12. LEASE

 

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Lease agreements under which the Company is a lessee are evaluated to classify the lease as a finance or operating lease. Operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of the lease based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Lease assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. As most leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments.

 

Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company accounts for lease components and non-lease components as a single lease component.

 

The Company leased an office in New York City with a 39-month term and an option to renew. Payments for this office space include fixed rental payments and do not consist of any variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate.

 

In accordance with ASC 842, lease expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $67,198. Lease expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $nil, as the lease commenced in August 2024 and lease expense for 2024 was not material.

 

The components of operating lease expense for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were as follows:

  

Operating Lease Expense

 

       
   Years Ended 
   December 31, 
   2025   2024 
           
Operating lease expense  $78,154   $    - 

 

Right-of-Use Assets and Lease Liabilities

 

   December 31,   December 31, 
   2025   2024 
         
Operating lease right-of-use assets  $101,221   $          - 
Short-term operating lease liabilities   (57,349)   - 
Long-term operating lease liabilities   (52,753)   - 
Total operating leased liabilities  $(110,102)  $- 

 

Weighted-Average Lease Term and Discount Rate

 

   December 31,   December 31, 
   2025   2024 
         
Weighted average lease term   1.9           - 
Weighted average discount rate   5.49%   - 

 

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

 

       
   December 31,   December 31, 
   2025   2024 
         
Amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:                       
Non-cash lease expense  $78,154   $- 
Supplemental noncash information:          
Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for lease obligations  $168,418   $- 

 

 

Future Minimum Lease Payments

 

The following table summarizes the Company’s future lease payments under the operating lease as of December 31, 2025:

 

Future lease commitments  Commitments 
     
2026  $61,575 
2027   53,879 
Total Lease Payments  $115,454 
Less: imputed interest     (5,352)
Less: prepayments     - 
Present value of lease liabilities    $110,102 
Current portion of obligations under operating leases   57,349 
Obligations under operating leases, non-current   52,753 

 

About Leases Disclosures

Lease disclosures under ASC 842 provide a comprehensive view of a company's leased asset portfolio, including the split between operating and finance leases, discount rates used to present-value future payments, and the maturity schedule of lease obligations. This section reveals a significant source of off-balance-sheet commitments that were largely hidden before the current standard.

Key signals: the weighted-average discount rate affects the size of recorded lease liabilities — a higher rate reduces the reported obligation, so compare the chosen rate against the company's incremental borrowing rate. The operating versus finance lease mix affects both EBITDA and operating income presentation. Watch the maturity table for concentration risk: large payment cliffs in specific years may create cash flow pressure. Variable lease payments excluded from the liability measurement represent real obligations that do not appear on the balance sheet. Compare total lease costs against prior-year operating lease expense to assess the true economic burden.