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Legal Structure

Document type: Legal summary
Doc ID: LEGAL-STRUCTURE-PATH
Status: Final v0.1
Release date: December 21, 2025
Author: Nicolas Turcotte, Founder
Source repo: dcorps-docs-public (docs/legal/STRUCTURE_PATH.md)
Last updated: 2026-01-18

Scope: Summary of the intended legal structure path described in the Whitepaper Long.

1. Current posture (early phase)

Status note: dCorps is in Phase 0A (development). Mainnet is not live and the foundation is not incorporated yet.

Current posture (design intention):

  • DevCo (active): dCorps Development Ltd. is the development company (jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands (BVI); incorporated; active).
  • ResCo (planned): dCorps Research LLC is the intended research organization (intended jurisdiction: Wyoming (USA); incorporation pending).
  • Early work focuses on protocol engineering, reference tooling, and public documentation.
  • This structure is not intended to create a custody or financial intermediation role.

2. Transition posture (maturity phase)

  • Establish a nonprofit foundation in Switzerland or ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market).
  • Switzerland offers strong institutional credibility and supervisory expectations; ADGM offers a lean, remote-friendly setup with lower early overhead.
  • The foundation is not incorporated yet; the jurisdiction choice will be made before incorporation and published with the foundation charter and governance updates.
  • Transfer stewardship of shared standards and public goods to the foundation.
  • Transfer protocol and brand IP to the foundation before mainnet; launch is gated on completion.
  • Retain protocol neutrality and reduce single-vendor dependence.

3. Triggers and readiness signals

  • Public testnet artifacts and reproducible tooling published.
  • Governance processes operational with clear thresholds.
  • Ecosystem contributors beyond the founding team are active.

4. Change control

Any material change to the legal structure path should be reflected in updates to this document and, once on-chain governance is live, documented via governance proposals where applicable.