PLC Organization Registers as Swiss Verein to Operate AT Protocol Directory

The organization completed initial setup steps including statute definition, digital tooling, bank account establishment, and publication of standard.site. Bootstrap funding came from Bluesky Social PBC. Board members are Richard Barnes, Thyla van der Merwe, Bryan Newbold, Wendy Seltzer, and Filippo Valsorda. The PLC directory records signed updates to did:plc identifiers for handles and PDS locations without holding the signing keys itself.

Primary documentation at web.plc.directory and atproto identity specs confirm updates remain tamper-proof through user-controlled cryptography. This structure mirrors prior efforts such as Let's Encrypt governance, where independent entities manage append-only public ledgers. No ownership stake exists under Swiss Verein rules, reducing single-entity control risks compared to the initial Bluesky-operated directory.

Operational transfer requires policy definitions for key rotation, account recovery, and funding diversification. The move addresses transparency gaps in AT Protocol identity infrastructure by shifting control outside the primary application provider. Next milestones include asset handover and publication of initial operational policies within the coming year.

Longer-term plans target user-facing tools for identity visibility and sustainable non-BlueSky revenue sources to maintain the small-scale operation.