Ethereum Foundation

Ethereum Foundation Zug: Profile and Swiss Operations

Organisation Overview

The Ethereum Foundation (Stiftung Ethereum) is a Swiss non-profit foundation headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, responsible for stewarding …

How Zug Became the World's Blockchain Capital: The Complete History of Crypto Valley

In June 2014, eight people gathered in a rented house in Zug and decided that the world's second-largest blockchain would be a non-profit. That decision — and the Swiss legal infrastructure that made it possible — set in motion the most consequential act of technology geography since Silicon Valley formed around Stanford.

Stiftung (Swiss Foundation): Definition and Blockchain Applications

A Stiftung — the German word for foundation — is Switzerland's mission-locked, non-profit legal entity. It has no shareholders, no owners, and its assets are irrevocably dedicated to its stated purpose. It is the legal structure chosen by the Ethereum Foundation, Web3 Foundation, Cardano Foundation, Tezos Foundation, Solana Foundation, NEAR Foundation, and dozens of other major blockchain protocol foundations based in Zug.

The Spaceship Meeting: How Ethereum Found Its Home in Zug and Created Crypto Valley

On June 7, 2014, eight engineers in a rented Swiss house made a decision that would make Zug the blockchain capital of the world. The story of how Ethereum came to Switzerland is also the story of how Switzerland came to understand blockchain — and why the combination proved unstoppable.

The Zug Foundation Model: How Swiss Stiftungs Power Blockchain Protocols

Every major blockchain protocol that needs a governance foundation makes the same decision: incorporate as a Swiss Stiftung in Zug. Ethereum did it in 2014. Polkadot, Cardano, Tezos, Solana, and NEAR followed. Understanding why requires understanding Swiss foundation law, FINMA's regulatory approach, and the specific advantages that no other jurisdiction can replicate.