Description of the Registrant's Securities

Exhibit 4.2

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES

REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

​

The “Company,” “Direct Digital,” “Direct Digital Holdings,” “DDH,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. The following description summarizes the material terms and provisions of the registered securities of Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For a complete description of our capital stock, you should refer to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (“certificate of incorporation”) and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (“bylaws”), each as amended from time to time, and to the provisions of applicable Delaware law.

Common Stock

We are authorized to issue 160,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share, 20,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.

Class A Common Stock

Voting Rights

Holders of our Class A common stock are be entitled to cast one vote per share. Holders of our Class A common stock are not entitled to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a single class. Except as otherwise provided by law, amendments to the certificate of incorporation must be approved by a majority of the combined voting power of all shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class.

Dividend Rights

Any dividend or distribution paid or payable to the holders of shares of Class A common stock shall be paid pro rata, on an equal priority, pari passu basis; provided, however, that if a dividend or distribution is paid in the form of Class A common stock (or rights to acquire shares of Class A common stock), then the holders of the Class A common stock shall receive Class A common stock (or rights to acquire shares of Class A common stock).

Liquidation Rights

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, upon the completion of the distributions required with respect to any series of redeemable convertible preferred stock that may then be outstanding, our remaining assets legally available for distribution to stockholders shall be distributed on an equal priority, pro rata basis to the holders of Class A common stock, unless different treatment is approved by the majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock.

Other Matters

No shares of Class A common stock are subject to redemption or have preemptive rights to purchase additional shares of Class A common stock. Holders of shares of our Class A common stock do not have

subscription, redemption or conversion rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Class A common stock.

Class B Common Stock

Issuance of Class B Common Stock with LLC Units

Shares of Class B common stock will only be issued in the future to the extent necessary to maintain a one-to-one ratio between the number of economic nonvoting common units of Direct Digital Holdings, LLC (“LLC Units”) held by Direct Digital Management, LLC (“DDM LLC”) and the number of shares of Class B common stock issued to DDM LLC. Shares of Class B common stock are transferable only together with an equal number of LLC Units. Shares of Class B common stock will be cancelled on a one-for-one basis if we, at the election of DDM LLC, redeem or exchange their LLC Units pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Agreement of DDH LLC, dated February 15, 2022, by and between us and DDM (the “DDH LLC Agreement”).

Voting Rights

Holders of Class B common stock are entitled to cast one vote per share, with the number of shares of Class B common stock held by DDM LLC being equivalent to the number of nonvoting LLC Units held by DDM LLC. Holders of our Class B common stock are not entitled to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. The voting power afforded to DDM LLC by its shares of Class B common stock will be automatically and correspondingly reduced as it redeems its LLC Units because an equal number of their shares of Class B common stock will be cancelled.

Generally, all matters to be voted on by stockholders must be approved by a majority (or, in the case of election of directors, by a plurality) of the votes entitled to be cast by all Class A and Class B stockholders present in person or represented by proxy, voting together as a single class. Except as otherwise provided by law, amendments to the certificate of incorporation must be approved by a majority of the combined voting power of all shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class. There will be a separate vote of the Class B common stock in the following circumstances:

​

​

​

Dividend Rights

The shares of Class B common stock have no economic rights. Holders of shares of our Class B common stock do not have any rights to receive dividends.

Liquidation Rights

On our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of Class B common stock will not be entitled to receive any distribution of our assets.

Transfers

Pursuant to the DDH LLC Agreement, each holder of Class B common stock agrees that:

​

​

Other Matters

No shares of Class B common stock have preemptive rights to purchase additional shares of Class B common stock. Holders of shares of our Class B common stock do not have subscription, redemption or conversion rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the Class B common stock.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors has the authority, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our stockholders. Our board of directors can also increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of preferred stock, but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our Class A common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our Company and might adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A common stock. We have no current plan to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Unit Purchase Option

In connection with our initial public offering consummated in February 2022 (the “IPO”), we sold to the representatives of the underwriters a unit purchase option to purchase 5% of the total number of units sold in the IPO (including 5% of any securities sold upon the underwriters’ exercise of the over-allotment option). The unit purchase option has an exercise price equal to 120% of the price per unit in the IPO or, in the event of the purchase of an uneven number of shares of Class A common stock or warrants pursuant to the over-allotment option, at 120% of the IPO price per share or per warrant, as applicable, subject to standard anti-dilution adjustments for share splits and similar transactions. The unit purchase option became exercisable upon issuance at any time, and from time to time, in whole or in part, during the period commencing 180 days from the commencement of sales in the IPO, and expiring five years from the commencement of sales in the IPO. The unit purchase option is also exercisable on a cashless basis. The unit purchase option has been deemed compensation by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, and is therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). Except as permitted by Rule 5110(e)(1), the underwriters (or permitted assignees under the Rule) was not permitted to sell, transfer, assign, pledge, or hypothecate the unit purchase option or the securities underlying the unit purchase option, nor will any of them engage in any hedging, short sale, derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the option or the underlying securities for a period of 180 days from the commencement of the IPO.