Charles Hoskinson, the founder of the Cardano Foundation, has recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the current board structure of the organization. In a social media post made on December 18, Hoskinson called for the relocation of the Foundation to a jurisdiction that would allow its users to elect board members.
Hoskinson’s concerns stem from the current arrangement wherein the Swiss government appoints board members without any community input. He also urged the Cardano community to scrutinize the individuals responsible for the Foundation’s past decisions and its relationship with Intersect.
His post highlighted the need for the Foundation to consider relocation to areas such as Abu Dhabi or Wyoming, both of which support more inclusive governance models. According to Hoskinson, this shift would enable the community to collaborate with the Foundation on devising a new structure that promotes transparency and encourages member participation.
“The foundation shouldn’t be in Switzerland. There are many jurisdictions that allow for different DLT foundations like Abu Dhabi or Wyoming. The community could design with the CF a new structure, and the CF could grant the funds to this structure,” Hoskinson stated.
Established in 2016, the Cardano Foundation operates under Swiss law, a legal framework that doesn’t facilitate community-based board elections. The Foundation defended its choice of legal form, stating, “The foundation model is the legal form that was chosen in 2016 when the Cardano Foundation was set up. If the goal was to create a membership-based model, the legal form of a Swiss association, such as we used for PRAGMA, would have been a more suitable choice.”
Hoskinson’s latest remarks come at a time when the Foundation is under scrutiny for alleged governance issues, internal conflicts, and the purported marginalization of key contributors. Despite efforts to improve transparency through open forums, calls for a leadership overhaul continue to echo.
In response to these concerns, the Foundation has announced plans to host an X Spaces series. In these sessions, leadership will provide greater insight into operations and address issues raised by the community. This is a step in the right direction, but whether it will appease the discontented community remains to be seen.
Hoskinson’s proposal for a relocation and restructuring of the Foundation’s board offers an interesting perspective on the future of the organization. As the debate continues, it will be crucial to see how the Cardano Foundation responds to these suggestions and whether these changes will indeed foster greater transparency and community participation.
