to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares in accordance with your instructions in the event voting is by poll, and in accordance with instructions received from a majority of holders of ADSs who provide instructions in the event voting is by show of hands. The depositary will not join in demanding a vote by poll. You will not be able to directly exercise any right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares unless you withdraw the shares and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting. Under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required to be given by our company to our registered shareholders for convening a general meeting is seven calendar days. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice to enable you to withdraw the underlying shares which are represented by your ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting to allow you to attend the general meeting or to vote directly with respect to any specific matter or resolution which is to be considered and voted upon at the general meeting. In addition, under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, for the purposes of determining those shareholders who are entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting, our directors may close our register of members and/or fix in advance a record date for such meeting, and such closure of our register of members or the setting of such a record date may prevent you from withdrawing the underlying shares which are represented by your ADSs and becoming the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date, so that you would not be able to attend the general meeting or to vote directly. 40 Where any matter is to be put to a vote at a general meeting, the depositary will, if we request, and subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, endeavor to notify you of the upcoming vote and to deliver our voting materials to you. We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying shares which are represented by your ADSs. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to direct the voting of the underlying shares which are represented by your ADSs, and you may have no legal remedy if the underlying shares are not voted as you requested. ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action. The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our ordinary shares provides that holders and beneficial owners of ADSs irrevocably waive the right to a trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including in respect of claims under federal securities laws, against us or the depositary to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. If this jury trial waiver provision is prohibited by applicable law, an action could nevertheless proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a jury trial waiver under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by a federal court. However, we believe that a jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement, by a court of the State of New York or a federal court, which has non-exclusive jurisdiction over matters arising under the deposit agreement, applying such law. In determining whether to enforce a jury trial waiver provision, New York courts and federal courts will consider whether the visibility of the jury trial waiver provision within the agreement is sufficiently prominent such that a party has knowingly waived any right to trial by jury. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. In addition, New York courts will not enforce a jury trial waiver provision in order to bar a viable setoff or counterclaim sounding in fraud or one which is based upon a creditor’s negligence in failing to liquidate collateral upon a guarantor’s demand, or in the case of an intentional tort claim (as opposed to a contract dispute), none of which we believe are applicable in the case of the deposit agreement or the ADSs. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs serves as a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs or by us or the depositary of compliance with any provision of the federal securities laws. If you or any other holder or beneficial owner of ADSs brings a claim against us or the depositary in connection with such matters, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and/or the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against us and/or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action, depending on, among other things, the nature of the claims, the judge or justice hearing such claims, and the venue of the hearing. Except in limited circumstances, the depositary for our ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs if you do not instruct the depositary how to vote such shares, which could adversely affect your interests. Under the deposit agreement for our ADSs, the depositary will give us (or our nominee) a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings if you do not give voting instructions to the depositary as to how to vote the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at any particular shareholders’ meeting, unless: • • • • • we have failed to timely provide the depositary with our notice of meeting and related voting materials; we have instructed the depositary that we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given; we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting; a matter to be voted on at the meeting may have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or voting at the meeting is made on a show of hands. The effect of this discretionary proxy is that, if you fail to give voting instructions to the depositary as to how to vote the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at any particular shareholders’ meeting, you cannot prevent our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs from being voted at that meeting, absent the situations described above, and it may make it more difficult for shareholders to influence our management. Holders of our ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy. Your rights to pursue claims against the depositary as a holder of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement and the deposit agreement may be amended or terminated without your consent. Under the deposit agreement, any action or proceeding against or involving the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby or by virtue of owning the ADSs may only be instituted by you in a state or federal court in the City of New York, and you, as a holder of our ADSs, will have irrevocably waived any objection which you may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such action or proceeding instituted by any person. Also, we may amend or terminate the deposit agreement without your consent. If 41 you continue to hold your ADSs after an amendment to the deposit agreement, you agree to be bound by the deposit agreement as amended. See “Item 12. Description Of Securities Other Than Equity Securities – D. American Depositary Shares.” Your right to participate in any future rights offerings may be limited, which may cause dilution to your holdings. We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. However, we cannot make such rights available to you in the United States unless we register both the rights and the securities to which the rights relate under the Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements is available. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not make rights available to you unless both the rights and the underlying securities to be distributed to ADS holders are either registered under the Securities Act or exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective and we may not be able to establish a necessary exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you may be unable to participate in our rights offerings in the future and may experience dilution in your holdings. You may not receive dividends or other distributions on our Class A ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you. The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on our Class A ordinary shares or other deposited securities underlying our ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of Class A ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not feasible to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our Class A ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs. You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs. Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary deems it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason. Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable. We are an exempted company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands. We conduct substantially all of our operations in China and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, a majority of our directors and executive officers reside within China, and most of the assets of these persons are located within China. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon these individuals, or to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of Cayman Islands and of the PRC may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers. There is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), a judgment obtained in such jurisdiction will be recognized and enforced in the courts of the Cayman Islands at common law, without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute, by an action commenced on the foreign judgment debt in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, provided such judgment (a) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction, (b) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (c) is final,(d) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty, and (e) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. However, the Cayman Islands courts are unlikely to enforce a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities law if such judgment is determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands to give rise to obligations to make payments that are penal or punitive in nature. Because such a determination has not yet been made by a court of the Cayman Islands, it is uncertain whether such civil liability judgments from U.S. courts would be enforceable in the Cayman Islands. 42 The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of reciprocity with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our director and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States. You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law and we conduct the majority of our operations in China and all of our directors and officers reside outside the United States. We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands with limited liability. Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of Cayman Islands and the common law of Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors owed to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of Cayman Islands. The common law of Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, Cayman Islands have a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States. Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies (save for our memorandum and articles of association, special resolutions of our shareholders and our register of mortgages and charges). Our directors have discretion under our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder resolution or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest. In addition, as a company primarily operating in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles for U.S. authorities to obtaining information needed for investigations or litigations. In China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the United States or other jurisdictions may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Similar limitations apply to the pursuit of actions against individuals, including officers, directors and individual gatekeepers, who may have engaged in fraud or other wrongdoing. Moreover, local authorities often are constrained in their ability to assist U.S. authorities and overseas investors more generally. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC, and without the consent by the Chinese securities regulatory authorities and the other competent governmental agencies, no entity or individual may provide documents or materials related to securities business to any foreign party. Accordingly, without the consent of the competent PRC securities regulators and relevant authorities, no organization or individual may provide the documents and material relating to securities business activities to overseas parties. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under the article have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigations or evidence collection activities within China and the potential obstacles for information provision may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigations or evidence collection activities within the PRC territory. As a result, our public shareholders and holders of our ADSs may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against us, our management, our directors or our major shareholders and limited remedies than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States. 43 Our dual-class share structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial. We have a dual-class share structure such that our ordinary shares consist of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares with disparate voting powers. In respect of all matters subject to a shareholders’ vote, each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to ten votes, voting together as one class. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. As of March 31, 2021, Mr. Dinggui Yan, the beneficial owner of our Class B ordinary shares, beneficially owned approximately 91.6% of the aggregate voting power of our company. As a result, Mr. Dinggui Yan will have considerable influence over matters such as electing directors and approving material mergers, acquisitions or other business combination transactions. Upon any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of Class B ordinary share by a shareholder to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder, or the direct or indirect transfer or assignment of the voting power attached to such number of Class B ordinary shares through voting proxy or otherwise to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into the equivalent number of Class A ordinary shares. The concentrated control associated with our dual-class share structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could also discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions, which could have the effect of depriving the holders of our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs of the opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over the prevailing market price. The dual-class structure of our ordinary shares may adversely affect the trading market for our ADSs. S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have changed their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares and companies whose public shareholders hold no more than 5% of total voting power from being added to such indices. In addition, several shareholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple class structures. As a result, the dual class structure of our ordinary shares may prevent the inclusion of our ADSs representing Class A ordinary shares in such indices and may cause shareholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure. Any such exclusion from indices could result in a less active trading market for our ADSs. Any actions or publications by shareholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could also adversely affect the value of our ADSs. If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our ADSs, the market price for our ADSs and trading volume could decline. The trading market for our ADSs will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our ADSs, the market price for our ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for our ADSs to decline. Our memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could discourage a third party from acquiring us and adversely affect the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs. Our memorandum and articles of association contain certain provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company, including a provision that grants authority to our board of directors to establish and issue from time to time one or more series of preferred shares without action by our shareholders and to determine, with respect to any series of preferred shares, the terms and rights of that series. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders and ADS holders of the opportunity to sell their shares or ADSs at a premium over the prevailing market price by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transactions. Certain existing shareholders have substantial influence over our company and their interests may not be aligned with the interests of our other shareholders. As of March 31, 2021, Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer, beneficially owned approximately 91.6% of the total voting power of our Company. As a result, he has substantial influence over our business, including significant corporate actions such as mergers, consolidations, sales of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. Mr. Yan may take actions that are not in the best interest of us or our other shareholders. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company, which could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and may reduce the price of the ADSs. These actions may be taken even if they are opposed by our other shareholders. In addition, the significant concentration of share ownership may adversely affect the trading price of the ADSs due to investors’ perception that conflicts of interest may exist or arise. In addition, this concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could also discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions, which could have the effect of depriving the holders of our ordinary shares and our ADSs of the 44 opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over the prevailing market price. For more information regarding our principal shareholders and their affiliated entities, see “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—E. Share Ownership.” We have granted, and may continue to grant, share incentive awards, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses. Jiayin Finance first adopted our 2016 Share Incentive Plan in September 2016, which allowed Jiayin Finance to grant share-based compensation awards to our founders, employees and officers to incentivize their performance and align their interests with ours. We account for compensation costs for all share options using a fair-value based method and recognize expenses in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In February 2019, we adopted a new share incentive plan, or the 2019 Share Incentive Plan, which became effective after the completion of our initial public offering in May 2019. As of December 31, 2020, all the outstanding options granted under the 2016 Share Incentive Plan had been cancelled or replaced with options granted under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan and we had granted options to purchase 17,521,506 Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans.” We believe the granting of share incentive awards is of significant importance to our ability to attract and retain employees, and we will continue to grant share incentive awards to employees in the future. As a result, our expenses associated with share-based compensation may increase, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. We are an emerging growth company and may take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements. We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, most significantly, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 for so long as we are an emerging growth company. As a result, if we elect not to comply with such auditor attestation requirements, our investors may not have access to certain information they may deem important. The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company does not need to comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards until such date that a private company is otherwise required to comply with such new or revised accounting standards. However, we have elected to “opt out” of this provision and, as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards as required when they are adopted for public companies. This decision to opt out of the extended transition period under the JOBS Act is irrevocable. We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to U.S. domestic public companies. Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including: • • • • the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K; the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material nonpublic information under Regulation FD. We will be required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis as press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely compared to that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be offered the same protections or information that would be made available to you if you were investing in a U.S. domestic issuer. As an exempted company incorporated in Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. We currently follow and intent to continue to follow our home country practice in lieu of certain requirements of the Rule 5600 Series of the Nasdaq 45 Stock Market Rules, including: • have a majority of the board be independent (although all of the members of the audit committee must be independent under the Exchange Act); • • • have an audit committee of at least three independent directors; have a nominating and corporate governance committee consisting entirely of independent directors; and hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of our fiscal year. We are a “controlled company” within the meaning of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and, as a result, can rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements that provide protection to shareholders of other companies. We are a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules since Mr. Dinggui Yan beneficially owns more than 50% of our total voting power. For so long as we remain a controlled company under this definition, we are also permitted to elect to rely on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules. As a result, you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements. If we are a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes, United States Holders of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares could be subject to adverse United States federal income tax consequences. We will be a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes for any taxable year if, applying the applicable look- through rules, either (i) at least 75% of our gross income for such year is passive income or (ii) at least 50% of the value of our assets (generally determined based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets) during such year is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income. Based on the market price of our ADSs, the value of our assets and the nature and composition of our income and assets, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes for our taxable year ended December 31, 2020, although there can be no assurances in this regard. A separate determination must be made after the close of each taxable year as to whether we were a PFIC for that year. Moreover, the application of the PFIC rules is subject to uncertainty in several respects, and we cannot assure you that the United States Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, will not take a contrary position to any determination we make. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will not be treated as a PFIC for any taxable year or that the IRS will not take a contrary position to any determination we make. Changes in the value of our assets and/or the nature or composition of our income or assets may cause us to be or become a PFIC. The determination of whether we will be a PFIC for any taxable year may depend in part upon the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles not reflected on our balance sheet (which may depend upon the market price of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares from time to time, which may fluctuate significantly) and also may be affected by how, and how quickly, we spend our liquid assets and the cash we generate from our operations and raise in any offering. In estimating the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, we have taken into account our market capitalization. Among other matters, if our market capitalization declines, we may be more likely to be a PFIC because our liquid assets and cash (which are for this purpose considered assets that produce passive income) may then represent a greater percentage of the value of our overall assets. Further, while we believe our classification methodology and valuation approach are reasonable, it is possible that the IRS may challenge our classification or valuation of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, which may result in our being a PFIC for one or more taxable years. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a United States Holder (as defined in “Item 10. Additional Information––E. Taxation––United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) hold our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, certain adverse United States federal income tax consequences could apply to such United States person, including burdensome reporting requirements. Prospective investors who are United States Holders are strongly encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of the PFIC rules. See “Item 10. Additional Information— E. Taxation—Passive Foreign Investment Company.” We will incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company.” As a U.S. public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we have not incurred as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the Nasdaq, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. As a company with less than US$1.07 billion in gross annual revenue for our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting and permission to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. However, we have elected to “opt out” of this provision and, as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards as required when they are adopted for public companies. This decision to opt out of the extended transition period under the JOBS Act is irrevocable. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. After we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” we expect to incur significant expenses and 46 devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. For example, as a result of becoming a public company, we will need to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We also expect that operating as a public company will make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company’s securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY A. History and Development of the Company The origin of our business can be traced back to 2011. Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer, commenced a consumer finance platform in 2011 through several entities controlled by him in China. In June 2015, Mr. Dinggui Yan acquired Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., or Jiayin Finance, a shell company previously known as Furen Technology Limited and listed on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations Co., Ltd., or the NEEQ. In September 2015, Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd., was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiayin Finance to develop our online consumer finance platform business. Mr. Dinggui Yan launched Shanghai Caiyin Asset Management Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Caiyin, in September 2015. We entered into a collaboration agreement with Shanghai Caiyin in 2015 to engage Shanghai Caiyin to provide post-origination loan management services and manage our investor assurance program for loans facilitated prior to April 28, 2018. In December 2015, Shanghai Caiyin also acquired the servicing rights and obligations of all outstanding loan contracts facilitated by Niwodai Finance, which operated our founder’s consumer finance platform at that time, as well as the obligation to continue to provide guarantee on those loans. Niwodai Finance subsequently ceased to operate the individual financing business. We launched our online individual financing platform in December 2015. In December 2017, we incorporated Jiayin Group Inc. under the laws of the Cayman Islands as our offshore holding company, and in January 2018, we established a wholly-owned subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands, Jiayin Holdings Limited, and a wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, Geerong (HK), as our intermediate holding companies, to facilitate our initial public offering in the United States. Jiayin Finance was delisted from NEEQ in April 2018. In June 2018, we incorporated Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., or Shanghai Kunjia, as a wholly-foreign owned entity in China. As a result of the restructuring in 2018, we hold equity interest in Shanghai Kunjia through our current offshore structure. At the same time, Shanghai Kunjia entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Jiayin Finance and its shareholders, among which several agreements were terminated and simultaneously replaced by a series of contractual arrangements with substantially same terms in October 2018 for the purpose of registering pledges of equity interest in Jiayin Finance with the government authority. As a result of these contractual arrangements, or the Contractual Arrangements, we are the primary beneficiary of Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries, and, therefore, have consolidated the financial results of Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. On May 10, 2019, our ADSs commenced trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol “JFIN”. We raised a total of approximately US$35.0 million in net proceeds from the initial public offering, after the underwriter’s full exercise of their option to purchase additional ADSs, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions as well as other estimated offering expenses. In September 2019, we disposed of Shanghai Caiyin, a consolidated affiliated entity. On September 16, 2019, Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Service Co., Ltd., a consolidated affiliated entity of our Company, entered into an agreement with Shenzhen Rongxinbao Non-Financial Guarantee Co., Ltd. (“Shenzhen Rongxinbao”), an independent third-party guarantee company, and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Services Co., Ltd (“Shanghai Jiayin”), a company controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan, the founder, director and chief executive officer of our Company, which wholly owns the equity interest of Shanghai Caiyin, pursuant to which Shanghai Jiayin agreed to transfer all of its equity interest in Shanghai Caiyin to Shenzhen Rongxinbao. After the disposal, Shanghai Caiyin continues to provide services for loans under the investor assurance program it managed. 47 In September 2019, we conducted a business combination with Geerong Yun, an innovative fintech-driven platform connecting financial institutions. Prior to the combination, Geerong Yun and our Company were under the common control of Mr. Dinggui Yan, the founder, director and chief executive officer of our Company. After the combination, Geerong Yun became a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Company. The combination is intended to support the growth of our institutional funding sources, as well as to strengthen our big data analytics and fintech R&D. In September 2020, our wholly owned subsidiary Geerong (HK) acquired, from China Smartpay Group Holdings Limited (“China Smartpay”), a Hong Kong listed company, 35% equity interest in Keen Best, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Smartpay, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands holding 100% equity interests in certain PRC entities engaging in microcredit business. In November 2020, the outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P lending business was reduced to zero. Our principal executive offices are located at 18th Floor, Building No. 1, Youyou Century Plaza, 428 South Yanggao Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200122, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 21-6190-6826. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited at PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 10 East 40th Street, 10th Floor, New York NY, 10016. B. Business Overview We are a leading fintech platform in China committed to facilitating effective, transparent, secure and fast connections between underserved individual borrowers and financial institutions funding partners. We operate a highly secure and open platform with a comprehensive risk management system and a proprietary and effective risk assessment model which employs advanced big data analytics and sophisticated algorithms to accurately assess the risk profiles of potential borrowers. Our online platform embraces significant opportunities presented by a financial system that leaves many creditworthy individuals underserved. We provide borrowers with fast and convenient access to credit at affordable and competitive rates. We strategically focus on facilitating mid-to long-term consumer loans, as we believe such loan products are best positioned to generate attractive returns for our funding partners, and at the same time, capture the financing needs of quality borrowers. With a highly scalable capital-light business model, we have been able to grow our platform and reinforce our strengths through network effects. Our borrowers are typically creditworthy individuals with stable salary income and/or credit history but underserved by traditional financial institutions. We primarily utilize diverse online borrower acquisition channels including online advertising channels such as websites, search engines, app stores as well as online partnerships with online traffic marketplaces which have access to quality borrowers. Our online average borrower acquisition cost per new borrower was RMB262.8 (US$40.3) in 2020, representing 3.8% of the average loan principal borrowed by our borrowers in 2020. We operate a highly secure and open platform with a proprietary and effective risk assessment model and a comprehensive risk management system. We build our risk assessment model based on our first-hand and proprietary user and transaction data generated from our loan process as well as multiple layers of background and behavioral data from more than ten third-party sources. Our model employs advanced big data analytics and sophisticated algorithms to accurately assess the risk profiles of potential borrowers. We have also established reliable systematic risk management procedures. To supplement our risk management efforts, we also selectively collaborate with expert consultants with strong credit assessment capabilities to help us further screen and re-assess the creditworthiness of applicants and identify creditworthy potential borrowers based on desensitized user data. Historically, we helped investors on our platform to allocate their assets into different consumer loan products through our Niwodai investor app. Since the third quarter of 2019, we started to expand our investor base of individuals to institutional funding partners, including banks, trusts and microcredit companies. In 2020, we had 25 institutional funding partners and they invested an aggregate investment volume of RMB9.4 billion (US$1.4 billion). We completed the transition of our funding model in April 2020, with new loans only funded by institutional funding partners. The outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P lending business has been reduced to zero as of November 2020. We now generate a substantial majority of our total revenues from service fees we collect from our institutional funding partners. As an online finance platform, we do not use our own capital to invest in loans facilitated through our platform in Mainland China. 48 Our Users Borrowers We target the large and growing number of creditworthy individual borrowers in China who are underserved by traditional financial institutions and receptive to online finance solutions. Our borrowers typically belong to the young urban working class with stable salary and/or credit history. From the launch of our business through December 31, 2020, we had successfully facilitated loan transactions for over 10.1 million borrowers. The number of our borrowers grew by 8.0 times from approximately 0.2 million in 2016 to approximately 1.7 million in 2020. We strategically target the young generation and cultivate their loyalty on our platform, aiming to capture the vast growth opportunities as our borrowers enter into different stages of their lives and qualify for higher credit limits. In 2020, 72.8% of our borrowers were between 20 and 35 years of age. Funding Partners and Investors When we started our business, our funding base was comprised of individual investors only. Since the third quarter of 2019, we have successfully expanded our funding base to cover institutional funding partners, including banks, trusts and microcredit companies. Since April 2020, we have stopped funding loans with individual investors and started to fund all loans with institutional funding partners. In 2020, we had 25 institutional funding partners. We expect these institutional funding partners to provide stable funding to borrowers on our platform, which will allow us to increase our loan origination volume and generate more revenue. We will further develop our cooperation with institutional funding partners in 2021. Our Products and Services Loan Products Offered to Borrowers We offer primarily standard loan products online, which are all unsecured consumer loans to our borrowers. All of the loans facilitated through our platform feature fixed interest rates. To provide a transparent platform, interest rates, service fees and other charges are all clearly disclosed to borrowers upfront. We strategically design our products to target borrowers with different types of available credentials and therefore different credit limits varying from RMB1,000 to RMB50,000. We believe that our dedication and devotion to superior user service is a significant contributor to our growth. To better serve our borrowers, we adopt user- oriented business practices, including offering user service hotlines and online user service support on our mobile apps and WeChat account. We also offer clear and concise guidelines on our website and within our app to guide borrowers throughout the transaction process. In addition, we provide an online discussion forum, where our current and potential borrowers can communicate with each other and our user service agents. Finally, our user service team frequently reaches out to our users to seek their feedback. We maintain a user complaint feedback channel to improve our products and services. As of December 31, 2020, we had 82 employees in our dedicated user service department. 49 Services Offered to Institutional Funding Partners Since the third quarter of 2019, we have expanded our investor base of individuals to institutional funding partners, including banks, trusts and microcredit companies. Starting in April 2020, new loans were only funded by institutional funding partners. We introduce borrowers to our institutional funding partners and provide preliminary risk assessment services as well as other services to them. The service arrangement between our institutional funding partners and us varies depending on the type of institutional funding partners. For institutional funding partners with a license to extend loans, such as banks, online microcredit companies, they typically extend loans with their own funds directly to the borrowers introduced by us. In 2020, we had 25 institutional funding partners and they invested an aggregate investment volume of RMB9.4 billion (US$1.4 billion). Services Offered to Individual Investors Historically, we helped investors on our platform to allocate their assets into different consumer loan products through our Niwodai investor app. Since the third quarter of 2019, we started to transition our funding sources to institutional funding partners, and completed the transition in April 2020, with new loans only funded by institutional funding partners. The outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P lending business has been reduced to zero as of November 2020. Our Platform and Transaction Processes We provide a streamlined and smooth user experience for borrowers. The process on our mobile apps and website is designed to be simple, seamless and efficient while our platform leverages sophisticated, proprietary technologies to make it possible. 50 Transaction Process for Institutional Funding Partners Our institutional funding partners provide us with pre-determined criteria for borrowers and we will use our credit assessment model to assess the applicants in our platform and select qualified applicants for the institutional funding partners for further approval. Institutional funding partners will assess the applicants through their own credit assessment process and once they approve the loans, our system will generate a multilateral loan agreement among the borrower, the institutional partner and us, which will become effective immediately. We will then instruct the institutional partner to transfer the funding to the borrower’s account directly and we are also not involved in the repayment of principal and interest between borrowers and institutional funding partners. Transaction Process for Borrowers Application An applicant can submit a loan application after he or she has registered a user account using a valid mobile phone number. First-time applicants are required to present their PRC identity cards to us via their phone camera or webcam for identity verification. The images of their identity cards will be automatically captured and recognized by our authentication module and authenticated against personal identity data in the database of the Ministry of Public Security of China. In addition, based on the instructions within our Niwodai borrower app or on our website, applicants are also required to do specific poses facing the front camera to complete automatic biometric recognition. Our system authenticates the face recognition result against the database of the Ministry of Public Security of China to detect if it matches the identity card provided by the applicant. 51 In addition to the identity card, applicants are required to provide basic personal information, including educational level, marital status, occupation, address and bank account information for our credit assessment. Applicants also authorize us to collect data from third parties for purposes of credit assessment. If the applicants have previously applied for loans through our platform, they do not need to go through the procedures again, but may supplement or update their personal information if there are any changes. Furthermore, certain loan products require applicants to provide other specific credentials, including credit card information, payroll or housing funding account information. Credit Assessment and Approval Our credit assessment model automatically computes a credit score for the applicant upon receipt of his or her credit information. The system then assigns a credit limit, annualized fixed interest rate and service fee rates for the corresponding score to the applicant if the application is approved. If the applicants have previously applied for loans on our platform, their credit scores may be adjusted upwards or downwards based on their performance of repayment obligations and updated personal information. Please see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Credit Assessment and Risk Management System” for a detailed description of our credit assessment and risk management system. For funds provided by institutional funding partners, we only pre-screen the applicants and qualified applicants still need approvals from the institutional funding partners. Funding For funds provided by institutional funding partners, upon confirmation of the loan amount by the borrower and credit approval from the institutional funding partners, our system will generate a multilateral loan agreement among the borrower, the institutional partner and us, which will become effective immediately. We will then instruct the institutional partner to transfer the funding to the borrower’s account directly. Loan Servicing and Collection Prior to April 2020, when we ceased funding loans with individual investor funding sources, we provided loan servicing and collection services. Under our current institutional funding partner model, we no longer provide such services. Credit Assessment and Risk Management System We operate a highly secure and open platform with proprietary and effective credit assessment model and comprehensive risk management system. Leveraging advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and big data analytics, we continuously refine, test and optimize our model as our platform continues to accumulate and collect more credit data in our operations. Our credit assessment model and risk management system have undergone significant evolution. We have been building an online credit assessment model since the launch of our online platform in December 2015. As we engaged substantial numbers of borrowers offline in 2016 and 2017, we collected information of such borrowers offline in collaboration with our related party Jiayin Credit and manually input such information into our system. We also utilized traditional risk management methodologies such as in-person interviews for borrowers engaged offline for a brief period after the inception of our business. Our borrower engagement efforts gradually shifted from offline to online as our online credit assessment capabilities improved. We no longer offer offline loan products since February 2018 and have fully automated data collection and risk management methodologies accordingly. Data Collection and Pre-processing The first step of our credit assessment process is to collect data from the applicant, which consists of information directly provided by the applicant and information that we collect from third parties with the applicant’s authorization. The list below presents the typical types of data that we used as input for our credit assessment. 52 Proprietary Data Data from Third Parties •Data directly provided by the applicant, including PRC identity card OCR verification and live •Personal identity information biometric verification as well as the applicant’s debit/credit card number or bank card number, mobile number, social security account and housing provident account information, job-related information, self-reported income and debt information and education degree •Mobile communication behavior and device related information •Historical credit data accumulated through our platform •Behavioral data of the applicant’s behavior on our platform •Repayment performance data for repeat borrowers maintained by an organization authorized by the Ministry of Public Security of China •Credit assessment result from third-parties •Online data maintained by industry anti-fraud service providers for cross-checking •Online data from Internet service providers •Online shopping and payment behaviors on certain popular Chinese online retail and mobile commerce platforms •Recent application of loans in other consumer lending platforms •Transaction related information of applicant’s debt card We feed the raw, unstructured data that we collect into our data pre-processing module to generate high quality structured data as input for our credit assessment modules. Our data pre-processing procedures involve data cleaning, data normalization and feature extraction. Credit Assessment Model Our credit assessment system includes three main modules-authentication module, anti-fraud module and scorecard module. In addition, we collaborate with expert consultants to supplement our own credit assessment model. • Authentication Module The authentication module is a personal information authentication system that verifies and authenticates the identity of the applicant through the information provided by the applicant and third parties. With OCR and facial recognition technologies, the authentication module is able to automatically verify the identity card provided by applicants and their self-taken video against the Ministry of Public Security identity card database. We also cross check the personal and credit information, including social insurance and housing provident account information, against data from third parties to verify the authenticity of the data. • Anti-Fraud Module We have a large database of past fraud accounts information and sophisticated rules in detecting fraudulent behaviors. We have been working closely with multiple partners in a joint effort to identify emerging fraudulent schemes, scams, trends, threats, and criminal organizations and have accumulated massive data relating to fraud. The database we maintain enables us to fine-tune the rules we set and enhance our fraud detection capabilities. Utilizing graph mining technology, this module analyzes each applicant’s social proximity or relationships, such as through phone calls and SMSs, to known fraudsters in our database to determine the applicant’s likelihood of also being a fraudster. In addition, this module also takes into consideration variables such as specific login device, GPS location, IP address and Wi-Fi network connectivity to detect inconsistency and unusual features of applicants. We also continuously evolve this module to detect fraud clusters across device, environment, behavior and social dimensions. We also maintain a blacklist after detecting any fraudulent borrowers. • Scorecard Module After a prospective borrower has passed the fraud detection module, we initiate a credit review using our proprietary scorecard module to generate a score for the prospective borrower, which ultimately drives the decision on whether to extend credit and the amount to be extended. Our scorecard module utilizes data we collected from the borrower, such as the credit card transaction record and repayment history, social security and housing provident account information, and data from external parties we are authorized by the borrower to collect. We generally assign the highest score for borrowers who demonstrate the most solid financial position and consistent repayment history. We started using the scorecard module since 2016 and it evolved over time as our product mix evolved and our credit assessment capabilities improve. As part of our credit assessment efforts, we also adapt our scorecard module to our 53 borrower base, which shifted from offline to online and has evolved as we engage borrowers through different channels from time to time. Our scorecard module analyzes a different set of data for each loan application compared to earlier versions of the module and we continually test, validate and optimize it by changing the types of data it analyzes and the relative weights of various types of data. In particular, as the quality and availability of various data from third parties which is input in our scorecard module changes over time, we refine our scorecard module accordingly. We currently collaborate with more than 15 third-party data providers. Continuously refined by machine learning algorithms and the high volume of transaction data we collect, especially proprietary credit repayment records, our scorecard module currently analyzes a large number of variables for each loan application and enables us to better differentiate between creditworthy borrowers and lower quality borrowers. We also enhanced the stability of our scorecard module in view of increased amounts of loan applications we receive. As our credit assessment capabilities evolve, we are increasingly capable of identifying creditworthy borrowers, some of which we were unable to identify previously. We also benefit from the growth of our platform and the larger pool of borrower applicants our platform attracts, among which we are able to identify more creditworthy borrowers. As such, the credit scores generated by our scorecard module are not directly comparable across different time periods. Currently, the credit scores of our borrowers range from 0 to 100, while 100 represents the lowest credit risk associated with the borrower and 0 represents the highest. We generally reject borrowers with a credit score lower than 0, who we believe have low repayment willingness or capability. Set forth below is a breakdown of loan origination volume by the range of the credit scores of our borrowers as of the time of the loan origination. Credit Risk Level 60+ 40-60 20-40 0-20 Total 2018 2019 2020 (in RMB millions) % (in RMB millions) % (in RMB millions) 2,092 9,542 8,355 3,676 23,665 8.8 40.3 35.3 15.6 100.0 7,843 6,607 2,862 1,741 19,053 41.2 34.7 15.0 9.1 100.0 6,869 4,016 664 3 11,552 % 59.5 34.8 5.7 0.0 100.0 • Open Credit Assessment Platform We utilize an open risk management platform. In addition to the credit assessment efforts of our risk management team, we cooperate with leading expert consultants to improve our credit assessment modules from time to time. Following our strict data security policies, we open credit assessment platforms to these expert consultants, where they have access to a limited amount of desensitized, grouped and tagged borrower data, based on which they use such data to develop their own credit assessment models. After we exhaust our internal credit assessment model, we engage reputable third-party expert consultants to help further screen and re-assess the creditworthiness of applicants and identify creditworthy potential borrowers. We deploy and test new models developed by our expert consultants on an ongoing basis for a small portion of users in our test environment. We monitor the subsequent loan performance through repayment cycles and agree for the expert consultants to roll out a new model after it is confirmed to maintain superior credit quality while achieving low delinquency rate. Our expert consultants receive a certain percentage of the service fees we receive from the borrowers. We can incorporate successful models of our expert consultants to our credit assessment model with their consent. At the same time, we continuously refine our own credit assessment model in order to benefit from such cooperation with our expert consultants. We account for the rate and performance of borrowers identified by expert consultants when we evaluate the performance of our internal risk management team. We believe such open platform incentivizes vibrant and healthy collaboration and competition among our internal credit assessment team and our expert consultants. Pricing Our credit assessment model automatically assigns the appropriate credit line, monthly interest rate and amount of service fees for each approved applicant based on the result of credit assessment and our risk management strategies. Borrowers’ credit assessment results may be adjusted based on their performance of repayment obligation and updated personal information. Rejected applicants may also become eligible for reapplication after a certain period of time based on our proprietary risk management strategies. Risk Management Team We have a risk management committee, comprised of nine members, that meets regularly to examine the credit, liquidity and operational risks on our platform. Our risk management team is responsible for designing and implementing the risk management and credit assessment policies and processes, loan performance analysis, credit model validation and credit decisioning performance. Our risk management team engage in various risk management activities, including reporting on performance trends, monitoring of loan concentrations and stability, performing economic stress tests on loans, randomly auditing loan decisions by our credit assessment model and conducting peer benchmarking and external risk assessments. 54 Investor Assurance Program Managed by Independent Third-Party Guarantors Historically, we worked with third-party guarantors who entered into credit consulting and service agreement with borrowers and us to provide investor assurance programs for loans funded by individual investors. Since the reduction of the outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P lending business to zero in November 2020, there were no longer such loans covered by investor assurance programs managed by independent third-party guarantors. Guarantee Arrangements for Institutional Funding Partners For the loans facilitated between borrowers and institutional funding partners, guarantee services are provided by third party guarantee companies who charge guarantee service fees directly from borrowers. Upon borrowers’ default, the third-party guarantee companies compensate institutional funding partners for the unpaid principal and interest. The guarantee companies also demand counter-guarantees by another company in some contracts. Meanwhile, we also provide commitment letter of balance complements to the institutional funding partners or the guarantee companies. To manage the risk exposure, we in turn obtain a back-to-back guarantee from another third-party company. The fair value of our guarantee liabilities as a secondary guarantor was inconsequential and no compensation was made by us during the year of 2020. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the outstanding loan balance for which we provide secondary guarantee was RMB487.2 million and RMB1,586.6 million (US$243.2 million), respectively. Overseas Development Leveraging on the proprietary technology and operation experience accumulated in China, we are exploring business opportunities in other developing countries with a significant size of low-to mid- income population. We believe that these low-to mid- income populations is currently underserved by local financial systems similar to the financial market situation in China and our credit assessment and risk management system can be readily deployed in these countries. We established our Indonesia office to supervise our rapid development in Southeast Asia. In December 2019, we successfully filed with the Indonesian Financial Services Authority and have now offered our online products in Indonesia with success for more than a year, which is a key step for our application for a license for the peer-to-peer lending business in Indonesia. We also set up our Indian office at the end of 2019 and started to apply for the non-bank financial company license in India. We began to reach out to Vietnamese partners for potential cooperation since 2018 and had successfully established a joint venture company with local partners to conduct Internet finance business in 2019. In early 2020, we also acquired an Internet finance company in Mexico for our future development in Latin and South America. In addition, we set up a one-stop financial technology platform in Southeast Asia to provide customers with credit and risk control systems and have provided services to approximately 20 Vietnamese and Indonesian customers. We plan to further explore overseas markets, including the African market, in the future to better serve investors and borrowers emerging markets with significant demands for online consumer finance solutions. We will continue to cooperate with local partners with strong local presence and stable funding sources. With our risk management technologies and the local expertise of our partners, we believe we will be able to deliver accessible and convenient financial services to our overseas investors and borrowers. Our Technology and IT Infrastructure The success of our business is dependent on our strong technological capabilities that support us in delivering superior user experience, safeguarding information on our platform, increasing operational efficiency and enabling innovations. Principal components of our technology system include: • • • • Big data analytics capabilities. Leveraging a massive borrower base, we have been continuously improving our data mining and user behavior analytics capabilities, which enable us to build a comprehensive credit profile for each borrower as the basis for our quick and accurate credit decisions. Our data mining and analytics capabilities also allow us to empower numerous aspects of our operations, such as management of the loan lifecycle for borrowers, proprietary fraud detection, graph mining, risk management and financial modeling. Artificial Intelligence technologies. We put together a dedicated team focusing on internal Artificial Intelligence technologies development. Based on the comprehensive range of voice, image and video data collected through our platform, we have strengthened our data-centric machine learning technologies. We also achieved important milestones in the areas of human-computer interaction, OCR and facial recognition, which have been utilized in our risk management system and enabled us to build up a secured and stable platform. Highly automated process. Throughout the life cycle of our loan products, we maintain a highly automated management process to monitor the registration, application, verification, credit assessment, decision making, funding and collections. Our user-friendly Niwodai apps gives borrowers convenient access to our product features and help them find the loan products that match their needs. Data security. We maintain an effective cyber security system to monitor and manage the traffic to our platform on a real-time basis. Our system is designed to automatically defect suspicious activities and an alert will be instantly sent to 55 our IT team. To minimize the risk of a cyber-attack, we keep and constantly update an internal blacklist of malicious IP addresses. For our daily operation, we collect and store certain personal information, including sensitive information such as people’s ID card numbers and bank accounts information. We retrieve such information only upon user’s consent and store all data in an encrypted form. We also implement multiple layers of security to insulate our databases from unauthorized access and use sophisticated security protocols for communication among applications. • Stability. We utilize multiple data centers in different cities and maintain data redundancy through a real-time multi-layer data backup system to ensure the reliability of our network. We have implemented a disaster recovery program which enables us to react appropriately in an emergency and instantly start transferring our data to a back-up data center if needed. Intellectual Property We regard our trademarks, domain names, copyrights, know-how, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on trademark and trade secret law and confidentiality, invention assignment and non-compete agreements with our employees and others to protect our proprietary rights. We have registered 196 trademarks in the PRC. We are the registered holder of 37 domain names, including www.jiayinfintech.cn. We also have 82 copyrights for our proprietary techniques in connection with our systems. Competition Online consumer finance market is an emerging industry in China. We face competition from other online consumer finance platforms, online platforms that engage in online lending and traditional financial institutions. We compete with other online consumer finance platforms directly for both investors and borrowers. In addition, we compete with other online platforms that engage in online lending businesses for borrowers. We also compete with traditional financial institutions, including credit card issuers, consumer finance business units in commercial banks and other consumer finance companies. Some of our larger competitors have substantially broader products or service offerings and richer financial resources to support heavy spending on sales and marketing. We believe that our ability to compete effectively for funding partners and borrowers depends on many factors, including the variety of our products, funding partner and borrower experience on our platform, the effectiveness of our risk management system, the returns and reliance offered to funding partners, our marketing and selling efforts and the strength and reputation of our brand. In addition, as our business continues to grow rapidly, we face significant competition for talents, including management, engineers, product managers and risk management personnel. The success of our growth strategy depends in part on our ability to retain existing personnel and attract additional talents. Regulation This section sets forth a summary of the most significant laws, regulations and rules that affect our business activities in the PRC and our shareholders’ rights to receive dividends and other distributions from us. Regulations Relating to Online Consumer Finance Services Due to the relatively brief history of the online consumer finance industry in China, the regulatory framework governing our industry has not developed comprehensively. Even though few specific regulations on online consumer finance industry have been issued in the past few years, detailed guidance and interpretation has yet to be promulgated by the regulators. Under PRC laws and regulations, our business practice of online consumer finance services is usually categorized as online lending information intermediary services. Regulations on Online Peer-to-Peer Lending Intermediary Information Services On July 18, 2015, the Guidelines on Promoting the Healthy Development of Online Finance Industry, or the Guidelines, were promulgated by ten PRC regulatory authorities, including the PBOC, the MIIT and the CBRC. The Guidelines define online peer-to-peer lending as direct lending between individuals through an online platform, which is under the supervision of the CBRC and governed by the Civil Code of the PRC, and related judicial interpretations promulgated by the Supreme People’s Court. Pursuant to the Guidelines, a company that provides online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary services shall function clearly as an information intermediary and provide information services rather than provide credit enhancement services or engage in illegal fund-raising. 56 On April 12, 2016, the General Office of the State Council issued the Circular on Implementation Strategies Targeted towards Risks related to Online Finance Industry, which emphasizes that the online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platforms shall operate as information intermediaries and must not engage in certain activities, including but not limited to, setting up capital pool, extending loans, raising illegal fund. Online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platforms are also required to separate funds of lenders and borrowers from their own funds through custodian services provided by qualified banks. As the implementation rules for online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platforms, on April 13, 2016, the CBRC issued the Circular on Implementation Scheme of Special Rectification of Risks in Online Peer-to-Peer Lending Industry. By categorizing the market players based on their different levels of legal compliance, the CBRC started to regulate the online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service industry. On August 17, 2016, the CBRC, the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security of the PRC, or the MPS, and the CAC jointly issued the Interim Measures on Administration of Business Activities of Online Lending Information Intermediaries, or the Interim Measures. The Interim Measures require the online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers to (i) substantially include “online lending information intermediary” in its business scope filed with the local registration regulatory authority; (ii) complete a filing with local financial regulatory authority; and (iii) apply for appropriate telecommunication business license in accordance with relevant provisions issued by competent telecommunication regulatory authority after completion of the filing with local financial regulatory authority. According to the Interim Measures, online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers shall not engage in or accept entrustment to engage in certain activities, including, among others, (i) financing for themselves directly or indirectly, (ii) holding lenders’ funds, including accepting, collecting or gathering funds of lenders directly or indirectly, (iii) providing security to lenders or promising break-even principals and interests directly or in a disguised form, (iv) raising funds by issuing financial products on their own as wealth management products, (v) splitting the maturity term of any financing project, (vi) conducting securitization and (vii) operating equity crowd-funding. The Interim Measures require that online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers shall restrict the maximum balance of fund borrowed by the same borrower on the same online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platform as well as on several such online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platforms so as to prevent credit concentration risks. The maximum balance of fund borrowed by any individual on the same online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platform shall be RMB200,000, and the aggregate maximum balance of fund borrowed by the same individual on all online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platforms shall be RMB1,000,000. The maximum balance of funds borrowed by any entity or other kind of organization on the same online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platform shall be RMB1,000,000, and the aggregate maximum balance of fund borrowed by any entity or other kind of organization on all online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platforms shall be RMB5,000,000. With respect to the online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary platforms established prior to the implementation of the Interim Measures, provided that such platforms have not been in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Interim Measures, the local financial regulatory authority would require such platforms to make correction or rectification within a 12-month transition period specified by the Interim Measures. Pursuant to the Interim Measures, if an online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service provider violates any applicable laws, regulations or relevant regulatory provisions relating to online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary services, sanctions could be imposed by the local financial regulatory authority or other relevant regulatory authorities, including, among others, supervision interviews, regulatory warning, correction order, condemnation, negative credit record and publication, fine up to RMB30,000, and criminal liabilities if the act constitutes a criminal offense. In accordance with the Guidelines and the Interim Measures, the CBRC, the MIIT and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce jointly issued the Guidelines on the Filing-based Administration of the Online Lending Information Intermediaries on October 28, 2016, setting out detailed rules on the filing-based administrative regime of online lending information intermediaries that require local financial regulators to register, publicize and archive the basic information of online lending information intermediaries within their respective jurisdictions. In accordance with the Guidelines and the Interim Measures, the CBRC issued the Guidelines on Funds Custodian Business in Online Lending Industry, or the Custodian Guidelines on February 22, 2017, which further clarifies the custodian requirement for the funds of lenders and borrowers held by online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers. Pursuant to the Custodian Guidelines, an online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service provider shall only designate one qualified commercial bank as its fund custodian institution for the funds of lenders and borrowers held by it. To the extent that the relevant online peer-to- peer lending information intermediary service providers and commercial banks are not in full compliance with the 57 Custodian Guidelines, they are required to make correction or rectification within a six-month rectification period specified by the Custodian Guidelines. In accordance with the Guidelines and the Interim Measures, the CBRC further issued the Guidelines on Information Disclosure of Business Activities of Online Lending Information Intermediaries, or the Disclosure Guidelines, on August 23, 2017. The Disclosure Guidelines further clarifies the disclosure requirements for online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers. Pursuant to the Disclosure Guidelines, online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers shall disclose certain required information on their websites and all the other Internet channels, including mobile applications, WeChat or Weibo official account, including, among others, (i) the record-filing and registration information, the organization information, the examination and verification information, and transaction related information, including transactions matched through the online lending information intermediaries for the previous month, all of which shall be disclosed to the public; (ii) the basic information of the borrowers and the loans, the risk assessment of such loans, and the information of the outstanding transaction matched, all of which shall be disclosed to investors; and (iii) any event that would result in a material adverse effect to the operations of online lending information intermediaries, which shall be disclosed to the public within 48 hours upon occurrence. The Disclosure Guidelines also require online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers to record all the disclosed information and keep such information in writing for no less than five years from the disclosure date. To the extent that the relevant online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers are not in full compliance with the Disclosure Guidelines, they are required to make correction or rectification within a six-month rectification period specified by the Disclosure Guidelines. On December 1, 2017, the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Internet Financial Risks and the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Peer-to-peer Lending Risks jointly issued the Circular on Regulating and Rectifying of “Cash Loan” Services, or Circular 141. Circular 141 sets out the principles and general requirements for the conduct of “cash loan” business by online small loan companies, P2P platforms and banking financial institutions (for the purpose of Circular 141, including banks, trust companies and consumer financial companies). Circular 141 focuses on regulating the “cash loans” with features of no user scenario, specified uses of loan proceeds, specified customer base, or collateral, etc. Circular 141 sets forth several general principles with respect to the regulation of “cash loan” business, including: (i) no organization or individual may conduct the “cash loan” lending business without obtaining relevant approval; (ii) the aggregated borrowing costs of borrowers charged by institutions in the form of interest and various fees should be annualized and subject to the limit on interest rate of private lending provided by the judicial department; (iii) institutions engaged in cash, among others, loan business must follow the “know-your- customer” process and prudentially assess and determine the borrower’s suitability, credit limit and cooling-off period, etc.; and (iv) all institutions engaged in cash, among others, loan business must enhance their internal risk control and prudentially use the “data-driven” risk management models. On December 8, 2017, the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Peer-to-peer Lending Risks released the Notice on The Improvement and Acceptance of the Peer-to-Peer Online Lending Risk, or Circular 57. Circular 57 requires local financial regulator, local CBRC, the People’s Bank local branch, local public security, local communication administrative department and local AIC to jointly inspect and accept whether an internet lending information intermediary or P2P company complies with the Interim Measures. The P2P company can only be filed records, or P2P Filing, with the local financial regulator after receiving acceptance certificate or document issued jointly by local financial regulator and local CBRC. Normally, the P2P Filing should be completed before April 2018 according to the Circular 57. Circular 57 forbids several credit assignment models, including: (i) providing asset securitization services or transfer creditor’s rights in form of packaged assets, securitized assets, trust assets or fund shares; (ii) certain credit transfer from related individual party of the P2P company to the lender on the platform; and (iii) using credit right from the peer-to-peer lending platform as a pledge to borrow money from other lenders. In accordance with Circular 57, online lending marketplaces shall optimize their business portfolios continuously and manage the scale of their businesses. Marketplaces that have received rectification notices shall ensure steady decrease of the balance of non-compliant business on these marketplaces and shall not engage in any new non-compliant operations. On August 13, 2018, the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Peer-to-peer Lending Risks issued the Notice on Conducting Compliance Inspection on P2P Lending Platforms, or the Notice on Compliance Inspection, which requires that P2P lending platforms, local internet finance associations and relevant governmental authorities conduct compliance inspections based on a checklist of 108 compliance criteria and that such inspections shall be completed by December 31, 2018. The Notice on Compliance Inspection further states that only P2P lending platforms which pass the compliance check and satisfy a period of operations and tests may apply for filing. It has been reported that in May 2017, the PBOC and other PRC regulatory agencies issued the Notice on Further Effectively Conducting the Special Campaign on Reorganizing and Rectification in Respect of Risks Related to the Internet Finance Market , or Circular 119, which classified enterprises in the Internet finance market into “compliant enterprises”, “enterprises to conduct rectifications” and “enterprises to be suspended.” Circular 119 further stipulated various procedures to be taken with respect to these three types of enterprises. It has been reported that Circular 119 requires an enterprise that have received any rectification notice from 58 government agencies, or an “enterprise to conduct rectifications,” to promise, in its rectification plan, that it will not engage in any new non-compliant operations. Furthermore, such rectification plan shall provide a clear schedule for such enterprises to wind down and terminate all outstanding non-compliant business contracts and operations, which schedule in principal shall be no longer than one year, except if other specific regulation stipulates otherwise. Enterprises which refuse to rectify non- compliant activities, or fail to pass rectifying inspections, or engage in significant non-compliance shall be shut down in accordance with relevant regulations. During the process of the Special Campaign, provincial government agencies shall ensure that the number of enterprises in the Internet finance market and relevant business scale in such province to decrease, which is commonly referred to as the Dual Decrease. Furthermore, it has been reported that, according to Circular 175, except for large-scale peer-to-peer direct lending marketplaces that have not demonstrated any high-risk characteristics, which are generally referred to as Normal Marketplaces, other marketplaces, including shell companies with no substantive operation, small- scale marketplaces, marketplaces with high risks and marketplaces on which investors are not fully repaid or that are otherwise unable to operate their businesses, shall exit the peer-to-peer lending industry or cease operation. Normal Marketplaces shall cease operating businesses that are not in compliance with laws and regulations. Circular 175 also encourages certain Normal Marketplaces to convert into other types of online financing institutions such as online small loan companies or loan facilitation platforms. In accordance with Circular 175, Normal Marketplaces shall strictly manage the scale of its business and number of investors, follow the requirements of Dual Decrease and report relevant data to competent government agencies. According to Circular 175, the overarching objective of Circular 175 is for PRC government agencies to effect orderly exits of certain peer-to-peer direct lending marketplaces without inducing systematic risk in the financial system or causing significant social turbulence until only those marketplaces that are strictly in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations remain in operation in the peer-to-peer direct lending industry. The aforementioned summaries of Circular 119 and 175 are based on certain media reports, including alleged photocopies of Circular 119 and 175 presented in such reports. We have been advised by our PRC counsel, King & Wood Mallesons, that Circular 119 and 175 have not been officially issued to the public by any government agencies, and therefore, there are uncertainties as to the accuracy of the media reports, as well as the authenticity, meaning and application of Circular 119 and 175. In addition, it has been reported that in January 2019, the Online Lending Rectification Office issued the Circular on Further Implementation of Online Lending Intermediaries Compliance Inspection and Follow-up Work, or Circular 1, which has not been officially published. According to Circular 1, for each administrative region the number of online lending intermediaries, the number of investors and the business volume therein shall be reduced, and with respect to an online lending intermediary, the number of investors, business volume and number of borrowers thereon shall also be reduced. On November 28, 2019, the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Internet Financial Risks and the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Peer-to-peer Lending Risks jointly issued the Guidelines on the Transformation of Online Lending Information Intermediaries into Small Loan Companies, which stipulates several basic requirements with respect to the transformation, including: (i) the existing business and financial management of the online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary provider is relatively compliant; (ii) the online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary provider and its actual controller and senior executives have no severe penalties, criminal records, verified complaint records in violation of PRC laws or illegal financial activities; (ii) the online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary provider have qualified shareholders, management team, feasible transformation plan and meet online operation requirements. As of the date of this annual report, we have not submitted an application for the transformation. Regulations Relating to Online Lending Business of Facilitating Institutional Lending Capital Circular 141 imposes several requirements on financial institutions engaged in the “cash loan” business, including, among other things: (i) such financial institutions must not extend loans jointly with any entities that have not obtained the approval for the lending business, or provide funding to such entities for them to extend loans; (ii) with respect to the loan business conducted in cooperation with third-party entities, such financial institutions must not outsource their core business function (including the credit assessment and risk control). Loan facilitators shall return to its origin. Financial institutions must not accept any credit enhancement services, whether or not in a disguised form (including the commitment to taking default risks), provided by any third-party entities that lack the qualification to provide guarantee services; and (iii) such financial institutions must require and ensure that such third party entities do not charge any interests or fees from the borrowers. Moreover, Circular 141 also sets forth certain specific requirements related to online small loan companies and banking financial institutions in cash loan business. Any violation of Circular 141 may result in penalties, including but not limited to suspensions of operation, orders to make rectification, condemnation, revocations of license, orders to cease business operation, and criminal liabilities. 59 In addition, on October 9, 2019, CBIRC issued the CBIRC Circular 37, which explicitly provides that institutions providing customer promotion, credit assessment and other services for various lending institutions shall not provide financing guarantee services without approval. On July 12, 2020, the Interim Measures for the Administration of Online Loans by Commercial Banks came into effect. While they apply to commercial banks and by analogy to consumer finance companies and auto finance companies directly, they also require them to strengthen loan cooperation management, which would affect the institutions cooperating with them to develop internet loan businesses, and their existing business models. Pursuant to these interim measures, commercial banks shall evaluate their cooperation agencies and implement list management. Commercial banks shall not accept direct and disguised credit enhancement services from unqualified cooperation agencies, nor entrust third-party collection agencies with illegal records. The interim measures also provide that, except for cooperating institutions that jointly provide loans, commercial banks shall not entrust the cooperating institutions to perform key operations, such as loan issuance, loan principal and interest recovery, and stopping of loan payment. The commercial bank should explicitly require the cooperating institutions not to charge interest fees from the borrower in any form in the written cooperation agreement, except the insurance company and the institution with guarantee qualification. On February 19, 2021, the CBIRC further issued the Notice of Further Regulating Online Loan Business of Commercial Banks, also known as Circular 24, which provides that the commercial banks shall independently carry out the risk management of online loans and are forbidden from outsourcing the material procedures of loan management. Circular 24 will also apply by analogy to branches of foreign banks, trusts, consumer finance companies and auto finance companies. Circular 24 also provides for the transition periods, and further requirements may be imposed by CBIRC and its local counterparts based on the provisions of Circular 24. Regulations on Loans Pursuant to the Civil Code of PRC, a contract is null and void under any of the following circumstances: (i) the contract is concluded through the use of fraud or coercion by one party and thereby damages the interest of the state; (ii) malicious collusion is conducted to damage the interest of the state, the community or any third parties; (iii) an illegitimate purpose is concealed under the guise of legitimate forms of acts; (iv) the contract damages the public interest; or (v) the mandatory provisions of the laws and administrative regulations are violated. A loan agreement becomes effective when an individual lender provides loan to an individual borrower provided that the agreement does not fall into any such circumstance under the Civil Code of PRC. The Civil Code of PRC also requires that the interest rates charged under a loan agreement must not violate applicable provisions of the PRC laws and regulations. In the meantime, it also provides that the interest shall not be deducted from the proceeds of the loan in advance, and if the interest is deducted from the proceeds in advance, the loan shall be repaid and the interest shall be calculated based on the actual loan amount. In accordance with the Provisions on Several Issues Concerning Laws Applicable to Trials of Private Lending Cases issued by the Supreme People’s Court on August 6, 2015, or the Private Lending Judicial Interpretations, which became effective on September 1, 2015, in the event that loans are made through an online peer- to-peer lending information intermediary platform and such platform only provides information intermediary services, courts shall dismiss any claim concerned against the platform demanding the repayment of loans by the platform as a guarantor. The Provisions on Several Issues Concerning Laws Applicable to Trials of Private Lending Cases issued by the Supreme People’s Court, which came into effect on September 1, 2015, provided that agreements between lenders and borrowers on loans with interest rates below 24% per annum are valid and enforceable. As to the loans with interest rates per annum between 24% (exclusive) and 36% (inclusive), if the interest on the loans has already been paid to the lender, and so long as such payment has not damaged the interest of the state, the community and any third parties, the courts will turn down the borrower’s request to demand the return of the excess interest payment. If the annual interest rate of a private loan is higher than 36%, the agreement on the excess part of the interest is invalid, and if the borrower requests the lender to return the part of interest exceeding 36% of the annual interest that has been paid, the courts will support such requests. In addition, on August 4, 2017, the Supreme People’s Court issued the Several Opinions on Further Strengthening the Judicial Work in the Finance Sector, which provided that (i) if the total amount of interest, compounded interest, default interest and other fees charged by a lender under a loan contract substantially exceeds the actual loss of such lender, the request by the debtor under such loan contract to reduce or to adjust the part of the aforementioned fees exceeding the amount accrued at an annual rate of 24% will be upheld; and (ii) in the context of peer-to-peer lending disputes, if the online lending information intermediaries and lenders circumvent the statutory limit of the interest rate by charging intermediary fees, such fees shall be deemed invalid. The Supreme People’s Court amended the Provisions of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Private Lending Cases on August 20, 2020, and then again on January 1, 2021. Under these amendments, if the service fees or other fees that we charge are deemed to be loan interest or fees related to loans (inclusive of any default rate and default penalty and any other fee), then in the event that the sum of the annualized interest that lenders charge and fees 60 we and our business partners charge exceed four times the one-year Loan Prime Rate at the time of the establishment of the agreement, the borrower may refuse to pay the portion that exceeds the limit. In that case, PRC courts will not uphold our request to demand the payment of fees that exceed the limit from the borrower. If the borrower has already paid the fees that exceed the limit, the borrower may request that we refund the portion exceeding the limit and the PRC courts may uphold such requests. The aforementioned one-year Loan Prime Rate refers to the one-year loan market quoted interest rate issued by the National Bank Interbank Funding Center. These new limits replace the upper limits on interest rates of 24% and 36% described in the Private Lending Judicial Interpretations. Moreover, if the lender and the borrower agree on both the overdue interest rate and the liquidated damages or other fees, the lender may choose to claim any or all of them, but the portion of the total exceeding the limit shall not be supported by the people’s court. The new limits apply to new first-instance cases of private lending disputes accepted by the people’s court after August 20, 2020. As to the cases in which the loan contract was established before August 20, 2020, if the lender requests that the court apply the old limits of 24% and 36% for calculating the loan interest accrued from the establishment of the loan contracts up to August 19, 2020, such request will be supported by the court, but the loan interest accrued from August 20, 2020 to the date of the loan repayment shall be calculated by applying the new limit of four times the one-year Loan Prime Rate at the time of the filing of the lawsuit. On December 29, 2020, the Supreme People’s Court also issued the Reply Regarding the Scope of Application of the New Private Lending Judicial Interpretation, which provides that the two amendments are not applicable to disputes arising from the relevant financial business of microcredit companies, financing guarantee companies, and five other types of local financial organizations which are regulated by local financial authorities. Furthermore, under Circular 141, the overall borrowing costs charged to borrowers should be calculated by loan interest together with all relevant fees and presented in an annualized form, which shall comply with above provisions on private lending. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Changes in PRC regulations relating to interest rates for marketplace and microcredit lending could have a material adverse effect on our business.” In addition, pursuant to the PRC Contract Law, a creditor may assign its rights under an agreement to a third party, provided that the debtor is notified. Upon due assignment of the creditor’s rights, the assignee is entitled to the creditor’s rights and the debtor must perform the relevant obligations under the agreement for the benefit of the assignee. We also provide loan transfer services on our platform where lenders can transfer the loans they hold to other lenders upon the maturity of the automated loan investment products. On July 22, 2020, the Supreme People’s Court and the NDRC jointly released the Opinions on Providing Judicial Services and Safeguards for Accelerating the Improvement of the Socialist Market Economic System for the New Era. This document states that if the interest and fees, including compound interests, penalty interests and liquid damages, claimed by one party to the loan contract exceed the upper limit under judicial protection, the claim will not be supported by the court, and if the parties to the loan disguise the financing cost in an attempt to circumvent the upper limit, the rights and obligations of all parties to the loan will be determined by the actual loan relationship. In addition, this document indicates that the relevant governmental authorities should promptly revise and improve the judicial interpretation of the legal issues for private lending trial cases and significantly reduce the upper limit of private lending rates under judicial protection. The timetable and other details of the regulatory revisions proposed by this document remain uncertain. Regulations on Sharing Information of and Imposing Disciplinary Measures on Discredited Parties subject to Enforcement The Several Provisions on Announcement of the List of Discredited Parties Subject to Enforcement promulgated by the Supreme People’s Court on July 16, 2013, and amended on February 28, 2017, or Several Provisions, provides the framework for collecting and sharing information of discredited parties which are subject to law enforcement actions. According to the Several Provisions, where a party subject to enforcement fails to perform the obligations determined in a valid legal document, under any of the following circumstances, a people’s court shall record him/her in the list of discredited parties subject to enforcement, and impose credit- related disciplinary measures pursuant to the law in cases if: (i) he/she has the capacity to perform but refuses to perform the obligations determined in the valid legal document; (ii) he/she hinders or resists enforcement by way of forging evidence, violence or coercion; (iii) he/she circumvents enforcement by way of false lawsuit, false arbitration or concealment or removal of properties; (iv) there is a violation of property reporting system; (v) there is a violation of order to restrict consumption; or (vi) he/she refuses to perform settlement agreement for enforcement without a valid reason. The Several Provisions further provide that people’s courts at all levels shall record the information of the discredited parties subject to enforcement in the database of the Supreme People’s Court, and announce such information to the public on a unified basis through such database. Furthermore, the people’s court at all levels may, based on the actual conditions of the locality, announce the list of discredited parties subject to enforcement by way of newspapers, radio, television, Internet, bulletin board of the court, and may hold press conference or engage other methods for announcement of implementation status of lists of discredited parties subject to enforcement by these courts and courts within their respective jurisdictions. 61 In accordance with the Notice on Issuing the Memorandum of Cooperation on Jointly Imposing Disciplinary Measures against Discredited Parties Subject to Enforcement promulgated by the NDRC and other government agencies on January 20, 2016, or the Joint Disciplinary Measures Memorandum, the NDRC will, on the basis of the national credit information sharing platform, establish a system for joint disciplinary measures against discredited acts. Through said system, Supreme People’s court shall provide other governmental agencies who have signed this Joint Disciplinary Measures Memorandum with the information of discredited parties subject to enforcement, and update such information according to the relevant provisions. Other governmental agencies shall obtain the information of discredited parties subject to enforcement via said system, implement or assist in implementing the disciplinary measures specified in the Joint Disciplinary Measures Memorandum, and report the information on implementation of such measures to the Supreme People’s Court and the NDRC via said system. The disciplinary measures for the discredited parties include, among others, (i) restrictions on participation in government procurement; (ii) restrictions on establishment of insurance companies and financing guarantee companies; (iii) provision of relevant information as a prudent reference for all financial institutions when financial institutions approve credit applications; (iv) restrictions on support of subsidy or social security funds; (v) provision of reference for accreditation of preferential policies; (vi) for individuals, restrictions on serving as legal representative, director or supervisor of wholly state-owned enterprises, legal representative of public institutions, public servants or staff members of public institutions; (vii) for individuals, restrictions on luxurious consumptions, including but not limited to taking airplanes, luxurious sleeping compartments on trains, higher star-rated hotels, night clubs or golf courses, and other consumption unnecessary for living and working. In accordance with the Notice on Reporting Borrowers Who Deliberately Circumvent Loan Repayment or Refuse to Repay on Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms issued by the Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign against Internet Financial Risks on August 8, 2018, local offices for the special campaign shall report lists of borrowers who deliberately circumvent loan repayment or refuse to repay when he/she has the capacity to do so. Going forward, the national Office of the Leading Group for the Special Campaign shall coordinate with other government agencies to include relevant information of these borrowers into the national credit information sharing platform and “Credit China” database. Regulations on Illegal Fund-Raising The Measures for the Banning of Illegal Financial Institutions and Illegal Financial Business Operations promulgated by the State Council in July 1998 and revised in 2011, and the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning the Penalty on Illegal Fund-Raising issued by the General Office of the State Council in July 2007, explicitly prohibit illegal public fund-raising. Anyone who engages in illegal funding raising will be subject to administrative penalty from one time to five times of the illegal revenues, cessation of operation or even criminal liabilities. In addition, the Interim Measures and the Custodian Guidelines purport, among other things, to require each online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service provider to separate its own funds from the funds of lenders and borrowers, choose one qualified commercial bank as the fund custodian institution for the funds of lenders and borrowers, and limit the maximum amount of the loan borrowed by one individual. According to the Custodian Guidelines, online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers are further required to review and verify the records and information of their custody accounts with their fund custodian institutions on a daily basis. We act as an information intermediary for and are not a party to the loans facilitated through our platform. We rely on third-party payment platforms in handling funds transfer and settlement. We entered into a custody account arrangement with Hengfeng Bank, whereby the funds of lenders and borrowers were deposited into and settled by custody accounts under its management before December 2019. We signed a custody account arrangement with AIBANK in November 27, 2019 and changed our custodian institution into AIBANK since December 2019. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—The laws and regulations governing online consumer finance industry in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If we fail to comply with existing and future applicable laws, regulations or requirements of local regulatory authorities, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.” Regulations on Anti-money Laundering The PRC Anti-money Laundering Law, which became effective in January 2007, stipulates that special non-financial institutions which are required by relevant regulations to perform obligations of anti-money laundering shall comply with the anti-money laundering obligations. The PBOC and other regulatory authorities issued a series of administrative regulations and rules to specify the anti-money laundering obligations of financial institutions and special non-financial institutions. Furthermore, the Guidelines, the Interim Measures and the Custodian Guidelines require online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers to comply with certain anti-money laundering requirements, including the establishment of a customer identification program, the monitoring and reporting of suspicious transactions, the preservation of customer information and 62 transaction records, and the provision of assistance to the public security authority and judicial authority in investigations and proceedings in relation to anti-money laundering matters. While we are in the process of formulating policies and procedures, including internal controls and “know-your-customer” procedures, aimed at preventing money laundering and terrorism financing, we cannot assure you that we will be able to establish and maintain anti-money laundering policies and procedures which can effectively protect our platform from being exploited for money laundering or terrorism financing purposes, or that such policies and procedures, if adopted, will be deemed to be fully in compliance with all applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the Interim Measures. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Any failure by our third-party service providers or institutional funding partners to comply with applicable anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing laws and regulations could damage our reputation.” Regulations Relating to Foreign Investment Investments in the PRC by foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises are regulated by the Catalogue of Industries for Encouraging Foreign Investment (2020 edition) and the Special Administrative Measures for Foreign Investment Access (Negative List 2020), or the 2020 Negative List. The establishment of wholly foreign-owned enterprises is generally allowed in industries not included in the 2020 Negative List. Industries not listed in the 2020 Negative List are generally open to foreign investments unless specifically restricted by other applicable Chinese regulations. Under the 2020 Negative List, foreign equity in companies providing value- added telecommunications services, excluding e-commerce, domestic multi-party communications, data collection and transmission services, and call centers, should not exceed 50%. Foreign investment in telecommunications companies in the PRC is also governed by the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises, or the Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises Provisions, which was promulgated by the State Council on December 11, 2001, and amended on September 10, 2008 and February 6, 2016. The Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises Provisions prohibit a foreign investor from holding over 50% of the total equity interest in any value-added telecommunication service business in China. In addition, the major foreign investor who invests in a foreign-invested value- added telecommunications enterprise and operates the value-added telecommunication service business in China must demonstrate a good track record and experience in operation of value-added telecommunication service business. The National People’s Congress adopted the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC on March 15, 2019 and its implementation regulation later on December 26, 2019, which became effective on January 1, 2020 and replaced three then existing laws on foreign investments in China, namely, the PRC Equity Joint Venture Law, the PRC Cooperative Joint Venture Law and the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic invested enterprises in China. The Foreign Investment Law establishes the basic framework for the access to, and the promotion, protection and administration of foreign investments in view of investment protection and fair competition. Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, China will grant national treatment to foreign invested entities, except for those foreign invested entities that operate in industries that fall within “restricted” or “prohibited” categories as prescribed in the “negative list” to be released or approved by the State Council. Furthermore, the Interim Administrative Measures for the Record-filing of the Incorporation and Change of Foreign-invested Enterprises (amended in 2018) was replaced by Measures for the Reporting of Foreign Investment Information, or the Foreign Investment Information Measures. Since January 1, 2020, for foreign investors carrying out investment activities directly or indirectly in the PRC, foreign investors or foreign-invested enterprises shall submit investment information through the Enterprise Registration System and the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System operated by the State Administration for Market Regulation. Foreign investors or foreign-invested enterprises shall disclose their investment information by submitting reports for their establishments, modifications and cancellations and their annual reports in accordance with the Foreign Investment Information Measures. If a foreign-invested enterprise investing in the PRC has finished submitting its reports for its establishment, modifications and cancellation and its annual reports, the relevant information will be shared by the competent market regulation department to the competent commercial department, and does not require such foreign-invested enterprise to submit the reports separately. Regulations Relating to Internet Companies Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunication Services The Telecommunications Regulations of the PRC, or the Telecommunications Regulations, promulgated by the State Council on September 25, 2000 and amended on July 29, 2014 and February 6, 2016, provide a regulatory framework for telecommunication service providers in the PRC. The Telecommunications Regulations require telecommunication service providers to obtain an 63 operating license prior to the commencement operations. The Telecommunications Regulations categorize telecommunication services into basic telecommunication services and value-added telecommunication services. According to the Catalog of Telecommunication Business, attached to the Telecommunications Regulations, both information services and online data processing and transaction processing services provided via fixed network, mobile network and Internet fall within value-added telecommunication services. In July 2017, the MIIT promulgated the Administrative Measures on Telecommunication Business Operating Licenses. Under these regulations, a commercial operator of value-added telecommunication services must first obtain a license for value-added telecommunication service business, or VATS License, from the MIIT or its provincial level counterparts. In July 2006, the Ministry of Information Industry of the PRC, the predecessor of the MIIT, issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in the Operation of Value-added Telecommunication Business, which prohibits holders of telecommunication business licenses from leasing, transferring or selling their licenses in any form, or providing any resource, sites or facilities, to any foreign investor intending to conduct such business in China. Furthermore, as we are providing online loan facilitation service through mobile applications to mobile device users, we cannot assure you that we will not be required to apply for an operating license for our mobile applications in the future. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—The laws and regulations governing online consumer finance industry in China are developing and evolving and subject to changes. If we fail to comply with existing and future applicable laws, regulations or requirements of local regulatory authorities, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.” Regulation on Mobile Internet Applications Information Services In addition to the Telecommunications Regulations and other regulations above, mobile application information service providers are especially regulated by the Administrative Provisions on Mobile Internet Applications Information Services, or the APP Provisions, which were promulgated by the CAC, on June 28, 2016 and became effective on August 1, 2016. According to the APP Provisions, the CAC and its local counterparts shall be responsible for the supervision and administration of nationwide or local mobile application information, respectively. Under the APP Provisions, mobile application information service providers are required to obtain relevant qualifications prescribed by laws and regulations and shall be responsible for the supervision and administration of mobile application information required by laws and regulations and implement the information security management responsibilities strictly, including but not limited to: (i) authenticating the identity information of the registered users, (ii) protecting user information, and obtaining the consent of users while collecting and using users’ personal information in a lawful and proper manner, (iii) establishing information content audit and management mechanism, and taking against any information content in violation of laws or regulations depending on circumstances, and (iv) recording and keeping users’ log information the same for sixty (60) days. The MIIT issued the Notice on the Further Special Rectification of Apps Infringing upon Users’ Personal Rights and Interests, or the Further Rectification Notice, on July 22, 2020. The notice requires that certain conducts of app service providers should be inspected with respect to (i) collecting personal information without the user’s consent, collecting or using personal information beyond the necessary scope of providing services, and forcing users to receive advertisements; (ii) requesting user’s permission in a compulsory and frequent manner, or frequently launching third-parties apps; and (iii) deceiving and misleading users into downloading apps or providing personal information. The notice also set forth that the period for the regulatory specific inspection on apps and that the MIIT will order the non- compliant entities to modify their business within five business days, or otherwise to make public announcement to remove the apps from the app stores and impose other administrative penalties. We have implemented necessary programs in our mobile application to make sure the collection, protection and preservation of user information are in compliance with the APP Provisions in all material aspects. Regulations on Internet Security Internet information in China is regulated and restricted from a national security standpoint. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC, has enacted the Decisions on Maintaining Internet Security on December 28, 2000 and further amended on August 27, 2009, which may subject violators to criminal punishment for any effort to: (i) gain improper entry into a computer or system of strategic importance; (ii) disseminate politically disruptive information; (iii) leak state secrets; (iv) spread false commercial information; or (v) infringe intellectual property rights. In 1997, the MPS has promulgated measures that prohibit use of the Internet in ways which, among other things, result in a leakage of state secrets or a spread of socially destabilizing content. If an Internet information service provider violates these measures, the MPS and its local counterparts may revoke its operating license and shut down its websites. 64 Pursuant to the Cyber Security Law of the PRC promulgated by the SCNPC on November 7, 2016 and effective on June 1, 2017, network operators, including online peer-to-peer lending information intermediary service providers, shall comply with laws and regulations and fulfill their obligations to safeguard security of the network when conducting business and providing services, and take all necessary measures pursuant to laws, regulations and compulsory national requirements to safeguard the safe and stable operation of the networks, respond to network security incidents effectively, prevent illegal and criminal activities, and maintain the integrity, confidentiality and usability of network data. The Measures on Cyber Security Review were jointly issued on April 13, 2020 and took effect on June 1, 2020. The measures provide detailed rules regarding cyber security review, and any operator in violation of the regulations shall be penalized in accordance with Article 65 of the Cyber Security Law. The Data Security Law (Draft) was published to solicit public comments on July 2, 2020. The Data Security Law (Draft) mainly sets forth specific provisions regarding establishing basic systems for data security management, including hierarchical data classification management system, risk assessment system, monitoring and early warning system, and emergency disposal system. In addition, it clarifies the data security protection obligations of organizations and individuals carrying out data activities and implementing Data security protection responsibility. The Administrative Provisions for Text Message and Voice Call Service (Draft) were published to solicit public comments on August 31, 2020. It provides that no entity or individual can send commercial text messages or make commercial calls to users without user consent. In case of violation, the relevant governmental authorities may order to make rectification, impose warnings or fines, make public announcements, or enforce other administrative measures. Under severe circumstances, the relevant governmental authorities may revoke the telecommunication licenses and phone number sources of the violating entity or individual. The Ministry of Public Security issued the Guiding Opinions on Implementing the Network Security Level Protection System and Critical Information Infrastructure Security Protection System on September 22, 2020, which stipulate that internet operators shall cooperate with public security authorities to crack down on illegal and criminal online activities. In the event of online crimes, material cyber security threats and incidents, the internet operators shall promptly report to and provide necessary assistance to the public security authorities. We have, in accordance with relevant provisions on the state network security and the requirements of the state’s system for classified protection of information security, conducted the record-filing of class determination and class testing of information system, possessed perfect network security facility and management system such as firewall, intrusion detection, data encryption and disaster recovery, etc. Regulations on Privacy Protection The Several Provisions on Regulating the Market Order of Internet Information Services, issued by the MIIT in December 2011, provide that an Internet information service provider may not collect any user personal information or provide any such information to third parties without the consent of a user. An Internet information service provider must expressly inform the users of the method, content and purpose of the collection and processing of such user personal information and may only collect such information necessary for the provision of its services. An Internet information service provider is also required to properly maintain the user personal information, and in case of any leak or likely leak of the user personal information, online peer-to-peer lending service providers must take immediate remedial measures and, in severe circumstances, make an immediate report to the telecommunication regulatory authority. In addition, pursuant to the Decision on Strengthening the Protection of Online Information issued by the SCNPC in December 2012 and the Order for the Protection of Telecommunication and Internet User Personal Information issued by the MIIT in July 2013, any collection and use of user personal information must be subject to the consent of the user, abide by the principles of legality, rationality and necessity and be within the specified purposes, methods and scopes. Pursuant to the Ninth Amendment to the Criminal Law of the PRC issued by the SCNPC in August 2015 and became effective in November, 2015 any Internet service provider that fails to fulfill the obligations related to Internet information security administration as required by applicable laws and refuses to rectify upon orders shall be subject to criminal penalty. On May 8, 2017, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate released the Interpretations on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Handling of Criminal Cases Involving Infringement of Citizens’ Personal Information, or the Personal Information Judicial Interpretations, which became effective on June 1, 2017. The Personal Information Judicial Interpretations provide more practical conviction and sentencing criteria for the infringement of citizens’ personal information and mark a milestone for the criminal protection of citizens’ personal information. 65 The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress published a consultation draft of the Personal Information Protection Law (Draft) to solicit public comments on October 21, 2020, which takes revocable consent as its principal basis for processing personal information, introducing extra-territorial effect and restrictions on international data transfers and imposing revenue-based fines as the principal penalty for non-compliance. The Civil Code of PRC, which was issued by the National People’s Congress on May 28, 2020 and became effective from January 1, 2021, provides that personal information of natural persons is protected by law. The Civil Code defines the processing of personal information as the collection, storage, use, processing, transmittal, provision and disclosure of personal information. Furthermore, according to the Civil Code of PRC, any entity that engages in the processing of personal information must follow the principles of lawfulness, fairness, and necessity and may not overuse personal information, and they must obtain the consent of the natural person or his or her guardian, except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations. While we have taken measures to protect the confidential information that we have access to, our security measures could be breached. Any accidental or willful security breaches or other unauthorized access to our platform could cause confidential information of lenders and borrowers to be stolen and used for criminal purposes. Security breaches or unauthorized access to confidential information could also expose us to liability related to the loss of information, time-consuming and expensive litigation and negative publicity. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—If we are unable to protect the confidential information of our users and adapt to the relevant regulatory framework regarding protection of such information, our business and operations may be adversely affected.” Regulations on Internet Advertising The Interim Measures for Administration of Internet Advertising, or the Internet Advertising Measures, were promulgated by the SAIC and became effective on September 1, 2016. According to the Internet Advertising Measures, Internet advertisers are responsible for the authenticity of the content of advertisements. Internet advertisements shall be distinguishable and prominently marked as “advertisements” in order to enable consumers to identify them as advertisements. It is required that publishing and circulating advertisements through the Internet shall not affect the normal use of the Internet by users. It is not allowed to induce users to click on the content of advertisements by any fraudulent means, or to attach advertisements or advertising links in the emails without permission. Regulations on Intellectual Property Rights The PRC has adopted comprehensive legislation governing intellectual property rights, including copyrights, patents, trademarks and domain names. Copyright. Copyright in the PRC, including copyrighted software, is principally protected under the PRC Copyright Law and related regulations and rules. Under the PRC Copyright Law, the term of protection for copyrighted software is 50 years. Patent. The PRC Patent Law provides for patentable inventions, utility models and designs, which must meet three conditions: novelty, inventiveness and practical applicability. The State Intellectual Property Office under the State Council is responsible for examining and approving patent applications. The duration of a patent right is either 10 years or 20 years from the date of application, depending on the type of patent right. Trademark. The PRC Trademark Law promulgated on August 23, 1982 and most recently revised on April 23, 2019 and became effective on November 1, 2019, and its implementation rules promulgated on August 3, 2002 and revised on April 29, 2014, protect registered trademarks. The PRC Trademark Law has adopted a “first-to-file” principle with respect to trademark registration. The Trademark Office under the SAIC is responsible for the registration and administration of trademarks throughout the PRC, and grants a term of ten years to registered trademarks and another ten years if requested upon expiry of the initial or extended term. Trademark license agreements must be filed with the Trademark Office for record. Domain Name. Domain names are protected under the Administrative Measures on the Internet Domain Names promulgated by the MIIT and effective on November 1, 2017. The MIIT is the major regulatory authority responsible for the administration of the PRC Internet domain names. The registration of domain names in PRC is on a “first-apply-first-registration” basis. A domain name applicant will become the domain name holder upon the completion of the application procedure. Our major domain name “niwodai.com” has been registered. 66 Regulations Relating to Mergers and Acquisitions Six PRC regulatory authorities, including the CSRC, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, which became effective in September 2006 and were amended on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules, among other things, require offshore SPVs formed for overseas listing purposes through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies and controlled by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to publicly listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. While the implementation of the M&A Rules remains unclear, we believe, based on the advice of our PRC counsel, that CSRC approval is not required in the context of our initial public offering because: (i) the WFOE was established by means of direct investment rather than by a merger with or an acquisition of any PRC domestic companies as defined under the M&A Rules, and was not a PRC domestic company as defined under the M&A Rules, and (ii) no explicit provision in the M&A Rules classifies the respective contractual arrangements among our WFOE, our consolidated VIE and its shareholders as a type of acquisition transaction falling under the M&A Rules. However, as there has been no official interpretation or clarification of the M&A Rules, there is uncertainty as to how this regulation will be interpreted or implemented. Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange Regulations on Foreign Currency Exchange The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China are the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, most recently amended in August 2008. Under the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. By contrast, approval from or registration with appropriate regulatory authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital account items, such as direct investment, repayment of foreign currency-denominated loans, repatriation of investment and investment in securities outside of China. On March 30, 2015, the SAFE promulgated SAFE Circular 19, which was partially abolished on December 30, 2019, to expand the reform nationwide. Under SAFE Circular 19, the foreign exchange capital in the capital account of foreign-invested enterprises upon the confirmation of rights and interests of monetary contribution by the local branches of the SAFE (or the book-entry registration of monetary contribution by the banks) can be settled at the banks based on the actual operation needs of the enterprises. The proportion of discretionary settlement of foreign exchange capital of foreign-invested enterprises is currently 100%. The SAFE can adjust such proportion in due time based on the circumstances of international balance of payments. However, SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 promulgated by the SAFE in June 2016 continue to prohibit foreign-invested enterprises from, among other things, using RMB fund converted from its foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond its business scope, investment and financing (except for security investment or guarantee products issued by bank), providing loans to non-affiliated enterprises or constructing or purchasing real estate not for self-use. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.” On January 26, 2017, the SAFE issued the Circular on Further Improving Reform of Foreign Exchange Administration and Optimizing Genuineness and Compliance Verification, or SAFE Circular 3, which stipulates several capital control measures with respect to the outbound remittance of profit from domestic entities, including (i) under the principle of genuine transaction, banks shall check board resolutions regarding profit distribution, the original version of tax filing records and audited financial statements; and (ii) domestic entities shall hold income to account for previous years’ losses before remitting the profits. Moreover, pursuant to SAFE Circular 3, domestic entities shall make detailed explanations of the sources of capital and utilization arrangements, and provide board resolutions, contracts and other proof when completing the registration procedures in connection with an outbound investment. On April 14, 2020, SAFE issued the Notice on Optimizing Foreign Exchange Administration to Support the Development of Foreign-related Business. It stipulates that on the premise of ensuring the true and compliant use of funds and compliance with the existing regulations on use of income under the capital account, enterprises which satisfy the criteria are allowed to use income under the capital account, such as capital funds, foreign debt and overseas listing for domestic payment, without prior provision of proof materials for veracity to the bank for each transaction. The authority to process the deregistration of qualified overseas loans under domestic guarantee and overseas lending shall be delegated to banks. 67 Regulations on Foreign Exchange Registration of Offshore Investment by PRC Residents The SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to PRC Resident’s Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the former circular commonly known as “SAFE Circular 75.” SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of the SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of offshore investment and financing, with such PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in SAFE Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC residents, share transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. On February 13, 2015, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment, or SAFE Circular 13, the attachment of which was partially abolished on December 30, 2019. After SAFE Circular 13 became effective on June 1, 2015, instead of applying for approvals regarding foreign exchange registrations of foreign direct investment and offshore direct investment from the SAFE, entities and individuals will be required to apply for such foreign exchange registrations from qualified banks. The qualified banks, under the supervision of the SAFE, will directly examine the applications and conduct the registration. In the event that a PRC shareholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiaries. Furthermore, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls. Mr. Dinggui Yan, Mr. Guanglin Zhang and Mr. Yuanle Wu, who directly or indirectly hold shares in our Cayman Islands holding company and who are known to us as being PRC residents, have completed their SAFE registration pursuant to SAFE Circular 37. Regulations on Employee Share Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company Pursuant to the Circular on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Share Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed Company , issued by the SAFE in February 2012, individuals participating in any share incentive plan of any overseas publicly listed company who are PRC citizens or non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with the SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be a PRC subsidiary of such overseas publicly listed company, and complete certain other procedures. We and our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year and have been granted options are subject to these regulations. Failure by these individuals to complete their SAFE registrations may subject us and them to fines and other legal sanctions. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee share incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.” The SAT has issued certain circulars concerning employee share options and restricted shares. Under these circulars, our employees working in China who exercise share options will be subject to PRC individual income tax. Our PRC subsidiaries has obligations to file documents related to employee share options with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of those employees who exercise their share options. If our employees fail to pay or we fail to withhold their income taxes according to relevant laws and regulations, we may face sanctions imposed by the tax authorities or other PRC regulatory authorities. Regulations on Dividend Distribution Under our current corporate structure, our Cayman Islands holding company may rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries, which are wholly foreign-owned enterprises incorporated in China, to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. The principal regulations governing distribution of dividends of foreign-invested enterprises is the Company Law of the PRC. Under the Company Law of the PRC, companies in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated after-tax profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, companies in China are required to set aside certain statutory reserve funds of at least 10% of its after-tax profit, until the cumulative amount of such statutory reserves reaches 50% of its registered capital. Furthermore, companies in China may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a discretionary surplus fund at their discretion. Our PRC subsidiaries will not be able to pay dividends until they generate accumulated profits and meet the requirements for statutory reserve funds. 68 Regulations Relating to Employment The PRC Labor Law and the PRC Labor Contract Law require that employers must execute written employment contracts with full-time employees. All employers must compensate their employees with wages equal to at least the local minimum wage standards. Violations of the PRC Labor Law and the PRC Labor Contract Law may result in the imposition of fines and other administrative sanctions, and serious violations may result in criminal liabilities. Enterprises in China are required by PRC laws and regulations to participate in certain employee benefit plans, including social insurance funds, namely a pension fund, a medical insurance fund, an unemployment insurance fund, a work-related injury insurance fund and a maternity insurance fund, and a housing provident fund, and contribute to the funds in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of the employees as specified by the local government from time to time at locations where they operate their businesses or where they are located. According to the Social Insurance Law of the PRC , an employer that fails to make social insurance contributions may be ordered to rectify the non-compliance and pay the required contributions within a stipulated deadline and be subject to a late fee of up to 0.05% or 0.2% per day, as the case may be. If the employer still fails to rectify the failure to make social insurance contributions within the stipulated deadline, it may be subject to a fine ranging from one to three times the amount overdue. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Increases in labor costs in the PRC may adversely affect our business and results of operations.” In addition, the Individual Income Tax Law of the PRC requires companies operating in China to withhold individual income tax on employees’ salaries based on the actual salary of each employee upon payment. Prior to March 2018, we failed to make adequate contributions to employee benefit plans or adequate employee individual income tax withholdings, as required by applicable PRC laws and regulations. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans and withhold individual income tax on employees’ salaries as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.” We have recorded accruals for the estimated underpaid amounts in our financial statements. Since March 2018, we have made adequate payments for the social welfare and housing provident fund and withholding individual tax for our employees in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. Regulations Relating to Tax Dividend Withholding Tax Pursuant to the Enterprise Income Tax Law of the PRC, or the EIT Law and its implementation rules, which became effective on January 1, 2008, if a non- resident enterprise has not set up an organization or establishment in the PRC, or has set up an organization or establishment but the income derived has no actual connection with such organization or establishment, it will be subject to a withholding tax on its PRC-sourced income at a rate of 10%. Pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, the withholding tax rate in respect to the payment of dividends by a PRC resident enterprise to a Hong Kong resident enterprise is reduced to 5% from a standard rate of 10% if the Hong Kong enterprise directly holds at least 25% of the PRC enterprise. Pursuant to the Circular on Issues Concerning the Application of the Dividend Clauses of Tax Agreements issued by the SAT, or SAT Circular 81, a Hong Kong resident enterprise must meet the following conditions, among others, in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax: (i) it must directly own the required percentage of equity interests and voting rights in the PRC resident enterprise; and (ii) it must have directly owned such percentage in the PRC resident enterprise throughout the 12 months prior to receiving the dividends. There are also other conditions for enjoying the reduced withholding tax rate according to other relevant tax rules and regulations. In October 2019, the SAT promulgated the Announcement of the State Taxation Administration on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-resident Taxpayers’ Enjoyment of Treaty Benefits, or SAT circular 35, which became effective on January 1, 2020, replacing the Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Taxpayers to Enjoy Treatments under Tax Treaties. SAT Circular 35 provides that non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax rate. Instead, non-resident enterprises and their withholding agents may, by self-assessment and on confirmation that the prescribed criteria to enjoy the tax treaty benefits are met, file the Information Reporting Form for Non-resident Taxpayers Claiming Treaty Benefits and directly apply the reduced withholding tax rate when performing tax filings, and collet and retain relevant supporting documents, which will be subject to post-tax filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities. Accordingly, Geerong (HK) may be able to enjoy the 5% withholding tax rate for the dividends they receive from our PRC subsidiaries, if it satisfies the conditions prescribed under SAT Circular 81 and other relevant tax regulations and rules. However, according to SAT Circular 81 and SAT Circular 35, if the relevant tax authorities consider the transactions or arrangements we have are for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment, the relevant tax authorities may adjust the favorable withholding tax in the future. According to the Circular on Several Issues regarding the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties , which was issued on February 3, 2018 by the SAT, effective as of April 1, 2018, when determining the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner”, several factors in connection with dividends, interests or royalties in the tax treaties, including without limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of his or her income in twelve months to residents of third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties levy no tax, grant tax 69 exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account. The applicant’s status will be analyzed in light of actual circumstances of specific cases. This circular further provides that applicants who intend to prove his or her status of the “beneficial owner” shall submit the relevant documents to the relevant tax bureau according to SAT Circular 35. Enterprise Income Tax The EIT Law and its implementing rules are the principal regulations governing enterprise income tax in the PRC. The EIT Law imposes a uniform enterprise income tax rate of 25% on all resident enterprises in the PRC, including foreign-invested enterprises. Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside China with its “de facto management body” located within China is considered a “resident enterprise”, which means that it is treated in a manner similar to a PRC domestic enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define “de facto management body” as a managing body that in practice exercises “substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties” of the enterprise. The SAT issued the Circular on Issues Concerning the Identification of Chinese-Controlled Offshore Incorporated Enterprises as Resident Enterprises in Accordance With the Actual Standards of Organizational Management, or SAT Circular 82 in 2009. According to SAT Circular 82, a Chinese-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise will be regarded as a PRC resident enterprise by virtue of having a “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its worldwide income only if all of the following criteria are met:(i) the senior executives and core management departments in charge of the day-to-day operations have their presence mainly in China; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in China; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholders meeting minutes are located or maintained in China; and (iv) 50% or more of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in China. If we were to be considered a PRC resident enterprise, we would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on our global income. In such case, our profitability and cash flow may be materially reduced as a result of our global income being taxed under the EIT Law. We believe that none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” In the event that we are considered to be a PRC resident enterprise, interest paid to our overseas shareholders or ADS holders who are non-PRC resident enterprises as well as gains realized by such shareholders or ADS holders from the transfer of our shares or ADSs may be regarded as PRC-sourced income and as a result be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10%, subject to any reduction or exemption set forth in relevant tax treaties, and similarly, dividends paid to our overseas shareholders or ADS holders who are non-PRC resident individuals, as well as gains realized by such shareholders or ADS holders from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, may be regarded as PRC-sourced income and as a result be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of 20%, subject to any reduction or exemption set forth in relevant tax treaties. SAT issued the Bulletin on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7, on February 3, 2015, which replaced or supplemented certain previous rules under the circular commonly known as “SAT Circular 698.” Under SAT Bulletin 7, an “indirect transfer” of assets, including equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises may be re-characterized and treated as a direct transfer of PRC taxable assets, if such arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax. According to SAT Bulletin 7, “PRC taxable assets” include assets attributed to an establishment in China, immoveable properties in China, and equity investment in PRC resident enterprises. In respect of an indirect offshore transfer of assets of a PRC establishment, the relevant gain is to be regarded as effectively connected with the PRC establishment and therefore included in its enterprise income tax filing, and would consequently be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Where the underlying transfer relates to the immoveable properties in China or to equity investment in a PRC resident enterprise, which is not effectively connected to a PRC establishment of a non-resident enterprise, a PRC enterprise income tax at 10% would apply, subject to available preferential tax treatment under applicable tax treaties or similar arrangements, and the party who is obligated to make the transfer payments has the withholding obligation. There is uncertainty as to the implementation details of SAT Bulletin 7. If SAT Bulletin 7 was determined by the tax authorities to be applicable to some of our transactions involving PRC taxable assets, our offshore subsidiaries conducting the relevant transactions might be required to spend valuable resources to comply with SAT Bulletin 7 or to establish that the relevant transactions should not be taxed under SAT Bulletin 7. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.” 70 Under applicable PRC laws, payers of PRC-sourced income to non-PRC residents are generally obligated to withhold PRC income taxes from the payment. In the event of a failure to withhold, the non-PRC residents are required to pay such taxes on their own. Failure to comply with the tax payment obligations by the non- PRC residents will result in penalties, including full payment of taxes owed, fines and default interest on those taxes. PRC Value-Added Tax In November 2011, the MOF and the SAT promulgated the Pilot Plan for Imposition of Value-Added Tax to Replace Business Tax, pursuant to which, a VAT was imposed to replace the business tax in the transport and shipping industry and some of the modern service industries in certain pilot regions from January 1, 2012. The pilot plan for replacing business tax with VAT was expanded to all regions and industries as of May 1, 2016 according to the Circular on Fully Promoting the Pilot Plan for Replacing Business Tax with Value-Added Tax promulgated by the MOF and the SAT in March 2016. Entities or individuals conducting business in the service industry in the PRC are required to pay a valued-added tax, or VAT, at a rate of 6% with respect to revenues derived from the provision of online information services. A taxpayer is allowed to offset the qualified input VAT paid on taxable purchases against the output VAT chargeable on the revenue from services provided. 71 C. Organizational Structure The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including the names, places of incorporation and the proportion of ownership interests in our significant subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities and their subsidiaries as of the date of this annual report: (1) (2) Jiayin Southeast Asia Holdings Limited was established in February 2018 to develop and operate our overseas business. Jiayin Finance is owned as to 58% by Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer, 27% by Shanghai Jinmushuihuotu Investment Center (Limited Partnership), or Jinmushuihuotu Investment, 12% by Mr. Guanglin Zhang, and 3% by Mr. Yuanle Wu, who both are employees of our company. Jinmushuihuotu Investment is established in connection with the 72 (3) share incentive plan of Jiayin Finance. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans—2019 Share Incentive Plan.” The general partner of Jinmushuihuotu Investment is Shanghai Jinmushuihuotu Marketing and Planning Co., Ltd., or Jinmushuihuotu Marketing, which is controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan. Jiayin Finance entered into Contractual Arrangements with Shanghai Kunjia. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure— Contractual Arrangements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and shareholders of Jiayin Finance.” Niwodai Internet operates our online peer-to-peer consumer finance platform. Geerong Yun became our wholly-owned subsidiary after the business combination in September 2019. Shanghai Jiajie Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. became our wholly-owned subsidiary after the business combination in July 2019. Shanghai Chuangzhen Software Co., Ltd. was established in April 2020. (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) PT. Jayindo Fintek Pratama is owned as to 85% by us and it became our subsidiary after the business combination in April 2019. (9) Aguila Information, S.A.P.I. de C.V. is owned as to 51% by us and it became our subsidiary after the business combination in January 2020. Contractual Arrangements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and the Shareholders of Jiayin Finance Due to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership and investment in, among other areas, value-added telecommunications services, which include the operations of Internet content providers, or ICPs, we, similar to all other entities with foreign incorporated holding company structures operating in our industry in China, currently conduct these activities mainly through Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries over which we exercise effective control through Contractual Arrangements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and its shareholders. The Contractual Arrangements allow us to: • • • exercise effective control over Jiayin Finance receive substantially all of the economic benefits of Jiayin Finance; and have an exclusive call option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in and/or assets of Jiayin Finance when and to the extent permitted by laws. As a result of these Contractual Arrangements, we are the primary beneficiary of Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries, and, therefore, have consolidated the financial results of Jiayin Finance and its subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In the opinion of King & Wood Mallesons, our PRC counsel: • • the ownership structure of Jiayin Finance is in compliance with PRC laws or regulations currently in effect; and the Contractual Arrangements among Jiayin Finance and its shareholders, governed by PRC law are valid and binding under PRC law, and do not and will not result in any violation of applicable PRC laws or regulations currently in effect. The following is a summary of the currently effective Contractual Arrangements by and among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and the shareholders of the Jiayin Finance. Agreements that provide us with effective control over Jiayin Finance Power of Attorney. Pursuant to the power of attorney issued by Jiayin Finance and its shareholders, each shareholder of Jiayin Finance, has irrevocably appointed the board of directors of Shanghai Kunjia to act as such shareholder’s exclusive attorney-in-fact to exercise all shareholder rights, including the right to attend and vote on shareholder’s meetings and appoint legal representatives, directors, supervisors and executive officers. In addition, the board of directors of Shanghai Kunjia is also entitled to appropriate, use or otherwise dispose of all dividends and other distributions. Furthermore, all activities of the board of directors of Shanghai Kunjia in connection with the equity interest of Jiayin Finance shall be considered activities of the shareholders of Jiayin Finance, including in the execution of the exclusive call option agreement. The board of directors of Shanghai Kunjia may delegate the power of attorney prescribed under this power of attorney to others without prior approval or notification. Jiayin Finance disclaims all rights and powers entrusted to the directors of Shanghai Kunjia. The power of attorney will remain in force for so long as the shareholder remains a shareholder of Jiayin Finance. 73 Equity Pledge Agreement. Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and each of the shareholders of Jiayin Finance, the shareholders of Jiayin Finance have pledged all of their equity interest in Jiayin Finance as a continuing first priority security interest, as applicable, to respectively guarantee Jiayin Finance’ performance of its obligations under the relevant Contractual Arrangements, which include the exclusive consultation and service agreement, exclusive call option agreement and power of attorney agreement provided that the guaranteed obligation shall not exceed the expected market capitalization of Jiayin Finance, which is US$20 billion, multiplied by their respective shareholding percentage. If Jianyin Finance breaches its contractual obligations under these agreements, Shanghai Kunjia, as pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights regarding the pledged equity interests. In the event of such breaches, Shanghai Kunjia’s rights include forcing the auction or sale of all or part of the pledged equity interests of Jiayin Finance and receiving proceeds from such auction or sale in accordance with PRC law to the extent the rights of Shanghai Kunjia under the Contractual Arrangements are satisfied. In the event of significant decrease in value of the equity interest of Jiayin Finance, in addition to the foregoing remedies, Shanghai Kunjia is also entitled to entrust notary with the proceeds from such auction or sale, or requiring the shareholders, as pledgor, to provide other forms of security acceptable to Shanghai Kunjia. It is also agreed that any subscription of additional registered capital of Jiayin Finance or any equity interests transferred among those shareholders will automatically be subject to this agreement and the shareholders will be obligated to register pledge of such equity interest in ten business days. During the term of the applicable equity interest pledges, such shareholder will not dispose of the pledged equity interests or create or allow any encumbrance on the pledged equity interests. Each equity interest pledge will remain effective until the full performance of the contractual agreements, including the settlement of payment by Jiayin Finance and its shareholders and indemnification of any losses caused by Jiayin Finance, if applicable, and termination of such contractual agreements. We have registered pledges of equity interest in Jiayin Finance with the relevant office of the administration for industry and commerce in accordance with the PRC Property Rights Law. Agreement that allows us to receive economic benefits from Jiayin Finance Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement. Pursuant to the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement between Shanghai Kunjia and Jiayin Finance, Shanghai Kunjia has the exclusive right to provide Jiayin Finance with consulting and other services. Without Shanghai Kunjia’s prior written consent, Jiayin Finance may not accept any services subject to this agreement from any third party. In exchange, Shanghai Kunjia is entitled to receive a service fee on a quarterly basis and at an amount equivalent to all of its net income. Shanghai Kunjia has the right to determine the service fee to be charged to Jianyin Finance under this agreement by considering, among other things, the complexity of the services, the actual time that may be spent and cost that may be incurred for providing such services, as well as the value and comparable price on the market of the service provided. Shanghai Kunjia will exclusively enjoy all the rights, property rights and intellectual property rights created as a result of the performance of this agreement. Without prior written consent of Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance shall not enter into any transactions which may materially affect Jiayin Finance’s assets, liabilities, business operations, equity interests and other legal interests. Unless Shanghai Kunjia terminates this agreement in advance or otherwise required by law, this agreement will remain effective for ten years and automatically extend for another ten years upon any expiration date. Jiayin Finance may not terminate this agreement unilaterally. Agreement that provides us with the option to purchase the equity interests in Jiayin Finance Exclusive Call Option Agreement. Pursuant to the exclusive call option agreements among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and shareholders of Jiayin Finance, Jiayin Finance and each of their shareholders have irrevocably granted Shanghai Kunjia an exclusive option to purchase, or have its designated person or persons to purchase, at its discretion at any time, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or part of such shareholder’s equity interests in the applicable, or all or part of the assets, of Jiayin Finance for RMB1, or the minimum purchase price as permitted by PRC laws. Shareholders of Jiayin Finance promise to make all efforts to enable Shanghai Kunjia to exercise its option, including but not limited to resignation and granting options and right to earnings of Shanghai Kunjia. Without Shanghai Kunjia’s prior written consent, Jiayin Finance and its shareholders have agreed that they shall not amend its articles of association, increase or decrease the registered capital, sell or otherwise dispose of its assets or beneficial interest, create or allow any encumbrance on its assets or other beneficial interests, provide any loans or guarantees and etc. Jiayin Finance and its shareholders undertake to appoint persons designated by Shanghai Kunjia as directors of Jiayin Finance. Unless Shanghai Kunjia terminates this agreement in advance or otherwise required by law, this agreement will remain effective for ten years and automatically extend for another ten years upon any expiration date. Jiayin Finance may not terminate this agreement unilaterally. D. Property, Plants and Equipment Our principal executive offices are located on leased premises comprising 7,583 square meters in Shanghai, China. We lease our premises mainly from unrelated third parties under operating lease agreements. Our servers are primarily hosted at third-party Internet data centers. We believe that we will be able to obtain adequate facilities, principally through leasing, to accommodate our future expansion plans. 74 ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS None. ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS A. Operating Results Overview We are a leading fintech platform in China committed to facilitating effective, transparent, secure and fast connections between underserved individual borrowers and financial institutions funding partners. We operate a highly secure and open platform with a comprehensive risk management system and a proprietary and effective risk assessment model which employs advanced big data analytics and sophisticated algorithms to accurately assess the risk profiles of potential borrowers. Our online platform embraces significant opportunities presented by a financial system that leaves many creditworthy individuals underserved. We provide borrowers with fast and convenient access to credit at affordable and competitive rates. We do not use our own capital to invest in loans facilitated through our platform in Mainland China. We offer loan products with fixed terms and repayment schedules generally ranging from RMB1,000 to RMB30,000 via our Niwodai borrower app and our website. We strategically focused on facilitating mid-to long-term consumer loans, as we believe such loan products are best positioned to generate attractive returns, and at the same time, capture the financing needs of quality borrowers. In 2020 approximately 1,673,000 borrowings were facilitated on our platform, with an aggregate loan origination volume of approximately RMB11.6 billion (US$1.8 billion). Historically, we helped investors on our platform to allocate their assets into different consumer loan products through our Niwodai investor app. Since the third quarter of 2019, we started to expand our investor base of individuals to institutional funding partners, including banks, trusts and microcredit companies. In 2020, we had 25 institutional funding partners and they invested an aggregate investment volume of RMB9.4 billion (US$1.4 billion). We completed the transition of our funding model in April 2020, with new loans only funded by institutional funding partners. The outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P lending business has been reduced to zero as of November 2020. Due to the aforementioned transition and certain unfavorable market developments, including regulatory changes, our net revenue decreased by 41.7% from RMB2,230.2 million in 2019 to RMB1,300.2 million (US$199.3 million) in 2020. Our net income decreased by 52.6% from RMB527.2 million in 2019 to RMB250.1 million (US$38.3 million) in 2020. General Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations Economic Conditions The demand for online consumer finance service is dependent upon overall economic conditions in China. General economic factors, including the interest rate environment, regional salary and disposable income levels and unemployment rates, may affect borrowers’ willingness to seek loans and funding partners’ ability and desire to invest in loans. For example, significant increases in interest rates could cause potential borrowers to defer obtaining loans as they wait for interest rates to stabilize or decrease. Additionally, a slowdown in the economy, such as a rise in the unemployment rate and a decrease in real income, may affect individuals’ level of disposable income. This may negatively affect borrowers’ repayment capability, which in turn may decrease their willingness to seek loans and potentially cause an increase in default rates. If actual or expected default rates increase generally in China or in the online consumer finance market, investors may delay or reduce their investments in loan products in general. Regulatory Environment in China The regulatory environment for the online consumer finance industry in China is developing and evolving, creating both challenges and opportunities that could affect our financial performance. Due to the relatively short history of the online consumer finance industry in China, the PRC regulatory environment for the industry has been constantly evolving, with new legislation and trial programs being instituted in the recent years. PRC government officials from a number of agencies and departments have expressed support for the development of the online consumer finance industry in China, and have also expressed the need for strengthening the regulation and supervision of the industry. Unfavorable changes in any of these general industry conditions could negatively affect demand for our services. As the regulatory regime is relatively new and evolving, and the interpretation and enforcement of related laws and regulations are subject to significant uncertainties, it results in difficulties in determining whether our existing practices may be interpreted to violate any 75 applicable laws and regulations, and any such violation could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operation. Furthermore, in an effort to manage risks and maintain market integrity, PRC government has taken various initiatives, including the Dual Decrease and other limitations on our business scale, which could discourage the development of the online consumer finance industry, and limit our capability to grow our business. Based on our interpretation of these regulations, in order to stay compliant with these circulars, we closely monitor the outstanding principal and number of investors, and voluntarily manage these operating metrics so that they do not experience any significant increase compared to our outstanding principal as of June 30, 2017. In the second half of 2019, the loan origination volume on our platform decreased primarily due to the adverse effect caused by Circular 1, which required online lending intermediaries to reduce the number of investors, business volume and number of borrowers. Since the third quarter of 2019, we started to strengthen our cooperation with institutional funding partners and in April 2020 shifted to a solely institutional funding partner model and stopped funding loans with individual investors in April 2020, which negatively affected our business and financial performance in 2020. Furthermore, due to the lack of clarity in certain key definitions under these regulations, there remain uncertainties including the possibility that regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation. For example, it is still uncertain whether our cooperation model with institutional funding partners will be influenced by the CBIRC Circular 37. As our future revenue, profit and working capital rely on the amount of loans originated on our platform and the corresponding service fees we are entitled to collect from such loans, if we were required by regulatory action to cease or reduce offering products to individual borrowers or funding loans with institutional funding partners, we might need to take various measures in order to maintain the current scale or growth of our business while adhering to our interpretations of these regulations. These measures might include providing technology services to third-party companies, expanding our overseas businesses, diversifying our funding channels and strengthening our cooperation with financial institutions, which may not be available on reasonable terms in a timely manner, or at all, and all of these measures may not be sufficient to maintain our business growth, and may not generate sufficient revenue or cash inflows to offset decreases in the outstanding principal of our platform, or may not otherwise result in the intended benefits. We will continue to make efforts to ensure that we are compliant with the existing laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to our industry and to comply with new laws and regulations or changes under existing laws and regulations that may arise in the future. While new laws and regulations or changes to existing laws and regulations could make loans more difficult to be accepted by investors or borrowers on terms favorable to us, or at all, these events could also provide new product and market opportunities. Ability to Acquire Borrowers Cost Effectively Our ability to increase the loan volume facilitated through our platform largely depends on our ability to attract borrowers through sales and marketing efforts. Our sales and marketing efforts include those related to borrower acquisition and retention, and general marketing. We intend to continue to dedicate significant resources to our sales and marketing efforts and constantly seek to improve the effectiveness of these efforts. Effectiveness of Risk Control Framework Our ability to effectively evaluate a borrower’s risk profile and likelihood of default affects our relationships with our funding partners. If the effectiveness of our risk control framework decreases and borrower default rates increase, our funding partners may reduce or stop their collaboration with us, which would adversely affect our funding source and in turn reduce the amount of loans of we can facilitate, both of which could have significant impact on our results of operations. Product Offering and Pricing Our ability to maintain profitability largely depends on our ability to continually optimize our product offering and to accurately price the loans facilitated through our platform. We offer primarily standard loan products of fixed terms and repayment schedules. We offer primarily loan products with fixed terms and repayment schedules ranging from RMB1,000 to RMB30,000. We currently offer our loan products within a term of 12 months, and in 2016 and 2017, we offered standard loan products with terms ranging from one to 18 months. Since February 2018, we also offer an option to selective qualified borrowers who have a loan outstanding and consistent repayment history with us, to draw down another loan with a term of 12 months, within their credit limit. Our growth to date has depended on, and our future success will depend in part on, successfully meeting borrower and funding partner demand with new and innovative loan products. We have made and intend to continue to make efforts to develop loan products for borrowers. We constantly evaluate the popularity of our existing product offerings and develop new products and services that cater to the evolving needs of our borrowers and funding partners. Failure to continue to successfully develop and offer innovative 76 products and for such products to gain broad acceptance by our borrowers and funding partners could adversely affect our operating results and we may not recoup the costs of launching and marketing new products. In response to market competition or further developments, we may spend more efforts promoting certain loan products, manage the growth in volume of certain loan products, introduce new products or adjust the pricing of our existing products. Any material change in the product mix could have a significant impact on our revenue and profitability. Ability to Compete Effectively Our business and results of operations depend on our ability to compete effectively in the markets in which we operate. The online consumer finance industry in China is intensely competitive, and we expect that competition to persist and intensify in the future. In addition to competing with other online consumer finance platforms, we also compete with other types of financial products and companies that attract borrowers and/or funding partners. With respect to borrowers, we primarily compete with traditional financial institutions, such as online consumer finance business units in commercial banks, credit card issuers and other online consumer finance companies. If we are unable to compete effectively, the demand for our products and services could stagnate or substantially decline, we could experience reduced revenues or our platform could fail to maintain or achieve more widespread market acceptance, any of which could harm our business and results of operations. Credit Performance Data Our operating results and financial condition are directly affected by the performance of the loans we facilitate. We closely monitor key loan performance data, including the data set out below, to track the lifetime performance of our loans and adjust our risk management strategies accordingly. M3+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage We refer to loans facilitated during a specified time period as a vintage. We define “M3+ Delinquency Rate By Vintage” as the total amount of principal for all loans in a vintage for which any repayment was more than 90 days past due as of a particular date, less the total amount of past due principal recovered for such loans, and divided by the total amount of principal for all loans in such vintage. We calculate M3+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage for quarter vintage as the weighted average of the M3+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage for each month in such quarter by loan origination volume. The following chart and table display the historical cumulative M3+ Delinquency Rate by Vintage for loan products facilitated through our platform. 77 Vintage 2018Q1 2018Q2 2018Q3 2018Q4 2019Q1 2019Q2 2019Q3 2019Q4 2020Q1 2020Q2 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 2.41 % 2.43 % 2.23 % 2.26 % 2.17 % 1.83 % 1.64 % 1.31 % 1.67 % 1.46 % 4.38 % 4.43 % 3.89 % 4.53 % 3.86 % 3.40 % 3.41 % 3.08 % 3.43 % 2.37 % 6.21 % 6.15 % 5.66 % 6.38 % 5.32 % 4.59 % 4.26 % 4.52 % 4.46 % 3.11 % 8.05 % 7.87 % 7.30 % 8.25 % 6.84 % 5.85 % 5.42 % 6.27 % 5.36 % — 9.80 % 9.47 % 8.89 % 9.99 % 8.13 % 6.98 % 7.03 % 7.69 % 6.11 % — 11.35 % 11.02 % 10.64 % 11.40 % 9.21 % 8.21 % 8.60 % 8.69 % 6.67 % — 12.71 % 12.30 % 12.00 % 12.44 % 10.21 % 9.35 % 10.13 % 9.51 % — — 13.80 % 13.50 % 12.86 % 13.22 % 11.07 % 10.33 % 10.94 % 9.99 % — — 14.61 % 14.25 % 13.47 % 13.83 % 11.85 % 11.08 % 11.59 % 10.31 % — — 15.10 % 14.70 % 13.87 % 14.25 % 12.45 % 11.54 % 11.92 % — — — 15.38 % 14.94 % 14.07 % 14.53 % 12.80 % 11.73 % 12.04 % — — — 15.44 % 15.00 % 14.13 % 14.64 % 12.87 % 11.74 % 12.01 % — — — Month on Book Delinquency Rate by Balance We define the delinquency rates by balance as the total outstanding principal for loans where the longest past due period of a repayment was 1 to 30, 31 to 60, 61 to 90, 91 to 180 and more than 180 calendar days as of a certain date as a percentage of the total outstanding principal for the loans on our platform net of the outstanding principal repaid by the investor assurance program as of such date. We consider our delinquency rate by balance as an indicator of our loan performance and quality of our assets in general. The following table provides the delinquency rate by balance for all outstanding loans on our platform as of the respective dates indicated. As of December 31, 2018 December 31, 2019 December 31, 2020 Components of Results of Operations Net Revenue 1-30 days 31-60 days Delinquent for 61-90 days (%) 91-180 days More than 180 days 1.35 1.27 1.47 2.53 2.20 0.88 2.37 1.68 0.70 5.46 4.79 1.66 9.45 8.39 1.81 Our net revenue is derived from fees charged for providing services, including loan facilitation services and post-origination services, and other revenues. In accordance with the agreements with our borrowers and institutional funding partners, we collect service fees from customers in facilitating loan transactions. Historically and up until November 2020, when the outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P business was decreased to zero, we also received individual investors service fees for automated investment programs and for loans transfers over our secondary loan market. In addition, we charge other fees contingent on future events, such as penalty fees for late payments. Our net revenue is presented net of VAT. Prior to April 28, 2018, our net revenue was fees billed net of stand-ready liabilities associated with the investor assurance program managed by us and cash incentives. As we discontinued managing investor assurance program for loans facilitated after April 28, 2018, we no longer charge service fees associated with guarantee services. Therefore, we no longer allocate a portion of collectible service fees to the fair value of the stand-ready liability from the investor assurance program. Our net revenue is recognized as revenues from loan facilitation services, revenues from post- origination services and other revenues. 78 2018 RMB % Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB % (in thousands, except for percentages) RMB 2020 US$ % Net revenue Loan facilitation services Post-origination services Other revenue Total 2,246,908 241,968 393,064 2,881,940 78.0 1,747,065 267,047 8.4 216,064 13.6 100.0 2,230,176 78.3 12.0 9.7 943,084 112,731 244,345 100.0 1,300,160 144,534 17,277 37,447 199,258 72.5 8.7 18.8 100.0 The following table sets forth the breakdown of our net revenue by service and products provided both in absolute amount and as a percentage of our total net revenue for the periods presented: 2018 RMB % Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB % (in thousands, except for percentages) RMB 2020 US$ % Net revenue Current loan products Offline and non-standard loan products Other services Total 2,563,903 43,494 274,543 2,881,940 89.0 1,984,597 32,346 1.5 213,233 9.5 100.0 2,230,176 89.0 1,055,815 1.4 — 244,345 9.6 100.0 1,300,160 161,811 — 37,447 199,258 81.2 — 18.8 100.0 For each loan facilitated on our platform prior to April 28, 2018, we considered loan facilitation service, guarantee service and post-origination service as three separate services. We allocate total transaction price among these three performance obligations. The transaction price was allocated first to the stand-ready liabilities associated with risk reserve fund, if any, as discussed under “—Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates —Investor Assurance Program” and then allocated between loan facilitation services and post-origination service based on our best estimate selling price. See “Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates—Revenue Recognition.” As we no longer operate the investor assurance program for loans facilitated after April 28, 2018, the transaction price is no longer allocated to the guarantee liabilities but only between two performance obligations, loan facilitation service and post-origination service. Loan facilitation and post-origination service For each loan successfully matched and facilitated through our marketplace, we collect service fees from the borrower and for loans facilitated prior to April 28, 2018, we allocated a certain amount to our investor assurance program. Further, we allocate the remaining fees between loan facilitation services and post-origination services that we provide. Loan facilitation service fees are the portion of service fees collected from borrowers for our matchmaking services connecting investors and borrowers and facilitating the origination of loan transactions. Post-origination service fees consist of the portion of service fees collected from borrowers in relation to services we provide after loan origination, such as repayment monitoring, repayment facilitation and loan collection. Revenues from post-origination services are recognized evenly over the term of the underlying loans as the post-origination services are a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer to the investors. Since the third quarter of 2019, we also collect service fees through the facilitation of loan transactions between borrowers and institutional funding partners. Revenues from loan facilitation services are recognized at the time a loan is originated between the investor and the borrower and the loan principal is transferred to the borrower, at which time the facilitation service is considered complete. We do not provide post-origination service in such arrangements. The institutional funding partners typically engage third-party non-performing loan management entities to assist on the subsequent collection. We are in turn engaged by such non-performing loan management entities to provide information including risk profile and collection methods or plans for the borrowers on its platform to the non-performing loan management entity basing on the historical records and experiences that we have as of the date 79 when each loan is successfully extended to borrower. We determine the total transaction price to be the service fees chargeable according to the contracts, net of value- added tax. Revenue from technical services is recognized at the time a loan is successfully originated by the institutional funding partner as the technical services are completed at that time. Other Revenue Investor referral We provide referral services in respect of investment products offered by the financial service providers on Youdao wealth platform. After the online investors subscribe the products referred by us, we do not retain any further obligations. The price for each referral charged to the financial service providers is a fixed price as pre-agreed in the service contract. Revenue is recognized when the online investors successfully subscribed to investment products from financial service providers. Interest income Interest income is recognized over the terms of Loans receivable using the effective interest rate method under ASC Topic 310. Interest income is not recorded when reasonable doubt exists as to the full, timely collection of interest income or principal. Interest collected upfront at the loan inception is recorded as deferred revenue. Others We also charge service fees to individual investors for using the automated investment programs which equal to a certain percentage of the actual return in excess of the expected rate of return from the investments, payable at the end of the investment period. Not application fee is charged to borrowers or individual investors. Under ASC Topic 606, service fees derived from individual investors using the automated investment programs are initially estimated based on historical experience of returns on similar investment products and current trends. The service fees are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the investment period. The service fees related to the automated investment programs are due at the end of the investment period. The investment period refers to the period of time when the investments are matched with loans and are generating returns for the individual investors. The Company records service fees only when it becomes probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue will not occur. The revenue of service fee recognized under ASC Topic 606 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 was RMB242.5 million, RMB174.2 million and RMB23.8 million (US$3.6 million) in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Other revenue also includes revenue from guarantee services recognized at the expiry of the guarantee term, penalty fees for loan prepayment and late payment, and service fees for transferring loans between investors on the Company’s platform. Under ASC Topic 606, penalty fees are contingency-based variable considerations and constrained by the occurrence of delinquency or prepayment. They are recognized when the uncertainty associated with the variability is resolved, that is, when the underlying event occurs and the fees are collected. The service fees for transferring loans between individual investors are recognized when the transfer is completed and service fees are collected from the individual investors. In addition, revenues from guarantee services are recognized at the expiry of the guarantee term of RMB 118.5 million, RMB 2.8 million and RMB nil in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. The following table sets forth the breakdown of our other revenue, both in absolute amount and as a percentage of our total net revenue for the periods presented: Other revenue Interest income Investor referral Others Total other revenue Operating Costs and Expenses 2018 RMB % Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB RMB % (in thousands, except for percentages) 2020 US$ % — — 393,064 393,064 — — 13.6 13.6 — — 216,064 216,064 — — 9.7 9.7 61,467 59,230 123,648 244,345 9,420 9,077 18,950 37,447 4.7 4.6 9.5 18.8 Our operating costs and expenses primarily consist of origination and servicing expenses, sales and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, research and development expenses, allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans 80 receivable and others and provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program. We expect our operating expenses to be in line with our business development. The following table sets forth our operating costs and expenses both in absolute amount and as a percentage of our total net revenue for the period presented: Operating cost and expenses Origination and servicing Allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others Provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program Sales and marketing General and administrative Research and development Total operating cost and expenses 2018 RMB % Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB RMB % (in thousands, except for percentages) 2020 US$ % 401,679 13.9 425,565 19.1 239,199 36,659 18.4 265,978 9.2 232,241 10.4 77,278 11,843 5.9 467,728 726,582 150,465 184,302 2,196,734 16.2 — 25.2 606,049 5.2 230,248 201,404 6.4 76.1 1,695,507 — 27.2 10.3 9.0 76.0 — 375,063 154,963 151,550 998,053 — 57,481 23,749 23,226 152,958 — 28.9 11.9 11.7 76.8 The following table sets forth our operating cost and expenses paid to related parties both in absolute amounts and as a percentage of our total net revenue for the periods presented: Operating cost and expenses incurred with related parties: Sales and marketing Origination and servicing General and administrative Total Origination and Servicing 2018 RMB % Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB RMB % (in thousands, except for percentages) 2020 US$ % 83,579 35,780 13,806 133,165 2.9 1.2 0.5 4.6 87,754 10,314 8,280 106,348 3.9 0.5 0.4 4.8 55,207 9,429 5,845 70,481 8,461 1,445 896 10,802 4.2 0.7 0.4 5.3 Origination and servicing expenses consist primarily of variable expenses including costs related to credit assessment, user and system support, payment processing services and collection, associated with facilitating and servicing loans, salaries and benefits and share-based compensation for the personnel who work on credit checking, data processing and analysis, loan origination, user and system support and loan collection. Sales and Marketing Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of variable marketing and promotional expenses, including those related to borrower and investor acquisition and retention, and general brand and awareness building, such as search engine marketing expenses and referral fees charged by other parties. Sales and marketing expenses also include salaries, benefits and share-based compensation related to our sales and marketing staff. General and Administrative General and administrative expenses consist primarily of share-based compensation, salaries and benefits related to accounting and finance, business development, legal, human resources and other personnel, as well as professional service fees related to various corporate activities. Research and Development Research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits and share-based compensation related to technology and product development personnel, as well as rental expenses related to offices for our technology and product development personnel. 81 Share-Based Compensation The following table sets forth the effect of share-based compensation expenses on our operating cost and expenses line items, both in an absolute amount and as a percentage of total net revenue for the periods presented. Share-based compensation Origination and servicing Sales and marketing General and administrative Research and development Total share-based compensation Taxation Cayman Islands 2018 RMB % Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB RMB % (in thousands, except for percentages) 2020 US$ % 2,516 12,708 29,734 22,820 67,778 0.1 0.4 1.0 0.8 2.3 10,345 8,060 80,599 48,578 147,582 0.5 0.4 3.6 2.2 6.7 3,167 8,445 8,870 10,170 30,652 485 1,294 1,360 1,559 4,698 0.2 0.6 0.7 0.8 2.3 We are an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or after execution, brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. In addition, the Cayman Islands does not impose withholding tax on dividend payments. Hong Kong Our subsidiary incorporated in Hong Kong is subject to Hong Kong profit tax at a rate of up to 16.5%. No Hong Kong profit tax has been levied as we did not have assessable profit that was earned in or derived from the Hong Kong subsidiary during the periods presented. Hong Kong does not impose a withholding tax on dividends. PRC Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, the standard enterprise income tax rate for domestic enterprises and foreign invested enterprises is 25%. A “high and new technology enterprise” is entitled to a favorable statutory tax rate of 15% and such qualification is reassessed by relevant governmental authorities every three years. Niwodai Internet is not qualified as a “high and new technology enterprise” since year 2020 and subject to the standard enterprise income tax rate of 25% starting from year 2020. Shanghai Chuangzhen Software Co., Ltd. will be qualified as an eligible software enterprise before the income tax year-end final settlement in 2020. As a result of this qualification, it is entitled to a tax holiday of a full exemption for year 2020 and 2021 which its taxable income is greater than zero, followed by a three-year 50% exemption. We are subject to VAT at a rate of 6% on the services we provide to customers, less any deductible VAT we have already paid or borne. We are also subject to surcharges on VAT payments in accordance with PRC law. VAT has been phased in since May 2016 to replace the business tax that was previously applicable to the services we provide. During the periods presented, we were not subject to business tax on the services we provide. Dividends paid by our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China to our intermediary holding company in Hong Kong will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%, unless the relevant Hong Kong entity satisfies all the requirements under the Arrangement between the PRC and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital and receives approval from the relevant tax authority. If our Hong Kong subsidiary satisfies all the requirements under the tax arrangement, then the dividends paid to the Hong Kong subsidiary would be subject to withholding tax at the standard rate of 5%. If our holding company in the Cayman Islands or any of our subsidiaries outside of China were deemed to be a “resident enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, it would be subject to enterprise income tax on its worldwide income at a rate of 25%. Results of Operations The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated results of operations for the periods presented, both in absolute amount and as a percentage of our total operating revenues for the periods presented. This information should be read together with 82 our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. The results of operations in any period are not necessarily indicative of our future trends. 2018 RMB % Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB % (in thousands, except for percentages) RMB 2020 US$ % Net revenue Operating cost and expenses: Origination and servicing Allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others Provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program Sales and marketing General and administrative Research and development Total operating cost and expenses Income from operations Gain from de-recognition of other payable associated with disposal of Caiyin Impairment of short-term investment Interest income Other income, net Income before taxes and income from investment in affiliates Income tax expense Income(loss) from investment in affiliates Net income 2,881,940 100.0 2,230,176 100.0 1,300,160 199,258 100.0 (401,679) (13.9) (425,565) (19.1) (239,199) (36,659) (18.4) (265,978) (9.2) (232,241) (10.4) (77,278) (11,843) (5.9) (467,728) (726,582) (150,465) (184,302) (2,196,734) 685,206 (16.2) (25.2) (5.2) (6.4) (76.1) 23.9 — (606,049) (230,248) (201,404) (1,695,507) 534,669 — (27.2) (10.3) (9.0) (76.0) 24.0 — (375,063) (154,963) (151,550) (998,053) 302,107 — (57,481) (23,749) (23,226) (152,958) 46,300 — — — — 117,021 17,934 — 169 20,298 705,673 (93,915) — 611,758 — 0.0 0.7 24.6 (3.3) — 21.3 — 5,720 23,425 563,814 (37,007) 378 527,185 — 0.3 1.0 25.3 (1.7) 0.0 23.6 (67,169) 7,716 6,711 366,386 (108,811) (7,509) 250,066 (10,294) 1,183 1,029 56,152 (16,676) (1,151) 38,325 — (28.9) (11.9) (11.7) (76.8) 23.2 9.0 (5.2) 0.6 0.5 28.2 (8.4) (0.6) 19.2 Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019 Net revenue. Our net revenue decreased from RMB2,230.2 million in 2019 to RMB1,300.2 million (US$199.3 million) in 2020, primarily due to (i) the reduction of revenue from loan facilitation services from RMB1,747.1 million to RMB 943.1 million (US$144.5 million) primarily due to lower loan origination volume and our transition to a solely institutional funding partner model, (ii) the reduction of revenue from post-origination services from RMB267.0million to RMB112.7 million (US$17.3 million) due to the lower outstanding loan balance funded by individual investors as we stopped funding loans with individual investors in April 2020 and (iii) the increase of other revenue from RMB216.1 million to RMB244.3 million (US$37.4 million) primarily due to the increase of revenue from investor referral and interest income partially offset by the decrease of service fees as we no longer provided automated investment programs after our transition to a solely institutional funding partner model. Operating costs and expenses. Our total operating costs and expenses decreased from RMB1,695.5 million in 2019 to RMB998.1 million (US$153.0 million) in 2020, primarily due to the decrease in origination and servicing expenses, sales and marketing, allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others. Our total operating costs and expenses as a percentage of net revenue remained relatively stable as 76.0% and 76.8% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. • • Origination and servicing expenses. Our origination and servicing expenses decreased from RMB425.6 million in 2019 to RMB239.2 million (US$36.7 million) in 2020, primarily due to the lower loan origination volume and reduced collection costs as we no longer provided such services under our new business model. Allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others. Our allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others decreased from RMB232.2 million in 2019 to RMB77.3 million (US$11.8 million) in 2020, primarily due to the overall decrease of loan origination volume, as well as the relatively lower credit risk of the new business model. 83 • • • Sales and marketing expenses. Our sales and marketing expenses decreased from RMB606.0 million in 2019 to RMB375.1million (US$57.5 million) in 2020, primarily due to lower customer acquisition expenses and reduced advertising spending for promotional activities. General and administrative expenses. Our general and administrative expenses decreased from RMB230.2 million in 2019 to RMB155.0 million (US$23.8 million) in 2020, primarily due to the decrease in share-based compensation expenses and the decrease in salaries and personnel related costs, as well as other business-related expenses. Research and development expenses. Our research and development expenses decreased from RMB201.4 million in 2019 to RMB151.6 million (US$23.2 million) in 2020, primarily due to the decrease in share-based compensation expenses. Interest income. Our interest income increased from RMB5.7 million in 2019 to RMB 7.7 million (US$1.2 million) in 2020, as a result of interest income from a loan to our related party. Other income, net. Other income decreased from RMB23.4 million in 2019 to RMB6.7 million (US$1.0million) in 2020 primarily as a result of the reduction of government subsidies received. Income before income taxes. As a result of foregoing, we recognized income before income taxes of RMB563.8 million and RMB366.4 million (US$56.2 million) in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Income tax expenses. We recognized tax expenses of RMB37.0 million and RMB108.8 million (US$16.7 million) in 2019 and 2020, respectively, due to the increased effective tax rate as Niwodai Internet no longer qualified for the HNTE preferential tax rate of 15%, and was subject to EIT rate of 25% starting in 2020. Net income. As a result of foregoing, we recorded net income of RMB527.2 million and RMB250.1 million (US$38.3 million) in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2018 Net revenue. Our net revenue decreased from RMB2,881.9 million in 2018 to RMB2,230.2 million in 2019, primarily due to (i) the decrease in loan origination volume from approximately RMB23.7 billion in 2018 to RMB19.1 billion in 2019 as a result of unfavorable market conditions and (ii) the reduction of revenue due to the increase of vouchers and coupons from RMB 296.2 million in 2018 to RMB446.0 million in 2019 due to our promotional campaigns in 2019. Operating costs and expenses. Our total operating costs and expenses decreased from RMB2,196.7 million in 2018 to RMB1,695.5 million in 2019, primarily due to the decrease in the provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program and sales and marketing expenses, partially offset by the increase in general and administrative expenses. Our total operating costs and expenses as a percentage of net revenue remained relatively stable as 76.1% and 76.0% in 2018 and 2019, respectively. • • • • • Origination and servicing expenses. Our origination and servicing expenses increased from RMB401.7 million in 2018 to RMB425.6 million in 2019, primarily due to the increase in salaries and benefits for the personnel who work on credit checking, data processing and analysis, loan origination, user and system support and loan collection. Provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program. We recorded provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program of RMB467.7 million in 2018, to record additional guarantee liabilities incurred in connection with the increased default rates following unfavorable market developments, including the negative publicity with respect to the difficulties, or even suspension of operation in some cases, encountered by certain individual lending platforms since June 2018. As we discontinued managing the investor assurance program for loans facilitated after April 28, 2018 and had made sufficient provision in 2018 for the loans facilitated before April 28, 2018, no provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program was recorded in 2019. Allowance for uncollectible receivables and contract assets. Our allowance for uncollectible receivables and contract assets decreased from RMB266.0 million in 2018 to RMB232.2 million in 2019, primarily due to the decrease in loan origination volume and the increased efforts in credit assessment and risk control. Sales and marketing expenses. Our sales and marketing expenses decreased from RMB726.6 million in 2018 to RMB606.0 million in 2019, primarily due to our reduced online marketing provided by third-party online channels in line with our reduced loan origination volume in 2019. General and administrative expenses. Our general and administrative expenses increased from RMB150.5 million in 2018 to RMB230.2 million in 2019, primarily due to the increase of payroll expenses and share-based compensation expenses for our general and administrative staff. 84 • Research and development expenses. Our research and development expenses increased from RMB184.3 million in 2018 to RMB201.4 million in 2019, primarily due to an increase in fees paid to third parties for advanced technology and equipment, and an increase in share-based compensation expense allocated to research and development expenses. Interest income. Our interest income increased from RMB0.2 million in 2018 to RMB 5.7 million in 2019, as a result of interest income from a loan to our related party in 2019. Other income, net. We recognized other income of RMB20.3 million and RMB23.4 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively, primarily as a result of government subsidies received. Income before income taxes. As a result of foregoing, we recognized income before income taxes of RMB705.7 million and RMB563.8 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Income tax expenses. We recognized tax expenses of RMB93.9 million and RMB37.0 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively, as a result of operating gains in such periods. Net income. As a result of foregoing, we recorded net income of RMB611.8 million and RMB527.2 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Estimates An accounting policy is considered critical if it requires an accounting estimate to be made based on assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time such estimate is made, and if different accounting estimates that reasonably could have been used, or changes in the accounting estimates that are reasonably likely to occur periodically, could materially impact the consolidated financial statements. We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions. We continually evaluate these estimates and assumptions based on the most recently available information, our own historical experiences and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from our expectations as a result of changes in our estimates. Some of our accounting policies require a higher degree of judgment than others in their application and require us to make significant accounting estimates. The following descriptions of critical accounting policies, judgments and estimates should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and other disclosures included in this annual report. When reviewing our consolidated financial statements, you should consider (i) our selection of critical accounting policies, (ii) the judgments and other uncertainties affecting the application of such policies and (iii) the sensitivity of reported results to changes in conditions and assumptions. Basis of Presentation, Combination and Consolidation All of our online consumer finance platform business is now carried out by our consolidated variable interest entities. Our consolidated financial statements include the assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and cash flows that were directly attributable to our business for all periods presented. Since we and the subsidiaries, our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities that operated our online marketplace business are under common control of Mr. Dinggui Yan, the assets and liabilities have been stated at historical carrying amounts. In addition, our consolidated financial statements have been prepared as if the current corporate structure had been in existence throughout the periods presented. Our consolidated statements of operations consist of all costs and expenses related to us. Income tax liability was calculated as if we had filed separate tax returns for all the periods presented. We conduct our online consumer finance platform business in China through our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries. Due to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership and investment in value-added telecommunications services, and Internet content provision services in particular, we conduct our online operations in China through a series of Contractual Arrangements entered into among Shanghai Kunjia, Jiayin Finance and its shareholders. Jiayin Finance and its wholly-owned subsidiary Niwodai Internet hold certain assets that are material to the operation of our business, including, among others, intellectual properties, hardware and software. We also expect Niwodai Internet to apply for, obtain and hold our value-added telecommunication business license for our online consumer finance platform business. Some of our revenues, costs and expenses directly related to loan facilitation and servicing in China are generated through Niwodai Internet. As a result of the Contractual Arrangements, we have the ability to direct the activities of Jiayin Finance and that most significantly impact its economic performance, and to obtain a majority of the residual returns of Jiayin Finance. We are considered the primary beneficiary of Jiayin Finance, and accordingly the entity is our variable interest entity under U.S. GAAP and we consolidate its results in our consolidated financial statements. Any changes in PRC laws and regulations that affect our ability to control Jiayin Finance might preclude us from consolidating the entity in the future. 85 In accordance with the collaboration agreement with Shanghai Caiyin in December 2015, Shanghai Caiyin provided guarantee services for the loans facilitated by Niwodai Internet. Borrowers paid Shanghai Caiyin certain post-origination service fees as determined by Niwodai Internet. Niwodai was also eligible to collect the amount of serve fees in excess of the amount paid by Shanghai Caiyin to Niwodai Internet out of the investor assurance program managed by Shanghai Caiyin, minus reasonable operation costs. Furthermore, Niwodai Internet reserved the right to terminate the agreement at any time and engage other parties to perform the guarantee services. Therefore, we were also considered the primary beneficiary of Shanghai Caiyin, and accordingly the entity is our variable interest entity under U.S. GAAP and we consolidate the results in our consolidated financial statements. However, in September 2019, we amended the collaboration agreement and disposed of Shanghai Caiyin. Since September 2019, Shanghai Caiyin has no longer been a consolidated entity of our Company. Our historical results for any period presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future period. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying our consolidated financial statements and the allocations made to us are reasonable, our basis of presentation and allocation methodologies required significant assumptions, estimates and judgments. Using a different set of assumptions, estimates and judgments would have materially impacted our financial position and results of operations. Revenue Recognition We have adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and all subsequent ASUs that modified ASC Topic 606 on January 1, 2018 using the full retrospective method which requires us to present our financial statements for all periods as if Topic 606 had been applied to all prior periods. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, we apply the following steps: Step 1: Identify the contract(s) with a customer Step 2: Identify the performance obligation in the contract Step 3: Determine the transaction price Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract Step 5: Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation Loan facilitation and post-origination service We provide three services for loans facilitated on our platform: loan facilitation service, post-origination service and guarantee service. However, since we ceased to provide investor assurance program managed by us for loans facilitated after April 28, 2018, we no longer provided any guarantee services, and offer only loan facilitation services and post-origination servicers on loans facilitated on our platform. Prior to April 2020, our platform enabled individual investors to directly invest in loans that can be selected, at the individual investors’ discretion, from hundreds of new lending opportunities to pre-approved borrowers that are posted on our platform every day. Individual investors also had the option to use the automated investment programs whereby the funds are automatically allocated among pre-approved borrowers. The automated investment programs automatically reinvested individual investors’ funds as soon as a loan was repaid, enabling the individual investors to accelerate the reinvestment of cash flows without having to continually revisit our mobile application. Historically, we had typically charged a portion of service fees at loan origination with the remaining service fees collected on a monthly basis, which were payable by the borrowers for all services provided. We stopped charging upfront service fees to comply with the new regulatory requirements since February 2018 for all loans facilitated through its online marketplace. We charged a substantial amount of service fees on the same day when the first and second monthly repayments of principal and interest were due. In order to be more competitive by providing a certain level of assurance to the investors, we maintained an investor assurance program for the benefit of the investors using our platform. In the event of borrowers’ default, platform investors were entitled to receive unpaid interest and principal under the terms of the investor assurance program. Prior to April 28, 2018, we, through its consolidated VIE entity at that time, Shanghai Caiyin, were obligated to make the payment to the investors to the extent that the funds 86 under the investor assurance program were available. In the event of insufficient funds, we were required to make payments to investors as soon as the funding was replenished from future collections of service fees. Given that we effectively took on all of the credit risk of the borrowers and was compensated by the service fee charged, we deemed the guarantee as a service and recognized a stand-ready obligation for its guarantee exposure in accordance with ASC Topic 460, Guarantees. However, we ceased to provide the investor assurance program managed by itself, and therefore no longer provides guarantee service on loans newly facilitated subsequent to April 28, 2018. We determined that both the investors and the borrowers are our customers. We assess ability and intention to pay the service fees of both borrowers and investors when they become due and determined if the collection of the service fees was probable, based on historical experiences as well as the credit due diligence performed on each borrower prior to loan origination. We considered the loan facilitation service, guarantee service and post-origination service as three separate services, of which, the guarantee service was accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 460, Guarantees. While the post-origination service is within the scope of ASC Topic 860, the ASC Topic 606 revenue recognition model was applied due to the lack of definitive guidance in ASC Topic 860. The loan facilitation service and post-origination service are two separate performance obligations under ASC Topic 606, as these two deliverables are distinct in that customers can benefit from each service on its own and our promises to deliver the services are separately identifiable from each other in the contract. We determined the total transaction price to be the service fees chargeable from the borrowers, net of value-added tax. The transaction price included variable consideration in the form of prepayment risk of the borrowers. We reflected in the transaction price the borrower’s prepayment risk and estimate variable consideration for these contracts using the expected value approach on the basis of historical information and current trends of the repayment percentage of the borrowers. The transaction price was allocated amongst the guarantee service, if any, and two performance obligations. We recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfied the service/ performance obligation by transferring the promised service (that is, an asset) to customers based on the underlying contract terms excluding consideration of impairment of contract assets or accounts receivable. Revenues from loan facilitation services were recognized at the time a loan was originated between the individual investors and the borrower and the principal loan balance was transferred to the borrower, at which time the facilitation service is considered completed. Revenues from post-origination services were recognized evenly over the term of the underlying loans as the post- origination services were a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer to the individual investors. Revenues from guarantee services were recognized at the expiry of the guarantee term. For upfront fees that were partially refundable to the borrowers, we estimated the refund based on historical prepayment rate and recorded corresponding refund liabilities upon receiving such fees. Since the third quarter of 2019, we provide service through our facilitation of loan transactions between borrowers and institutional funding partners. When the investors are institutional funding partners, our service mainly consist of performing credit assessment on the borrowers and matching the institutional funding partners with potential qualified borrowers and facilitating the execution of loan agreements between the parties. We assess ability and intention to pay the service fees of institutional funding partners when they become due and determines if the collection of the service fees is probable, based on historical experiences as well as the credit due diligence performed on each institutional funding partner before cooperation. We determine the total transaction price to be the service fees chargeable according to the contracts, net of value-added tax. We identified one performance obligation under ASC Topic 606, as we do not retain any further obligations after the facilitation of a loan. We recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies the service/ performance obligation by transferring the promised service (that is, an asset) to customers based on the underlying contract terms excluding consideration of impairment of contract assets or accounts receivable. Revenues from loan facilitation services are recognized at the time a loan is originated between the institutional funding partners and the borrower and the principal loan balance is transferred to the borrower, at which time the facilitation service is considered completed. We do not provide post-origination service in such arrangements. The institutional funding partners typically engage third-party non-performing loan management entities to assist on the subsequent collection. We are in turn engaged by such non-performing loan management entities to provide information including risk profile and collection methods or plans for the borrowers on its platform to 87 the non-performing loan management entity basing on the historical records and experiences that we have as of the date when each loan is successfully extended to borrower. We determine the total transaction price to be the service fees chargeable according to the contracts, net of value-added tax. Before May 2020, the service fee was calculated based on the facilitated loan amount and the agreed charge rate, i.e. the consideration promised in the contract includes fixed amounts. However, starting from May 2020, we reached a mutual agreement with the customers for a new settlement method. The service fee is calculated based on the estimated overdue amount of underlying loans and the agreed charge rate. The transaction price included variable consideration due to overdue amount of the borrowers. We reflected in the transaction price the borrower’s estimated delinquent risk and estimated variable consideration for these contracts using the expected value approach on the basis of historical information and current trends of the delinquency of the borrowers. Revenue from technical services is recognized at the time a loan is successfully originated by the institutional funding partner as the technical services are completed at that time. Other revenue Investor referral We provide referral services in respect of investment products offered by the financial service providers on Youdao wealth platform. We consider the financial service providers to be its customers, and receives service fees from the customers primarily based on the transaction price of the investment successfully subscribed by online investors. After the online investors subscribe the products referred by the Company, we do not retain any further obligations. The price for each referral charged to the financial service providers is a fixed price as pre-agreed in the service contract. Revenue is recognized when the online investors successfully subscribed to investment products from financial service providers. Interest income Interest income is recognized over the terms of Loans receivable using the effective interest rate method under ASC Topic 310. Interest income is not recorded when reasonable doubt exists as to the full, timely collection of interest income or principal. Interest collected upfront at the loan inception is recorded as deferred revenue. Other We also charge service fees to individual investors for using the automated investment programs which equal to a certain percentage of the actual return in excess of the expected rate of return from the investments, payable at the end of the investment period. Not application fee is charged to borrowers or individual investors. Under ASC Topic 606, service fees derived from individual investors using the automated investment programs were initially estimated based on historical experience of returns on similar investment products and current trends. The service fees were recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the investment period. The service fees related to the automated investment programs were due at the end of the investment period. The investment period refers to the period of time when the investments are matched with loans and are generating returns for the individual investors. We record service fees only when it becomes probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue will not occur. Other revenue also includes revenue from guarantee services recognized at the expiry of the guarantee term, penalty fees for loan prepayment and late payment, and service fees for transferring loans between investors on our platform. Under ASC Topic 606, penalty fees are contingency-based variable considerations and constrained by the occurrence of delinquency or prepayment. They are recognized when the uncertainty associated with the variability is resolved, that is, when the underlying event occurs and the fees are collected. The service fees for transferring loans between individual investors are recognized when the transfer is completed and service fees are collected from the individual investors. 88 Accounts receivable and contract assets, net Contract assets represent our right to consideration in exchange for services that we have transferred to the customer before payment is due. We only recognize accounts receivable and contract assets to the extent that we believe it is probable that it will collect substantially all of the consideration to which it will be entitled to in exchange for the services transferred to the customer. Accounts receivable and contract assets are stated at the historical carrying amount net of write-offs and allowance for collectability in accordance with ASC Topic 310, and from January 1, 2020 ASC Topic 326. We established an allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable and contract assets based on estimates, which incorporate historical experience and other factors surrounding the credit risk of specific type of customers. We evaluate and adjusts its allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable and contract assets on a quarterly basis or more often as necessary. Revenue recognized for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 from performance obligations satisfied (or partially satisfied) in prior periods pertaining to adjustments to variable consideration due to the change of estimated return on investment periods, change of estimated prepayment rate and referral fees was immaterial. We used practical expedient in applying full retrospective method on completed contracts in transiting to ASC Topic 606. For completed contracts that have variable consideration, we used the transaction price at the date the contract was completed rather than estimating variable consideration amounts in the comparative reporting periods. We determine that the acquisition cost paid based on the amount of loan facilitated represents costs to obtain a contract qualifying for capitalization since these payments are directly related to sales achieved during a period. Such cost was not material during the years presented. Income Taxes Current income taxes are provided for in accordance with the laws of the relevant tax authorities. Deferred income taxes are provided using assets and liabilities method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the differences between financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are recognized to the extent that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, management considers all positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of projected future taxable income and results of recent operation. Deferred tax assets are then reduced by a valuation allowance through a charge to income tax expense when, in the opinion of management, it is more like than not that a portion of or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. We account for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the consolidated financial statements by applying a two-step process to determine the amount of the benefit to be recognized. First, the tax position must be evaluated to determine the likelihood that it will be sustained upon external examination by the taxing authorities. If the tax position is deemed more-likely-than-not to be sustained (defined as a likelihood of more than fifty percent of being sustained upon an audit, based on the technical merits of the tax position), the tax position is then assessed to determine the amount of benefits to recognize in the consolidated financial statements. The amount of the benefits that may be recognized is the largest amount that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Interest and penalties on income taxes will be classified as a component of the provisions for income taxes. We did not recognize any income tax due to uncertain tax position or incur any interest and penalties related to potential underpaid income tax expenses for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Measurement of Share-based Compensation In September 2016, Jiayin Finance adopted a share incentive plan, or the 2016 Share Incentive Plan. For information regarding the 2016 Share Incentive Plan, see “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans—2019 Share Incentive Plan.” In September 2016 and October 2018, options to purchase 13,321,500 and 2,851,600 shares of Jiayin Finance were issued pursuant to the 2016 Share Incentive Plan to certain of our employees, respectively, among which 4,848,900 options were subsequently cancelled, 11,324,200 options were outstanding before our initial public offering. In February 2019, we adopted a share incentive plan, or the 2019 Share Incentive Plan, which became effective upon the completion of our initial public offering in May 2019. For information regarding the 2019 Share Incentive Plan, see “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans—2019 Share Incentive Plan.” In connection with the adoption of 2019 Share Incentive Plan, we cancelled 2,377,000 and 1,169,000 share options granted in September 89 2016 and October 2018, respectively. In November 2019, we granted four batches options equivalent of 288,000 share options with the exercise price of RMB3.5 per share to employees pursuant to the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. In November, 2020, the Company granted four batches options equivalent of 1,583,000 share options of Jiayin Group with the exercise price of RMB3.5 per share to employees pursuant to the 2019 Plan. The Company uses a binominal pricing model to estimate the fair value of the above options granted under the 2019 Plan. The model requires the input of subjective assumptions including the estimated expected stock price volatility, dividend yield time to maturity and, the exercise multiple. For expected volatilities, as the length of time has been short since Company went to public, the Company has made reference to the historical price volatilities of several comparable companies in the same industry as the Company. For the exercise multiple, it is based on management’s estimation, which the Company believes is representative of the future exercise pattern of the options. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the China or US Government Bond with maturity similar to the maturity of the options as of valuation. The following assumptions were applied to estimate the fair value of the options granted in 2018, 2019 and 2020 at the date of grant: Average risk-free rate of interest Estimated volatility rate Exercise multiples Dividend yield Time to maturity Fair value per underlying ordinary share October 2018 November 2019 November 2020 3.32% 44.32% 2.8 0.00% 4.5 years RMB88.13 1.57%-1.69% 42.86%-45.28% 2.8 0.00% 0-3 years RMB53.43 0.23%-0.60% 49.74%-53.91% 2.8 0.00% 0-3 years RMB 18.33 Before our initial public offering, determining the fair value of the share options required us to make complex and subjective judgments, assumptions and estimates, which involved inherent uncertainty. After our initial public offering, the closing market price of the underlying shares on the grant date is applied when determining the fair value of ordinary shares. Recent Accounting Pronouncements See note 2 to the consolidated financial statements on page F-11 for details on recent accounting pronouncements and our adoption of certain accounting rules. Inflation To date, inflation in China has not materially impacted our results of operations. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the year-over-year percent changes in the consumer price index for December 2018, 2019 and 2020 were increases of 1.9%, 4.5% and 0.2%, respectively. Although we have not been materially affected by inflation in the past, we can provide no assurance that we will not be affected by higher rates of inflation in China in the future. B. Liquidity and Capital Resource Our primary source of liquidity has been cash provided by operating activities, and funds provided by our shareholders, including through capital contributions and loans from related parties, which has historically been sufficient to meet our working capital and substantially all of our capital expenditure requirements. As of December 31, 2018 and 2019 and 2020, we had RMB41.4 million, RMB122.1 million and RMB117.3million (US$18.0 million), respectively, in cash and cash equivalents. In May 2019, we completed our initial public offering in which we issued and sold an aggregate of 4,025,000 ADSs, representing 16,100,000 class A ordinary shares, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately US$35.0 million. Our cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of cash on hand and demand deposits which are highly liquid and have original maturities of three months or less and are unrestricted as to withdrawal or use. We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents and our anticipated cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements and capital expenditures for the next 12 months. We may, however, need additional capital in the future to fund our continued operations. If we determine that our cash requirements exceed the amount of cash and cash equivalents we have on hand at the time, we may seek to issue equity or debt securities or obtain credit facilities. The issuance and sale of additional equity would result in further dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed obligations and could result in operating covenants that might restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. 90 Although we consolidate the results of our consolidated variable interest entities, we only have access to cash balances or future earnings of our consolidated variable interest entities through our contractual arrangements with them. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure” For restrictions and limitations on liquidity and capital resources as a result of our corporate structure, see “Holding Company Structure.” As a Cayman Islands exempted company and offshore holding company, we are permitted under PRC laws and regulations to provide funding to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China only through loans or capital contributions, subject to the approval of government authorities and limits on the amount of capital contributions and loans. In addition, our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China may provide Renminbi funding to their respective subsidiaries through capital contributions and entrusted loans, and to our consolidated variable interest entities only through entrusted loans. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our initial public offering to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.” and “Item 14. Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds.” 91 The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the period presented: Summary Consolidated Cash Flow Data: Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB RMB (in thousands) 2020 US$ (228,368) (16,423) (433,600) 26,291 (234,178) 244,674 (35,505) 33,226 10,595 761,332 82,941 82,941 122,149 122,149 119,320 (5,439) 5,092 1,624 18,720 18,287 Operating Activities Net cash used in operating activities was RMB35.5 million (US$5.4 million) in 2020, primarily due to net income of RMB250.1 million (US$38.3 million), mainly adjusted for allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others of RMB77.3 million (US$11.8 million), share-based compensation of RMB30.7 million (US$4.7 million), depreciation and amortization of RMB23.2 million (US$3.5 million), and changes in working capital. Changes in working capital was primarily due to (i) an increase in accounts receivable and contract assets of RMB224.4 million (US$34.4 million) in connection with uncollected service fees, (ii) a decrease in refund liabilities of RMB180.1 million (US$27.6 million) due to the outstanding loan balance of our legacy P2P lending business being reduced to zero in November 2020, partially offset by (i) an increase in tax payables of RMB100.0 million (US$15.3 million), and (ii) a decrease in prepaid expense and other current assets of RMB26.5 million (US$4.1 million). Net cash provided by operating activities was RMB26.3 million in 2019, primarily due to net income of RMB527.2 million, mainly adjusted for allowance for uncollectible receivables and contract assets of RMB232.2 million, share-based compensation of RMB147.6 million, depreciation and amortization of RMB17.7 million, and changes in working capital. Changes in working capital was primarily due to (i) a decrease in liabilities from investor assurance program of RMB840.5 million due to our payouts in relation to the investor assurance program before our disposal of Shanghai Caiyin in September 2019, and (ii) an increase in accounts receivable and contract assets of RMB82.8 million in connection with uncollected service fees, partially offset by (i) an increase in tax payables of RMB108.1 million, and (ii) an increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities of RMB47.7 million. Net cash used in operating activities was RMB228.4 million in 2018, primarily due to changes in working capital of RMB1,185.2 million, partially offset by net income of RMB611.8 million, adjusted for allowance for uncollectible receivables and contract assets of RMB266.0 million, share-based compensation expenses of RMB67.8 million and depreciation and amortization of RMB11.3 million. Changes in operating assets and liabilities primarily consisted of (i) a decrease in liabilities from investor assurance program of RMB1,470.1 million in connection with the payouts from the investor assurance program managed by us, and (ii) a decrease in other guarantee liabilities of RMB697.2 million in connection with the guarantee provided to outstanding loans facilitated by Niwodai Finance, partially offset by (i) a decrease in amounts due from related parties of RMB500.8 million primarily in connection with the collection of amounts due from Niwodai Finance, and (ii) a decrease in assets from investor assurance program of RMB264.8 million in connection with the collection of such assets, and (iii) an increase in tax payable of RMB218.2 million, and (iv) a decrease in accounts receivable and contract assets of RMB6.6 million, which was due to the change of payment terms since April 28, 2018, despite the increase in net revenue by 28.0% in 2018 compared to 2017. Investing Activities Net cash provided by investing activities was RMB33.2 million (US$5.1 million) in 2020, primarily due to loan repayments from related parties of RMB 37.4 million (US$5.7 million), partially offset by the purchase of property, equipment and software of RMB 0.8 million (US$0.1 million) and investments in equity investees of RMB3.4 million (US$0.5 million). Net cash used in investing activities was RMB234.2 million in 2019, primarily due to our loan to related parties of RMB123.9 million and purchase of short- term investment of RMB71.5 million. Net cash used in investing activities was RMB16.4 million in 2018, primarily due to purchase of property and equipment. 92 Financing Activities Net cash provided by financing activities was RMB10.6 million (US$1.6 million) in 2020, primarily due to loans from our related parties of RMB3.1 million (US$0.5 million) and proceeds from exercise of options of 7.0 million (US$1.1 million). Net cash provided by financing activities was RMB244.7 million in 2019, primarily due to net proceeds from our initial public offering of RMB243.6 million. Net cash used in financing activities was RMB433.6 million in 2018, primarily due to dividend distributed to shareholders of Jiayin Finance of RMB400.0 million and repayment of RMB104.4 million on loans of Jiayin Credit. Capital Expenditures We made capital expenditures of RMB16.9 million, RMB27.6 million and RMB0.8 million (US$0.1 million) in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. In these periods, our capital expenditures were mainly used for purchase of equipment, including servers, computers and other office equipment, and office renovation. We will continue to make capital expenditures to meet the expected growth of our business. Holding Company Structure Jiayin Group Inc. is a holding company with no material operations of its own. We conduct our operations primarily through our subsidiaries, consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries in China. As a result, Jiayin Group Inc.’s ability to pay dividends depends upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries. If our existing PRC subsidiaries or any newly formed ones incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing their debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends to us. In addition, our wholly foreign-owned subsidiary in China is permitted to pay dividends to us only out of its retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Under PRC law, each of our subsidiaries, our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds until such reserve funds reach 50% of its registered capital. In addition, our subsidiaries, our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a discretionary surplus fund at their discretion. The statutory reserve funds and the discretionary funds are not distributable as cash dividends. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned company out of China is subject to examination by the banks designated by SAFE. Our PRC subsidiaries have not paid dividends and will not be able to pay dividends until they generate accumulated profits and meet the requirements for statutory reserve funds. C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc. See “Item 4. Information of the Company—B. Business Overview—Intellectual Property.” D. Trend Information Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events for the period from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our net revenues, income, profitability, liquidity or capital resources, or that would cause reported financial information not necessarily to be indicative of future operating results or financial conditions. E. Off-balance Sheet Arrangements We have not entered into any material financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties and do not assume credit risk in loans facilitated through our platform. We have not entered into any derivative contracts that are indexed to our shares and classified as shareholder’s equity or that are not reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support to us or engages in leasing, hedging or product development services with us. 93 F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations The following table sets forth our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2020: Total RMB US$ Less than 1 Year US$ RMB Payment due by period 1-3 Years 3-5 Years More than 5 Years US$ RMB US$ RMB US$ RMB (in thousands) 1,944 Operating lease commitments 5,406 829 3,462 531 298 — — — — Other than those shown above, we did not have any significant capital and other commitments, long-term obligations, or guarantees as of December 31, 2020. G. Safe Harbor See “Forward-Looking Statements” at the beginning of this annual report. ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES A. Directors and Senior Management The following table provides information regarding our directors and executive officers as of the date of this annual report. Directors and Executive Officers Dinggui Yan Chongxian Bai Bei Bai Jin Chen Yifang Xu Libin Wang Yuhchang Hwang Meng Rui Age 52 41 37 33 43 34 66 53 Position/Title Founder, director and chief executive officer Chief technology officer (since February 2021) Co-Chief financial officer (since January 2021) Co-Chief financial officer (since January 2021) Director and chief risk officer Director and vice president of finance Independent Director Independent Director Mr. Dinggui Yan is our founder, and has served as our director since 2015, and as our chief executive officer since 2016. He has also been the chief executive officer of Niwodai Internet since 2014, and the chairman and general manager of Jiayin Finance since 2011. Prior to founding our company, Mr. Yan served as the general manager of Beijing Tianrongxin Network Safety Technology Co., Ltd. in the region of Zhejiang from 2007 to 2010. From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Yan served as the general manager of Shanghai Tongtian Information Technology Co., Ltd. Mr. Yan received a master’s degree from China Europe International Business School in 2016 and a bachelor’s degree from Xidian University in 1990. Mr. Chongxian Bai has served as our chief technology officer since February 2021. Prior to that, he was our vice president of technology operations. Mr. Bai has over 15 years of technology leadership experience in internet, virtual reality and financial services. He joined Jiayin in 2013 and led the development of the microservices architecture and information security system, which provided efficient and stable technical support for the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Bai had held senior technology roles at well-known foreign companies such as Toshiba, NEC, and IBM since 2004. Mr. Bai graduated from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, majoring in electronic information engineering. Ms. Bei Bai has served as our co-chief financial officer since January 2021. She joined our company as the director of investor relations in August 2018 and became the financial controller later. Prior to joining our company, Ms. Bai held various positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP, Shanghai Branch from 2006 to 2018, including manager and senior manager. Ms. Bai received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in 2006. Ms. Bai is also a member of Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Ms. Jin Chen has served as our co-chief financial officer since January 2021. She joined our company as the investment and finance director in September 2019. Prior to joining our company, Ms. Chen served as a coverage banker of TMT sector at Citibank (China) Co., Ltd from 2011 to 2017, leading various capital market deals and launching global finance solutions for Chinese tech giants. Ms. Chen received her MBA from the School of Management, Yale University in 2019, a master’s degree in industrial finance from Zhejiang University in 2011 and a bachelor’s degree in mathematical finance from Zhejiang University in 2009. 94 Ms. Yifang Xu has served as our director since May 2019. Ms. Xu has been our chief risk officer since July 2018. Prior to joining our company, Ms. Xu worked as a director in risk management department at Ant Financial Services Group from 2016 to 2018, leading various lending business solution consultancy and delivery in risk management to consumer banks and leading fin-tech lending companies. From 2015 to 2016, Ms. Xu served as a chief operating officer at Shanghai Fujin Finance and Information Service Corporation, commonly known as Huasheng Finance. From 2004 to 2015, Ms. Xu held various positions in Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF) in risk management, product management and distribution channel management with credit card business and direct banking, including senior analyst, manager, senior manager and department director. Ms. Xu received her MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in 2004, a master’s degree in economics from University of International Business and Economics in 2000, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1997. Mr. Libin Wang has served as our director since May 2019. Mr. Wang has been our vice president of finance since 2018. He served as a financial supervisor in our company from 2017 to 2018, and as our asset management supervisor from 2015 to 2017. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Wang worked at China Sino-Trans Shipping Agency Shanghai Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries from 2008 to 2014, responsible for financial-related work. Mr. Wang received his master’s degree in accounting from Fudan University in 2015 and his bachelor’s degree in financial management from Shanghai Second Polytechnic University in 2008. Mr. Yuhchang Hwang has served as our director since May 2019. Since 2013, Mr. Hwang has been working at China Europe International Business School as a professor in accounting, the department chair in finance and accounting, and a co-director of China Europe International Business School center on China innovation. He has also served as an emeritus professor in Arizona State University since 2013, and served as its assistant professor and a tenured associate professor from 1987 to 1995 and 1995 to 2001, respectively. Since 2015, Mr. Hwang has been an independent director, chair of the compensation committee, and member of the audit committee and strategy committee of Shanghai Jahwa United Co., Ltd. (SSE: 600315), and the chair of its nominating committee since 2018. Mr. Hwang has also worked as an independent director of Red Avenue New Materials Group Co., Ltd. (SSE: 603650) since 2016, and the chair of its audit committee, compensation committee and nominating committee since 2017. Mr. Hwang has also served as an independent director, chair of the compensation committee and member of the audit committee and nominating committee of Opple Lighting Co., Ltd. (SSE: 603515) since 2017. From January 2018 to May 2018, Mr. Hwang worked as an independent director, chair of the compensation committee and member of the audit committee of Chongqing Iron & Steel Company Limited (SEHK: 1053). From 2015 to 2017, Mr. Hwang was as an independent director, chair of the audit committee, and member of the compensation committee and strategy committee of Shanghai Tianji Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE: 300245). From 2012 to 2018, Mr. Hwang worked as an independent director, chair of the audit committee, and member of the compensation committee and strategy committee of Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (SSE: 600019). Mr. Hwang received his Ph.D. in business administration from University of California, Berkeley in 1987, and a master’s degree in science from National Chengchi University in 1979. Mr. Meng Rui has served as our director since May 2019. Mr. Rui has been a professor of finance and accounting at China Europe International Business School since 2012, and has held the title of Zhongkun Group chair in finance at China Europe International Business School since 2015. Mr. Rui is also a tenured professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and held various positions in the Chinese University of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2012, including a senior research associate of the Institute of Economics and Finance from 2005 to 2012, a deputy director of the Center for Institutions and Governance from 2005 to 2012, and a program director of master of accountancy and executive master of professional accountancy from 2003 to 2012. From 1997 to 2002, Mr. Rui served as a deputy director of the China accounting and finance center at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He also serves as an independent director of COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co., Ltd. (SEHK: 1138, SSE:600026) since 2016, an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of Shanghai Winner Information Technology Co., Inc. (SZSE: 300609) since 2017, an independent director of Shang Gong Group Co., Ltd. (SSE: 600843) since 2017, an independent director of China Education Group (SEHK: 839) since 2017 and an independent director of Country Garden Service Holding Company Limited (SEHK: 6098) since 2018. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Rui worked as an independent director of Midea Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE: 000333). Mr. Rui is also a member of various professional committees, including but not limited to American Finance Association, Financial Management Association, American Accounting Association and Hong Kong Securities Institute. He is also a vice president of Hong Kong Financial Engineering Association. Mr. Rui received his Ph.D. in business administration and MBA in 1997 and 1996, respectively, both from University of Houston, a master’s degree in economics from Oklahoma State University in 1993, and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from University of International Relations in 1990. B. Compensation In 2020, we paid an aggregate of RMB6.2 million (US$1.0 million) in cash and benefits to our executive officers and directors. We have not set aside or accrued any amount to provide pension, retirement or other similar benefits to our directors and executive officers. Our PRC subsidiaries, consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries are required by law to make contributions equal to certain percentages of each employee’s salary for his or her pension insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance and other 95 statutory benefits and a housing provident fund. Our board of directors may determine compensation to be paid to the directors and the executive officers. The compensation committee will assist the directors in reviewing and approving the compensation structure for the directors and the executive officers. Employment Agreements and Indemnification Agreements We entered into employment agreements with our executive officers. Each of our executive officers is employed for a specified time period, which will be automatically extended unless either we or the executive officer gives prior written notice to terminate such employment. We may terminate the employment for cause, at any time, without notice or remuneration, for certain acts of the executive officer, including but not limited to the commitments of any serious or persistent breach or non-observance of the terms and conditions of the employment, conviction of a criminal offense other than one which in the opinion of the board does not affect the executive’s position, willful disobedience of a lawful and reasonable order, misconducts being inconsistent with the due and faithful discharge of the executive officer’s material duties, guilty of fraud or dishonesty, or habitual neglect of his or her duties. An executive officer may terminate his or her employment at any time with a three- month prior written notice. Each executive officer has agreed to hold, both during and after the employment agreement expires or is earlier terminated, in strict confidence and not to use or disclose to any person, corporation or other entity without written consent, any confidential information, except for the benefit of us. Each executive officer has also agreed to assign to our company all his or her all inventions, improvements, designs, original works of authorship, formulas, processes, compositions of matter, computer software programs, databases, mask works, concepts and trade secrets which the executive officer may solely or jointly conceive or develop or reduce to practice, or cause to be conceived or developed or reduced to practice, during the period of the executive officer’s employment with us that are either related to the scope of the employment or make use of the resources of the company. In addition, all executive officers have agreed to be bound by non-competition and non- solicitation restrictions set forth in their agreements. Specifically, each executive officer has agreed to devote all his or her working time, attention and skills to our business and use best efforts to perform his or her duties. Moreover, each executive officer has agreed not to, for a certain period following termination of his or her employment or expiration of the employment agreement: (i) carry on or be engaged, concerned or interested directly or indirectly whether as shareholder, director, employee, partner, agent or otherwise carry on any business in direct competition with us, (ii) solicit or entice away or attempt to solicit or entice away any of our customer, client, representative or agent, or (iii) employ, solicit or entice away or attempt to employ, solicit or entice away any of our officer, manager, consultant or employee. We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, pursuant to which we agree to indemnify our directors and executive officers against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being such a director or officer. Share Incentive Plans We maintain share incentive plans in order to attract, motivate, retain and reward talent, provide additional incentives to our officers, employees, directors and other eligible persons, and promote the success of our business and the interests of our shareholders. 2016 Share Incentive Plan In September 2016, Jiayin Finance adopted the 2016 Share Incentive Plan, which allowed Jiayin Finance to grant share-based awards of such company to our founders, employees and officers. The total number of outstanding shares of Jiayin Finance is 50,000,000 and the maximum number of shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2016 plan is 13,500,000 shares of Jiayin Finance. In September 2016 and October 2018, 13,321,500 and 2,851,600 share options to purchase the respective number of shares of Jiayin Finance were granted to certain of our employees and officers, among which 4,848,900 options were subsequently canceled, at exercise prices of RMB3.5 per share, which have vesting periods of 4.5 years. All 13,500,000 shares of Jiayin Finance underlying the 2016 Share Incentive Plan is held by Jinmushuihuotu Investment, and upon the exercise of the share options, our employees and officers become a limited partner of Jinmushuihuotu Investment, which allows such grantees to enjoy beneficial ownership in Jiayin Finance representing the respective awards granted. As of the date of this annual report, the sole general partner of Jinmushuihuotu Investment is Jinmushuihuotu Marketing, which is controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan. All outstanding options granted under the 2016 Share Incentive Plan have been canceled or replaced with options granted under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. The 2016 Share Incentive Plan has been terminated when all options granted hereunder were canceled. 96 2019 Share Incentive Plan In February 2019, we adopted our 2019 Share Incentive Plan, which permits the grant of options to purchase our ordinary shares. The maximum number of ordinary shares may be subject to equity awards pursuant to the 2019 Share Incentive Plan is 54,000,000 initially. In connection with the adoption of 2019 Plan, we cancelled 2,377,000 and 1,169,000 share options granted in September 2016 and October 2018, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, we had granted options to purchase 17,521,506 Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. The 2019 Share Incentive Plan was adopted to replace our 2016 Share Incentive Plan. All outstanding options granted under the 2016 Share Incentive Plan have been canceled or replaced with options granted under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. We established Dream Glory L.P. to hold shares underlying potential awards granted pursuant to our 2019 Share Incentive Plan. In December 2017, 2,700 ordinary shares were issued to in view of the establishment of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan, which were transferred subsequently to Dream Glory L.P. In February 2019, we entered into a shareholding entrustment agreement with Dream Glory L.P., pursuant to which Dream Glory L.P. is entrusted to hold the shares in connection with the 2019 Share Incentive Plan as a nominal holder and Dream Glory L.P. accepts such shareholding entrustment retrospectively. Dream Glory L.P. will use its reasonable best effort to facilitate the exercise of the awards granted under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan and transfer a certain number of ordinary shares held by Dream Glory L.P. to a grantee of the awards or to the depositary bank or its nominee for deposit as evidence for ADSs in settlement of any award in lieu of ordinary shares upon our instruction for free. Dream Glory L.P. is entitled to rights as a member of Jiayin Group Inc. except that Dream Glory L.P. irrevocably agrees that it will (i) abstain from voting on any general meetings of members, or acting as any function at a general meeting, or (ii) not sale, transfer, pledge or otherwise encumbrance of the Ordinary Shares of the Company without our written consent, and sale, transfer, pledge or otherwise encumbrance of the ordinary shares as instructed by us in writing. Such 2,700 ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each were subsequently sub-divided into 54,000,000 ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.000000005 each. Dream Glory L.P. is a limited partnership established in the British Virgin Islands. The general partner of Dream Glory L.P. is New Dream, which is controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan. The following paragraphs summarize the terms of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. Plan Administration. Our board of directors or a committee appointed by our board of directors acts as the plan administrator. The board of directors or the committee may also delegate one or more members of our board of directors to grant or amend awards or take other administrative actions. Types of Awards. The 2019 Share Incentive Plan authorizes the grant of options to purchase ordinary shares, the award of restricted shares and the award of restricted share units. Award Agreements. Each award under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan shall be evidenced by an award agreement between the award recipient and our company, which may be any written notice, agreement, terms and conditions, contract or other instrument or document evidencing such award. Eligibility. The plan administrator may select among the following eligible individuals to whom an award may be granted: (i) our employees and (ii) directors who are not our employees; provided however that awards shall not be granted to non-employee directors who are resident of any country in the European Union and any other country, which pursuant to the applicable laws, does not allow grants to non-employee. Term of Awards. Each award under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan shall vest or be exercised not more than ten years after the date of grant unless extended by the plan administrator. Each share award is subject to earlier termination as set forth in the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. The award is only exercisable before the eligible individual’s termination of service with us, except as determined otherwise by the plan administrator or set forth in the award agreement. Any awards that are outstanding on the tenth anniversary of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan shall be terminated automatically. Vesting Schedule and Other Restrictions. The plan administrator has discretion in determining the individual vesting schedules and other restrictions applicable to the awards granted under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan, including vesting conditions related to our operation performance, the grantee’s department performance and his individual performance. The vesting schedule is set forth in the award agreement. Exercise Price and Purchase Price. The plan administrator has discretion in determining the price of the awards, which can be fixed or variable related to the fair market value of the underlying ordinary shares and are subject to a number of limitations. 97 Termination. The 2019 Share Incentive Plan shall expire on the tenth anniversary of the effective date of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. Amendment, Suspension or Termination. No amendment, modification or termination of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan shall, without the prior written consent of the award recipients, adversely affect in any material way any award that has been granted or awarded prior to such amendment, suspension or termination. Subject to the above, the plan administrator may at any time terminate, amend or modify the 2019 Share Incentive Plan, except where shareholder approval is required to comply with applicable laws or where the amendment relates to (i) any increases in the number of shares available under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan (other than any adjustment permitted under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan), or (ii) an extension of the term of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan or the exercise period for an option beyond ten years from the date of grant. To the extent permissible under the applicable laws, our board of directors may decide to follow home country practice not to seek shareholder approval for any amendment or modification of the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. Transfer Restrictions. Subject also to all the transfer restrictions under the applicable laws and regulations and the restrictions set forth in the applicable award agreement, all awards are non-transferable and will not be subject in any manner to sale, transfer, anticipation, alienation, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge except for certain exceptions set forth in the plan. Granted Options. The table below summarizes the options we granted to our directors and executive officers upon grant of options under the 2019 Share Incentive Plan. Name Chongxian Bai Bei Bai Jin Chen Yifang Xu Libin Wang * Less than 1% of our outstanding shares. C. Board Practices Position Chief technology officer Co-Chief financial officer Co-Chief financial officer Director and chief risk officer Director and vice president of finance Ordinary Shares Underlying Options Awarded Option Exercise Price * RMB3.5 * RMB3.5 * RMB3.5 Grant Date November 25, 2019 November 25, 2019 November 25, 2019 Option Expiration Date November 24, 2029 November 24, 2029 November 24, 2029 * RMB3.5 November 25, 2019 November 24, 2029 * RMB3.5 November 25, 2019 November 24, 2029 Our board of directors consists of five directors. A director is not required to hold any shares in our company to qualify to serve as a director. A director who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract, transaction or arrangement, or a proposed contract, transaction or arrangement, with our company is required to declare the nature of his interest at a meeting of our directors. A general notice given to our directors by any director to the effect that he is a member, shareholder, director, partner, officer or employee of any specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract, transaction or arrangement which may thereafter be made with that company or firm, shall be deemed to be a sufficient declaration of interest with respect to any such contract, transaction or arrangement so made or entered into, and after such notice it shall not be necessary for such director to give any further or special notice relating to any particular contract, transaction or arrangement. A director may vote in respect of any contract, transaction or arrangement, or any proposed contract, transaction or arrangement, notwithstanding that he may be interested therein and if he does so his vote shall be counted and he may be counted in the quorum at any meeting of the directors at which any such contract, transaction or arrangement is considered and voted upon. Our board of directors may exercise all of the powers of our company to borrow money, to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital, or any part thereof, and to issue debentures, debenture stock or other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of our company or of any third-party. None of our directors has a service contract with us that provides for benefits upon termination of service. 98 Committees of the Board of Directors We have established an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee under the board of directors. We have adopted a charter for each of the three committees. Each committee’s members and functions are described below. Audit Committee. Our audit committee consists of Mr. Yuhchang Hwang and Mr. Meng Rui, and is chaired by Mr. Yuhchang Hwang. Mr. Yuhchang Hwang and Mr. Meng Rui satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and meets the independence standards under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Our board of directors has also determined that each of Mr. Yuhchang Hwang and Mr. Meng Rui qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the SEC rules and possesses financial sophistication within the meaning of the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. The audit committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. The audit committee is responsible for, among other things: • • • • • • • selecting our independent registered public accounting firm and pre-approving all auditing and non-auditing services permitted to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm; reviewing with our independent registered public accounting firm any audit problems or difficulties and management’s response and approving all proposed related party transactions, as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K; discussing the annual audited financial statements with management and our independent registered public accounting firm; annually reviewing and reassessing the adequacy of our audit committee charter; meeting separately and periodically with the management and our internal auditor and our independent registered public accounting firm; reporting regularly to the full board of directors; and such other matters that are specifically delegated to our audit committee by our board of directors from time to time. Compensation Committee. Our compensation committee consists of Mr. Yuhchang Hwang, Ms. Yifang Xu and Mr. Libin Wang, and is chaired by Mr. Libin Wang. Mr. Yuhchang Hwang satisfies the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. Our compensation committee assists the board in reviewing and approving the compensation structure, including all forms of compensation, relating to our directors and executive officers. Our chief executive officer may not be present at any committee meeting during which his compensation is deliberated upon. The compensation committee is responsible for, among other things: • • • • • reviewing and approving to the board with respect to the compensation for our chief executive officer; overseeing and making recommendations with respect to the compensation for our officers and employees other than the chief executive officer; reviewing and recommending to the board with respect to the compensation and benefits of our directors selecting, or receiving advise from compensation and benefits consultants, legal counsel or other advisors after taking into consideration all factors relevant to that person’s independence from management; and reviewing and administrating all long-term incentive compensation, stock option, annual bonuses, employee pension and welfare benefit plans. Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our nominating and corporate governance committee consists of Mr. Dinggui Yan, Mr. Yifang Xu and Mr. Libin Wang, and is chaired by Mr. Dinggui Yan. The nominating and corporate governance committee assists the board in selecting individuals qualified to become our directors and in determining the composition of the board of directors and its committees. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for, among other things: • • • • identifying and recommending nominees for election or re-election to our board of directors or for appointment to fill any vacancy; reviewing the performance of each incumbent director and considering the results of such evaluation when determining whether or not to recommend the retention of such director; advising the board policies and procedures with respect to corporate governance matters monitoring compliance with our code of business conduct and ethics, including reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our procedures to ensure proper compliance; 99 • • evaluating its own performance on an annual basis; and reporting to the board on its findings and actions periodically. Duties of Directors Under Cayman Islands law, our directors owe fiduciary duties to our company, including a duty of loyalty, a duty to act honestly, and a duty to act in what they consider in good faith to be in our best interests. Our directors must also exercise their powers only for a proper purpose. Our directors also owe to our company a duty to exercise the skill they actually possess and such care and diligence that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands. In fulfilling their duty of care to us, our directors must ensure compliance with our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time. Our company has the right to seek damages if a duty owed by our directors is breached. In limited exceptional circumstances, a shareholder may have the right to seek damages in our name if a duty owed by our directors is breached. The functions and powers of our board of directors include, among others: • • • • • convening shareholders’ annual general meetings and reporting its work to shareholders at such meetings; declaring dividends and distributions; appointing officers and determining the term of office of officers; exercising the borrowing powers of our company and mortgaging the property of our company; and approving the transfer of shares of our company, including the registering of such shares in our share register. Terms of Directors and Executive Officers Unless otherwise determined by our company in general meeting, our company shall have not less than three directors, and there shall be no maximum number of directors. Our directors may be elected by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders, or by a resolution of our board of directors (whether to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing board). Our directors are not subject to a term of office and hold office until the expiration of his or her term or his or her successor shall have been elected and qualified, or until his or her office is otherwise vacated. A director may be removed from office by special resolution, notwithstanding anything in our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or in any agreement between the Company and such director (but without prejudice to any claim for damages under such agreement). In addition, a director will be removed from office automatically if, among other things, the director (i) becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; (ii) dies or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; (iii) resigns by notice in writing to our company; (iv) without special leave of absence from our board of directors, is absent from three consecutive meetings of the board and the board resolves that his office be vacated; (v) is prohibited by any applicable law from being a director; or (vi) is removed from office pursuant to any other provision of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. The compensation of our directors may be determined by the board of directors or by an ordinary resolution. There is no mandatory retirement age for directors. Our officers are appointed by and serve at the discretion of our board of directors. D. Employees We had 831, 970 and 894 employees as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, 685 of our employees were located in Shanghai, 127 in Mexico, and 82 in Indonesia. The following table sets forth the breakdown of our employees as of December 31, 2020 by function: Functions Origination and servicing department General and administrative department Sales and marketing department Research and development department Total 100 Number of Employees 182 138 390 184 894 We believe we offer our employees competitive compensation packages and dynamic work environment that encourages initiatives. As a result, we have generally been able to attract and retain qualified personnel and maintain a stable core management team. We plan to hire more experienced and talented employees in the areas such as big data analytics, risk management and operation management as we expand our business. As required by PRC regulations, we participate in various statutory employee benefit plans, including social insurance funds, namely a pension contribution plan, a medical insurance plan, an unemployment insurance plan, a work-related injury insurance plan and a maternity insurance plan, and a housing provident fund. We are required under PRC law to make contributions to employee benefit plans at specified percentages of the salaries, bonuses and certain allowances of our employees, up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time. In addition, we purchased the liability insurance and additional commercial health insurance for our senior management. We believe that we maintain a good working relationship with our employees, and we have not experienced any major labor disputes. E. Share Ownership The following table sets forth information concerning the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of March 31, 2021 by: • • each of our directors and executive officers; each person known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of our ordinary shares. Our total number of ordinary shares outstanding as of March 31, 2021 was 216,100,000, which includes 54,000,000 ordinary shares held by Dream Glory. L.P. as an entrusted shareholder of shares issued in view of our 2019 Share Incentive Plan, of which 25,446,738 are shares underlying options granted under our 2019 Share Incentive Plan and 28,553,262 are reserved for future issuance. Dream Glory L.P. will not vote such ordinary shares it held at general meetings of our company. Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we have included shares that the person has the right to acquire within 60 days, including through the exercise of any option, warrant, or other right or the conversion of any other security. These shares, however, are not included in the computation of the percentage ownership of any other person. We have adopted a dual class ordinary share structure. The calculations in the table below are based on 216,100,000 outstanding ordinary shares (consisting of 108,100,000 Class A ordinary shares and 108,000,000 Class B ordinary shares) as of March 31, 2021. Directors and Executive Officers: Dinggui Yan(1) Yifang Xu Libin Wang Chongxian Bai Bei Bai Jin Chen Yuhchang Hwang Meng Rui Directors and Executive Officers as a Group Principal Shareholders: New Dream Capital Holdings Limited(1) Sunshinewoods Holdings Limited(2) Dream Glory L.P.(3) Ordinary Shares Beneficially Owned as of March 31, 2021 Class A ordinary shares Class B ordinary shares 8,000,000 * * * * * — — 9,071,040 108,000,000 — — — — — — — 108,000,000 8,000,000 24,000,000 46,074,768 108,000,000 — — Percentage of total ordinary share on an as-converted basis Percentage of aggregate voting power** 53.7 * * * * * — — 54.2 53.7 11.1 21.3 91.6 * * * * * — — 91.7 91.6 2.0 — 101 * ** (1) (2) (3) Beneficially owns less than 1% of our total outstanding shares. For each person and group included in this column, percentage of voting power is calculated by dividing the voting power beneficially owned by such person or group by the voting power of all of our Class A and Class B ordinary shares as a single class. In respect of all matters subject to a shareholders’ vote, each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to ten votes, voting together as one class. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a holder to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into the equivalent number of Class A ordinary shares. Represents 8,000,000 Class A ordinary shares and 108,000,000 Class B ordinary shares held by New Dream Capital Holdings Limited, or New Dream, a limited liability company established in the British Virgin Islands. New Dream is wholly owned by Mr. Dinggui Yan and Mr. Dinggui Yan is the sole director of New Dream. The registered address of New Dream is Sertus Incorporations (BVI) Limited, Sertus Chambers, P.O. Box 905, Quastisky Building, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The 116,000,000 ordinary shares held by New Dream was designated into Class B ordinary shares on a one-for-one-basis upon the completion of our initial public offering. In 2020, 8,000,000 Class B ordinary shares were converted into Class A ordinary shares. Represents 24,000,000 ordinary shares held by Sunshinewoods Holdings Limited, or Sunshinewoods, a limited liability company established in the British Virgin Islands. Sunshinewoods is wholly owned by Mr. Guanglin Zhang, an employee of our company. Mr. Guanglin Zhang is the sole director of Sunshinewoods. The registered address of Sunshinewoods is Sertus Incorporations (BVI) Limited, Sertus Chambers, P.O. Box 905, Quastisky Building, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Represents 54,000,000 ordinary shares held by Dream Glory L.P., a limited partnership established in the British Virgin Islands, which in accordance with the shareholding entrustment agreement entered into between Dream Glory L.P. and us, does not have any voting or investment power. Dream Glory L.P. is established to hold shares underlying potential awards granted pursuant to our share incentive plan. The general partner of Dream Glory L.P. is New Dream, which is controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan. The registered address of Dream Glory L.P. is Sertus Chambers, P.O. Box 905, Quastisky Building, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. As of March 31, 2020, a total of 6,506,308 ADSs, representing 26,025,232 Class A ordinary shares, were held by holders of record in the United States, representing approximately 12.0 % of our total outstanding shares. None of our outstanding Class B ordinary shares were held by holders of record in the United States. We are not aware of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in a change of control of our company. ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS A. Major Shareholders See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—E. Share Ownership.” B. Related Party Transactions Transactions with Jiayin Zhuoyue and Jiayin (Shanghai) We engaged Jiayin Zhuoyue to refer investors to us and engaged Jiayin (Shanghai) to refer borrowers to us through its offline network, and we also collaborated with Jiayin (Shanghai) in connection with our offline-to-online borrower acquisition channel prior to August 2018. Jiayin Zhuoyue also assists us to provide certain value-added services to our investors with higher VIP levels. We pay Jiayin Zhuoyue and Jiayin (Shanghai) referral service fees. Jiayin (Shanghai) also collected loan facilitation service fees on behalf of the Company from customers. Jiayin Zhuoyue and Jiayin (Shanghai) are both controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer. We incurred RMB78.0 million, RMB81.2 million and RMB55.2 million (US$8.5 million) of referral service fees to Jiayin Zhuoyue in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. We incurred RMB2.5 million, RMB6.5 million and RMB9.0 million (US$1.4 million) of referral service fees to Jiayin (Shanghai) in 2018, 2019and 2020, respectively. Amounts due to Jiayin Zhuoyue and Jiayin (Shanghai) decreased from RMB8.2 million as of December 31, 2018 to RMB0.7 million as of December 31, 2019, and increased to RMB5.6 million (US$0.9 million) as of December 31, 2020. 102 Transactions with Jiayin Credit We engaged Jiayin Credit to conduct onsite credit information collection and verification for our borrowers referred by our offline partners. Jiayin Credit also serves as one of our data sources that provide us credit data for risk management. Jiayin Credit is controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer. We incurred RMB10.5 million and RMB0.2 million of fees to Jiayin Credit in connection to the credit services in 2018 and 2019, respectively. All service fees payable to Jiayin Credit were fully paid in 2018 and 2019. In addition, Jiayin Credit made certain payments on behalf of us. In 2018 and 2019, Jiayin Credit made payments with net amounts of RMB70.8 million and RMB79,794 on behalf of us in 2018 and 2019 free of interest to support our working capital management. The largest outstanding balance of the loan in relation to the payments made during 2019 was RMB79,794 on November 11, 2019. Transactions with Shanghai Jiayin Shanghai Jiayin is controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer. In 2018, Shanghai Jiayin rent certain office space to us and charged us annual rental fees of RMB13.8 million, which was fully paid in 2018 and we continued to rent such space for annual rental fees and other related service fees of RMB8.3 million in 2019, which was fully paid in 2019. In 2020, we continued to rent such space for annual and other related fees of RMB5.8 million (US$0.9 million), which was fully paid in 2020. Transactions with Kailiantong Payment Service Co., Ltd. (“Kailiantong”) We engaged Kailiantong, a licensed third-party payment processing company, to process certain payments in the course of our business and paid them transaction processing fees since 2017. In addition, we also provided referral service to Kailiantong and charged loan facilitation fee from Kailiantong in 2019. Kailiantong is a consolidated subsidiary of China Smartpay, on which Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer once was capable of exercising significant influence. Kailiantong provided such payment processing services of RMB2.3 million in 2019, respectively. In 2020, we charged RMB6.2 million (US$1.0 million) from Kaililantong for the services provided. Our Founder, Mr. Dinggui Yan, disposed certain percentage of China Smartpay’s equity in September 2020. As such, Kailiantong is no longer our related party as of December 31, 2020. Transactions with Limahui Technology Co., Ltd (“Limahui”) We engaged Limahui, an internet catering service company, to provide internet catering service for employees of the Company. Limahui was the entity influenced by Mr. Zhang in the first three quarters of 2020. We incurred RMB0.4 million (US$0.1 million) of fees to Limahui in 2020, all service fees payable to Limahui were fully paid in 2020. Loans with related parties In 2019, we provided loans to China Smartpay with a total amount of RMB119.9 million with an interest rate of 9% for one year. Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer currently holds 29.8% of the shares of China Smartpay and is capable of exercising significant influence over it. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding loan balance including principal and interests had been settled with consideration of the acquisition with Keen Best (See Note 7) together with cash repayment. During 2019, we also provided loans to GAYANG (HongKong) Co., Limited, Shanghai Jiayin and Shanghai Jiajie Assets Management Co., Ltd. for their daily operation free of interest. All of the three companies are controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer. The total amount of such loans were around RMB3.4 million (US$0.5 million) and the loans have been collected as of December 31, 2020. In 2019, we entered into a loan contract with SG Fintech Joint Stock Company, pursuant which we provided a total amount of RMB0.6 million to SG Fintech Joint Stock Company for an interest rate of 0.5%. SG Fintech Holding Joint Stock Company is our joint venture with Vietnam local partners and we held 49.0% equity interest in it. SG Fintech Joint Stock Company is a subsidiary of SG Fintech Holding Joint Stock Company. As of December 31, 2020, the loan was fully repaid. We also obtained certain loans from Jiayin Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer, for our daily operation with a total amount of RMB150,000 (US$22,989) free of interest. As of December 31, 2020, the loans have been fully collected. 103 In 2020, our subsidiary, Aguila Information, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (“Aguila Information”) entered into several loan contracts with its minority shareholders. The loans with a total amount of RMB3.1 million (US$0.5 million) will be due on September 30, 2022 with annual interest rate of 3%. In 2020, we provided loans to minority shareholders of the subsidiary company Thanh Cong Biz Link Joint Stock Company (“Biz link”), for the investment and establishment of the Biz link, which are non-interest bearing, unsecured, and due on demand. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding loan balance was RMB0.4 million (US$0.1 million). In 2020, we provided loans to the director of the subsidiary PT. Jayindo Fintek Pratama since November 2020 with principal of RMB99.3 thousand (US$15.2 thousand) and annual interest rate of 6%. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding loan balance was RMB79.0 thousand (US$12.1 thousand) and will be repaid in 36 equal monthly installments. Transactions with Keen Best On March 13, 2020, our wholly owned subsidiary Geerong (HK) and another independent purchaser entered into a share purchase agreement with China Smartpay, pursuant to which, among others, Geerong (HK) agreed, subject to certain conditions, to acquire 35 ordinary shares of Keen Best, representing 35% equity interest in Keen Best, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Smartpay. Mr. Dinggui Yan, our founder, director and chief executive officer beneficially owns approximately 29.8% equity interest in China Smartpay. This acquisition was closed in September 2020. The purchase price for the Shares is HK$105,000,000, which has been settled by offsetting against the receivables held by the Company from Smartpay. Transactions with Shanghai Zhundian Shanghai Zhundian Enterprise Service Co., Ltd.("Shanghai Zhundian")(formerly known as “Shanghai Limahui E-Commerce Co., Ltd”) was a related party controlled by Yan Dinggui, the Chairman of Jiayin Group during the period of January, 2020 to April, 2020. On April 22, 2020, Shanghai Zhundian was acquired by Jiayin Finance, and becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiayin Group Inc. The consideration is nil, and the Group recorded RMB 3,000 in APIC as it is a combination under common control and the net assets of Shanghai Zhundian on the acquisition date was RMB 3,000. Transactions with Shanghai Bweenet On April 1, 2021, Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. (“Jiayin Finance”), a wholly consolidated variable interest entity of us entered into a framework acquisition agreement (the “SPA”) with Shanghai Bweenet and its shareholders, pursuant to which, Jiayin Finance agreed, subject to certain conditions, to subscribe for certain equity interests of Shanghai Bweenet and acquire certain equity interests held by current shareholders of Shanghai Bweenet, for an aggregate consideration of RMB95.0 million(US$14.6 million). Following the completion of the proposed transaction, Jiayin Finance will own 95% of the equity interests of Shanghai Bweenet. The consideration will be paid in several installments, subject to certain conditions. The closing of the proposed transaction is subject to the certain customary conditions, including completion of satisfactory due diligence. Contractual Arrangements with Jiayin Finance and Its Shareholders See “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.” Collaboration Agreement with Shanghai Caiyin See “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.” Share Incentive Plan See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plan.” Employment Agreements and Indemnification Agreements See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Employment Agreements and Indemnification Agreements.” C. Interest of Experts and Counsel Not applicable. 104 ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information We have appended consolidated financial statements filed as part of this annual report. Legal Proceedings On September 11, 2020, a securities class action complaint was filed against us and our officers and directors in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. An amended complaint was filed on February 1, 2021, which added as defendants the underwriters for our initial public offering. The plaintiff asserted claims under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 based on purported misstatements and omissions in Form F-1 registration statement for our initial public offering. The plaintiff brought his claims individually and on behalf of all other persons who acquired our American Depositary Shares pursuant and/or traceable to our initial public offering, and seeks compensatory damages, rescission, injunctive relief, and costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees and expert fees in unidentified amounts. On April 2, 2021, we, one of the underwriters for our initial public offering and certain of our directors and officers filed a joint motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s amended complaint in its entirety and with prejudice. The plaintiff’s opposition to the motion to dismiss is due June 1, 2021, and the motion is scheduled to be fully briefed on July 16, 2021. Other than the foregoing, we are currently not a party to any material legal or administrative proceedings. We may from time to time be subject to various legal or administrative claims and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Litigation or any other legal or administrative proceeding, regardless of the outcome, is likely to result in substantial cost and diversion of our resources, including our management’s time and attention. Dividend Policy In March 2018, Jiayin Finance paid a cash dividend of RMB400 million to its shareholders. Jiayin Group Inc. has not previously declared or paid cash dividends on our Class A ordinary shares and we have no plan to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future on our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business. We are a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. In order for us to distribute any dividends to our shareholders and ADS holders, we may rely on dividends distributed by our PRC subsidiaries. Certain payments from our PRC subsidiaries to us may be subject to PRC withholding income tax. In addition, regulations in the PRC currently permit payment of dividends of a PRC company only out of accumulated distributable after-tax profits as determined in accordance with its articles of association and the accounting standards and regulations in China. Each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profit based on PRC accounting standards every year to a statutory common reserve fund until the aggregate amount of such reserve fund reaches 50% of the registered capital of such subsidiary. Such statutory reserves are not distributable as loans, advances or cash dividends. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.” Our board of directors has discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain requirements of Cayman Islands law. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, a Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. Even if our board of directors decides to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that the board of directors may deem relevant. Any dividend declared on our ordinary shares shall be payable equally to holders of Class A and Class B ordinary shares. If we pay any dividends on our ordinary shares, we will pay those dividends which are payable in respect of the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by our ADSs to the depositary, as the registered holder of such Class A ordinary shares, and the depositary then will pay such amounts to our ADS holders in proportion to the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by the ADSs held by such ADS holders, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars. B. Significant Changes Except as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we have not experienced any significant changes since the date of our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report. 105 ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING A. Offer and Listing Details Our ADSs, each representing four of our Class A ordinary shares, have been listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market since May 10, 2019. Our ADSs trade under the symbol “JFIN.” B. Plan of Distribution Not applicable. C. Markets Our ADSs have been listed on the NASDAQ Global Market since May 10, 2019 under the symbol “JFIN”. D. Selling Shareholders Not applicable. E. Dilution Not applicable. F. Expenses of the Issue Not applicable. ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION A. Share Capital Not applicable. B. Memorandum and Articles of Association We are a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability and our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, as amended from time to time and the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the Companies Act below, and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The following are summaries of material provisions of our currently effective memorandum and articles of association and of the Companies Act, insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares. General All of our outstanding Class A and Class B ordinary shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their ordinary shares. Dividends The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to receive such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors subject to our memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Act. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, dividends may be paid only out of profits or share premium, provided that, immediately after the payment, we will be able to pay our debts as they become due in the ordinary course of business. Register of Members Under Cayman Islands law, we must keep a register of members and there must be entered therein: • • the names and addresses of the members, together with a statement of the shares held by each member, and such statement shall confirm (i) the amount paid or agreed to be considered as paid, on the shares of each member, (ii) the number and category of shares held by each member, and (iii) whether each relevant category of shares held by a member carries voting rights under the articles of association of the company, and if so, whether such voting rights are conditional; the date on which the name of any person was entered on the register as a member; and 106 • the date on which any person ceased to be a member. Under Cayman Islands law, the register of members of our company is prima facie evidence of the matters set out therein (i.e. the register of members will raise a presumption of fact on the matters referred to above unless rebutted) and a member registered in the register of members will be deemed as a matter of Cayman Islands law to have legal title to the shares as set against its name in the register of members. If the name of any person is incorrectly entered in or omitted from the register of members, or if default is made or unnecessary delay takes place in entering on the register the fact of any person having ceased to be a member, the person or member aggrieved or any member or the company itself may apply to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands for an order that the register be rectified, and the Court may either refuse such application or it may, if satisfied of the justice of the case, make an order for the rectification of the register. Voting Rights In respect of all matters subject to a shareholders’ vote, each registered holder of Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share, and each registered holder of Class B ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares shall, at all times, vote together on all resolutions submitted to a shareholders’ vote. Holders of our ordinary shares have the right to receive notice of, attend, speak and vote at general meetings of our company. At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands, unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded by the chairman of the meeting or by one or more shareholders present in person or by proxy (or, if a corporation or other non- natural person, by its duly authorized representative or proxy) who together hold shares which carry in aggregate not less than ten percent of the votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares of our company that carry the right to vote at the general meeting. An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes cast in a general meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes cast in a general meeting. Both ordinary resolutions and special resolutions may also be passed by a unanimous written resolution signed by all the shareholders of our company, as permitted by the Companies Act and our memorandum and articles of association. A special resolution will be required for important matters such as a change of name or making changes to our memorandum and articles of association. General Meetings and Shareholder Proposals As a Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by the Companies Act to call shareholders’ annual general meetings. Our memorandum and articles of association provide that we may (but are not obliged to) in each year hold a general meeting as our annual general meeting in which case we will specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it, and the annual general meeting will be held at such time and place as may be determined by our directors. Cayman Islands law provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our memorandum and articles of association allow any two or more of our shareholders, who together hold shares which carry in aggregate not less than ten percent of all votes attaching to all of the issued and outstanding shares of our company, to requisition an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders, in which case the directors are obliged to call such meeting and to put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. A quorum required for a meeting of shareholders consists of one or more shareholders, who together hold shares which carry in aggregate not less than one-third (1/3rd) of all votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares of our company that carry the right to vote at such general meeting, present in person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative. Advance notice of at least seven calendar days is required for the convening of our annual general meeting and other shareholders meetings. Conversion Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time at the option of the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment or disposition of Class B ordinary shares by a holder to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder or the direct or indirect transfer or assignment of the voting power attached to such number of Class B ordinary shares through voting proxy or otherwise to any person or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and immediately converted into the equivalent number of Class A ordinary shares. 107 Transfer of Ordinary Shares Subject to the restrictions in our memorandum and articles of association as set out below, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or any other form approved by our board. Our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share which is not fully paid up or on which we have a lien. Our directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless: • • • • • the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the certificate for the ordinary shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our board of directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer; the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of shares; the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required; in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the ordinary share is to be transferred does not exceed four; and the ordinary shares transferred are free of any lien in favor of us. If our directors refuse to register a transfer they are obligated to, within two calendar months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal. The registration of transfers of shares or of any class of shares may, after compliance with any notice requirement of the designated stock exchange, be suspended at such times and for such periods (not exceeding in the whole thirty (30) days in any calendar year) as our board of directors may determine. Liquidation On the winding up of our company, if the assets available for distribution amongst our shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus shall be distributed amongst our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up, subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to our company for unpaid calls or otherwise. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses are borne by our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them. We are an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the Companies Act, and under the Companies Act, the liability of our members is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares respectively held by them. Our memorandum of association contains a declaration that the liability of our members is so limited. Calls on Ordinary Shares and Forfeiture of Ordinary Shares Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their ordinary shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least fourteen calendar days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The ordinary shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid on the specified time are subject to forfeiture, subject to certain terms and conditions. Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Ordinary Shares We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders thereof, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined, before the issue of such shares, by our board of directors or by a special resolution of our shareholders. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares provided that the manner and terms of such purchase have been approved by our board of directors or by ordinary resolution of our shareholders, or are otherwise authorized by our memorandum and articles of association. Under the Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our company’s profits or out of the proceeds of a fresh issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) if the company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding, or (c) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration. Variations of Rights of Shares If at any time the share capital is divided into different classes of shares, all or any of the rights attached to any class of shares may, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to the shares of that class, be varied either with the unanimous 108 written consent of the holders of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with or subsequent to the shares of that class or the redemption or purchase of any shares of any class by the Company. The rights of the holders of shares shall not be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of shares with preferred or otherwise rights including, without limitation, the creation of shares with enhanced or weighted voting rights. Inspection of Books and Records Holders of our ordinary shares will have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records (other than a right to receive copies of our memorandum and articles of association), special resolutions of our shareholder and our registered of mortgages and charges). However, we will provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements. Changes in Capital Our shareholders may from time to time by ordinary resolutions: • • • • increase the share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such classes and amount, as the resolution prescribes; consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of a larger amount than our existing shares sub-divide our existing shares, or any of them into shares of a smaller amount than that fixed by our memorandum of association; provided that in the subdivision the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced share will be the same as it was in case of the share from which the reduced share is derived; and cancel any shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of our share capital by the amount of the shares so canceled. However, no alteration contemplated above, or otherwise, may be made to the par value of the Class A ordinary shares or Class B ordinary shares unless an identical alteration is made to the par value of the Class B ordinary shares and Class A ordinary shares, as the case may be. 109 Subject to the Companies Act, our shareholders may by special resolution reduce our share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner authorized by law. C. Material Contracts We have not entered into any material contracts other than in the ordinary course of business and other than those described in this annual report. D. Exchange Controls See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange.” E. Taxation The following summary of Cayman Islands, the PRC and U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this annual report, all of which are subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, such as the tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws, or tax laws of jurisdictions other than the Cayman Islands, the PRC and the United States. To the extent that the discussion relates to matters of Cayman Islands tax law, it represents the opinion of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, our Cayman Islands counsel. To the extent that the discussion relates to matters of the PRC tax law, it represents the opinion of King & Wood Mallesons, our PRC counsel. Cayman Islands Taxation The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or, after execution, brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties that are applicable to any payments made to or by our company. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands. Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs, nor will gains derived from the disposal of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax. People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations Under the EIT Law, an enterprise established outside the PRC with a “de facto management body” within the PRC is considered a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes and is generally subject to a uniform 25% enterprise income tax rate on its worldwide income as well as tax reporting obligations. Under the Implementation Rules of the Enterprise Income Tax Law, a “de facto management body” is defined as a body that has material and overall management and control over the manufacturing and business operations, personnel and human resources, finances and properties of an enterprise. In addition, SAT Circular 82 issued in April 2009 specifies that certain offshore-incorporated enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups will be classified as PRC resident enterprises if all of the following conditions are met: (a) senior management personnel and core management departments in charge of the daily operations of the enterprises have their presence mainly in the PRC; (b) their financial and human resources decisions are subject to determination or approval by persons or bodies in the PRC; (c) major assets, accounting books and company seals of the enterprises, and minutes and files of their board’s and shareholders’ meetings are located or kept in the PRC; and (d) half or more of the enterprises’ directors or senior management personnel with voting rights habitually reside in the PRC. If the PRC tax authorities deem our company or any of our overseas subsidiaries as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. We or the overseas subsidiaries, as the case may be, would be subject to the PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on worldwide income. Also, a 10% withholding tax would be imposed on dividends we pay to our non-PRC enterprise shareholders and any gains realized by our non-PRC enterprise shareholders on the transfer of ADS or Class A ordinary shares are also subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. The withholding tax rate could potentially increase to 20% on dividends we pay to our non-PRC individual shareholders and any gains realized by such non-PRC individual shareholders on the transfer of ADS or Class A ordinary shares. These rates may be reduced by an applicable tax treaty. 110 SAT issued the Bulletin on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Bulletin 7, on February 3, 2015, which replaced or supplemented certain previous rules under the circular commonly known as “SAT Circular 698.” Under SAT Bulletin 7, an “indirect transfer” of assets, including equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises may be re-characterized and treated as a direct transfer of PRC taxable assets, if such arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax. According to SAT Bulletin 7, “PRC taxable assets” include assets attributed to an establishment in China, immoveable properties in China, and equity investment in PRC resident enterprises. In respect of an indirect offshore transfer of assets of a PRC establishment, the relevant gain is to be regarded as effectively connected with the PRC establishment and therefore included in its enterprise income tax filing, and would consequently be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Where the underlying transfer relates to the immoveable properties in China or to equity investment in a PRC resident enterprise, which is not effectively connected to a PRC establishment of a non-resident enterprise, a PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 10% would apply, subject to available preferential tax treatment under applicable tax treaties or similar arrangements, and the party who is obligated to make the transfer payments has the withholding obligation. There is uncertainty as to the implementation details of SAT Bulletin 7. If SAT Bulletin 7 were determined by the tax authorities to be applicable to some of our transactions involving PRC taxable assets, our offshore subsidiaries conducting the relevant transactions might be required to spend valuable resources to comply with SAT Bulletin 7 or to establish that the relevant transactions should not be taxed under SAT Bulletin 7. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.” Pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Tax Arrangement, where a Hong Kong resident enterprise which is considered a non-PRC tax resident enterprise directly holds at least 25% of a PRC enterprise, the withholding tax rate in respect of the payment of dividends by such PRC enterprise to such Hong Kong resident enterprise is reduced to 5% from a standard rate of 10%. Pursuant to SAT Circular 81, a resident enterprise of the counter-party to such Tax Arrangement should meet the following conditions, among others, in order to enjoy the reduced withholding tax under the Tax Arrangement: (i) it must directly own the required percentage of equity interests and voting rights in such PRC resident enterprise; and (ii) it should directly own such percentage in the PRC resident enterprise anytime in the 12 months prior to receiving the dividends. United States Federal Income Tax Considerations The following discussion summarizes the material United States federal income tax consequences to a United States Holder (as defined below), under current law, of an investment in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. This discussion is based on the federal income tax laws of the United States as of the date of this annual report, including the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, existing and proposed Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial authority, published administrative positions of the United States Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, and other applicable authorities, all as of the date of this annual report. All of the foregoing authorities are subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could significantly affect the tax consequences described below. We have not sought any ruling from the IRS with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following discussion and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with our statements and conclusions. This discussion, moreover, does not address the United States federal estate, gift, Medicare, or alternative minimum tax considerations, or any state, local or non-United States tax considerations, relating to the ownership or disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. Except as specifically described below, this discussion does not address any of the consequences of holding our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares through a bank, financial institution or other entity, or a branch thereof, located, organized or resident outside the United States, including withholding taxes or reporting obligations applicable to accounts maintained with non-United States financial institutions (through which a United States Holder may hold our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares), and does not describe any tax consequences arising in respect of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA regime. This discussion applies only to a United States Holder (as defined below) that holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares as capital assets for United States federal income tax purposes (generally, property held for investment). The discussion neither addresses the tax consequences to any particular investor nor describes all of the tax consequences applicable to persons in special tax situations, such as: • • • • • • • banks and certain other financial institutions; insurance companies; pension plans; cooperatives; regulated investment companies; real estate investment trusts; brokers or dealers in stocks and securities, or currencies; 111 • • • • • • • • • • • persons that use or are required to use a mark-to-market method of accounting; certain former citizens or residents of the United States subject to Section 877 of the Code; entities subject to the United States anti-inversion rules; tax-exempt organizations or entities (including private foundations); persons whose functional currency is other than the United States dollar; persons holding ADSs or Class A ordinary shares as part of a straddle, hedging, conversion or integrated transaction; persons that actually or constructively own ADSs or Class A ordinary shares representing 10% or more of our total voting power or value; persons who acquired ADSs or Class A ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of an employee equity grant or otherwise as compensation; partnerships or other pass-through entities, or persons holding ADSs or Class A ordinary shares through such entities; persons required to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement; or persons that held, directly, indirectly or by attribution, ADSs or Class A ordinary shares or other ownership interests in us prior to our initial public offering. If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partnership or partner in a partnership holding our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares should consult its tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of investing in and holding our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR CAREFUL TAX PLANNING AND ADVICE. HOLDERS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS, AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES ARISING UNDER THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-UNITED STATES TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATY. For purposes of the discussion below, a “United States Holder” is a beneficial owner of the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares that is, for United States federal income tax purposes: • • • • an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; an estate, the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or a trust, if (i) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary jurisdiction over its administration and one or more United States persons (as defined in the Code) have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or (ii) in the case of a trust that was treated as a domestic trust under the law in effect before 1997, a valid election is in place under applicable Treasury Regulations to treat such trust as a domestic trust. The discussion below assumes that the representations contained in the deposit agreement and any related agreement are true and that the obligations in such agreements will be complied with in accordance with their terms. Passive Foreign Investment Company Based on the market price of our ADSs, the value of our assets and the nature and nature and composition of our income and assets, we do not believe that we were a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes for our taxable year ended December 31, 2020, although there can be no assurances in this regard. The determination of PFIC status is based on an annual determination that cannot be made until the close of a taxable year and involves extensive factual investigation, including ascertaining the fair market value of all of our assets on a quarterly basis and the character of each item of income that we earn. Moreover, the application of the PFIC rules is subject to uncertainty in several respects, and we cannot assure you that the United States Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, will agree with any determination we make. Accordingly, there can be no 112 assurance that we will not be treated as a PFIC for any taxable year or that the IRS will not take a contrary position to any determination we make. We will be a PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes for any taxable year if, applying applicable look-through rules, either: • • at least 75% of our gross income for such year is passive income; or at least 50% of the value of our assets (generally determined based on a quarterly average) during such year is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income. For this purpose, passive income generally includes dividends, interest, and certain types of rents and royalties. In addition, cash, cash equivalents, securities held for investment purposes, and certain other similar assets are generally categorized as passive assets. We will be treated as owning a proportionate share of the assets and earning a proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, at least 25% (by value) of the stock. Although the law in this regard is unclear, we treat our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries as being owned by us for United States federal income tax purposes, because we exercise effective control over the operation of these entities and because we are entitled to substantially all of their economic benefits, and, as a result, we consolidate their results of operations in our consolidated U.S. GAAP financial statements. If it were determined, however, that we are not the owner of our consolidated VIE and its subsidiaries for United States federal income tax purposes, the composition of our income and assets would change and we may be more likely to be treated as a PFIC for one or more taxable years. Changes in the value of our assets and/or the nature and composition of our income or assets may cause us to be or become a PFIC. The determination of whether we will be a PFIC for any taxable year may depend in part upon the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles not reflected on our balance sheet (which may depend upon the market price of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares from time to time, which may fluctuate significantly) and also may be affected by how, and how quickly, we spend our liquid assets and the cash we generated from our operations and raised in any offering. In estimating the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, we have taken into account our market capitalization. Among other matters, if our market capitalization declines, we may be more likely to be a PFIC because our liquid assets and cash (which are for this purpose considered assets that produce passive income) may then represent a greater percentage of the value of our overall assets. Further, while we believe our classification methodology and valuation approach are reasonable, it is possible that the IRS may challenge our classification or valuation of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, which may result in our being or becoming a PFIC for one or more taxable years. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during your holding period for our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, we will continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to you for all succeeding years during which you hold our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, unless we were to cease to be a PFIC and you make a “deemed sale” election with respect to such ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. If such election is made, you will be deemed to have sold such ADSs or Class A ordinary shares at their fair market value and any gain from such deemed sale would be subject to the rules described in the following two paragraphs. After the deemed sale election, so long as we do not become a PFIC in a subsequent taxable year, such ADSs or Class A ordinary shares with respect to which such election was made will not be treated as shares in a PFIC and, as a result, you will not be subject to the rules described below with respect to any “excess distribution” you receive from us or any gain from a sale or other taxable disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. You are strongly urged to consult your tax advisors as to the possibility and consequences of making a deemed sale election if we are and then cease to be a PFIC and such an election becomes available to you. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which your holding period for our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, then, unless you make a “mark-to-market” election (as discussed below), you generally will be subject to special and adverse tax rules with respect to any “excess distribution” that you receive from us and any gain that you recognize from a sale or other disposition, including a pledge, of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. For this purpose, distributions that you receive in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions that you received during the shorter of the three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares will be treated as an excess distribution. Under these rules: • • the excess distribution or recognized gain will be allocated ratably over your holding period for the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares; the amount of the excess distribution or recognized gain allocated to the taxable year of distribution or gain, and to any taxable years in your holding period prior to the first taxable year in which we were a PFIC, will be treated as ordinary income; and 113 • the amount of the excess distribution or recognized gain allocated to each other taxable year will be subject to the highest tax rate in effect for individuals or corporations, as applicable, for each such year and the resulting tax will be subject to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during your holding period for our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares and any of our non-United States subsidiaries that are corporations (or other corporations in which we directly or indirectly own equity interests) is also a PFIC, you would be treated as owning a proportionate amount (by value) of the shares of each such non-United States corporation classified as a PFIC (each such corporation, a lower tier PFIC) for purposes of the application of these rules. You should consult your tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to any of our lower tier PFICs. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during your holding period for our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, then in lieu of being subject to the tax and interest- charge rules discussed above, you may make an election to include gain on our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares as ordinary income under a mark-to-market method, provided that such ADSs or Class A ordinary shares constitute “marketable stock.” Marketable stock is stock that is regularly traded on a qualified exchange or other market, as defined in applicable Treasury regulations. Our ADSs, but not our ordinary shares, are listed on the Nasdaq, which is a qualified exchange or other market for these purposes. Consequently, as long as our ADSs remain listed on the Nasdaq and are regularly traded, and you are a holder of such ADSs, we expect that the mark- to-market election would be available to you if we were a PFIC, but no assurances are given in this regard. If you make a mark-to-market election, it will be effective for the taxable year for which the election is made and all subsequent taxable years unless our ADSs are no longer regularly traded on a qualified exchange or other market, or the IRS consents to the revocation of the election. United States Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of the mark-to-market election, and whether making the election would be advisable in such United States Holder’s particular circumstances. Because a mark-to-market election cannot be made for any lower-tier PFICs that we may own, if we were a PFIC for any taxable year, a United States Holder that makes a mark-to-market election with respect to our ADSs may continue to be subject to the tax and interest charges under the general PFIC rules with respect to such United States Holder’s indirect interest in any investments held by us that are treated as an equity interest in a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes. In certain circumstances, a shareholder in a PFIC may avoid the adverse tax and interest-charge regime described above by making a “qualified electing fund” election to include in income its share of the corporation’s income on a current basis. However, if we were a PFIC, you would be able to make a qualified electing fund election with respect to our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares only if we agreed to furnish you annually with a PFIC annual information statement as specified in the applicable Treasury regulations. We currently do not intend to prepare or provide the information that would enable you to make a qualified electing fund election if we were a PFIC. A United States Holder that holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares in any year in which we are a PFIC will be required to file an annual report containing such information as the United States Treasury Department may require. You are strongly encouraged to consult your tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to an investment in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares and the availability, application and consequences of the elections discussed above. ADSs If you own our ADSs, then you should be treated as the owner of the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by those ADSs for United States federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, deposits or withdrawals of Class A ordinary shares for ADSs should not be subject to United States federal income tax. Dividends and Other Distributions on our ADSs or Class A Ordinary Shares Subject to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed above, the gross amount of any distribution that we make to you with respect to our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares (including any amounts withheld to reflect PRC or other withholding taxes) will be taxable as a dividend, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under United States federal income tax principles. Such income (including any withheld taxes) will be includable in your gross income on the day actually or constructively received by you, if you own our Class A ordinary shares, or by the depositary, if you own our ADSs. Because we do not intend to determine our earnings and profits on the basis of United States federal income tax principles, any distribution paid generally will be reported as a “dividend” for United States federal income tax purposes. Such dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to qualifying corporations under the Code. 114 Dividends received by a non-corporate United States Holder may qualify for the lower rates of tax applicable to “qualified dividend income,” if the dividends are paid by a “qualified foreign corporation” and other conditions discussed below are met. A non-United States corporation is treated as a qualified foreign corporation (i) with respect to dividends paid by that corporation on shares (or American depositary shares backed by such shares) that are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States or (ii) if such non-United States corporation is eligible for the benefits of a qualifying income tax treaty with the United States that includes an exchange of information program. However, a non-United States corporation will not be treated as a qualified foreign corporation if it is a passive foreign investment company in the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year. Under a published IRS Notice, common or ordinary shares, or American depositary shares representing such shares (such as our ADSs), are considered to be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States if they are listed on the Nasdaq, as our ADSs are (but not our ordinary shares). Based on existing guidance, it is unclear whether the Class A ordinary shares will be considered to be readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States, because only our ADSs, and not the underlying Class A ordinary shares, are listed on a securities market in the United States. We believe, but we cannot assure you, that dividends we pay, if any, on the Class A ordinary shares that are represented by our ADSs, but not on the ordinary shares that are not so represented, will, subject to applicable limitations, be eligible for the reduced rates of taxation. In addition, if we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise under the PRC tax law (see “Item 10. Additional Information— Information—E. Taxation—People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations”), then we may be eligible for the benefits of the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC. If we are eligible for such benefits, then dividends that we pay on our Class A ordinary shares, regardless of whether such shares are represented by ADSs, would, subject to applicable limitations, be eligible for the reduced rates of taxation. Even if dividends would be treated as paid by a qualified foreign corporation, a non-corporate United States Holder will not be eligible for reduced rates of taxation if it does not hold our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares for more than 60 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date (disregarding certain periods of ownership while the United States Holder’s risk of loss is diminished) or if such United States Holder elects to treat the dividend income as “investment income” pursuant to Section 163(d)(4) of the Code. In addition, the rate reduction will not apply to dividends of a qualified foreign corporation if the non-corporate United States Holder receiving the dividend is obligated to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. You should consult your tax advisors regarding the availability of the lower tax rates applicable to qualified dividend income for any dividends that we pay with respect to our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, as well as the effect of any change in applicable law after the date of this annual report. Any PRC withholding taxes imposed on dividends paid to you with respect to our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares (at a rate not exceeding the applicable rate provided in the United States–PRC income tax treaty in the case of a United States Holder that is eligible for the benefits of such treaty) generally will be treated as foreign taxes eligible for deduction or credit against your United States federal income tax liability, subject to the various limitations and disallowance rules that apply to foreign tax credits generally (including that the election to deduct or credit foreign taxes applies to all of your other applicable foreign taxes for a particular tax year). For purposes of calculating the foreign tax credit limitation, dividends paid to you with respect to our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares will be treated as income from sources outside the United States and generally will constitute passive category income, or in certain cases, general category income. The rules relating to the determination of the foreign tax credit are complex, and you should consult your tax advisors regarding the availability of a foreign tax credit in your particular circumstances. Disposition of our ADSs or Class A Ordinary Shares You will recognize gain or loss on a sale or exchange of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale or exchange and your tax basis in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. Subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company” above, such gain or loss generally will be capital gain or loss. Capital gains of a non-corporate United States Holder, including an individual, that has held our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares for more than one year currently are eligible for reduced tax rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. Any gain or loss that you recognize on a disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares generally will be treated as United States-source income or loss for foreign tax credit limitation purposes. However, if we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes and PRC tax is imposed on gain from the disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares (see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations”), then a United States Holder that is eligible for the benefits of the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC may elect to treat the gain as PRC-source income for foreign tax credit purposes. If such an election is made, the gain so treated will be treated as a separate class or “basket” of income for 115 foreign tax credit purposes. You should consult your tax advisors regarding the proper treatment of gain or loss, as well as the availability of a foreign tax credit, in your particular circumstances. Information Reporting and Backup Withholding Information reporting to the IRS and backup withholding generally will apply to dividends in respect of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, and the proceeds from the sale or exchange of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, that are paid to you within the United States (and in certain cases, outside the United States), unless you furnish a correct taxpayer identification number and make any other required certification, generally on IRS Form W-9, or you otherwise establish an exemption from information reporting and backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding generally are allowed as a credit against your United States federal income tax liability, and you may be entitled to obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules if you file an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnish any required information in a timely manner. United States Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules. Information with Respect to Foreign Financial Assets United States Holders who are individuals (and certain entities closely held by individuals) generally will be required to report our name, address and such information relating to an interest in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares as is necessary to identify the class or issue of which our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares are a part. These requirements are subject to exceptions, including an exception for ADSs or Class A ordinary shares held in accounts maintained by certain financial institutions and an exception applicable if the aggregate value of all “specified foreign financial assets” (as defined in the Code) does not exceed US$50,000. United States Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these information reporting rules. F. Dividends and Paying Agents Not applicable. G. Statement by Experts Not applicable. H. Documents on Display We are subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to foreign private issuers, and are required to file reports and other information with the SEC. Specifically, we are required to file annually an annual report on Form 20-F within four months after the end of each fiscal year, which is December 31. All information filed with the SEC can be obtained over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can request copies of documents, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of quarterly reports and proxy statements, and officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. We will furnish Citibank, N.A., the depositary of our ADSs, with our annual reports, which will include a review of operations and annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, and all notices of shareholders’ meetings and other reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary will make such notices, reports and communications available to holders of ADSs and, upon our request, will mail to all record holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a shareholders’ meeting received by the depositary from us. I. Subsidiary Information For a listing of our subsidiaries, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.” 116 ITEM 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK Foreign Currency Risk Substantially all of our revenues and our expenses are denominated in Renminbi. The functional currency of our company, Jiayin Group Inc. is the U.S. dollar. The functional currency of our subsidiaries in the PRC, our VIE and its subsidiaries is the Renminbi. We use Renminbi as our reporting currency. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are translated into the functional currency at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in currencies other than the functional currency during the year are converted into functional currency at the applicable rates of exchange prevailing when the transactions occurred. Transaction gains and losses are recognized in the statements of comprehensive income. We do not believe that we currently have any significant direct foreign exchange risk and have not used any derivative financial instruments to hedge exposure to such risk. Although in general our exposure to foreign exchange risks should be limited, the value of your investment in our ADSs will be affected by the exchange rate between U.S. dollar and RMB because the value of our business is effectively denominated in Renminbi, while our ADSs will be traded in U.S. dollars. The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the PBOC. Since June 2010, the PRC government has allowed the RMB to appreciate slowly against the U.S. dollar, though there have been periods when the Renminbi has depreciated against the U.S. dollar. In particular, on August 11, 2015, the PBOC allowed the Renminbi to depreciate by approximately 2% against the U.S. dollar. Since then, the Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. From August 11, 2015 until the end of 2016, the Renminbi depreciated against the U.S. dollar by approximately 10%. During 2018, the Renminbi depreciated approximately by 5% against the U.S. dollar. During 2019, the Renminbi depreciated approximately by 1% against the U.S. dollar, and during 2020, the Renminbi appreciated approximately by 6% against the U.S. dollar. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how long the current situation may last and when and how the relationship between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar may change again. To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amounts available to us. Interest Rate Risk We have not been exposed to material risks due to changes in market interest rates, and we have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage our interest risk exposure. However, we cannot provide assurance that we will not be exposed to material risks due to changes in market interest rate in the future. The fluctuation of interest rates may affect the demand for loan services on our platform. For example, a decrease in interest rates may cause potential borrowers to seek lower-priced loans from other channels. A high interest rate environment may lead to an increase in competing investment options and dampen investors’ desire to invest on our platform. We do not expect that the fluctuation of interest rates will have a material impact on our financial condition. However, we cannot provide assurance that we will not be exposed to material risks due to changes in market interest rate in the future. We may invest our cash in interest-earning instruments. Investments in both fixed rate and floating rate interest earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. Fixed rate securities may have their fair market value adversely impacted due to a rise in interest rates, while floating rate securities may produce less income than expected if interest rates fall. ITEM 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES A. Debt Securities Not applicable. B. Warrants and Rights Not applicable. C. Other Securities 117 Not applicable. D. American Depositary Shares Fees and Charges Our ADS holders May Have to Pay As an ADS holder, you will be required to pay the following fees under the terms of the deposit agreement: Service Fees •Issuance of ADSs (e.g., an issuance of ADS upon a deposit of Class A ordinary shares, upon a Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS issued change in the ADS(s)-to-Class A Ordinary Share(s) ratio, or for any other reason), excluding ADS issuances as a result of distributions of Class A ordinary shares) •Cancelation of ADSs (e.g., a cancelation of ADSs for delivery of deposited property, upon a Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS canceled change in the ADS(s)-to-Class A ordinary share(s) ratio, or for any other reason) •Distribution of cash dividends or other cash distributions (e.g., upon a sale of rights and other Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held entitlements) •Distribution of ADSs pursuant to (i) stock dividends or other free stock distributions, or Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held (ii) exercise of rights to purchase additional ADSs •Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs (e.g., upon a Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held spin-off) •ADS Services Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the depositary bank •Registration of ADS Transfers (e.g., upon a registration of the transfer of registered ownership of ADSs, upon a transfer of ADSs into DTC and vice versa, or for any other reason). Up to U.S. 5¢ per ADS (or fraction thereof) transferred. •Conversion of ADSs of one series for ADSs of another series (e.g., upon conversion of Partial Entitlement ADSs for Full Entitlement ADSs, or upon conversion of Restricted ADSs into freely transferable ADSs, and vice versa). Up to 5¢ per ADS (or fraction thereof) converted. As an ADS holder you will also be responsible to pay certain charges such as: • • • • • • taxes (including applicable interest and penalties) and other governmental charges; the registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of Class A ordinary shares on the share register and applicable to transfers of Class A ordinary shares to or from the name of the custodian, the depositary bank or any nominees upon the making of deposits and withdrawals, respectively; certain cable, telex and facsimile transmission and delivery expenses; the expenses and charges incurred by the depositary bank in the conversion of foreign currency the fees and expenses incurred by the depositary bank in connection with compliance with exchange control regulations and other regulatory requirements applicable to Class A ordinary shares, ADSs and ADRs; and the fees, charges, costs and expenses incurred by the depositary bank, the custodian, or any nominee in connection with the ADR program. ADS fees and charges for (i) the issuance of ADSs, and (ii) the cancelation of ADSs are charged to the person for whom the ADSs are issued (in the case of ADS issuances) and to the person for whom ADSs are canceled (in the case of ADS cancelations). In the case of ADSs issued by the depositary bank into DTC, the ADS issuance and cancelation fees and charges may be deducted from 118 distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participant(s) receiving the ADSs being issued or the DTC participant(s) holding the ADSs being canceled, as the case may be, on behalf of the beneficial owner(s) and will be charged by the DTC participant(s) to the account of the applicable beneficial owner(s) in accordance with the procedures and practices of the DTC participants as in effect at the time. ADS fees and charges in respect of distributions and the ADS service fee are charged to the holders as of the applicable ADS record date. In the case of distributions of cash, the amount of the applicable ADS fees and charges is deducted from the funds being distributed. In the case of (i) distributions other than cash and (ii) the ADS service fee, holders as of the ADS record date will be invoiced for the amount of the ADS fees and charges and such ADS fees and charges may be deducted from distributions made to holders of ADSs. For ADSs held through DTC, the ADS fees and charges for distributions other than cash and the ADS service fee may be deducted from distributions made through DTC, and may be charged to the DTC participants in accordance with the procedures and practices prescribed by DTC and the DTC participants in turn charge the amount of such ADS fees and charges to the beneficial owners for whom they hold ADSs. In the case of (i) registration of ADS transfers, the ADS transfer fee will be payable by the ADS Holder whose ADSs are being transferred or by the person to whom the ADSs are transferred, and (ii) conversion of ADSs of one series for ADSs of another series, the ADS conversion fee will be payable by the Holder whose ADSs are converted or by the person to whom the converted ADSs are delivered. In the event of refusal to pay the depositary bank fees, the depositary bank may, under the terms of the deposit agreement, refuse the requested service until payment is received or may set off the amount of the depositary bank fees from any distribution to be made to the ADS holder. Certain depositary fees and charges (such as the ADS services fee) may become payable shortly after the closing of the ADS offering. Note that the fees and charges you may be required to pay may vary over time and may be changed by us and by the depositary bank. You will receive prior notice of such changes. The depositary bank may reimburse us for certain expenses incurred by us in respect of the ADR program, by making available a portion of the ADS fees charged in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as we and the depositary bank agree from time to time. 119 ITEM 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES None. PART II ITEM 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS A.—D. Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders See “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association” for a description of the rights of securities holders, which remain unchanged. E. Use of Proceeds The following “Use of Proceeds” information relates to the registration statement on Form F-1, as amended (File No. 333-228896) in relation to our initial public offering, which was declared effective by the SEC on May 10, 2019. In May 2019, we completed our initial public offering in which we issued and sold an aggregate of 4,025,000 ADSs, representing 16,100,000 Class A ordinary shares, resulting in net proceeds to us of approximately US$35.0 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Roth Capital Partners and Shenwan Hongyuan Securities were the representatives of the underwriters for our initial public offering. For the period from May 9, 2019, the date that the registration statement on Form F-1 was declared effective by the SEC, to December 31, 2019, the total expenses incurred for our company’s account in connection with our initial public offering was approximately US$7.4 million, which included US$3.2 million in underwriting discounts and commissions for the initial public offering and approximately US$4.2 million in other costs and expenses for our initial public offering. None of the transaction expenses included payments to directors or officers of our company or their associates, persons owning more than 10% or more of our equity securities or our affiliates. None of the net proceeds from the initial public offering were paid, directly or indirectly, to any of our directors or officers or their associates, persons owning 10% or more of our equity securities or our affiliates. For the period from May 9, 2019, the date that the registration statement on Form F-1 was declared effective by the SEC, to December 31, 2020, we used approximately US$30.2 million for strategic acquisitions and investment as well as the development of our overseas business. We still intend to use the remainder of the proceeds from our initial public offering as disclosed in our registration statements on Form F-1. ITEM 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and co-chief financial officers, has performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report, as required by Rule 13a- 15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation, our management has concluded that, due to the outstanding material weaknesses described below, as of December 31, 2020, our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective in ensuring that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file and furnish under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting Our independent registered public accounting firm has not conducted an audit of our internal control over financial reporting. However, in the course of auditing our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2020, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified two material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the United States. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a 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. 120 Two material weaknesses related to: • • Our lack of sufficient accounting staff with U.S GAAP knowledge and SEC reporting experience related to the accounting and reporting of complex transactions; Our lack of formal risk assessment process and internal control framework over financial reporting. We lack a formal group-wide risk assessment process to identify, assess, address or mitigate the risks identified and internal control over financial reporting framework to maintain effective internal controls within the organization, which may increase risk of error, fraud, misstatement of financial reporting, or even non-compliance with related regulations for a U.S. listed Group. In response to the identified material weaknesses, we have implemented the following measures to address the material weaknesses that have been identified, including (i) participating in trainings and seminars provided by professional services firms on a regular basis, (ii) providing internal training to our current accounting team on U.S. GAAP knowledge, (iii) hiring a new reporting officer and an additional financial reporting manager with experience in U.S. GAAP accounting and SEC reporting to lead accounting and financial reporting matters, (iv) setting up a systematic accounting manual for U.S. GAAP and financial closing process and (v) hiring experienced internal auditors and setting up the internal audit department. We are also in the process of implementing the following measures, including (i) perform self-assessment of internal control effectiveness on a continuous basis, and (ii) engaging professional service companies to help implement SOX 404 compliance together with the establishment of internal audit function. However, we cannot assure you that we will complete implementation of these measures in a timely manner. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors— Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations or prevent fraud.” Attestation Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm This annual report does not include an attestation report of our company’s independent registered public accounting firm due to the transition periods established by rules of the SEC for an Emerging Growth Company. Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting Other than as described above, there were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this annual report on Form 20-F that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. ITEM 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT Our board of directors has determined that each of Mr. Yuhchang Hwang and Mr. Meng Rui qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of the SEC rules and possesses financial sophistication within the meaning of the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market. Mr.Yuhchang Hwang and Mr. Meng Rui satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and meets the independence standards under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. The audit committee will oversee our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. ITEM 16B. CODE OF ETHICS Our board of directors adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees in December 2018. We have posted a copy of our code of business conduct and ethics on our website at https://ir.jiayin-fintech.com/. ITEM 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES The following table sets forth the aggregate fees by categories specified below in connection with certain professional services rendered by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP and Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk LLP, our principal external auditors, for the periods indicated. Audit Fee Predecessor auditor Auditor 121 2019 2020 (US$’000) 1,180 — 560 600 ITEM 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES Not applicable. ITEM 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS Neither we nor any “affiliated purchaser,” as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) of the Exchange Act, purchased any of our equity securities during the period covered by this annual report. ITEM 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT On March 8th, 2021, we appointed Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk LLP, or MBP as our independent registered public accounting firm in connection with the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020 with the approval of our audit committee and board of directors. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, or Deloitte, has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since 2018, and the reports of Deloitte our consolidated financial statements have contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and were not qualified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principle. During the whole service period, there has been no disagreements between us and Deloitte on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements if not resolved to the satisfaction of Deloitte would have caused them to make reference to the disagreements in their audit reports. During our fiscal years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and until the engagement of MBP, neither we nor anyone on our behalf has consulted with MBP on either (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on our financial statements, and neither a written report nor oral advice was provided to the us by MBP which MBP concluded as an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to any accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue, or (ii) any matter that was the subject of a disagreement, as that term is defined in Item 16F(a)(1)(iv) of Form 20-F (and the related instructions thereto) or a reportable event as set forth in Item 16F(a)(1)(v)(A) through (D) of Form 20-F. ITEM 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE As a Cayman Islands company listed on Nasdaq, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. We currently follow and intend to continue to follow Cayman Islands corporate governance practices in lieu of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq that listed companies must have: (i) a majority of the board be independent; (ii) an audit committee of at least three independent directors; (iii) a nominating and corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors; and (iv) hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of our fiscal year. Also, our home country practice does not require us to hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of its fiscal year and does not require us to seek shareholder approval for amending our share incentive plans. To the extent we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would enjoy under the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our ADSs— We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to U.S. domestic public companies.” ITEM 16H. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE Not applicable. 122 ITEM 17 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS We have elected to provide financial statements pursuant to Item 18. PART III ITEM 18 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The consolidated financial statements of Jiayin Group Inc. are included at the end of this annual report. ITEM 19. EXHIBITS Exhibit Number Description of Document 1.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Form of Registrant’s Specimen American Depositary Receipt (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of our registration statement on Form F- 1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Registrant’s Specimen Certificate for Ordinary Shares (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Form of Deposit Agreement among the Registrant, the depositary and holders of the American Depositary Shares (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (a) to the registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-229579), as amended, initially filed with the SEC on February 8, 2019) Description of Securities 2016 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) 2019 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of our registration statement on Form S-8 (file no. 333-233615), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 4, 2019) Form of Indemnification Agreement with the Registrant’s directors and executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Form of Employment Agreement between the Registrant and an executive officer of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Power of Attorney Agreement concerning Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. among Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., Dinggui Yan, Guanglin Zhang, Yuanle Wu, Shanghai Jinmushuihuotu Investment Center (Limited Partnership) and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., dated October 15, 2018 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Equity Pledge Agreement concerning Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. among Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., Dinggui Yan and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., dated October 15, 2018 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Equity Pledge Agreement concerning Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. among Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., Guanglin Zhang and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., dated October 15, 2018 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) 123 Exhibit Number Description of Document 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 8.1* 11.1 Equity Pledge Agreement concerning Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. among Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., Yuanle Wu and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., dated October 15, 2018 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Equity Pledge Agreement concerning Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. among Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., Jinmushuihuotu Investment Center (Limited Partnership) and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., dated October 15, 2018 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Exclusive Call Option Agreement concerning Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. among Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., Dinggui Yan, Guanglin Zhang, Yuanle Wu, Shanghai Jinmushuihuotu Investment Center (Limited Partnership) and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., dated October 15, 2018 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement between Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd., dated June 29, 2018 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Collaboration Agreement between Shanghai Caiyin Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd., dated December 1, 2015 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) Equity Transfer Agreement concerning Shanghai Caiyin Asset Management Co., Ltd. among Shanghai Jiayin Finance Services Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Rongxinbao Non-financial Guarantee Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. dated September 16, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to our Form 6-K (file no. 001-38806), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 16, 2019) Supplementary Agreement to Collaboration Agreement dated December 1, 2015 between Shanghai Caiyin Asset Management Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd., dated September 16, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 to our Form 6-K (file no. 001-38806), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 16, 2019) Agreement among Shenzhen Rongxinbao Non-financial Guarantee Co., Ltd., Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Jiayin Finance Services Co., Ltd. dated October 16, 2019 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to our Form 6-K (file no. 001-38806), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 24, 2019) Framework Acquisition Agreement among Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Bweenet Network Technology Co., Ltd., Tang Chuanfa, Liu Ning, Wang Peiqiong, Zhao Wu and Cui Junying dated April 1, 2021 (English Translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to our Form 6-K (file no. 001-38806), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 5, 2021) Principal subsidiaries, variable interest entities and principal affiliated entities held by the variable interest entities of the Registrant Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of our registration statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-228896), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2018) 12.1* 12.2* 12.3* 13.1** 13.2** Certification by Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Certification by Co-Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Certification by Co-Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Certification by Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Certification by Co-Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 124 Exhibit Number Description of Document 13.3** Certification by Co-Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 15.1* 15.2* 15.3* 15.4* 15.5* 101.INS* 101.SCH* 101.CAL* 101.DEF* 101.LAB* 101.PRE* 104* Consent of Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP Consent of King & Wood Mallesons Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Letter from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP to the Securities and Exchange Commission, dated April 30, 2021 Inline XBRL Instance Document Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) * ** Filed with this annual report on Form 20-F. Furnished with this annual report on Form 20-F. 125 The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this SIGNATURES annual report on its behalf. Jiayin Group Inc. By: /s/ Dinggui Yan Name: Dinggui Yan Title: Director and Chief Executive Officer Date: April 30, 2021 126 INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements Schedule I—Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company F-1 Page F-2&3 F-4 F-5 F-6 F-7 F-8 F-42 REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Jiayin Group Inc. Opinion on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, shareholders’ deficit and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes and schedule (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year in the period ended December 31, 2020, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Basis for Opinion These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. Our audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. /s/ Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk LLP We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021. Beijing, China April 30, 2021 F-2 REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Jiayin Group Inc Opinion on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Jiayin Group Inc.and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ deficit, and cash flows, for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes and financial statement schedule in Schedule I (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019, the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2019, are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Basis for Opinion These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Group in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. /s/Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China April 30, 2020 We began serving as the Company's auditor in 2018. In 2020, we became the predecessor auditor. F-3 JIAYIN GROUP INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2019 AND 2020 (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data) ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Restricted cash Amounts due from related parties Accounts receivable and contract assets, net (net of allowance for credit losses of RMB 60,679 and nil as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively) Loans receivable, net (net of allowance for credit losses of nil and RMB 27,700 as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively) Short-term investment , net Prepaid expenses and other current assets Deferred tax assets , net Property and equipment , net Right-of-use assets Long-term investment TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Liabilities including amounts of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to the Parent Company (Note 2(b)): Payroll and welfare payables Amounts due to related parties Refund liabilities Tax payables Accrued expenses and other current liabilities Other payable related to the disposal of Shanghai Caiyin Lease liabilities TOTAL LIABILITIES Commitments and Contingencies (Note 15) SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT Class A ordinary shares (US$ 0.000000005 par value; 100,100,000 and 108,100,000 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively)1 Class B ordinary shares (US$ 0.000000005 par value; 116,000,000 and 108,000,000 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively)1 Additional paid-in capital Accumulated deficit Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) Total Jiayin Group shareholder’s deficit Noncontrolling interests TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT TOTAL LIABILITIES AND DEFICIT The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. 1. The total shares authorized for both Class A and Class B are 10,000,000,000,000 F-4 2019 RMB 2020 RMB US$ (Note 2(h)) 122,149 — 130,722 117,320 2,000 542 139,164 158,064 — 69,618 91,002 68,292 39,084 37,215 3,826 701,072 48,524 872 180,104 179,421 158,705 839,830 35,215 1,442,671 31,296 — 61,289 40,935 19,449 6,926 87,551 525,372 58,288 8,785 — 279,383 70,954 566,532 5,195 989,137 17,980 307 83 24,224 4,796 — 9,393 6,274 2,981 1,061 13,418 80,517 8,933 1,346 — 42,817 10,875 86,825 796 151,592 0 0 0 0 777,408 (1,519,731) 469 (741,854) 255 (741,599) 701,072 0 818,042 (1,266,848) (12,817) (461,623) (2,142) (463,765) 525,372 0 125,370 (194,153) (1,964) (70,747) (328) (71,075) 80,517 JIAYIN GROUP INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018, 2019 AND 2020 (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data) Net revenue (including revenue from related parties of nil, RMB 1,761, and RMB 6,209 for 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively) Operating cost and expenses: Origination and servicing Sales and marketing General and administrative Research and development Allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others Provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program Total operating cost and expenses Income from operations Gain from de-recognition of other payable associated with disposal of Shanghai Caiyin Impairment of short-term investment Interest income Other income, net Income before taxes and income from investment in affiliates Income tax expense Income (loss) from investment in affiliates Net income Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest shareholders Net income attributable to Jiayin Group Inc. Net income per share: - Basic - Diluted Weighted average shares used in calculating net income per share: - Basic - Diluted Net income Other comprehensive income, net of tax of nil Foreign currency translation adjustments Comprehensive income Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests Total comprehensive income attributable to Jiayin Group Inc. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. F-5 2018 RMB 2019 RMB 2020 RMB Year ended December 31, US$ (Note 2(h)) 2,881,940 2,230,176 1,300,160 199,258 (401,679) (726,582) (150,465) (184,302) (265,978) (467,728) (2,196,734) 685,206 — — 169 20,298 705,673 (93,915) — 611,758 — 611,758 3.06 3.06 (425,565) (606,049) (230,248) (201,404) (232,241) — (1,695,507) 534,669 — — 5,720 23,425 563,814 (37,007) 378 527,185 (562) 527,747 2.51 2.51 (239,199) (375,063) (154,963) (151,550) (77,278) — (998,053) 302,107 117,021 (67,169) 7,716 6,711 366,386 (108,811) (7,509) 250,066 (2,817) 252,883 1.17 1.17 (36,659) (57,481) (23,749) (23,226) (11,843) — (152,958) 46,300 17,934 (10,294) 1,183 1,029 56,152 (16,676) (1,151) 38,325 (432) 38,757 0.18 0.18 200,000,000 200,000,000 611,758 210,409,863 210,409,863 527,185 216,100,000 216,100,000 250,066 216,100,000 216,100,000 38,325 — 611,758 — 611,758 471 527,656 (560) 528,216 (13,366) 236,700 (2,897) 239,597 (2,048) 36,277 (444) 36,721 JIAYIN GROUP INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018, 2019 AND 2020 (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data) Balance at January 1, 2018 Net income Dividend distributed to shareholders Share-based compensation Balance at December 31, 2018 Shares issued in initial public offering (“IPO”) Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest shareholders Net income Foreign currency translation adjustments Share-based compensation Balance at December 31, 2019 Capital contribution from noncontrolling interest shareholders Net income Share-based compensation Exercise of share options Business combination under common control Conversion of Class B Ordinary Share to Class A Ordinary Share Foreign currency translation adjustments Balance at December 31, 2020 Class A Ordinary shares Class B Ordinary shares Number RMB Number RMB 84,000,000 — — — 84,000,000 — — — 0 116,000,000 — — — 0 116,000,000 16,100,000 — — — — — — 100,100,000 — — — — — — — — 0 116,000,000 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 8,000,000 — 108,100,000 (8,000,000) 0 — — 0 108,000,000 Additional paid-in capital RMB 327,694 (2,259,236) Accumulated deficit RMB — — 67,778 611,758 (400,000) — 395,472 (2,047,478) 234,354 — — — — 147,582 777,408 (1,519,731) — 527,747 — — — — 30,652 6,982 3,000 — 252,883 — — — 0 — — — 0 — — — — — 0 — — — — — (0) — (0) — — — — 818,042 (1,266,848) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) RMB Noncontrolling interests RMB — — — — — — — — 469 — 469 — — — — — — (13,286) (12,817) — — — — — — 815 (562) 2 — 255 500 (2,817) — — — — (80) (2,142) Total shareholder‘s deficit RMB (1,931,542) 611,758 (400,000) 67,778 (1,652,006) 234,354 815 527,185 471 147,582 (741,599) 500 250,066 30,652 6,982 3,000 (0) (13,366) (463,765) The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. F-6 JIAYIN GROUP INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018, 2019 AND 2020 (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data) 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB US$ (Note2(h)) Cash flows from operating activities Net income for the year Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities: Allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others Share-based compensation Depreciation and amortization Gain from disposal of property, equipment and software (Income) Loss from investment in affiliates Impairment of short-term investment Gain from de-recognition of other payable associated with disposal of Shanghai Caiyin Business combination under common control Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Assets from the investor assurance program Accounts receivable and contract assets Loans receivable Prepaid expenses and other current assets Amount due from/to related parties Deferred tax assets Operating lease right-of-use assets Liabilities from the investor assurance program Other guarantee liabilities Payroll and welfare payables Tax payables Refund liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities Operating lease liabilities Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of property, equipment and software Investments in equity investees Disposal of a subsidiary, net of cash disposed of RMB 7,606 Purchase of short-term investment Sale of property, equipment and software Loans to related parties Repayments from related parties Loans to third parties Repayments from loan to third parties Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities Cash flows from financing activities Loans from related parties Contribution from noncontrolling shareholders of subsidiaries Repayments to related parties Dividend distributed to shareholders Proceeds from exercise of options Net proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares, net of issuance cost of RMB 30,234 Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the year Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the year Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: Income taxes paid, net Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing activities: Disposal consideration settled by service fee collected on behalf of the Company (see Note 8) Investment consideration settled by loan due from related party Reconciliation to amounts on consolidated balance sheets Cash and cash equivalents Restricted cash Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. F-7 611,758 265,978 67,778 11,300 (18 ) — — — — 264,751 (6,616 ) — 31,242 500,845 (17,637 ) — (1,470,052 ) (697,168 ) 5,176 218,187 (71,613 ) 57,721 — (228,368 ) (16,889 ) — — — 466 (11,550 ) 11,550 — — (16,423 ) 70,765 — (104,365 ) (400,000 ) — — (433,600 ) — (678,391 ) 761,332 82,941 33,773 — — 41,441 41,500 82,941 527,185 232,241 147,582 17,710 — (378 ) — — — 5,340 (82,824 ) — (35,186 ) 10,100 (61,654 ) 9,626 (840,472 ) (4,060 ) (60,374 ) 108,055 15,505 47,692 (9,797 ) 26,291 (27,608 ) (3,540 ) (7,606 ) (71,477 ) — (123,947 ) — (14,000 ) 14,000 (234,178 ) 230 815 — — — 243,629 244,674 2,421 39,208 82,941 122,149 55,581 238,857 — 122,149 — 122,149 250,066 77,278 30,652 23,158 — 7,509 67,169 (117,021 ) 3,000 — (224,408 ) (58,982 ) 26,538 10,039 27,357 30,289 — — 9,764 99,962 (180,104 ) (87,751 ) (30,020 ) (35,505 ) (848 ) (3,378 ) — — 1 79 37,372 — — 33,226 3,113 500 — — 6,982 — 10,595 (11,145 ) (2,829 ) 122,149 119,320 162 156,276 (91,957 ) 117,320 2,000 119,320 38,325 11,843 4,698 3,549 — 1,151 10,294 (17,934 ) 460 — (34,392 ) (9,039 ) 4,067 1,539 4,193 4,642 — — 1,496 15,320 (27,602 ) (13,448 ) (4,601 ) (5,439 ) (130 ) (518 ) — — — 12 5,728 — — 5,092 477 77 — — 1,070 — 1,624 (1,710 ) (433 ) 18,720 18,287 25 23,950 (14,093 ) 17,980 307 18,287 1. ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES JIAYIN GROUP INC. NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data) Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Parent Company”) is an exempted company incorporated with limited liabilities in the Cayman Islands under the laws of the Cayman Islands in December 2017. The Parent Company and its subsidiaries provide individual finance services in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) by connecting institutional funding partners and individual investors with borrowers through a proprietary internet platform. The Company operates in an evolving regulatory environment and has been adjusting its business model to stay in compliance with regulatory requirements during the years presented. The Company historically has focused on connecting individual borrowers with individual investors. Since the third quarter of 2019, the Company also began to cooperate with institutional funding partners. Its investor assurance program also evolved over time as part of the transformation of its business model. See Note 2(k). During 2020, the Company was actively expanding business in overseas markets. The Company operates lending business by using its own funds in Indonesia and Mexico to extend small credit loans to individual borrowers. History of the Company The Company began the operations mainly through its PRC entities in 2015. In September 2015, Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd (“Jiayin Finance”) formed a wholly-owned subsidiary Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. (“Niwodai Internet”) to develop online individual finance services. In September 2015, Shanghai Caiyin Asset Management Co., Ltd (“Shanghai Caiyin”) was established by Mr. Yan (the “ Founder”) to provide the guarantee services to the loans facilitated through Niwodai Internet. Shanghai Caiyin deemed as the variable interest entity (see Note 2(b)) of the Company started from 2015 to 2019, provided the guarantee service to the loans funded by individual investors facilitated through Niwodai Internet. Such guarantee service was ceased since April 28, 2018. In December 2015, Shanghai Caiyin acquired the servicing rights and obligations of all outstanding loan contracts facilitated by Shanghai Niwodai Finance Information Co., Ltd. (“Niwodai Finance”), an entity providing offline individual finance services controlled by the Founder, as well as the obligation to continue to provide guarantee on those loans through the investor assurance program that was previously managed by Niwodai Finance. The Company recorded a guarantee liability in connection with the transaction of RMB 2.9 billion as “other guarantee liabilities” in the consolidated balance sheet related to the acquisition. The liability has fully depleted in 2019. In December 2017, the Parent Company was incorporated by the same shareholders of Jiayin Finance in Cayman Island in connection with a group reorganization (“Reorganization”). As PRC laws and regulations prohibit and restrict foreign ownership of internet value-added businesses, the Parent Company established, through a BVI and a Hong Kong intermediary company, a wholly-owned foreign invested subsidiary in the PRC, Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Kunjia” or “WFOE”) in June 2018. WFOE entered into a series of contractual arrangements (Note 2(b)) in June 2018 with Jiayin Finance (the “VIE”) and the shareholders of the VIE. The series of contractual agreements include Power of Attorney Agreement, Exclusive Purchase Agreement, Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement, and Equity Pledge Agreement. The Company believes that these contractual agreements would enable WFOE to (1) have power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the VIE and its subsidiary and (2) receive the economic benefits of the VIE and its subsidiary that could be significant to them. Accordingly, the Company believes that WFOE is the primary beneficiary of the VIE and its subsidiary. The Company considered the Reorganization as a reorganization of entities under common control. Accordingly, the accompanying financial statements have been prepared using historical cost basis as if the reorganization had occurred at the beginning of the first period presented. The share and per share data relating to the ordinary shares issued by Jiayin Group Inc. are presented as if the Reorganization occurred at the beginning of the first period presented. IPO On May 10, 2019, the Company completed its IPO on the NASDAQ Global Market. In this offering, 4,025,000 American depositary share (“ADSs”), representing 16,100,000 Class A ordinary shares, were issued at a price of US$10.50 per ADS. The aggregate proceeds received by the Company from the IPO, net of issuance costs, were approximately RMB 234,354. All classes of ordinary shares are entitled to the same dividend right. All of the Class B ordinary shares were held by the Founder of the Company. Business transformation On July 3, 2019, the Company established a wholly owned subsidiary, Geerong Yunke Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Geerong Yunke”). On September 10, 2019, Geerong Yunke conducted a business combination under common control with Geerong Yun (Shanghai) Enterprise Development Co., Ltd. (formerly known as “Jirongyun (Shanghai) Enterprise Development Co., Ltd”,”Geerong Yun”) as both the Geerong Yunke and Geerong Yun were controlled by Mr. Yan. The combination has been retrospectively reflected in the financial statements from the beginning of 2019, but not to prior periods as the impact was not material. F-8 1. ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES - continued In September 2019, as part of the business transformation of the Company, Niwodai Internet and Shanghai Caiyin entered into an amendment agreement. Pursuant to this amendment agreement, Niwodai Internet no longer had the rights to adjust the charge rate of guarantee services for Shanghai Caiyin, to collect the residual economic benefits from the guarantee services provided by Shanghai Caiyin, or to terminate the guarantee service agreement at any time. As a result of such revision, Niwodai Internet lost power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of Shanghai Caiyin and no economic benefits of Shanghai Caiyin would be received by Niwodai Internet. Therefore, starting from September 1, 2019, Niwodai Internet was no longer considered as the primary beneficiary of Shanghai Caiyin and Shanghai Caiyin was deconsolidated by the Company. As of December 31, 2020 the Parent Company’s significant subsidiaries and its consolidated VIEs are as follows: Name Subsidiaries Jiayin Holdings Limited Geerong (HK) Limited (formerly known as “Jiayin (HK) Limited”) Jiayin Southeast Asia Holdings Limited Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd. Geerong Yunke Information Technology Co., Ltd. Geerong Yun (Shanghai) Enterprise Development Co., Ltd. Shanghai Chuangzhen Software Co., Ltd. Aguila Information, S.A.P.I. de C.V. PT. Jayindo Fintek Pratama VIEs Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. Shanghai Jiajie Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. Date of incorporation/ establishment or acquisition Place of incorporation/ establishment Percentage of direct or indirect ownership January 2018 BVI January 2018 February 2018 June 2018 Hong Kong BVI Shanghai 100% 100% 100% 100% July 2019 Shanghai 100% September 2019 April 2020 January 2020 April 2020 Shanghai Shanghai Mexico Indonesia 100% 100% 51% 85% June 2015 Shanghai 100% July 2019 Shanghai 100% September 2015 Shanghai 100% F-9 Principal activities Investment Holding Investment Holding Investment Holding Investment Holding Technology development and consumer finance services Technology development and consumer finance services Technology service Lending business Lending business Technology service Technology development and consumer finance services Technology development and consumer finance services 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (a) Basis of presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Parent Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company has been historically operating with negative working capital. The aggregated amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and contract assets, loans receivable, and prepaid expenses and other current assets, was less than the aggregated amount of liabilities from payroll and welfare payables, amounts due to related parties, tax payables, accrued expenses and other current liabilities, and current portion of lease liabilities by RMB 46,899 as of December 31, 2020. Although the Company had the net cash outflows from operating activities was RMB 35,505 for the year ended December 31, 2020 the net income was RMB 250,066 for the years ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had shareholders’ deficit of RMB 461,623. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB 117,320. The Company regularly monitors its current and expected liquidity requirements to ensure that it maintains sufficient cash balances to meet its liquidity requirements in the short and long term. Based on the Company’s existing cash and cash equivalents and current assets, and cash flow projections from operating activities, the Company believes that it will be able to meet its payment obligations and other commitments for at least the next 12 months. (b) Principles of consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the financial information of the Parent Company, its wholly owned subsidiaries and its consolidated VIEs. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. Variable interest entity The VIE Arrangement with Shanghai Caiyin In September 2015, Shanghai Caiyin Asset Management Co., Ltd (“Shanghai Caiyin”) was established by Mr. Yan (the “Founder”) to provide the guarantee services to the loans facilitated through Niwodai Internet. Upon formation, Shanghai Caiyin entered into an agreement with Niwodai Internet through which Niwodai Internet has the power to direct the activities that most significantly affects the economic performance of Shanghai Caiyin and would be able to receive the economic benefits of Shanghai Caiyin that could be significant to Shanghai Caiyin. Therefore, Niwodai Internet was considered the primary beneficiary of Shanghai Caiyin and consolidated Shanghai Caiyin. Pursuant to this amendment agreement entered between Niwodai Internet and Shanghai Caiyin as part of the business transformation of the Company, starting from September 1, 2019, Niwodai Internet was no longer considered as the primary beneficiary of Shanghai Caiyin and Shanghai Caiyin was deconsolidated by the Company. On September 16, 2019, Shanghai Caiyin was disposed to a third-party company, Shenzhen Rongxinbao Non-financial Guarantee Co., Ltd. (“Shenzhen Rongxinbao”) (See Note 8). F-10 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (b) Principles of consolidation - continued Variable interest entity - continued The VIE Arrangement with Shanghai Kunjia, the WFOE As PRC laws and regulations prohibit and restrict foreign ownership of internet value added businesses, the Parent Company operates its business, primarily through the VIEs. In June 2018, the Parent Company, through its wholly owned foreign invested subsidiary, Shanghai Kunjia or WFOE, entered into a series of contractual arrangements (“VIE agreements”) with Jiayin Finance and its respective shareholders that enable the Parent Company to (1) have power to direct the activities that most significantly affects the economic performance of the VIE and its subsidiary, and (2) receive the economic benefits of the VIE and its subsidiary that could be significant to the VIE and its subsidiary. Despite the lack of technical majority ownership, there exists a parent subsidiary relationship between Shanghai Kunjia and the VIE and its subsidiary through the aforementioned agreements. The following is a summary of the VIE agreements: The agreements that provide the Parent Company effective control over the VIE and its subsidiary include: Powers of Attorney: Pursuant to the Power of Attorney, each of the four shareholders have signed power of attorney with WFOE to irrevocably authorize the board of directors / Executive Directors of WFOE and their successors to act as his or her attorney-in-fact to exercise all of his or her rights as a shareholder of Jiayin Finance including, but not limited to, the right (1) to make and sign the relevant shareholders’ general meeting decision on behalf of the shareholders of Jiayin Finance; (2) in accordance with the law and Jiayin Finance’s Charter of shareholders exercise the right to enjoy all the rights of shareholders , including but not limited to the right of shareholders to vote, sell or transfer or pledge or dispose of all or any part of Jiayin Finance’s shares; and (3) designate and appoint the legal representative, chairman, director, supervisor, general manager and other senior management of Jiayin Finance as the authorized representative of the company. This power of attorney is irrevocable and continues to be in force during the period when the authorized person is a shareholder of WFOE, from the date of signature of this power of attorney. Exclusive Purchase Agreement: Pursuant to the Exclusive Purchase Agreement among WFOE, Jiayin Finance and the four shareholders of Jiayin Finance, the four shareholders and Jiayin Finance shall irrevocably grant WFOE, to purchase or appoint one or more persons from WFOE at any time to purchase all or part of the shares which is not subject to legal restriction or assets held by the four shareholders or Jiayin Finance. Except for WFOE and the designated person, no third party shall have the right to purchase shares and assets or other shares and assets related to the four shareholders. The consideration of the purchase should be RMB 1 or the lowest price permitted by the PRC laws. The effective time period of this agreement is ten years, and will be automatically extended to further years. The agreements that transfer economic benefits to the Parent Company include: Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement: Pursuant to the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement between WFOE and Jiayin Finance, WFOE has the exclusive right to provide Jiayin Finance with consulting and other services. Without WFOE’s prior written consent, Jiayin Finance may not accept any services subject to this agreement from any third party. WFOE has the right to determine the service fee to be charged to Jiayin Finance under this agreement by considering, among other things, the complexity of the services, the actual cost that may be incurred for providing such services, as well as the value and comparable price on the market of the service provided. WFOE will have the exclusive ownership of all intellectual property rights created as a result of the performance of this agreement. Unless WFOE terminates this agreement in advance or otherwise provided by law, this agreement will remain effective for ten years and shall automatically extend the term of this agreement prior to its expiration. Jiayin Finance may not terminate this agreement unilaterally. F-11 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (b) Principles of consolidation - continued Variable interest entity - continued The VIE Arrangement with Shanghai Kunjia, the WFOE - continued Equity Pledge Agreement: Pursuant to the Equity Pledge Agreement among WFOE, Jiayin Finance and the four shareholders, in order to ensure that Jiayin Finance and its shareholders will fulfill the obligations under the power of attorney, the exclusive consultation and service agreement, and the exclusive purchase agreement (collectively “the Main Agreement”), the four shareholders have pledged 100% equity interest in Jiayin Finance to WFOE. According to the Main Agreement, the pledgee has the right to charge the service fee to Jiayin Finance. Those shareholders and WFOE also agree that without a prior written consent of the pledgee, they shall not transfer the shares or set up any pledge or other form of guarantee which may affect the rights and interests of the pledgee. These contractual arrangements allow the Parent Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary WFOE, to effectively control the VIEs, and to derive substantially all of the economic benefits from them. Accordingly, the Parent Company has consolidated the financial results of the VIEs. The Parent Company believes that the contractual arrangements with the VIEs are in compliance with PRC law and are legally enforceable. However, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit the Parent Company’s ability to enforce the contractual arrangements. If the legal structure and contractual arrangements were found to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations, the PRC government could: • • • • • • • • • revoke the Company’s operating licenses; levy fines on the Company; confiscate any of the Company’s income that they deem to be obtained through illegal operations; shut down the Company’s services; discontinue or restrict the Company’s operations in China; impose conditions or requirements with which the Company may not be able to comply; require the Company to change corporate structure and contractual arrangements; restrict or prohibit the use of the proceeds from overseas offerings to finance the Company’s PRC consolidated VIEs’ business and operations; and take other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to the Company’s business. F-12 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (b) Principles of consolidation - continued Variable interest entity - continued The VIE Arrangement with Shanghai Kunjia, the WFOE - continued The following condensed financial statement balances and amounts of the Parent Company’s VIEs, were included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements after the elimination of intercompany balances and transactions among the Parent Company, its subsidiaries and its VIEs. Cash and cash equivalents Restricted cash Amounts due from related parties Accounts receivable, net Prepaid expenses and other current assets Deferred tax assets, net Property and equipment, net Right-of-use assets TOTAL ASSETS Payroll and welfare payables Amounts due to related parties Refund liabilities Tax payables Accrued expenses and other current liabilities Other payable related to the disposal of Shanghai Caiyin Lease liabilities TOTAL LIABILITIES As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 54,602 — 1,651 110,219 66,722 54,973 38,303 36,534 363,004 29,386 722 180,104 164,444 121,319 839,830 34,620 1,370,425 12,469 2,000 3 9 29,676 17,010 3,582 341 65,090 21,755 4,559 — 232,730 24,118 566,532 170 849,864 Net revenue Operating income Net income Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities Net cash used in investing activities Net cash used in financing activities 2018 RMB 2,881,940 685,206 611,758 (228,368) (16,423) (433,600) Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2,151,165 583,741 571,227 19,465 (35,505) (12,299) 2020 RMB 624,868 230,415 254,283 (40,071) (62) — The VIEs contributed 100%, 96% and 48% of the Company’s consolidated revenue for years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the VIEs accounted for an aggregate of 52% and 12% of the consolidated total assets, and 95% and 86% of the consolidated total liabilities, respectively. There are no terms in any arrangements, considering both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests that require the Parent Company or its subsidiaries to provide financial support to the VIEs. However, if the VIEs were ever to need financial support, the Company may, at its option and subject to statutory limits and restrictions, provide financial support to its VIEs through loans to the shareholders of the VIEs or entrustment loans to the VIEs. F-13 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (b) Principles of consolidation - continued Variable interest entity - continued The VIE Arrangement with Shanghai Kunjia, the WFOE - continued The Company believes that there are no assets held in the VIEs that can be used only to settle obligations of the VIEs, except for registered capital and the PRC statutory reserves. As the VIEs are incorporated as limited liability companies under the PRC Company Law, creditors of the VIEs do not have recourse to the general credit of the Parent Company for any of the liabilities of the VIEs. Relevant PRC laws and regulations restrict the VIEs from transferring a portion of their net assets, equivalent to the balance of its statutory reserve and its share capital, to the Parent Company in the form of loans and advances or cash dividends. See Note 16 for disclosure of restricted net assets. (c) Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period they are identified. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and various other factors believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Significant accounting estimates reflected in the Company’s financial statements include allowance for uncollectible receivables and loans receivable, valuation allowances for deferred tax assets, valuation of share-based awards, fair value measurement and impairment of investment, discount rate used to measure lease liabilities, and allocation of considerations under revenue arrangements with various performance obligations. (d) Fair value Fair value is considered to be the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required or permitted to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. Authoritative literature provides a fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The level in the hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement as follows: Level 1 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets with insufficient volume or infrequent transactions (less active markets); or model-derived valuations in which significant inputs are observable or can be derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data. Level 3 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of the fair value of the assets or liabilities. The carrying values of financial instruments, which consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, amounts due from/to related parties, accounts receivable and contract assets, loans receivable, prepaid expenses and other assets, and other liabilities are recorded at cost which approximate their fair value mainly due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The Company does not have any assets or liabilities that are recorded at fair value subsequent to initial recognition on a recurring basis other than the short-term investment in convertible debt accounted for as available-for-sale debt security, which is classified as a level 2 fair value measurement. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the carrying amount of the short-term investment is approximate to its fair value. The Company does not have any assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis during the periods presented. F-14 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (e) Certain risks and concentrations Financial instrument that potentially exposes the Company to significant concentration of credit risk primarily includes cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and contract assets, loans receivable, and amounts due from related parties. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, there were 64% and 53% of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents held in major financial institutions located in the PRC, respectively, and the rest were held in overseas major financial institutions which management considers to be of high credit quality. Accounts receivable and contract assets is typically unsecured and are derived from revenue earned from customers in the PRC. The risk with respect to accounts receivable and contract assets is mitigated by credit evaluations the Company performs on its customers and its ongoing monitoring process of outstanding balances. The Company believes that there is no significant credit risk associated with amounts due from related parties. Credit risk of loans receivable is controlled by the application of credit approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures. No customer represented greater than 10% or more of the total net revenues or receivables for the year ended December 31, 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Customer A and B contributed 17% and 13% of total net revenue of the Company, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, Customer C and A accounted for 24% and 14% of accounts receivable and contract assets, respectively. (f) Foreign currency risk The RMB is not a freely convertible currency. The State Administration for Foreign Exchange, under the authority of the Peoples Bank of China, controls the conversion of RMB into other currencies. The value of the RMB is subject to changes in central government policies, international economic and political developments affecting supply and demand in the China Foreign Exchange Trading System market. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash denominated in RMB amounted to RMB 78,296 and RMB 63,197 as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. (g) Foreign currency translation The functional currency of Jiayin Group Inc. is in US dollars (“US$”). The functional currency of the Company’s subsidiaries and VIEs in the PRC is Renminbi (“RMB”). The functional currency of subsidiaries outside of PRC is typically their local currency. The determination of the respective functional currency is based on the criteria stated in Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) Topic 830, Foreign Currency Matters. The Company also uses RMB as its reporting currency. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are translated into the functional currency at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in currencies other than the functional currency are measured and recorded in the functional currency at the exchange rate prevailing on the transaction date. Translation gains and losses are recognized in the statements of comprehensive income. Assets and liabilities are translated using the exchange rates in effect on the balance sheet date. Equity amounts are translated at historical exchange rates. Revenues, expenses, gains and losses are translated using the average rates for the year. Translation adjustments are reported as cumulative translation adjustments and are shown as a separate component in the statements of comprehensive income. (h) Convenience translation The Company’s financial statements are stated in RMB. Translations of balances in the consolidated balance sheets, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows from RMB into US dollars as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 are included solely for the convenience of the readers and have been made at the rate of US$1.00=RMB6.5250, representing the noon buying rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board on December 31, 2020. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate or at any other rate. (i) Cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and demand deposits which are highly liquid and have original maturities of three months or less and are unrestricted as to withdrawal or use. (j) Restricted cash Restricted cash represents restricted deposit requested by custodian bank for business purpose. F-15 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (k) Investor Assurance Program Investor assurance program managed by Shanghai Caiyin Historically for all the loans facilitated prior to April 2018, the Company had maintained an investor assurance program for the benefits of investors who invested on unsecured loans through its platform, through its consolidated VIE, Shanghai Caiyin until Shanghai Caiyin was disposed in September 2019 (see Note 2(b)). Under the investor assurance program, the Company set aside the service fees charged by Shanghai Caiyin into designated restricted cash accounts (“investor assurance fund”) to be used to cover the principal and interest of defaulted loans on a portfolio basis, payable on a first-loss basis up to the balance of the investor assurance program. The Company repaid the aggregate amounts of principal and respective interest, which were due based on the repayment schedule, to investors typically within a few days upon borrowers’ default. In accordance with the terms of the investor assurance program, an investor was entitled to compensation for losses resulting from defaulted loans within 15 calendar days of the due date. Default payments to investors could only be made from the investor assurance program when there were sufficient funds available. The Company’s obligation under the investor assurance program to make payments was limited to the amount of the restricted cash at any point in time and the Company was obliged to compensate investors once the restricted cash balance was replenished again from service fees generated from future borrowers. Once the investor was paid for a borrower’s default, any future amount recovered would be deposited into the investor assurance program. The Company had been regularly reviewing the actual net accumulated loss rate of each loan product facilitated and relevant economic factors to ensure the estimations were current. For the loans facilitated under the investor assurance program managed by Shanghai Caiyin, the Company transferred cash to the restricted cash accounts to fund the investor assurance program when the balance of the investor assurance fund was depleted. At the loan inception, the Company recorded liability from investor assurance program in accordance with ASC Topic 460-10, which incorporates the expectation of potential future payments under the guarantee and took into account both non-contingent and contingent aspects of the guarantee. Subsequently, the liability from the investor assurance program was measured in a combination of two components: (i) ASC Topic 460 component; and (ii) ASC Topic 450 component. The liability recorded based on ASC Topic 460 was determined on a loan by loan basis and it was reduced when the Company was released from the underlying risk, meaning when the loan was repaid by the borrower or when the lender was compensated in the event of a default. This component was a stand ready obligation which was not subject to the probable threshold used to record a contingent obligation. When the Company was released from the stand-ready liability upon expiration of the underlying loan, the Company records a corresponding amount as net revenue in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income. The other component was a contingent liability determined based on probable loss considering the actual historical performance and current condition, representing the future payouts under the investor assurance program in excess of the stand-ready liability and was measured using the guidance in ASC Topic 450, Contingencies. The ASC Topic 450 contingent component was determined on a collective basis and loans with similar risk characteristics were pooled into cohorts for purposes of measuring incurred losses. The ASC Topic 450 contingent component was recognized as part of operating expenses in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as “provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program”. At all times the recognized liability (including the stand-ready liability and contingent liability) was at least equal to the probable estimated losses of the guarantee portfolio. At the loan inception, the Company recorded the assets from the investor assurance program which corresponded to the stand-ready liability recognized at fair value, and represented service fees that were collectible from the underlying loans that were expected to be used for the estimated payout of the corresponding guarantee liabilities. At each reporting date, the Company estimates the future cash flows and assesses whether there was any indicator of impairment. If the carrying amounts of the assets from the investor assurance program exceeded the expected cash to be received, an impairment loss was recorded for the asset not recoverable and was reported as “provision for assets and liabilities from the investor assurance program” in the statements of comprehensive income. The Company no longer provides any form of guarantee for new loans facilitated through the platform since April 28, 2018 and therefore does not record liabilities from the investor assurance program associated with those new loans. Further, upon the disposal of Shanghai Caiyin in September 2019, the Company is no longer obligated for the guarantee liabilities arising from the investor assurance program maintained by Shanghai Caiyin for loans facilitated prior to April 28, 2018. See note 2(b). F-16 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (k) Investor Assurance Program - continued Investor assurance program managed by independent third parties Starting from April 28, 2018, all newly facilitated unsecured loans are subject to an investor assurance program managed by Shenzhen Rongxinbao, an unrelated third-party guarantee company. All the borrowers obtaining new loans are required to enter into service agreement with Shenzhen Rongxinbao, according to which Shenzhen Rongxinbao will compensate investors for losses on principal and interest from borrower’s default. Starting on July 3, 2018, a part of unsecured loans newly facilitated by the Company are subject to an investor assurance program managed by China United SME Guarantee Corporation (“Sino Guarantee”), an unrelated third-party guarantee company. Borrowers of those loans are required to enter into a separate agreement with Sino Guarantee and to contribute to an investor protection fund managed by Sino Guarantee. Investments made by investors on those loans are protected by the investor protection fund to the extent of the existing balance of the fund. Investor assurance program managed by independent third party The Company does not assume any liabilities if the balance of the fund is not sufficient to fully compensate all investors. Starting from January 2019, Shanghai Caiyin engaged Shenzhen Rongxinbao to help operate the investor assurance program for loans facilitated prior to April 2018 and funded the program by service fees that Rongxingbao collected on behalf of the Company. Further, upon disposal of Shanghai Caiyin in September 2019, the Company is no longer obligated for the guarantee liabilities aforementioned arising from the investor assurance program maintained by Shanghai Caiyin. Guarantee arrangements for institutional funding partners For the loans facilitated between borrowers and institutional funding partners, guarantee services are provided by third party guarantee companies who charge guarantee service fees directly from borrowers. Upon borrowers’ default, the third-party guarantee companies compensate institutional funding partners for unpaid principal and interest. In certain contracts, the Company provides commitment letter of balance complements to the institutional funding partners in the event that the guarantee companies are unable to fully reimburse the institutional funding partners. In some other contracts, the guarantee companies require a third party company to act as counter guarantor and require the Company to provide a commitment letter of balance complements to compensate third party guarantee companies in the event that the counter guarantor are unable to fully reimburse the guarantee companies. To manage the risk exposure, the Company in turn obtains a back-to-back guarantee from another third-party company. The fair value of guarantee liabilities of the Company as a secondary guarantor was inconsequential and no compensation was made by the Company during the years of 2019 and 2020. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the outstanding loan balance for which the Company provides secondary guarantee was RMB 487,216 and RMB 1,586,610, respectively. (l) Short term investment The Company invested in convertible notes issued by a private company in 2019 and accounted for the investment as available-for-sale debt security at fair value with changes in fair value deferred in other comprehensive income. The Company reviews its investments for other-than-temporary impairment and considers available quantitative and qualitative evidence in evaluating potential impairment. If the cost of an investment exceeds the investment’s fair value, the Company considers, among other factors, general market conditions, government economic plans, the duration and the extent to which the fair value of the investment is less than cost and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the investment to determine whether an other-than-temporary impairment has occurred. If the investment’s fair value is less than the cost of an investment and the Company determines the impairment to be other-than-temporary, the Company recognizes an impairment loss based on the fair value in earnings. F-17 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (m) Current Expected Credit Losses Prior to January 1, 2020, the Company applied incurred loss methodology for recognizing credit losses that delays recognition until it is probable a loss has been incurred. On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted FASB ASC Topic 326 – “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses” (“ASC Topic 326”) which replaces the incurred loss methodology with the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology. The new guidance applies to financial assets measured at amortized cost, held-to- maturity debt securities and off-balance sheet credit exposures. For on-balance sheet assets, an allowance must be recognized at the origination or purchase of in-scope assets and represents the expected credit losses over the contractual life of those assets. The Company adopted ASC Topic 326 using the modified retrospective approach for all in-scope assets. The adoption of ASC Topic 326 has no impact on the Group’s retained earnings as of January 1, 2020. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2020 are presented under ASC Topic 326 while prior periods continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable U.S. GAAP. The Company’s in-scope assets are primarily loans receivable and accounts receivable and contract assets from customers. In establishing the allowance for loans receivable, the Company considers historical losses, delinquency rate and other factors in pooling basis upon the use of the Current Expected Credit Loss Model (“CECL Model”) in accordance with ASC topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. The Company writes off loans receivable as a reduction to the allowance for loans receivable when the loan principal and interest are deemed to be uncollectible. In general, loans receivable is identified as uncollectible when it is determined to be not probable that the balance can be collected. The Company estimated the allowance for receivables due from individual borrowers based on expected net accumulated loss rates for terms during which losses of such service fees are expected to occur, which are consistent with the terms during which the Company expects to collect service fees. The profile of the borrowers is homogeneous for each product type and as such, the Company applies a portfolio approach in accounting for credit risk. Accounts receivable for loan facilitation service and post-origination service between individual investors and borrowers are identified as uncollectible if any repayment of the underlying loan is 90 days past due, and no other factor evidences the possibility of collecting the delinquent amounts. The Company will write off aforementioned accounts receivable from borrowers and corresponding provisions if any repayment of the underlying loan is 90 days past due. The Company establishes an allowance for accounts receivable and contract assets from institutional funding partners and other entities that are based on historical experience and other factors surrounding the credit risk of specific customers. Uncollectible receivables from institutional funding partners and other entities are written off when a settlement is reached for an amount that is less than the outstanding historical balance or when the Company has determined the balance will not be collected. (m) Loans receivable Loans receivable represents the loans extended directly to overseas individual borrowers with the Company’s own funds. The loans receivable is measured at amortized cost and recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. F-18 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (o) Property and equipment Property and equipment is generally stated at historical cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Depreciation and amortization expense of long-lived assets are included in either origination and servicing expenses, selling and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, or research and development expenses as appropriate. Property and equipment consist of the following and depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives: Category Electronic equipment Office equipment & Furniture Motor vehicles Leasehold improvement Software (p) Long term investment Estimated useful life 3 years 5 years 4 years Shorter of the lease term or expected useful life 10 years The Company applies the equity method of accounting to equity investments, in common stock or in-substance common stock, over which it has significant influence but does not own a majority equity interest or otherwise control. Under the equity method, the Company initially records its investment at cost. The difference between the cost of the equity investment and the amount of the underlying equity in the net assets of the equity investee is recognized as equity method goodwill or as an intangible asset as appropriate, which is included in the equity method investment on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company subsequently adjusts the carrying amount of the investment to recognize the Company’s proportionate share of each equity investee’s net income or loss into consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive (loss)/income after the date of acquisition. Unrealized gains on transactions between the Company and its affiliated companies are eliminated to the extent of the Company’s interest in the affiliated companies; unrealized losses are also eliminated unless the transaction provides evidence of an impairment of the asset transferred. When the Company’s share of losses in an affiliated company equals or exceeds its interest in the affiliated company, the Company does not recognize further losses, unless the Company has incurred obligations or made payments on behalf of the affiliated company. An impairment loss is recorded when there has been a loss in value of the investment that is other than temporary. (q) Valued-added taxes (“VAT”) The Company is subject to VAT at the rate of 6% given that they are classified as a general tax payer. VAT is reported as a deduction to revenue when incurred and amounted to RMB 298,720, RMB 168,763 and RMB 92,161 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Entities that are VAT general taxpayers are allowed to offset qualified input VAT paid to suppliers against their output VAT liabilities. (r) Share-based compensation Share-based payment transactions with employees are measured based on the grant date fair value of the equity instrument issued and recognized as compensation expense on a graded vesting basis, over the requisite service period, with a corresponding impact reflected in additional paid-in capital. The expected term represents the period that share-based awards are expected to be outstanding, giving consideration to the contractual terms of the share-based awards, vesting schedules and expectations of future employee exercise behavior. Volatility is estimated based on annualized standard deviation of daily stock price return of comparable companies for the period before valuation date and with similar span as the expected expiration term. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 and accounts for forfeitures of the share-based awards when they occur. Previously recognized compensation cost for the awards is reversed in the period that the award is forfeited. Amortization of share-based compensation is presented in the same line item in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income as the cash compensation of those employees receiving the award. F-19 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (r) Share-based compensation – continued Modifications of the terms or conditions of the awards are treated as an exchange of the original awards for new awards. Incremental compensation cost is measured and recognized as the excess, if any, of the fair value of the modified award over the fair value of the original award immediately before the terms are modified. When the Company cancels unvested options, the remaining unrecognized expenses are recognized immediately on the cancellation date. (s) Revenue Recognition The Company has adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and all subsequent ASUs that modified ASC Topic 606 on January 1, 2018 using the full retrospective method which requires the Company to present its financial statements for all periods as if Topic 606 had been applied to all prior periods. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, the Company applies the following steps: • • • • • Step 1: Identify the contract (s) with a customer Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract Step 3: Determine the transaction price Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract Step 5: Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation Loan facilitation and post-origination service The Company provides three services for loans facilitated on its platform: loan facilitation service, post-origination service and guarantee service. However, since the Company ceased to provide investor assurance program managed by itself, for loans facilitated after April 28, 2018, the Company no longer provides any guarantee services, and offers only loan facilitation services and post-origination servicers on loans facilitated on its platform. The Company’s platform enables individual investors to directly invest in loans that can be selected, at the individual investors’ discretion, from hundreds of new lending opportunities to pre-approved borrowers that are posted on the Company’s platform every day. Individual investors also have the option to use the automated investment programs whereby the funds are automatically allocated among pre-approved borrowers. The automated investment programs automatically reinvest individual investors’ funds as soon as a loan is repaid, enabling the individual investors to accelerate the reinvestment of cash flows without having to continually revisit the Company’s mobile application. Historically, the Company had typically charged a portion of service fees at loan origination with the remaining service fees collected on a monthly basis, which were payable by the borrowers for all services provided. The Company stopped charging upfront service fees to comply with the new regulatory requirements since February 2018 for all loans facilitated through its online platform. The Company charges a substantial amount of service fees on the same day when the first and second monthly repayments of principal and interest are due. In order to be more competitive by providing a certain level of assurance to the investors, the Company maintained an investor assurance program for the benefit of the investors using its platform. In the event of borrowers’ default, platform investors are entitled to receive unpaid interest and principal under the terms of the investor assurance program. Prior to April 28, 2018, the Company, through its consolidated VIE entity at that time, Shanghai Caiyin, was obligated to make the payment to the investors to the extent that the funds under the investor assurance program were available. In the event of insufficient funds, the Company was required to make payments to investors as soon as the funding was replenished from future collections of service fees. Given that the Company effectively took on all of the credit risk of the borrowers and was compensated by the service fee charged, the Company deemed the guarantee as a service and recognized a stand-ready obligation for its guarantee exposure in accordance with ASC Topic 460, Guarantees. However, the Company ceased to provide the investor assurance program managed by itself, and therefore no longer provides guarantee service on loans newly facilitated subsequent to April 28, 2018 (see Note 2 (k) Investor Assurance Program). The Company determines that both the individual investors and the borrowers are its customers. The Company assesses ability and intention to pay the service fees of both borrowers and individual investors when they become due and determines if the collection of the service fees is probable, based on historical experiences as well as the credit due diligence performed on each borrower prior to loan origination. The Company considers the loan facilitation service, guarantee service and post origination service as three separate services, of which, the guarantee service was accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 460, Guarantees. While the post-origination service is within the scope of ASC Topic 860, the ASC Topic 606 revenue recognition model is applied due to the lack of definitive guidance in ASC Topic 860. The loan facilitation service and post-origination service are two separate performance obligations under ASC Topic 606, as these two deliverables are distinct in that customers can benefit from each service on its own and the Company’s promises to deliver the services are separately identifiable from each other in the contract. F-20 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (s) Revenue Recognition – continued The Company determines the total transaction price to be the service fees chargeable according to the contracts, net of value-added tax. Prior to April 28, 2018, the Company’s transaction price included variable consideration in the form of prepayment risk of the borrowers. The Company reflected in the transaction price the borrower’s prepayment risk and estimated variable consideration for these contracts using the expected value approach on the basis of historical information and current trends of the repayment percentage of the borrowers. The transaction price was allocated amongst the guarantee service, if any, and loan facilitation service and post-origination service. The Company recognizes revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies the service/ performance obligation by transferring the promised service (that is, an asset) to customers based on the underlying contract terms excluding consideration of impairment of contract assets or accounts receivable. Revenues from loan facilitation services are recognized at the time a loan is originated between the individual investors and the borrower and the principal loan balance is transferred to the borrower, at which time the facilitation service is considered completed. Revenues from post-origination services are recognized evenly over the term of the underlying loans as the post-origination services are a series of distinct services that are substantially the same and that have the same pattern of transfer to the individual investors. Revenues from guarantee services are recognized at the expiry of the guarantee term. For upfront fees that are partially refundable to the borrowers, the Company estimated the refund based on historical prepayment rate and recorded corresponding refund liabilities upon receiving such fees. The portion of service fees that are collected and allocated to the post-origination service yet to be provided were recorded as deferred revenue. The deferred revenue in relation to the post-origination service were RMB 55,689 and RMB nil as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, which is recorded in “accrued expenses and other current liabilities” on the consolidated balance sheet. The aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied pertaining to post-origination service are RMB 222,735, RMB 182,026 and RMB nil as of December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively, among which approximately 92%, 100% and nil of the remaining performance obligations will be recognized by the Company over the following 12 months, respectively, with the remainder recognized thereafter. Since the third quarter of 2019, the Company provides service through its facilitation of loan transactions between borrowers and institutional funding partners. When the investors are institutional funding partners, the Company’s service mainly consist of performing credit assessment on the borrowers and matching the institutional funding partners with potential qualified borrowers and facilitating the execution of loan agreements between the parties. The Company assesses ability and intention to pay the service fees of the customers when they become due and determines if the collection of the service fees is probable, based on historical experiences as well as the credit due diligence performed before cooperation. The Company determines the total transaction price to be the service fees chargeable according to the contracts, net of value-added tax. The Company identifies one performance obligation under ASC Topic 606, as the Company does not retain any further obligations after the facilitation of a loan. The Company recognizes revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies the service/ performance obligation by transferring the promised service (that is, an asset) to customers based on the underlying contract terms excluding consideration of impairment of contract assets or accounts receivable. Revenues from loan facilitation services are recognized at the time a loan is originated between the institutional funding partners and the borrower and the principal loan balance is transferred to the borrower, at which time the facilitation service is considered completed. The Company does not provide post-origination service in such arrangements. The institutional funding partners typically engage third-party non-performing loan management entities to assist on the subsequent collection. The Company is in turn engaged by such non-performing loan management entities to provide information including risk profile and collection methods or plans for the borrowers on its platform to the non-performing loan management entity basing on the historical records and experiences that the Company has as of the date when each loan is successfully extended to borrower. F-21 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (s) Revenue Recognition – continued The Company determines the total transaction price to be the service fees chargeable according to the contracts, net of value-added tax. Before May 2020, the service fee is calculated based on the facilitated loan amount and the agreed charge rate, i.e. the consideration promised in the contract includes fixed amounts. However, starting from May 2020, the Company reached a mutual agreement with the customers for a new settlement method. The service fee is calculated based on the estimated overdue amount of underlying loans and the agreed charge rate. The transaction price included variable consideration due to overdue amount of the borrowers. The Company reflected in the transaction price the borrower’s estimated delinquent risk and estimated variable consideration for these contracts using the expected value approach on the basis of historical information and current trends of the delinquency of the borrowers. Revenue from technical services is recognized at the time a loan is successfully originated by the institutional funding partner as the technical services are completed at that time. Other revenue Investor referral The Company provides referral services in respect of investment products offered by the financial service providers on Youdao wealth platform. The Company considers the financial service providers to be its customers, and receives service fees from the customers are primarily based on the transaction price of the investment successfully subscribed by online investors. After the online investors subscribe the products referred by the Company, the Company does not retain any further obligations. The price for each referral charged to the financial service providers is a fixed price as pre-agreed in the service contract. Revenue is recognized when the online investors successfully subscribed to investment products from financial service providers. Interest income Interest income is recognized over the terms of Loans receivable using the effective interest rate method under ASC Topic 310. Interest income is not recorded when reasonable doubt exists as to the full, timely collection of interest income or principal. Interest collected upfront at the loan inception is recorded as deferred revenue. The deferred revenue in relation to the loan origination were nil and RMB 4,154 as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, which is recorded in “accrued expenses and other current liabilities” on the consolidated balance sheet. Others The Company also charges service fees to individual investors for using the automated investment programs which equal to a certain percentage of the actual return in excess of the expected rate of return from the investments, payable at the end of the investment period. Not application fee is charged to borrowers or individual investors. Under ASC Topic 606, service fees derived from individual investors using the automated investment programs are initially estimated based on historical experience of returns on similar investment products and current trends. The service fees are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the investment period. The service fees related to the automated investment programs are due at the end of the investment period. The investment period refers to the period of time when the investments are matched with loans and are generating returns for the individual investors. The Company records service fees only when it becomes probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue will not occur. The revenue of service fee recognized under ASC Topic 606 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 was RMB 242,513, RMB 174,191 and RMB 23,815, respectively. Other revenue also includes revenue from guarantee services recognized at the expiry of the guarantee term, penalty fees for loan prepayment and late payment, and service fees for transferring loans between investors on the Company’s platform. Under ASC Topic 606, penalty fees are contingency-based variable considerations and constrained by the occurrence of delinquency or prepayment. They are recognized when the uncertainty associated with the variability is resolved, that is, when the underlying event occurs and the fees are collected. The service fees for transferring loans between individual investors are recognized when the transfer is completed and service fees are collected from the individual investors. F-22 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (s) Revenue Recognition - continued The following table illustrates the disaggregation of revenue by product and services the Company offered in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively: For the year ended December 31, 2018 Current loan products Other online standard loan products Offline and non-standard loan products Other services Total For the year ended December 31, 2019 Current loan products Other online standard loan products Offline and non-standard loan products Other services Total For the year ended December 31, 2020 Current loan products Offline and non-standard loan products Other services Total Incentives to individual investors Loan facilitation services RMB 2,245,941 51 916 — 2,246,908 Loan facilitation services RMB 1,742,708 4,357 — — 1,747,065 Post- origination services RMB Other revenues RMB 174,370 26,938 40,660 — 241,968 27,021 89,582 1,918 274,543 393,064 Post- origination services RMB Other revenues RMB 230,024 5,854 31,169 — 267,047 1,648 6 1,177 213,233 216,064 Loan facilitation services RMB Post- origination services RMB Other revenues RMB 943,084 — — 943,084 112,731 — — 112,731 — — 244,345 244,345 Total RMB 2,447,332 116,571 43,494 274,543 2,881,940 Total RMB 1,974,380 10,217 32,346 213,233 2,230,176 Total RMB 1,055,815 — 244,345 1,300,160 The Company provides incentives to individual investors using the automated investment program in a form that either reduces the amount of investment required to purchase financial products or entitles them to receive higher interest rates in the products they purchase and pays the incentive to the investors upon maturity of the investment program. If the investors early terminate the program and withdraw the investment, no incentive will be paid. Such incentives are recorded as a reduction of revenue over the investment period and the incentive accrued not paid are recorded as refund liabilities based on the management’s best estimate. The Company was released from the obligation under the refund liabilities and recognized as other revenue of amounting to RMB 77,045 in year 2020. Incentives paid to: New investors Returning investors Total incentives paid to investors 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 89,776 206,380 296,156 92,696 353,297 445,993 — 202,463 202,463 F-23 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (s) Revenue Recognition – continued Accounts receivable and contract assets Contract assets represent the Company’s right to consideration in exchange for services that the Company has transferred to the customer before payment is due. The Company only recognizes accounts receivable and contract assets to the extent that the Company believes it is probable that it will collect substantially all of the consideration to which it will be entitled to in exchange for the services transferred to the customer. Accounts receivable and contract assets are stated at the historical carrying amount net of write-offs and allowance for collectability in accordance with ASC Topic 310, and from January 1, 2020 ASC Topic 326. The Company established an allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable and contract assets based on estimates, which incorporate historical experience and other factors surrounding the credit risk of specific type of customers. The Company evaluates and adjusts its allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable and contract assets on a quarterly basis or more often as necessary Revenue recognized for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 from performance obligations satisfied (or partially satisfied) in prior periods pertaining to adjustments to variable consideration due to the change of estimated return on investment periods, change of estimated prepayment rate and referral fees was immaterial. The Company used practical expedient in applying full retrospective method on completed contracts in transiting to ASC Topic 606. For completed contracts that have variable consideration, the Company used the transaction price at the date the contract was completed rather than estimating variable consideration amounts in the comparative reporting periods. The Company determines that the acquisition cost paid based on the amount of loan facilitated represents costs to obtain a contract qualifying for capitalization since these payments are directly related to sales achieved during a period. Such cost was not material during the years presented. (t) Employee defined contribution plan Full time employees of the Company in the PRC participate in a government mandated multi-employer defined contribution plan pursuant to which certain pension benefits, medical care, unemployment insurance, employee housing fund and other welfare benefits are provided to employees. Chinese labor regulations require that the Company makes contributions to the government for these benefits based on a certain percentage of the employee’s salaries. The Company has no legal obligation for the benefits beyond the contributions. The total amount that was expensed as incurred was RMB 51,611, RMB 65,076 and RMB 37,665 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. (u) Origination and servicing expense Origination and servicing expenses primarily consist of variable expenses including costs related to credit assessment, user and system support, payment processing services and collection, associated with facilitating and servicing loans, salaries and benefits for the personnel who work on credit checking, data processing and analysis, loan origination, user and system support and loan collection. (v) Sales and marketing expenses Sales and marketing expenses primarily consist of variable marketing and promotional expenses, including those related to borrower and investor acquisition and retention, and general brand and awareness building. Salaries and benefits expenses related to the Company’s sales and marketing personnel and other expenses related to the Company’s sales and marketing team are also included in the sales and marketing expenses. The Company’s investor and borrower acquisition expenses include charges by third-party online channels for online marketing services such as search engine marketing and search engine optimization, and referral fees charged by other parties relating to borrower and Investor acquisition. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, the advertising expenses were RMB 25,994, RMB 26,985 and RMB 21,697, respectively. (w) Government grant Government grants are primarily referred to the amounts received from various levels of local governments from time to time which are granted for general corporate purposes and to support its ongoing operations in the region. The grants are determined at the discretion of the relevant government authority and there are no restrictions on their use. The government subsidies are recorded as other income in the period the cash is received and when all the conditions for their receipt have been satisfied. The government grants received by the Company amount to RMB 22,465, RMB 18,722 and RMB 6,773 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. F-24 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (x) Income taxes Current income taxes are provided for in accordance with the laws of the relevant tax authorities. Deferred income taxes are provided using assets and liabilities method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the differences between financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are recognized to the extent that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, the management consider all positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of projected future taxable income and results of recent operation. Deferred tax assets are then reduced by a valuation allowance through a charge to income tax expense when, in the opinion of management, it is more like than not that a portion of or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the consolidated financial statements by applying a two-step process to determine the amount of the benefit to be recognized. First, the tax position must be evaluated to determine the likelihood that it will be sustained upon external examination by the taxing authorities. If the tax position is deemed more-likely-than-not to be sustained (defined as a likelihood of more than fifty percent of being sustained upon an audit, based on the technical merits of the tax position), the tax position is then assessed to determine the amount of benefits to recognize in the consolidated financial statements. The amount of the benefits that may be recognized is the largest amount that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Interest and penalties on income taxes will be classified as a component of the provisions for income taxes. The Company did not recognize any income tax due to uncertain tax position or incur any interest and penalties related to potential underpaid income tax expenses for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. (y) Comprehensive income Comprehensive income includes all changes in equity except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. For the years presented, total comprehensive income included net income and foreign currency translation adjustments. (z) Income per share Basic income per share are computed by dividing net income attributable to holders of ordinary shares by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income per ordinary share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue ordinary shares were exercised or converted into ordinary shares. Ordinary share equivalents of stock options are calculated using the treasury stock method. Ordinary share equivalents are excluded from the computation in income periods should their effects be anti-dilutive. (aa) Segment reporting The Company uses the management approach to determine operation segment. The management approach considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (‘‘CODM’’) for making decisions, allocation of resource and assessing performance. The Company’s CODM has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer who reviews the consolidated results of operations when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of the Company. The Company operates and manages its business as a single segment. The Company’s long-lived assets are substantially all located in the PRC and substantially all of the Company’s revenues are derived from within the PRC. Therefore, no geographical segments are presented. F-25 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (ab) Operating leases The Company has adopted ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases”, beginning January 1, 2019 and elected to utilize a modified retrospective approach which allowed the Company to initially apply the new lease standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings of 2019, with no adjustments to prior periods presented. No cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings were made. The Company also elected the package of practical expedients, which among other things, does not require reassessment of lease classification. The Company leases administrative office spaces under operating leases. The Company determines whether an arrangement constitutes a lease and records lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on its consolidated balance sheets at the lease commencement. The Company measures its lease liabilities based on the present value of the total lease payments not yet paid discounted based on the more readily determinable of the rate implicit in the lease or its incremental borrowing rate, which is the estimated rate the Company would be required to pay for a collateralized borrowing equal to the total lease payments over the term of the lease. The Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate based on an analysis of publicly traded debt securities of companies with credit and financial profiles similar to its own. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s operating leases had a weighted average remaining lease term of 1.7 years and a weighted average discount rate of 4.75%. The Company measures right-of-use assets based on the corresponding lease liability adjusted for payments made to the lessor at or before the commencement date, and initial direct costs it incurs under the lease. The Company considers only payments that are fixed and determinable at the time of lease commencement. The Company begins recognizing operating lease expense when the lessor makes the underlying asset available to the Company. After considering the factors that create an economic incentive, the Company did not include renewal option periods in the lease term for which it is not reasonably certain to exercise. Additionally, the Company elects not to recognize lease with lease term of 12 months or less at the commencement date in the consolidated balance sheets and records its operating lease expense in its consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term. (ac) Recent accounting pronouncements Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which has subsequently been amended by ASU 2019-04, ASU 2019-05, ASU 2019-09, ASU 2019-10 and ASU 2020-03. This ASU is intended to improve financial reporting by requiring timelier recording of credit losses on loans and other financial instruments held by financial institutions and other organizations. This ASU requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU requires enhanced disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of the Company’s portfolio. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements that provide additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application of the pending content that links to this paragraph is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASC No. 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, which mitigate transition complexity by requiring that for nonpublic business entities the amendments in Update 2016-13 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and clarifies that receivables arising from operating leases are not within the scope of Subtopic 326-20. Instead, impairment of receivables arising from operating leases should be accounted for in accordance with Topic 842, Leases. The Company adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2020 and the new standard did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. F-26 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued (ac) Recent accounting pronouncements - continued Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements by removing, modifying, or adding certain disclosures. The ASU eliminates such disclosures as the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. The ASU adds new disclosure requirements for Level 3 measurements. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, a new accounting standard update to simplify the accounting for income taxes. The new guidance removes certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intra period allocation and calculating income taxes in interim periods. It also adds guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, including recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. This guidance will be effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2021. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-01, Investments—Equity Securities, Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures, and Derivatives and Hedging, which clarifies the interaction of the accounting for equity securities under Topic 321, the accounting for equity method investments in Topic 323, and the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchased options in Topic 815. This guidance will be effective in the first quarter of 2021 on a prospective basis, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2021 and concluded the adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. 3. SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS, NET The Company entered into an investment agreement with Cornerstone Management, Inc. (“Cornerstone”), a third-party private company, on July 15, 2019 to purchase its convertible notes for a cash consideration of US$10,000 with annual interest rate of 8%. The term of the convertible note was one year. Cornerstone was primarily engaged in private equity fund management. The Company had the right to convert the debt to Cornerstone’s ordinary shares upon its successful initial public offering at the lower price of the listing price or closing price of the exercise date, wherein the principle and the interest incurred shall be counted into total investment funds. No embedded derivative was bifurcated and the investment is recorded as available-for-sale considering its in-substance debt nature. However, with the Cornerstone’s financial situation deterioration, the Company determined that the short term investment was not recoverable and full impairment amounted to RMB 67,169 was provided in the year ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the net balance of short-term investment was RMB 69,618 and nil, respectively. F-27 4. LOANS RECEIVABLE, NET The loans receivable, net consists of the following: Loans receivable Allowance for credit losses Loans receivable, net As of December 31, 2019 RMB — — — 2020 RMB 58,996 (27,700) 31,296 The following table summarizes the balances of loans receivable by due date as of December 31, 2019 and 2020. Undue 1-14 days past due 15 days or greater past due Loans receivable, net As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB — — — — 23,107 1,412 6,777 31,296 The movement of the allowance for credit losses for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are as follows: Balance at beginning of the year Current year credit losses Foreign currency exchange Balance at end of the year Year ended December 31, 2019 2018 — — — — — — — — 2020 RMB — (27,498) (202) (27,700) F-28 5. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND CONTRACT ASSETS, NET Accounts receivable consists of the following: Accounts receivable: Receivables for loan facilitation and post-origination service from borrowers Receivables for loan referral service from institutional funding partners Less: allowance for credit losses Total accounts receivable As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 170,898 — 28,945 (60,679) 139,164 109,910 — 109,910 The movement of allowance for uncollectible receivables for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are as follows: Balance at the beginning of the year Current year credit losses Current year write off Balance at end of the year Contract assets consists of the following: Contract assets Less: Allowance for credit losses Contract assets, net F-29 2018 RMB — 51,430 (23,416) 28,014 Year ended December 31, 2020 2019 RMB RMB 28,014 144,636 (111,971) 60,679 60,679 49,231 (109,910) — As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB — — — 48,154 — 48,154 6. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET Property and equipment, net consisted of the followings: Leasehold improvement Motor vehicles Electronic equipment Office equipment & furniture Software Total costs Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization Property and equipment, net As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 8,093 1,604 56,068 6,868 1,342 73,975 (34,891) 39,084 8,093 1,993 56,453 6,873 1,407 74,819 (55,370) 19,449 For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, depreciation expenses were RMB11,300, RMB 17,710 and RMB 20,483 respectively. 7. LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS On March 13, 2020, the Company, through its subsidiary, Geerong, and another independent purchaser entered into a share purchase agreement with China Smartpay Group Holdings Limited (“China Smartpay”), pursuant to which, among others, Geerong agreed, subject to certain conditions, to acquire 35 ordinary shares of Keen Best Investment Limited (“Keen Best”), representing 35% equity interest in Keen Best, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Smartpay for an amount of RMB91,957 (US$13,544). Keen Best and its subsidiaries are principally engaged in internet microcredit business in the PRC. On September 29, 2020, the Company closed the acquisition of the shares by offsetting the consideration payable against the receivables held by the Company due from China Smartpay. The difference between the cost of the investment and the underlying equity in net assets, referred as the basis difference, was RMB 1,508(US$231) related to equity method goodwill upon acquisition of Keen Best’s equity interest. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized the Company’s proportionate share of the equity investee’s net loss into earnings in the amount of RMB 822 (US$126) in accordance with ASC Topic 323. There is no impairment on the investment as of December 31, 2020. The balance of this investment was RMB 87,551 (US$13,418) as of December 31, 2020. In May 2019, the Company acquired 24.9% ordinary shares of SG Fintech Holding Joint Stock Company (“SG Fintech”) for cash consideration of RMB 3,400. In January 2020, the Company acquired additional 24.1% ordinary shares of SG Fintech for cash consideration of RMB 3,378. The equity method accounting was applied. SG Fintech is a Vietnam enterprise targeting to explore micro-finance loan products and services to serve the segments that are currently underserved in the market. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded investment income of RMB 378 on the investment. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recognized the Company’s proportionate share of the equity investee’s net loss into earnings in the amount of RMB 6,687 and recorded an impairment of RMB 49 to full impair this investment. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the balance was RMB 3,826 and nil, respectively. F-30 8. DISPOSAL OF SHANGHAI CAIYIN In September, 2019, Niwodai Internet entered into an agreement (the “Agreement”) with Shenzhen Rongxinbao, and Shanghai Jiayin, which wholly owns the equity interest of Shanghai Caiyin. Pursuant to the Agreement, Shanghai Jiayin agreed to transfer all of its equity interest in Shanghai Caiyin to Shenzhen Rongxinbao and the Company revises the terms of its collaboration with Shanghai Caiyin. As a result, the Company deconsolidated Shanghai Caiyin (Note 2(b)). Major line items of Shanghai Caiyin as of August 31, 2019 included cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, contract assets, liabilities from the investor assurance program and tax payable. As Shanghai Caiyin was in net deficit position as of August 31, 2019 due to its collaboration with the Company, the Company also agreed to waive Shanghai Caiyin’s payables to the Company of RMB 1,973,613 and pay a total transaction price of RMB 1,078,686, of which RMB 372,085 is contingent upon Shanghai Caiyin’s liability status in the period preceding December 30, 2022 subject to the cap amount of RMB 372,085, RMB 255,064 and RMB117,021 on December 30, in each of the three years ending 2022, respectively. The remaining amount of the equity transfer consideration shall be settled through the service fee Shenzhen Rongxinbao collected on behalf of the Company. For the year ended December 31, 2019, no gain or loss was recognized for the transaction. For the year ended December 31, 2020, “Gain from de-recognition of other payable associated with disposal of Shanghai Caiyin” of RMB 117,021 was derived from the release of contingent consideration payable. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, the payable related to the disposal of Shanghai Caiyin was RMB 839,830 which consisted of fixed consideration payable of RMB 467,744 and contingent consideration payable of RMB 372,085, and RMB 566,532 which consisted of fixed consideration payable of RMB 311,468 and contingent consideration payable of RMB 255,064, respectively. 9. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION The following table presents the classification of the Company’s share-based compensation expenses: Origination and servicing General and administrative Research and development Sales and marketing Total 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 2,516 29,734 22,820 12,708 67,778 10,345 80,599 48,578 8,060 147,582 3,167 8,870 10,170 8,445 30,652 In September 2016, Jiayin Finance approved an employee incentive plan (the “2016 Plan”) and utilized a limited liability partnership (“LLP”) as a vehicle to hold 13,500,000 shares that will be used under the 2016 Plan. The shares were contributed by the Founder, representing 27% of Jiayin Finance’s total outstanding shares at the time. A company controlled by the Founder is the general partner (“GP”) of the LLP. The purpose of the LLP is to allow employees of the Company to receive share-based incentives. The LLP has no activities other than administrating the 2016 Plan and does not have any employees. On behalf of the Company and subject to approval of board of director of the Parent Company, the Founder, as the controller of LLP has the authority to select the eligible participants to whom awards will be granted; determine the number of shares granted; and establish the terms, conditions and provision of such awards. The 2016 Plan allows the grantees to hold options to purchase LLP shares from the GP or the designated persons to indirectly hold the equity shares of Jiayin Finance. In September 2016, Jiayin Finance granted options to acquire certain LLP shares, equivalent of 13,321,500 ordinary shares of Jiayin Finance with the exercise price of RMB 3.5 per share to employees of the Company pursuant to the 2016 Plan. Options have a 4.5-year life and vest at 15%, 25%, 30%, and 30% respectively at March 31, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. In October 2018, Jiayin Finance granted options to acquire certain LLP shares, equivalent of 2,851,600 ordinary shares of Jiayin Finance with the exercise price of RMB 3.5 per share to employees of the Company pursuant to the 2016 Plan. Options have a 4.5-year life and vest at 15%, 25%, 30%, and 30% respectively at March 31, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. F-31 9. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION – continued For illustration purposes, all the share information disclosed in this section refers to the shares of Jiayin Finance the grantees are entitled through LLP shares. The additional grants in October 2018 include the 2,851,600 shares from options forfeited in relation to the options granted in September 2016, which were automatically released to the 2016 Plan. The awards are in substance share-based expenses incurred by the controlling Founder on behalf of the Parent Company. The related expenses are reflected in the Parent Company’s consolidated financial statements as share-based compensation expenses with an offsetting to additional paid-in capital. Given the shares owned by the LLP for the purpose of the 2016 Plan are existing outstanding shares of Jiayin Finance, the option does not have dilution effect on income per share (see Note 12). In February 2019, the Company adopted the 2019 Share Incentive Plan (“2019 Plan”), effectively upon the completion of the Parent Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”) to replace the 2016 Plan on a 4:1 ratio. The 2019 Plan contains performance vesting condition related to the operation results of the Company and the business department the grantee belongs to, as well as the grantee’s individual performance. The modification did not result in any incremental value. In connection with the adoption of 2019 Plan, the Company cancelled 2,377,000 and 1,169,000 share options granted in September 2016 and October 2018, respectively. Total unrecognized share-based compensation expense of RMB 39,390 associated with the cancelled options was immediately recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income upon cancellation for the year ended December 31, 2019. In November, 2019, the Company granted four batches options equivalent of 288,000 share options of Jiayin Group with the exercise price of RMB3.5 per share to employees pursuant to the 2019 Plan. In November, 2020, the Company granted four batches options equivalent of 1,583,000 share options of Jiayin Group with the exercise price of RMB3.5 per share to employees pursuant to the 2019 Plan. The Company uses a binominal pricing model to estimate the fair value of the above options granted under the 2019 Plan. The model requires the input of subjective assumptions including the estimated expected stock price volatility, dividend yield, time to maturity and the exercise multiple. For expected volatilities, as the length of time has been short since Company went to public, the Company has made reference to the historical price volatilities of several comparable companies in the same industry as the Company. For the exercise multiple, it is based on management’s estimation, which the Company believes is representative of the future exercise pattern of the options. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the China or US Government Bond with maturity similar to the maturity of the options as of valuation. The following assumptions were applied to estimate the fair value of the options granted in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020 at the date of grant: Average risk-free rate of interest Estimated volatility rate Exercise multiples Dividend yield Time to maturity Fair value per underlying ordinary share October 2018 3.32% 44.32% 2.8 0.00% 4.5 years RMB 88.13 November 2019 1.57%-1.69% 42.86%-45.28% 2.8 0.00% 0-3 years RMB 53.43 November 2020 0.23%-0.60% 49.74%-53.91% 2.8 0.00% 0-3 years RMB 18.33 The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during the year ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 was RMB 84.88 per share, RMB 50.36 per share and RMB 14.78 per share, respectively. F-32 9. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION – continued The summary of the aggregate option activities and information regarding options outstanding for the years ended as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 is as follows: Options outstanding at December 31, 2019 Granted Exercised Forfeited Options outstanding at December 31, 2020 Options exercisable at December 31, 2020 Options vested or expected to be vested at December 31, 2020 Number of Options (in ‘000s) 5,699 1,583 (1,981) (921) 4,380 2,369 4,380 Weighted Average Exercise Price RMB Weighted Average Remaining Contract Life Years Aggregate Intrinsic Value RMB 3.5 2.51 189,093 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.63 2.20 2.63 118,421 56,756 118,421 As of December 31, 2020, there was RMB 27,168 in total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.63 years . 10. INCOME TAXES Income tax expense consists of the following: Current income tax expense: Deferred income tax (benefit) expense: Total income tax expense Cayman Islands 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 111,552 (17,637) 93,915 168,924 (131,917) 37,007 83,216 25,595 108,811 Jiayin Group Inc. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Under the current laws of the Cayman Islands, Jiayin Group Inc. is not subject to income or capital gains taxes. In addition, dividend payments are not subject to withholdings tax in the Cayman Islands. Hong Kong The Parent Company subsidiary, Geerong (HK) Limited, is located in Hong Kong and is subject to an income tax rate of 16.5% for taxable income earned in Hong Kong. Additionally, payments of dividends by the subsidiary incorporated in Hong Kong to the Parent Company are not subject to any Hong Kong withholding tax. No income tax provision has been made in the consolidated financial statements as it has no assessable income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. PRC Under the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Enterprise Income Tax (“EIT Law”), the Company’s subsidiaries and VIEs incorporated in the PRC are subject to statutory rate of 25%. High-technology enterprises may obtain a preferential tax rate of 15% provided they meet the related criteria. Niwodai Internet renewed its high-new technology enterprise (“HNTE”) certificate on November 23, 2017, thus Niwodai Internet was entitled to a preferential Enterprise Income Tax (“EIT”) rate of 15% from 2017 to 2019. The Company did not renew the certificate so Niwodai Internet was not qualified as a HNTE and was subject to EIT rate of 25% starting for 2020. Management believes it more-likely-than-not that Shanghai Chuangzhen Software Co., Ltd. will be qualified as an eligible software enterprise before the income tax year-end final settlement in 2020. As a result of this qualification, it is entitled to a tax holiday of a full exemption for year 2020 and 2021 in which its taxable income is greater than zero, followed by a three-year 50% exemption. F-33 10. INCOME TAXES – continued PRC – continued Mexico The Company’s subsidiary incorporated in Mexico is subject to corporate income tax at 30%. Indonesia The Company’s subsidiary incorporated in Indonesia is subject to Indonesia Income (“CIT”) law. In accordance with the CIT law, an Indonesian resident is subject to worldwide income tax. Corporate income tax is calculated based on corporate taxable income (income less deductible expenses / expenses after fiscal adjustment), and the applicable CIT rate is 25%. Based on Government Regulation No.1 Year 2020 Jo No.30 Year 2020, Corporate Income Tax is adjusted from 25% to 22% for fiscal year 2020 and 2021, and next will be adjusted to 20% for fiscal year 2022. Uncertainties exist with respect to how the current income tax law in the PRC applies to the Company’s overall operations, and more specifically, with regard to tax residency status. The EIT Law includes a provision specifying that legal entities organized outside of the PRC will be considered residents for Chinese income tax purposes if the place of effective management or control is within the PRC. The implementation rules to the EIT Law provide that non-resident legal entities will be considered PRC residents if substantial and overall management and control over the manufacturing and business operations, personnel, accounting and properties, occurs within the PRC. Despite the present uncertainties resulting from the limited PRC tax guidance on the issue, the Company does not believe that the legal entities organized outside of the PRC within the Company should be treated as residents for EIT law purposes. If the PRC tax authorities subsequently determine that the Parent Company and its subsidiaries registered outside the PRC should be deemed resident enterprises, the Parent Company and its subsidiaries registered outside the PRC will be subject to the PRC income taxes, at a statutory income tax rate of 25%. The Parent Company and its subsidiaries outside the PRC do not have any assessable profits for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, therefore, the Company is not subject to any uncertain tax position. According to PRC Tax Administration and Collection Law, the statute of limitations is three years if the underpayment of taxes is due to computational errors made by the taxpayer or withholding agent. The statute of limitations will be extended to five years under special circumstances, which are not clearly defined (but an underpayment of tax liability exceeding RMB 100 is specifically listed as a special circumstance). In the case of a related party transaction, the statute of limitations is ten years. From inception to 2020, the Company is subject to examination of the PRC tax authorities. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The following table sets forth the significant components of the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities: Deferred tax assets Payroll and welfare payable Accrued expenses Allowance for uncollectible receivables, contract assets, loans receivable and others Net loss carryforward Liabilities related to customer incentive Gross deferred tax assets Valuation allowances Net deferred tax assets Deferred tax liabilities Uncollected revenues Total deferred tax liabilities Deferred tax assets, net F-34 As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 12,131 16,199 37,932 13,595 44,216 124,073 (1,909) 122,164 (53,872) (53,872) 68,292 11,635 10,198 56,164 13,495 11,435 102,927 (4,102) 98,825 (57,890) (57,890) 40,935 10. INCOME TAXES – continued Deferred tax assets and liabilities have been offset where the Company has a legally enforceable right to do so, and intends to settle on a net basis. Changes in valuation allowance are as follows: Balance at beginning of the year Additions Reversals Balance at end of the year Year Ended December 31, 2020 RMB (1,909) (2,871) 678 (4,102) The Company assesses the available positive and negative evidence to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon its ability to generate sufficient future taxable income within the carry-forward periods provided for in the tax law and during the periods in which the temporary differences become deductible. When assessing the realization of deferred tax assets, the Company has considered possible sources of taxable income including (i) future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, (ii) future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carry-forwards, (iii) future taxable income arising from implementing tax planning strategies, and (iv) specific known trend of profits expected to be reflected within the industry. On the basis of this evaluation, valuation allowances of RMB 1,909, and RMB 4,102 have been established for deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 respectively, based on a more likely than not threshold due to cumulated loss and uncertainty of sufficient profit generated in future years for certain subsidiaries within the Company. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable, however, could be adjusted if estimates of future taxable income during the carry forwards period are reduced or increased or if objective negative evidence in the form of cumulative losses is no longer present and additional weight may be given to subjective evidence such as our projections for growth. At December 31, 2020, tax loss carry-forward amounted to RMB 55,222, and would expire in calendar year 2023 to 2025 if not utilized. The Company operates its business through its subsidiaries and VIEs. The Company does not file consolidated tax returns, therefore, losses from individual subsidiaries or the VIEs may not be used to offset other subsidiaries’ or VIEs’ earnings within the Company. In accordance with the EIT Law, dividends, which arise from profits of foreign invested enterprises (“FIEs”) earned after January 1, 2008, are subject to a 10% withholding income tax. In addition, under tax treaty between the PRC and Hong Kong, if the foreign investor is incorporated in Hong Kong and qualifies as the beneficial owner, the applicable withholding tax rate is reduced to 5%, if the investor holds at least 25% in the FIE, or 10%, if the investor holds less than 25% in the FIE. A deferred tax liability should be recognized for the undistributed profits of PRC subsidiaries unless the Parent Company has sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the undistributed dividends will be reinvested and the remittance of the dividends will be postponed indefinitely. The Company plans to indefinitely reinvest undistributed profits earned from its China subsidiaries in its operations in the PRC. Therefore, no withholding income taxes for undistributed profits of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries have been provided as of December 31, 2019 and 2020. The aggregate undistributed earnings of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries that are available for distribution was nil as of December 31, 2019 and 2020. A deferred tax liability should be recorded for taxable temporary differences attributable to the excess of financial reporting amounts over tax basis amounts, including those differences attributable to a more than 50% interest in a domestic subsidiary. However, recognition is not required in situations where the tax law provides a means by which the reported amount of that investment can be recovered tax-free and the enterprise expects that it will ultimately use that means. The Company does not accrue deferred tax liabilities on the earnings of the VIEs given that the Company’s VIEs had accumulated deficits as of December 31, 2019 and 2020. F-35 10. INCOME TAXES – continued Reconciliations of the differences between PRC statutory income tax rate and the Company’s effective income tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are as follows: Statutory income tax rate Non-deductible expense Research and Development expense super deduction Effect of tax holiday Different tax rate of entities operating in other jurisdiction Valuation allowance Change in tax rate True up Effective tax rate The effect of the tax holiday on the income per share is as follows: Tax saving amount due to HNTE status Tax saving amount due to Software enterprise Tax expense amount due to other jurisdiction Income per share effect-basic and diluted 11. ORDINARY SHARES 2018 RMB Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 25.00% 2.62% (1.44%) (12.87%) 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 13.31% 25.00% 6.66% (2.97%) (18.86%) (0.07%) 0.32% (3.13%) (0.40%) 6.55% 25.00% 2.54% (0.62%) (2.12%) 4.86% 0.61% 0.00% 0.05% 30.32% 2018 RMB Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 90,819 — — 0.45 106,516 — (411) 0.50 — 7,527 (17,405) (0.05) On December 2017, the Company authorized a total of 500,000,000 shares with a par value of US$0.0001 upon its establishment, of which 10,000 shares were issued and outstanding. Following the approval of the Company’s Board on December 19, 2018, the Company completed a two for one split of ordinary share authorized and outstanding to 20,000 ordinary shares. The share split has been applied retrospectively for all periods presented. On May 10, 2019, the Company completed its IPO on the NASDAQ Global Market. In this offering, 4,025,000 ADSs, representing 16,100,000 ordinary shares, were issued at a price of US$10.50 per ADS. The aggregate proceeds received by the Company from the IPO, net of issuance costs, were approximately RMB 234,354. Upon completion of IPO, the 216,100,000 outstanding ordinary shares with par value of US$0.000000005 per share were split into 100,100,000 Class A ordinary shares and 116,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, with each Class A ordinary share being entitled to one vote and each Class B ordinary share being entitled to ten votes on all matters that are subject to shareholder vote. The share split has been applied retrospectively for all periods presented. All classes of ordinary shares are entitled to the same dividend right. All of the Class B ordinary shares were held by the Founder of the Parent Company. During the year ended December 31, 2020, 8,000,000 Class B ordinary shares were converted into Class A ordinary shares. 12. INCOME PER SHARE The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share attribute to ordinary shareholders after the stock split: Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders – basic and diluted Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding – basic and diluted Basic and diluted net income per share 2018 RMB Year Ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 611,758 527,747 252,883 200,000,000 3.06 210,409,863 2.51 216,100,000 1.17 F-36 As economic rights and obligations are applied equally to both Class A and Class B ordinary shares, earnings are allocated between the two classes of ordinary shares evenly with the same allocation on a per share basis. The Company does not have shares with a dilutive effect for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020. 13. LEASES Operating lease assets primarily represents various facilities under non-cancelable operating leases expiring within one to two years. Lease costs are included in origination and servicing expenses, sales and marketing expenses, general and administrative expenses, and research and development expenses, depending on the use of the underlying asset. Operating lease expenses (including fixed lease cost and short-term lease cost) were RMB24,255, RMB35,738 and RMB26,466 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Total lease expense related to short-term leases was nil for the year ended December 31, 2020. Supplemental consolidated balance sheet information related to leases was as follows: Operating leases: Operating leases right-of-use assets Current portion of lease liabilities Non-current portion of lease liabilities Total operating lease liabilities Weighted average remaining lease term (in years) Weighted average discount rate As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 37,215 2,735 32,480 35,215 1.2 4.75% 6,926 3,322 1,873 5,195 1.7 4.75% Supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 is as follows: Cash paid for amounts included in measurement of liabilities: Operating cash flows from operating leases Non-cash right-of-use assets in exchange for new lease liabilities: Operating leases For the year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 28,319 25,665 15,986 4,734 13. LEASES - continued Maturities of lease payments by year and in the aggregate, under non-cancellable operating leases with terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2020 are as follows: 2021 2022 2023 and thereafter Total lease payment Less imputed interest Total 14. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS RMB 3,462 1,281 663 5,406 (211) 5,195 The table below sets forth the major related parties and their relationships with the Company, with which the Company entered into transactions during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and December 31, 2020: Name of related parties Shanghai Jiayin Finance Services Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Jiayin”) Jiayin (Shanghai) Finance Information Service Co., Ltd. (“Jiayin (Shanghai)”) Shanghai Jiayin Zhuoyue Wealth Management Co., Ltd. (“Jiayin Zhuoyue”) Relationship with the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company F-37 Name of related parties Jiayin Credit Investigation Service Co., Ltd. (“Jiayin Credit”) Geerong Yun (Shanghai) Enterprise Development Co., Ltd. (“Geerong Yun”) Shanghai Shilupan Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shilupan”) Kailiantong Payment Service Co., Ltd. (“Kailiantong”) China Smartpay Group Holdings Ltd. (“China Smartpay”) GAYANG (Hongkong) Co., Ltd. (“GAYANG”) Shanghai Jiajie Assets Management Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Jiajie”) Jiayin Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Jiayin Financial Leasing”) SG Fintech Joint Stock Company (“SG Fintech”) Limahui Technology Co. Ltd. (“Limahui”) Subsidiary shareholder Subsidiary director The Company entered into the following transactions with its related parties: Services provided by related parties: Jiayin Zhuoyue (1) Jiayin (Shanghai) (1) Shanghai Jiayin (2) Li Mahui (4) Kailiantong (3) Shilupan (5) Jiayin Credit (6) Geerong Yun (7) Total Services provided to related parties Kailiantong (3) Total F-38 Relationship with the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity influenced by Mr. Yan the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity influenced by Mr. Yan the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity influenced by Mr. Yan the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company Entity controlled by Mr. Yan, the Founder and Chairman of the Company Subsidiary of Company’s equity investee Entity influenced by Mr. Zhang, the director of the Company The minority shareholders of the subsidiaries of the Company The director of the subsidiary of the Company 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB 77,984 2,459 13,806 — 8,065 17,202 10,513 3,136 133,165 81,206 6,548 8,280 — 2,255 7,863 196 — 106,348 — — 1,761 1,761 55,207 9,004 5,845 425 — — — — 70,481 6,209 6,209 14. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS - continued Loans to related parties: Subsidiary shareholder (8) Subsidiary director (9) China Smartpay (10) GAYANG (11) Shanghai Jiayin (11) Shanghai Jiajie (11) SG Fintech(12) Geerong Yun (7) Total Loans from related parties Subsidiary shareholder (13) Jiayin Financial Leasing (14) Jiayin Credit (14) Total 2018 RMB Year ended December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB — — — — — 7,700 — 3,850 11,550 — — 70,765 70,765 — — 119,924 1,716 909 800 598 — 123,947 — 150 80 230 463 79 — — — — — — 542 3,113 — — 3,113 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) Jiayin Zhuoyue and Jiayin (Shanghai) referred investors and borrowers to the Company and charged referral service fees. Jiayin (Shanghai) also collected loan facilitation service fees on behalf of the Company from customers. Shanghai Jiayin rents office space to the Company and charges other related service fee, which is calculated dependent on its usage of the underlying office space. Kailiantong provides cash payment services to the Company and charges transaction processing fees. The Company provided referral service to Kailiantong and charged loan facilitation fees, which resulted in the 2019 balance of amount due from related parties. Our Founder, Mr. Dinggui Yan, partially disposed of his investment over China Smartpay in September 2020, and therefore Mr. Dinggui Yan lost the significant influence over China Smartpay thereafter. As Kailiantong was wholly owned by China Smartpay, Kailiantong was no longer deemed as our related party as of October 2020. Limahui primarily provides internet catering service for employees of the Company and charged corresponding service fees. Mr. Zhang has significant influence over Limahui in the first three quarters of 2020. Shilupan provided credit analysis service for the Company and charged corresponding service fees. Jiayin Credit provided credit service to the Company and charged credit service fees. Geerong Yun provided referral services to the Company and charged referral service fees. Geerong Yun was acquired by the company in September 2019 and became our wholly-owned subsidiary thereafter. The amount represents loans to minority shareholders of the subsidiary company Thanh Cong Biz Link Joint Stock Company (“Biz link”) in 2020, for the investment and establishment of the Biz link, which are non-interest bearing, unsecured, and due on demand. The amount represents loans to the minority director of the subsidiary PT. Jayindo Fintek Pratama since November 2020 with principal of RMB 79 and annual interest rate of 6%. The outstanding loan balance will be repaid in 36 equal monthly installments. (10) The Company entered into a loan contract with China Smartpay of RMB119,924(US$17,225) with fixed annual interest rate of 9%. The interest was RMB4,938 for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the interest portion through January to September 2020 was RMB7,570. The outstanding loan balance including principal and interests had been settled with consideration of the acquisition with Keen Best (See Note 7), together with a lump-sum cash payment of RMB37,372 in September 2020. Since October 2020, China Smartpay is no longer a related party of the Company. (11) The amount represents loans which are non-interest bearing, unsecured, and due on demand. F-39 14. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS - continued (12) (13) (14) (15) The amount represents loans to related parties in 2019, which results in the balance of amount due from related parties shown as below. The Company entered into a loan contract with SG Fintech of RMB 598 (US$86) with fixed interest rate 0.5%. The loan balance includes principal RMB 598 and interest receivable RMB 1. As of December 31, 2020, all principal and interest have been collected. The amount represents loans from minority shareholders of the subsidiary company Aguila Information, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (“Aguila Information”) in 2020, which results in the balance of amount due to related parties shown as below. Aguila Information entered into an agreement with minority shareholders that the portion of total investment capital which exceeds paid-in capital is deemed as loan to the Company. The loans will be due on March 31, 2021 with annual interest rate of 3%. The amounts represent loans from related parties in the years of 2018, 2019 and 2020 for the daily operation. Shanghai Zhundian Enterprise Service Co., Ltd.("Shanghai Zhundian")(formerly known as “Shanghai Limahui E-Commerce Co., Ltd”) was a related party controlled by Yan Dinggui, the Chairman of Jiayin Group during the period of January, 2020 to April, 2020. On April 22, 2020, Shanghai Zhundian was acquired by Jiayin Finance, and becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiayin Group Inc. The consideration is nil, and the Group recorded RMB 3,000 in APIC as it is a combination under common control and the net assets of Shanghai Zhundian on the acquisition date was RMB 3,000. The following table present amounts due from and due to related parties as of December 31, 2019 and 2020: Amounts due from related parties Subsidiary shareholder Subsidiary director China Smartpay GAYANG Shanghai Jiayin Kailiantong Shanghai Jiajie SG Fintech Jiayin Credit Total Amounts due to related parties Subsidiary shareholder Jiayin Zhuoyue Shanghai Jiayin Jiayin Financial Leasing Jiayin Credit Total As of December 31, 2019 RMB 2020 RMB — — 124,862 1,716 1,564 1,050 800 599 131 130,722 — 722 — 150 — 872 463 79 — — — — — — — 542 3,113 3,442 2,150 — 80 8,785 Amounts due from related parties primarily consist of loans to related parties. Amounts due to related parties primarily consist of the amount of service fees payable to related parties and loans from related parties. F-40 15. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Capital and other commitments The Company did not have significant capital, other commitments or long term obligations as of December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the fair value of guarantees was not material. See Note 2(k). Contingencies On September 11, 2020, a securities class action complaint was filed against the Company and the Company’s officers and directors in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. An amended complaint was filed on February 1, 2021, which added as defendants the underwriters for the Company’s initial public offering. The plaintiff asserted claims under Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 based on purported misstatements and omissions in Form F-1 registration statement for the Company’s initial public offering. The plaintiff brought his claims individually and on behalf of all other persons who acquired the Company’s American Depositary Shares pursuant and/or traceable to our initial public offering, and seeks compensatory damages, rescission, injunctive relief, and costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees and expert fees in unidentified amounts. On April 2, 2021, the Company, one of the underwriters for the Company’s initial public offering and certain of the Company’s directors and officers filed a joint motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s amended complaint in its entirety and with prejudice. The plaintiff’s opposition to the motion to dismiss is due June 1, 2021, and the motion is scheduled to be fully briefed on July 16, 2021. As such, the Company is currently not in a position to estimate the possible loss or possible range of loss, if any, associated with the resolution of the lawsuits. 16. RESTRICTED NET ASSETS The Parent Company’s ability to pay dividends is primarily dependent on the Parent Company receiving distributions of funds from its subsidiaries. Relevant PRC statutory laws and regulations permit payments of dividends by the VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs incorporated in PRC only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. The consolidated results of operations reflected in the consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP differ from those reflected in the statutory financial statements of the Parent Company’s subsidiaries. Under PRC law, the Parent Company’s subsidiaries, VIEs and the subsidiaries of the VIEs located in the PRC (collectively referred as the “PRC entities”) are required to provide for certain statutory reserves, namely a general reserve, an enterprise expansion fund and a staff welfare and bonus fund. The PRC entities are required to allocate at least 10% of their after tax profits on an individual company basis as determined under PRC accounting standards to the statutory reserve and has the right to discontinue allocations to the statutory reserve if such reserve has reached 50% of registered capital on an individual company basis. In addition, the registered capital of the PRC entities is also restricted. Amounts restricted that include paid in capital and statutory reserve funds, as determined pursuant to PRC GAAP, are RMB738,494 and RMB1,031,649 as of December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. 17. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS On January 5, 2021, Noble Fintech Pte. Ltd (“Noble Fintech”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company entered into a framework acquisition agreement (the “SPA”) with the minority shareholders of the Aguila Information, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (“Aguila Information”), pursuant to which, Noble Fintech agreed to transfer its 6% of the equity interests of Aguila Information to the minority shareholders. Following the completion of the proposed transaction, the equity interest of Aguila Information owned by the Company will decrease from 51% to 45%. As Aguila Information was in net deficit position as of December 31, 2020, the consideration of the transfer was one Mexican Peso. On April 1, 2021, Jiayin Finance, a wholly consolidated variable interest entity of the Company entered into a framework acquisition agreement (the “SPA”) with Shanghai Bweenet Network Technology Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Bweenet”) and its shareholders, pursuant to which, Jiayin Finance agreed, subject to certain conditions, to subscribe for certain equity interests of Shanghai Bweenet and acquire certain equity interests held by current shareholders of Shanghai Bweenet, for an aggregate consideration of RMB95,000. Following the completion of the proposed transaction, Jiayin Finance will own 95% of the equity interests of Shanghai Bweenet. The consideration will be paid in several installments, subject to certain conditions. The closing of the proposed transaction is subject to the certain customary conditions, including completion of satisfactory due diligence. F-41 JIAYIN GROUP INC. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY BALANCE SHEETS (AMOUNT IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND SHARE RELATED DATA) Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investment ,net Amounts due from subsidiaries and VIEs Amounts due from a related party Prepaid and other current assets Total current assets Investments in subsidiaries and VIEs Total assets Liabilities Current Liabilities Accrued expenses and other current liabilities Total liabilities Equity Ordinary shares Additional paid-in capital Accumulated deficit Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) Total deficit Total liabilities and deficit 2019 RMB 2020 RMB US$ 27,223 69,618 44,695 124,862 1,117 267,515 (1,003,436) (735,921) 5,933 5,933 — 777,408 (1,519,731) 469 (741,854) (735,921) 21,213 — 167,887 — 855 189,955 (652,193) (462,238) 2,385 2,385 — 815,042 (1,266,848) (12,817) (464,623) (462,238) 3,251 — 25,731 — 131 29,113 (99,953) (70,840) 366 366 — 124,911 (194,153) (1,964) (71,206) (70,840) F-42 JIAYIN GROUP INC. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF PARENT COMPANY STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (AMOUNT IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND SHARE RELATED DATA) Operating cost and expenses: General and administrative Total operating cost and expenses Loss from operations Interest income Other income (loss) , net Income before taxes and income from equity in subsidiaries and VIEs Income tax expense Equity in earnings of subsidiaries and VIEs Net income Other comprehensive income, net of tax Change in cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment Other comprehensive income (loss) Comprehensive income 2018 RMB 2019 RMB 2020 RMB US$ Year ended December 31, — — — — — — — 611,758 611,758 — — 611,758 (2,886) (2,886) (2,886) 4,910 1 2,025 — 525,722 527,747 469 469 528,216 (6,740) (6,740) (6,740) 7,701 (67,169) (66,208) — 319,091 252,883 (13,286) (13,286) 239,597 (1,033) (1,033) (1,033) 1,180 (10,294) (10,147) — 48,904 38,757 (2,036) (2,036) 36,721 F-43 JIAYIN GROUP INC. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPANY CASH FLOW STATEMENTS (AMOUNT IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT FOR SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA) Cash flows from operating activities Net income Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities: Share of results of subsidiaries and VIEs Depreciation and amortization Impairment of short-term investment Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Amounts due from a related party Amounts due from subsidiaries and VIEs Prepaid and other current assets Accrued expenses and other current liabilities Net cash used in operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Loan to a related party Purchase of short-term investment Cash collected from loan to related parties Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities Cash flows from financing activities Net proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares Proceeds from exercise of options Net cash provided by financing activities Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year Supplemental disclosure of significant non-cash investing and financing activities: Decease in investment in subsidiaries and VIEs for cash dividend paid by a subsidiary on behalf of the parent to the Company’s shareholders 2018 RMB 2019 RMB 2020 RMB US$ Year ended December 31, 611,758 527,747 252,883 38,757 (611,758 ) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — (400,000 ) F-44 (525,722 ) 2,020 — (4,938 ) (44,695 ) (3,137 ) 5,933 (42,792 ) (119,924 ) (71,477 ) — (191,401 ) 255,928 — 255,928 5,488 27,223 — 27,223 — — (319,091 ) 2,675 67,169 — (35,702 ) (2,413 ) (3,548 ) (38,027 ) — — 37,372 37,372 — 6,982 6,982 (12,337 ) (6,010 ) 27,223 21,213 — — (48,904 ) 410 10,294 — (5,471 ) (370 ) (544 ) (5,828 ) — — 5,728 5,728 — 1,070 1,070 (1,891 ) (921 ) 4,172 3,251 — — JIAYIN GROUP INC. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SCHEDULE I NOTES TO SCHEDULE I 1. Schedule I has been provided pursuant to the requirements of Rule 12-04(a) and 5-04(c) of Regulation S-X, which require condensed financial information as to the financial position, changes in financial position and results of operations of a parent company as of the same dates and for the same periods for which audited consolidated financial statements have been presented when the restricted net assets of consolidated subsidiaries exceed 25 percent of consolidated net assets as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. 2. As disclosed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Parent Company was incorporated on December 21, 2017 in the Cayman Islands to be the holding company of the Company. The Parent Company undertook a series of transactions to redomicile its business from PRC to the Cayman Islands. The Parent Company has presented Schedule I as if Cayman Islands parent company has been incorporated on January 1, 2017. 3. The condensed financial information has been prepared using the same accounting policies as set out in the consolidated financial statements except that the equity method has been used to account for investments in its subsidiaries and VIEs. The Parent Company records its investments in subsidiaries and VIEs under the equity method of accounting as prescribed in ASC Topic 323, Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures. Such investments are presented on the Condensed Balance Sheets as “Investment in subsidiaries and VIEs” and share of their earnings as “Equity in earnings of subsidiaries and VIEs” on the Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Income. 4. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. The footnote disclosure certain supplemental information relating to the operations of the Parent Company and, as such, these statements should be read in conjunction with the notes to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. 5. As of December 31, 2019 and 2020, there were no material contingencies, significant provisions of long-term obligations, mandatory dividend or redemption requirements of redeemable stocks or guarantees of the Parent Company. 6. Translations of balances in the additional financial information of Parent Company- Financial Statements Schedule I from RMB into US$ as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 are solely for the convenience of the readers and were calculated at the rate of US$1.00= RMB6.5250, representing the noon buying rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board on December 31, 2020 No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on December 31, 2020, or at any other rate. F-45 LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES AND CONSOLIDATED VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES OF JIAYIN GROUP INC. Exhibit 8.1 Name Subsidiaries Jiayin Holdings Limited Geerong (HK) Limited (formerly known as “Jiayin (HK) Limited”) Jiayin Southeast Asia Holdings Limited Shanghai Kunjia Technology Co., Ltd. Geerong Yunke Information Technology Co., Ltd. Geerong Yun (Shanghai) Enterprise Development Co., Ltd. Shanghai Chuangzhen Software Co., Ltd. Aguila Information, S.A.P.I. de C.V. PT. Jayindo Fintek Pratama VIEs Shanghai Jiayin Finance Technology Co., Ltd. Shanghai Jiajie Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. Shanghai Niwodai Internet Finance Information Services Co., Ltd. Place of incorporation/ establishment BVI Hong Kong BVI Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Mexico Indonesia Shanghai Shanghai Shanghai Exhibit 12.1 Certification by the Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 I, Dinggui Yan, certify that: 1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Company”); 2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4. The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and have: (a) (b) (c) (d) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; [Intentionally Omitted] Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and 5. The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): (a) (b) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Date: April 30, 2021 By: Name: Title: /s/ Dinggui Yan Dinggui Yan Chief Executive Officer Exhibit 12.1 Exhibit 12.2 Certification by the Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 I, Bei Bai, certify that: 1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Company”); 2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4. The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and have: (a) (b) (c) (d) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; [Intentionally Omitted] Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and 5. The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function): (a) (b) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Date: April 30, 2021 By: Name: Title: /s/ Bei Bai Bei Bai Co-Chief Financial Officer Exhibit 12.2 Exhibit 12.3 Certification by the Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 I, Jin Chen, certify that: 1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Company”); 2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4. The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and have: (a) (b) (c) (d) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; [Intentionally Omitted] Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and 5. The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function): (a) (b) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Date: April 30, 2021 By: Name: Title: /s/ Jin Chen Jin Chen Co-Chief Financial Officer Exhibit 12.3 Certification by the Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Exhibit 13.1 In connection with the annual report of Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Dinggui Yan, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge: 1. 2. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. Date: April 30, 2021 By: Name: Title: /s/ Dinggui Yan Dinggui Yan Chief Executive Officer Certification by the Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Exhibits 13.2 In connection with the annual report of Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Grant Pan, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge: 1. 2. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. Date: April 30, 2021 By: Name: Title: /s/ Bei Bai Bei Bai Co-Chief Financial Officer Certification by the Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Exhibit 13.3 In connection with the annual report of Jiayin Group Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Grant Pan, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge: 1. 2. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company. Date: April 30, 2021 By: Name: Title: /s/ Jin Chen Jin Chen Co-Chief Financial Officer 15.1 Beijing Office Unit 2419-2422 Kerry Center South Tower 1 Guang Hua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100020 T 8610.8518.7992 Exhibit INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM’S CONSENT We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement of Jiayin Group Inc. on Form S-8 [FILE NO. 333-233615] of our report dated April 30, 2021, with respect to our audit of the consolidated financial statements of Jiayin Group Inc. as of December 31, 2020 and for the year ended December 31, 2020, which report is included in this Annual Report on Form 20-F of Jiayin Group Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2020. /s/ Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk LLP Beijing, China April 30, 2021 www.marcumbp.com Exhibit 15.2 Our ref VSL/745172-000001/19756866v1 Jiayin Group Inc. 18th Floor, Building No. 1, Youyou Century Plaza 428 South Yanggao Road, Pudong New Area Shanghai 200122 People’s Republic of China 30 April 2021 Dear Sirs Jiayin Group Inc. We have acted as legal advisers as to the laws of the Cayman Islands to Jiayin Group Inc., an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability (the “Company”), in connection with the filing by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) of an annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2020 (the “Annual Report”). We hereby consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—Cayman Islands Taxation” in the Annual Report. We consent to the filing with the SEC of this consent letter as an exhibit to the Annual Report. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in each case, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder. Yours faithfully /s/Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP Exhibit 15.3 April 30, 2021 Jiayin Group Inc. 18th Floor, Building No. 1, Youyou Century Plaza 428 South Yanggao Road, Pudong, New Area, Shanghai 200122 People’s Republic of China Attention: The Board of Directors Dear Sirs or Madam, Re: Jiayin Group Inc. We, King & Wood Mallesons, consent to the reference to our firm under the captions of “Item 3.D — Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry” , “Item 3.D — Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure” , “Item 4.B — Business Overview — Regulation” , “Item 4.C — Organizational Structure” and “Item 10.E — Taxation — People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations” in Jiayin Group Inc.’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the month of April 2021. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in each case, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder. Yours faithfully, /s/King & Wood Mallesons King & Wood Mallesons REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM Exhibit 15.4 To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Jiayin Group Inc Opinion on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Jiayin Group Inc.and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ deficit, and cash flows, for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes and financial statement schedule in Schedule I (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019, the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2019, are in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Basis for Opinion These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Group in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. /s/Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China April 30, 2021 We began serving as the Company's auditor in 2018. In 2020, we became the predecessor auditor. Exhibit 15.5 April 30, 2021 Securities and Exchange Commission 100F Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20549-7561 Dear Sirs/Madams, We have read Item 16F of Jiayin Group Inc.'s Form 20-F dated April 30, 2021 and have the following comments: 1. We agree with the statements made in paragraph 2 of Item 16F for which we have a basis on which to comment on, and we agree with, the disclosures. 2. We have no basis on which to agree or disagree with the statements made in paragraph 1 and paragraph 3 of Item 16F. Yours faithfully, /s/Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Shanghai, China 

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