Stocks Maxxing Season Official Rules

1. Sponsor

The Base Builder Quest - Stocks Maxxing Season (the "Quest") is sponsored by Coinbase Technologies, Inc. ("Base" or "Sponsor"). Sponsor may work with third-party ecosystem supporters, launchpads, and projects building on Base. These partners may sponsor additional tracks or prizes (each, a "Partner," and each such track, a "Partner Track"). Section 8 covers Partner Tracks.

2. Quest Period

The Quest begins on November 5, 2026 and ends December 5, 2026 (the "Quest Period") unless otherwise posted on https://base.org/stocksmaxxing (the "Quest Page"). All submissions must be received during the Quest Period to be eligible. Sponsor's computer system is the official timekeeping device for the Quest. Unless the Quest Page says otherwise, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

3. Tracks; Quest Page Incorporated by Reference

The Quest consists of the following three (3) tracks (each, a "Track"):

1. Meme and Community Economies
2. Agentic Stock Finance
3. Programmable Stock Markets

Each Track is judged and awarded separately, and Submissions in a Track compete only against other Submissions in that Track. Each Track has its own section of the Quest Page (a "Track Section"). Each Track Section describes the Track, gives any example ideas and "Show us" guidance, and sets out the prizes for that Track (including prize amounts, number of winners, and the form of payment). The Quest Page, including every Track Section, is part of these Official Rules. The Quest Page also sets out the Quest Period, any Partner Tracks (governed by Section 8), submission instructions, and the expected date for announcing winners (together with the Track Sections, the "Quest Details").

4. Eligibility

The Quest is open to individuals who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and are not residents of any countries or regions sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Employees, representatives, and agents of Base, as well as their immediate family members and members of their households, are not eligible to participate (each, an "Entrant").

Entrants may enter as individuals or as teams of up to five (5) individuals, unless the Quest Page sets a different team size (a "Team"). Every Team member must be an eligible Entrant. Each Team must name one member as its representative (the "Team Representative"). Any prize will be paid to the Team Representative, who is solely responsible for sharing it among Team members. Released Parties (defined in Section 12) are not responsible for disputes between Team members, or for disputes between a Team and any third party.

5. How to Enter

To enter, during the Quest Period, an Entrant must complete all of the following:

1. Publish a public post on X (formerly Twitter) that includes a video demo of the project (for example, a Loom recording) explaining how it works, and that tags @buildonbase. The Quest Page may require other tags or content.
2. Complete and submit the official submission form linked on the Quest Page (the "Submission Form"), including a link to the X post, the Track(s) entered, and any other information the form requests.
3. Meet any other requirements posted in the Track Section for each Track entered.

Together, these make up a "Submission." A Submission is not complete until Sponsor receives the Submission Form. An Entrant must follow X's terms of service. Sponsor is not responsible if X or any other third-party platform removes or limits a post. No purchase, transaction, wallet funding, token holding, or payment of any kind is required to enter. If deploying to Base or testing a project requires network (gas) fees, Entrants may use a Base testnet. Testnet Submissions will not be judged less favorably because they were built on testnet.

Unless the Quest Page says otherwise, each Entrant or Team may submit one (1) Submission per Track. A single project may be entered in more than one Track only if the Quest Page allows it. Even then, a single project may win a prize in only one Track, unless the Quest Page says otherwise. Submissions made through automated means, multiple accounts, or identities other than the Entrant's own are void. Each Entrant must use the same identity throughout the Quest.

6. Submission Requirements

Each Submission must:

1. be built on, or meaningfully integrate with, the Base network, and fit the Track entered as described in that Track's Track Section;
2. be the original work of the Entrant or Team. Submissions may include pre-existing code or products that the Entrant owns or has the right to use (including an existing live product that is extended during the Quest Period), as long as the Submission Form clearly describes what was built during the Quest Period. Open-source components may be used under the terms of their licenses;
3. not infringe, misappropriate, or violate any third party's intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights;
4. not contain malware, or material that is obscene, hateful, defamatory, harassing, discriminatory, or otherwise objectionable, as determined by Sponsor;
5. not include unnecessary personal information of the Entrant or any third party;
6. comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including laws on securities, commodities, derivatives, lending, consumer protection, money transmission, gaming, prediction markets, sanctions, and data protection; and
7. not misrepresent any relationship with, or endorsement by, Sponsor, any Partner, any issuer of a tokenized asset, or any public company whose stock is referenced. Submissions must not claim to give rights in an underlying public company (such as voting rights) that the relevant asset does not provide.

Sponsor may disqualify any Submission that it determines, in its sole discretion, does not meet these requirements.

7. Judging

Sponsor will review Submissions for eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. A panel of judges chosen by Sponsor will judge eligible Submissions. The panel may include Sponsor personnel, Partner representatives (for Partner Tracks), and other ecosystem participants. The judges will score each Submission against the criteria included on the Quest Page, weighted equally unless the Quest Page sets different weights (the "Judging Criteria"). The judges' decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to the Quest.

If fewer than three (3) eligible Submissions are received in a Track, Sponsor may award fewer prizes in that Track than the number posted in its Track Section. Sponsor will award every posted prize in any Track that receives at least that many eligible Submissions. Unawarded prizes in one Track will not be moved to another Track unless the Quest Page says otherwise.

8. Partner Tracks

Partner Tracks are posted on the Quest Page, along with the Partner's identity and prizes. Unless the Quest Page says otherwise: (a) Partner Track prizes are funded and awarded by the applicable Partner, who is solely responsible for delivering them; (b) Partner Track winners are chosen using the Judging Criteria in these Official Rules; and (c) a Partner may require Partner Track winners to accept additional terms in order to receive non-monetary benefits (such as mentorship, liquidity, or go-to-market support). Those additional terms will be disclosed on the Quest Page. Sponsor does not guarantee, and is not responsible for, any Partner prize or benefit. A Submission may win both a Track prize and a Partner Track prize, unless the Quest Page says otherwise.

9. Winner Notification and Verification

Potential winners will be notified by email, X direct message, or another contact method provided in the Submission Form. Potential winners must respond, and provide the information Sponsor requests, within seven (7) days of the first notification attempt. This information may include: proof of identity, age, and residence; identity verification and sanctions screening; a completed IRS Form W-9 or W-8 (or a local equivalent); a compatible digital asset wallet address; and a signed declaration of eligibility, liability release, and (where lawful) publicity release (together, the "Winner Documents"). A potential winner forfeits the prize, and an alternate winner may be chosen based on the judges' scores, if the potential winner: cannot be reached; does not respond or return the Winner Documents on time; fails verification; is found ineligible; or declines the prize. If a Team wins, every Team member may be required to complete verification.

10. Prizes

1. Prize details. The prizes for each Track (including the number of prizes, the amount of each, and the form of payment) are set out in that Track's Track Section. Unless the Quest Page says otherwise, prize amounts are stated in U.S. dollars and paid in USDC on the Base network. The approximate retail value ("ARV") of each prize equals the stated U.S. dollar amount. The total ARV of all Sponsor prizes is the total of the Sponsor prize amounts across all three Track Sections.
2. Delivery. Digital asset prizes will be sent to the wallet address the winner provides, normally within thirty (30) days after verification is complete. Winners are responsible for providing a correct, compatible wallet address. Released Parties are not responsible for prizes sent to an incorrect address the winner provided. Released Parties are also not responsible for prizes a winner cannot access because of the winner's own wallet, custody, or local legal restrictions. If Sponsor cannot lawfully deliver a prize in the stated form, Sponsor may, at its discretion, deliver a prize of equal or greater value in another form.
3. Conditions. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitution, cash equivalent, or assignment is allowed, except at Sponsor's discretion as described above. Winners are solely responsible for all taxes, fees, and other costs of receiving or using a prize. Sponsor may withhold taxes where required by law. Sponsor will issue tax reporting forms (for example, IRS Form 1099) where required. Prizes will not be awarded to anyone in a jurisdiction where receiving them is prohibited. A prize does not represent an investment in, or a grant of equity in, any project, and does not create an agreement for further funding. Sponsor has no obligation to provide funding, investment, listing, promotion, or support beyond the posted prize.
4. Digital asset disclosure. THE VALUE OF A DIGITAL ASSET OTHER THAN A STABLECOIN MAY CHANGE, AND THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL RISK THAT IT COULD LOSE SOME OR ALL OF ITS VALUE. STABLECOINS ARE NOT LEGAL TENDER, ARE NOT BANK DEPOSITS, AND ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FDIC OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

11. Intellectual Property, License, and Publicity

1. Ownership. Entrants keep all ownership rights in their Submissions.
2. License. By entering, each Entrant grants Sponsor, its affiliates, and the applicable Partner (for Partner Tracks) a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid license, for the length of the Quest and two (2) years afterward. Under this license, they may use, reproduce, display, distribute, publicly perform, and create excerpts, clips, and screenshots of the Submission's public materials (including the X post, the demo video, the project name and logo, and descriptions) to administer, judge, promote, and report on the Quest and the Base builder ecosystem, in any media. Sponsor may continue to use materials published during that period, such as archived posts and recaps. The license does not include any right to commercialize the Entrant's underlying code or product.
3. No confidentiality. Submissions are not confidential. Entrants acknowledge that Sponsor, its affiliates, and Partners may develop, acquire, or support products that are similar to, or compete with, a Submission. Entrants also acknowledge that nothing in these Official Rules limits that right, provided that Sponsor does not use the Entrant's code except as these Official Rules permit.
4. Publicity. Except where prohibited by law, by accepting a prize, each winner (and each Team member) agrees that Sponsor, its affiliates, and the applicable Partner may use their name, X handle, likeness, voice, city and country, project name, and Submission to announce and promote the Quest and future Base builder programs, in any media worldwide, without further compensation or approval. Entrants may not use Sponsor's or any Partner's names, logos, or trademarks except to accurately state that they participated in or won the Quest, in line with the Base brand guidelines.

12. Release and Limitation of Liability

1. Release. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each Entrant releases and holds harmless the following (collectively, the "Released Parties"): Sponsor; its parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates; each Partner; any platform or administrator Sponsor uses to run the Quest; and each of their officers, directors, employees, agents, and assigns. This release covers any claim, liability, or damage arising from or related to taking part in the Quest, or to accepting, receiving, using, or misusing any prize. It includes claims for personal injury, death, property damage, financial loss, or violation of publicity, privacy, or intellectual property rights.
2. Indemnity. Each Entrant will indemnify and hold the Released Parties harmless from any third-party claim arising from the Entrant's Submission, from its breach of these Official Rules, or from its violation of law.
3. Limitation of liability. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE RELEASED PARTIES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOSS OF USE, DATA, BUSINESS, OR PROFITS) ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE QUEST. THIS APPLIES TO ANY CLAIM, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THE RELEASED PARTIES WERE TOLD THAT SUCH DAMAGES WERE POSSIBLE. THE RELEASED PARTIES' TOTAL LIABILITY WILL NOT EXCEED THE VALUE OF THE PRIZE (IF ANY) THAT THE ENTRANT WON. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THESE LIMITS, SO SOME OF THEM MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

13. General Conditions

Sponsor may cancel, suspend, or modify the Quest, or any part of it, if fraud, technical failure, a change in law or regulatory guidance, or any other cause impairs the integrity, fairness, legality, or proper operation of the Quest, as Sponsor determines in its sole discretion. If this happens, Sponsor may award prizes, using the Judging Criteria, among eligible Submissions received before the action. Sponsor may disqualify anyone it finds to be: tampering with the entry or judging process; submitting plagiarized or fraudulent work; manipulating engagement or traction metrics; violating these Official Rules; or acting in a disruptive, harassing, or unsportsmanlike way, including at any Quest event or online space. ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE QUEST MAY VIOLATE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Released Parties are not responsible for: lost, late, incomplete, or misdirected Submissions; failures of X, the Submission Form, or any other platform, network, or service; technical malfunctions; or typographical or other errors in Quest materials or the announcement of winners. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term is not a waiver of that term. If any provision of these Official Rules is found unenforceable, it will be severed, and the rest will remain in effect.

14. No Investment, Legal, or Tax Advice; No Endorsement

The Quest is a builder competition. It is not an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security, tokenized asset, or other financial instrument. Track descriptions and example ideas are for inspiration only. They are not a statement that any product is lawful, available, or appropriate in any jurisdiction. Neither the Quest nor any prize is an endorsement by Sponsor, its affiliates, or any Partner of any Submission, project, asset, issuer, or public company. Entrants are solely responsible for getting their own legal, tax, and regulatory advice, and for their products' compliance with applicable law.

15. Disputes, Governing Law, Class Action Waiver, and Agreement to Arbitrate

These Official Rules are governed by the laws of the State of California and applicable U.S. federal law, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Subject to the terms of the Arbitration Agreement (this Section 15 and Appendix 1), each Entrant and Sponsor agree that, with respect to Sponsor and the other Released Parties that are Coinbase entities, any dispute, claim, or disagreement arising out of or relating in any way to the Quest (each, a "Dispute") will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court. This includes any Dispute about prizes, and any Dispute about the interpretation, application, enforceability, revocability, scope, or validity of this arbitration provision. There are two exceptions: (i) either party may bring claims in small claims court, if the claims qualify and remain there; and (ii) either party may seek equitable relief in court for infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights. "Dispute" includes Disputes based on facts that occurred before or after the Quest. Appendix 1 sets out the full terms of the Arbitration Agreement, including a class action waiver and a jury trial waiver.

16. Privacy

Sponsor collects personal information from Entrants to administer the Quest, verify eligibility, deliver prizes, comply with law, and (with any consent required) send Entrants information about Base builder programs. Sponsor handles this information under the Coinbase Privacy Policy, available at https://docs.base.org/privacy-policy. Sponsor may share personal information with Partners (for Partner Tracks), judges, and service providers, as needed to run the Quest.

Appendix 1 - Dispute and Arbitration Terms

1.1. This Appendix 1 contains the full terms of the Arbitration Agreement. This Arbitration Agreement applies to Disputes defined in Section 15, above.

1.2. Waiver of Jury Trial. YOU AND SPONSOR HEREBY WAIVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHTS TO SUE IN COURT AND HAVE A TRIAL IN FRONT OF A JUDGE OR A JURY. You and Sponsor are instead electing that all Disputes shall be resolved by arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement, except as specified in Section 15, above. There is no judge or jury in arbitration, and court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review.

1.3. Waiver of Class and Other Non-Individualized Relief. YOU AND SPONSOR AGREE THAT, EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION 1.8 BELOW, EACH OF US MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT ON A CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR COLLECTIVE BASIS, AND THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO HAVE ANY DISPUTE BE BROUGHT, HEARD, ADMINISTERED, RESOLVED, OR ARBITRATED ON A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, REPRESENTATIVE, OR MASS ACTION BASIS. ONLY INDIVIDUAL RELIEF IS AVAILABLE, AND DISPUTES OF MORE THAN ONE CUSTOMER OR USER CANNOT BE ARBITRATED OR CONSOLIDATED WITH THOSE OF ANY OTHER CUSTOMER OR USER. Subject to this Arbitration Agreement, the arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the party's individual claim. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to, nor shall it, affect the terms and conditions under the subsection 1.8 entitled "Batch Arbitration." Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Appendix 1, if a court decides by means of a final decision, not subject to any further appeal or recourse, that the limitations of this subsection, "Waiver of Class and Other Non-Individualized Relief," are invalid or unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief (such as a request for public injunctive relief), you and Sponsor agree that that particular claim or request for relief (and only that particular claim or request for relief) shall be severed from the arbitration and may be litigated in the state or federal courts located in the State of California. All other Disputes shall be arbitrated or litigated in small claims court. This subsection does not prevent you or Sponsor from participating in a class-wide settlement of claims.

1.4. Rules and Forum. The Quest evidences a transaction involving interstate commerce; and notwithstanding any other provision herein with respect to the applicable substantive law, the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq., will govern the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement and any arbitration proceedings.

If you have a complaint with Sponsor, you agree to first contact Sponsor through our support team to attempt to resolve any such dispute amicably. If we cannot resolve the dispute through Sponsor Support, you agree to use the Formal Complaint Process set forth below before filing any arbitration claim or small claims action. You must complete the Formal Complaint Process before filing any arbitration or small claims action. If you do not complete it, then you agree that your claim or action must be dismissed from arbitration or small claims court.

In the event that the dispute is not resolved through your contact with Sponsor Support, you agree to use our Formal Complaint Process complaint form to describe your dispute, how you would like us to resolve the complaint, and any other relevant information. The complaint form can be found here for Sponsor, or can be requested from Sponsor Customer Support. If you prefer to send a written complaint via mail, please include as much information as possible in describing your complaint and how you would like us to resolve the complaint, including your support case number and any other relevant information to Sponsor Inc., 82 Nassau St #61234, New York, NY 10038. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint form after you submit it. A Sponsor customer relations agent will review and evaluate your complaint based on the information you have provided and information in the possession of Sponsor. The Formal Complaint Process is completed when Sponsor responds to your complaint or forty-five (45) business days after the date we receive your complaint, whichever occurs first.

If the Formal Complaint Process described above does not resolve satisfactorily within forty-five (45) business days after receipt of your complaint form, you and Sponsor agree that either party shall have the right to finally resolve the Dispute through binding arbitration or in small claims court. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA"), in accordance with the Consumer Arbitration Rules (the "AAA Rules") then in effect, except as modified by this section of this Arbitration Agreement. The AAA Rules are currently available at Consumer Arbitration Rules.

A party who wishes to initiate arbitration must provide the other party with a request for arbitration (the "Request"). If you initiate the arbitration, you must provide Sponsor a copy of your Request by email at [email protected] or through Sponsor's registered agent for service of process. The Request must include: (i) the name, telephone number, mailing address, email address of the party seeking arbitration, and the email addresses associated with the applicable Sponsor Account(s); (ii) a statement of the legal claims being asserted and the factual bases of those claims; (iii) a description of the remedy sought, including an accurate, good faith calculation of the amount in controversy in United States Dollars; (iv) a statement certifying completion of the Formal Complaint Process described above (if you are the party making the Request); and (v) evidence that the requesting party has paid any necessary filing fees in connection with such arbitration.

If the party requesting arbitration is represented by counsel, the Request shall also include counsel's name, telephone number, mailing address, and email address. Such counsel must also sign the Request. By signing the Request, counsel certifies to the best of counsel's knowledge, information, and belief, formed after an inquiry reasonable under the circumstances, that: (i) the Request is not being presented for any improper purpose, such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of dispute resolution; (ii) the claims, defenses and other legal contentions are warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for extending, modifying, or reversing existing law or for establishing new law; and (iii) the factual and damages contentions have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, will likely have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery.

Unless you and Sponsor otherwise agree, or the Batch Arbitration process discussed in subsection 1.8 is triggered, the arbitration will be conducted in the county where you reside. Subject to the AAA Rules, the arbitrator may direct a limited and reasonable exchange of information between the parties, consistent with the expedited nature of the arbitration. In any case, you and Sponsor agree that we will not request more than three depositions per side in each arbitration or Batch Arbitration proceeding. If the AAA is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitral forum. Your responsibility to pay any AAA fees and costs will be solely as set forth in the applicable AAA Rules.

You and Sponsor agree that all materials and documents exchanged during the arbitration proceedings shall be kept confidential and shall not be shared with anyone except the parties' attorneys, accountants, or business advisors, and then subject to the condition that they agree to keep all materials and documents exchanged during the arbitration proceedings confidential.

1.5. Arbitrator. The arbitrator will be either a retired judge or an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of California and will be selected by the parties from the AAA's roster of consumer dispute arbitrators. If the parties are unable to agree upon an arbitrator within thirty-five (35) business days of delivery of the Request, then the AAA will appoint the arbitrator in accordance with the AAA Rules, provided that if the Batch Arbitration process under subsection 1.8 is triggered, the AAA will appoint the arbitrator for each batch.

1.6. Authority of Arbitrator. The arbitrator shall have exclusive authority to resolve any Dispute, including, without limitation, disputes arising out of or related to the interpretation or application of the Arbitration Agreement, including the enforceability, revocability, scope, or validity of the Arbitration Agreement or any portion of the Arbitration Agreement, except for the following: (i) all Disputes arising out of or relating to the subsection entitled "Waiver of Class and Other Non-Individualized Relief," including any claim that all or part of the subsection entitled "Waiver of Class and Other Non-Individualized Relief" is unenforceable, illegal, void or voidable, or that such subsection entitled "Waiver of Class and Other Non-Individualized Relief" has been breached, shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator; (ii) except as expressly contemplated in the subsection entitled "Batch Arbitration," all Disputes about the payment of arbitration fees shall be decided only by a court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator; (iii) all Disputes about whether either party has satisfied any condition precedent to arbitration shall be decided only by a court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator; and (iv) all Disputes about which version of the Arbitration Agreement applies shall be decided only by a court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator. The arbitration proceeding will not be consolidated with any other matters or joined with any other cases or parties, except as expressly provided in the subsection entitled "Batch Arbitration." The arbitrator shall have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any Dispute. The arbitrator shall issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and us. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. In any award of damages, the arbitrator shall abide by the "Limitation of Liability" section of these Official Rules (Section 12, above).

1.7. Attorneys' Fees and Costs. The parties shall bear their own attorneys' fees and costs in arbitration unless the arbitrator finds that either the substance of the Dispute or the relief sought in the Request was frivolous or was brought for an improper purpose (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)). If you or Sponsor need to invoke the authority of a court of competent jurisdiction to compel arbitration, then the party that obtains an order compelling arbitration in such action shall have the right to collect from the other party its reasonable costs, necessary disbursements, and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred in securing an order compelling arbitration. The prevailing party in any court action relating to whether either party has satisfied any condition precedent to arbitration, including the Formal Complaint Process, is entitled to recover their reasonable costs, necessary disbursements, and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

1.8. Batch Arbitration. To increase the efficiency of administration and resolution of arbitrations, you and Sponsor agree that in the event that there are one hundred (100) or more individual Requests of a substantially similar nature filed against Sponsor by or with the assistance of the same law firm, group of law firms, or organizations, within a thirty (30) day period (or as soon as possible thereafter), the AAA shall: (i) administer the arbitration demands in batches of one hundred (100) Requests per batch (plus, to the extent there are less than one hundred (100) Requests left over after the batching described above, a final batch consisting of the remaining Requests); (ii) appoint one (1) arbitrator for each batch; and (iii) provide for the resolution of each batch as a single consolidated arbitration with one (1) set of filing and administrative fees due per side per batch, one (1) procedural calendar, one (1) hearing (if any) in a place to be determined by the arbitrator, and one (1) final award ("Batch Arbitration").

All parties agree that Requests are of a "substantially similar nature" if they arise out of or relate to the same event or factual scenario and raise the same or similar legal issues and seek the same or similar relief. To the extent the parties disagree on the application of the Batch Arbitration process, the disagreeing party shall advise the AAA, and the AAA shall appoint a sole standing arbitrator to determine the applicability of the Batch Arbitration process ("Administrative Arbitrator"). In an effort to expedite resolution of any such dispute by the Administrative Arbitrator, the parties agree the Administrative Arbitrator may set forth such procedures as are necessary to resolve any disputes promptly. The Administrative Arbitrator's fees shall be paid by Sponsor.

You and Sponsor agree to cooperate in good faith with the AAA to implement the Batch Arbitration process including the payment of single filing and administrative fees for batches of Requests, as well as any steps to minimize the time and costs of arbitration, which may include: (i) the appointment of a discovery special master to assist the arbitrator in the resolution of discovery disputes; and (ii) the adoption of an expedited calendar of the arbitration proceedings.

This Batch Arbitration provision shall in no way be interpreted as authorizing a class, collective and/or mass arbitration or action of any kind, or arbitration involving joint or consolidated claims under any circumstances, except as expressly set forth in this provision.