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QIST Foundation — Compliance & Governance Statement

Effective Date: 1 December 2025

1. Purpose of the Governance Framework

QIST Foundation’s governance exists to ensure:

  • Scientific integrity
  • Ethical research practices
  • Safety in emerging technologies
  • Transparency in institutional decisions
  • Independence from commercial and financial interests

As an unincorporated global research initiative, QIST’s governance framework is designed for scalability into a future Cayman nonprofit foundation.

2. Nonprofit & Non-Financial Mandate

QIST operates strictly as a research and public-benefit scientific body.

Therefore:

  • QIST conducts no financial or tokenized activities
  • QIST is not a token issuer
  • QIST does not administer staking, rewards, or liquidity programs
  • QIST does not engage in investment activities or fundraising tied to digital assets

All QIST activities are aligned with scientific advancement, education, and open standards development.

3. Ethical Research Standards

QIST adheres to principles of:

  • Scientific rigor. Reproducibility, transparency, and peer scrutiny.
  • Security-by-design. All research emphasizes safety, verifiability, and cryptographic integrity.
  • Responsible autonomy. AI and autonomous systems must incorporate safety constraints and alignment responsibilities.
  • Quantum resilience. Technologies discussed or analyzed must account for long-term cryptographic viability.
  • Public benefit. Research must support global resilience and long-term societal safety.

4. Research Oversight Board

QIST maintains an evolving conceptual Research Oversight Board responsible for:

  • Reviewing scientific directions
  • Assessing ethical considerations
  • Evaluating risk in emerging technologies
  • Providing guidance on governance structures
  • Ensuring independence from commercial influence

This board becomes formalized upon Cayman incorporation.

Board composition, independence, and potential conflicts of interest are expected to be reviewed periodically. Members are encouraged to disclose relevant conflicts and, where appropriate, recuse themselves from decisions where such conflicts may arise.

The structure and mandate of the Research Oversight Board will be refined and documented more formally as QIST grows and as the Cayman foundation is established.

5. Compliance With Global Norms

QIST voluntarily aligns with internationally recognized best practices for research institutions, including:

  • Open scientific collaboration
  • Responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities
  • Ethical data-handling norms
  • Independence from financial conflicts of interest
  • Transparency in methodologies

QIST does not fall under financial compliance regimes such as AML/KYC, because QIST:

  • Does not conduct financial transactions
  • Does not manage assets
  • Does not facilitate token sales or investments
  • Does not provide regulated services

Because some cryptography, security, and advanced computing work can have dual-use implications, QIST aims to respect applicable export-control, sanctions, and other public-interest regulations. QIST does not knowingly collaborate in ways that would violate such regimes.

6. Transparency Commitment

QIST commits to:

  • Publishing updates on governance evolution
  • Publishing annual research focus summaries (future)
  • Disclosing entity formation milestones
  • Maintaining open communication with contributors and researchers

7. Path to Cayman Incorporation

Upon readiness (post-research scaling and community establishment), QIST will formalize as a nonprofit foundation under Cayman law, enabling:

  • Long-term governance
  • Grant-making ability
  • Scientific oversight structures
  • Separation from operational protocols
  • Clear contributor agreements

This transition will be announced publicly with updated governance documents.

8. Independence from Operational Infrastructure

QIST does not:

  • Operate decentralized networks
  • Maintain token treasuries
  • Oversee smart contracts
  • Control DeFi protocols
  • Provide deployment infrastructure

Any such operational layers belong to independent technical ecosystems, not the Foundation.

9. Reporting Concerns & Updates

Individuals with concerns about ethics, safety, or compliance in relation to QIST activities may contact contact@qist.foundation. QIST will review such communications in good faith and may update this statement as its governance, research, and legal posture evolve.

This Compliance & Governance Statement is expected to be updated over time, including after the formal establishment of the QIST Foundation in the Cayman Islands.