Mission
Groundwire Foundation is a Wyoming nonprofit corporation organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. The Foundation conducts original research and public education in computer science and networking theory, builds the open-source Groundwire computer networking protocol, and advances decentralized networking and identity research applicable to Bitcoin and other peer-to-peer systems.
What we do
- Research and development — original computer science research in distributed systems and peer-to-peer computing. Everything we build is released free of charge under open-source licenses at github.com/gwbtc, and all research findings are published openly. Researchers are engaged in part through open calls and requests for proposals in our public repositories.
- Publication — the Foundation sponsors the Urbit Systems Technical Journal, a quarterly journal of research papers and educational material in distributed systems, peer-to-peer computing, and cryptocurrency protocols. Print issues are sold below the cost of production, and copies are given away free of charge, including to those unable to pay.
- Public outreach — educational talks and presentations at technical conferences, sharing the Foundation’s research findings with the public.
Governance
The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Directors serve without compensation. No part of the Foundation’s earnings benefits any private individual, and upon dissolution all Foundation assets must be distributed exclusively for exempt purposes.
Supporting the Foundation
The Foundation’s work is supported almost entirely by donations, and no activity of the Foundation is operated to produce income.
Groundwire Foundation has applied to the IRS for recognition of exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and the application is pending. If exemption is granted, we expect recognition to be retroactive to the Foundation’s formation in December 2025, in which case contributions made now would become deductible. Until the IRS issues its determination, donors should not treat contributions as tax-deductible.