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What is The Arbitrum Foundation?

Overview of The Arbitrum Foundation​

The Arbitrum Foundation is a Cayman Islands foundation company that is tasked with developing and nurturing the Arbitrum ecosystem. The Foundation operates as a neutral steward in order to support the ArbitrumDAO, the continuous innovation of the Arbitrum technology and the development and education of the Arbitrum community.

As a steward for ArbitrumDAO, the Foundation is able to interact with traditional legal frameworks by:

  • Facilitating both compliance with relevant regulations, including sanctions-related regulations, and accountability of any particular AIP approved by the ArbitrumDAO by ensuring that appropriate KYC measures and documentation are implemented;
  • Engaging in various transactions and agreements with other entities, such as service providers, traditional enterprises and contractors on behalf of the ecosystem;
  • Supporting and facilitating infrastructure, socials, subscriptions, and various services for ArbitrumDAO.

Mandate of The Arbitrum Foundation​

The Arbitrum Foundation’s mission is stated in its bylaws and focuses on fostering, developing, authorizing, and governing ArbitrumDAO-Approved Chains - currently Arbitrum One, an Optimistic Rollup, that instantly scales apps, reducing costs and increasing capacity without sacrificing Ethereum's security, and Arbitrum Nova, which allows for ultra-low cost fees by leveraging AnyTrust technology.

Furthermore, The Arbitrum Foundation is dedicated to consistently supporting the ArbitrumDAO, encouraging involvement from individuals and entities seeking to contribute to and advance any aspect, whether technical or otherwise, of the ecosystem and future implementations of the Arbitrum technology.

Specifically, the mandate empowers The Arbitrum Foundation to:

  • Support and fund research and development activities and projects;
  • Educate the public regarding ArbitrumDAO, the broader Ethereum ecosystem and Arbitrum technology;
  • Foster ecosystem growth through strategic initiatives, including the Arbitrum Foundation Grant Program and organizing educational initiatives for ArbitrumDAO;
  • Increase autonomy and fuel decentralization for ArbitrumDAO.

How does The Arbitrum Foundation operate?​

The Arbitrum Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors as provided in the Transparency report: Initial foundation setup. The ArbitrumDAO has significant authority over the Board of Directors as it may remove or elect the Foundation's Directors, or expand or reduce the number of directors at any time pursuant to a Non-Constitutional AIP.

The responsibility of the Board of Directors is to oversee and handle the operational and administrative aspects of the Foundation. The Foundation also engages officers, employees, contractors, and service providers to carry out its operational and administrative objectives in order to support the ArbitrumDAO.