Company: CRCL
Filing Date: 2025-05-27
Form Type: S-1/A
Source: 0001193125-25-126208
Chunk: 269

Company: Circle Internet Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-05-27
Form: S-1/A
Chunk 269
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 The decision of the board of directors on all matters relating to the administration of the 2013 Scheme, including the resolution of any ambiguity of the rules in the
2013 Scheme, is final and binding. The board of directors may also terminate or, from time to time, suspend the grant of awards. The board of directors may also make, subject to certain restrictions, amendments to the rules of the 2013 Scheme
or any subplans.

Generally, an award is granted by the execution by Circle of an award certificate, which provides information regarding the award’s date of
grant, the number of shares issued pursuant to the award, vesting schedule, exercisability (if applicable), whether an option is an “incentive stock option” under the Code or a nonqualified stock option, and transfer restrictions.

In the case of options, the board of directors has absolute discretion to determine the exercise price; provided that such exercise price cannot be less than the
nominal value of a Scheme Share.

With the exception of an individual’s death or in the event of a corporate transaction, awards are not capable of being
transferred, charged, or otherwise alienated. Any time an award holder purports to make one of these transfers, the award shall lapse immediately.

The maximum
number of Scheme Shares which may be the subject of awards under the 2013 Scheme may not exceed 65,313,680. Where an award has lapsed, been renounced, or otherwise becomes incapable of vesting, it shall not be counted towards the limit. If an award
is granted that causes the maximum limit to be exceeded, then only the awards which do not cause the limit to be exceeded shall be effective.

Subject to certain
provisions of the 2013 Scheme, no award can be exercised after the tenth anniversary of the date of grant (the seventh anniversary for an Irish tax resident). With the exception of certain special circumstances, an award can only be exercised while
the award holder is employed by Circle or any of its subsidiaries. Subject to certain provisions, a vested award may be exercised in whole or in part at any time after its date of grant.

When there are certain corporate transactions related to Circle, such as a compulsory acquisition, a general offer, a reconstruction, a merger or division of Circle, the
winding up of Circle, or the sale of Circle’s business or subsidiary, the board of directors has discretion (subject to certain requirements) to allow all awards (vested or unvested) to