Updates to Interchain Foundation Presidency
The Interchain Foundation (ICF) is proud to announce that Ethan Buchman, Co-Founder of Cosmos, will transition his role of President of the Interchain Foundation to Brian Crain.
Having served as the Foundation’s President since 2021, Ethan Buchman is shifting his focus from operational concerns to shaping the technical direction of the Foundation Council. This transition underscores his dedication to furthering the growth and potential of the technology that the ICF stewards.
Brian Crain, a longstanding contributor to the ecosystem, will assume the role of President, while Ethan Buchman will continue to serve as Vice-President of the Foundation.
Since the launch of the Cosmos Network in March 2019, the ecosystem of IBC-connected blockchains, the interchain, has grown to over 50+ sovereign chains, each allowing for secure, trust-minimized, cross-chain interoperability. Recently, IBC connection was established with the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystem, ensuring a secure model for cross-chain, cross-ecosystem interoperability. Beyond IBC-connected chains, innumerable blockchains have been built with the ecosystem’s core technology, the Interchain Stack, including BNB Beacon Chain, BNB Greenfield, and Thorchain.
Ethan Buchman served the ICF through a period of significant change in the ecosystem, as development of the core stack became distributed across different organizations. The interchain today has a uniquely decentralized makeup — a consequence of its philosophy, values, and history.
As the ICF matures, it is seeking new ways to service the growing interchain ecosystem. This transition allows Ethan to focus on his evolving strategic vision while maintaining his valuable presence within the Foundation.
Brian Crain, who has served as Vice-President since 2021, and as a Foundation Council member since 2020, brings a wealth of experience to his new role as President. His history within the ecosystem includes instrumental contributions as Chief Operating Officer at Tendermint Inc. during the early stages of Cosmos Network’s development, where he played a pivotal role in its growth and launch.
Brian also serves as the CEO at Chorus One, one of the largest institutional staking providers globally, which operates infrastructure for 45+ Proof-of-Stake networks. From this, Brian has extensive knowledge of the operations within other PoS networks and will translate these learnings in his guidance of the ICF. Brian is also Co-Founder and Co-Host of Epicenter, one of the longest-running crypto podcasts.
As part of a larger strategic transition, the Interchain Foundation continues to work on improving its operations and governance structures to better serve the ecosystem’s needs. Currently, the Foundation is in the process of evaluating new candidates for the Foundation Council, with expectations of welcoming several new members in the coming months.
Brian Crain, incoming President of the Interchain Foundation, said: “I am honored to take on the role of President of the Interchain Foundation. The ICF has played a key role in contributing to the interchain and helping to build a world of sovereign, interoperable blockchains that result in more freedom and efficiency. Through funding many of the core pieces of the technology stack, the ICF can continue to support and accelerate the development of the interchain ecosystem. As the new President, my priority is to enhance transparency, increase the efficiency of the Foundation and improve the effectiveness with which we fund public goods in the ecosystem. Ethan Buchman is a remarkable leader, visionary, and innovator, and I look forward to our joint work on the Foundation Council.”
Ethan Buchman, Vice-President of the Interchain Foundation said: “I am proud of what we’ve been able to achieve as an ecosystem, and of the progress we’ve made in maturing the ICF and distributing the development of the Interchain Stack. There remain many challenges and opportunities ahead, and I look forward to continuing work with Brian, the ICF, and the wider community as we build out the internet of blockchains. Brian is an experienced operator with incredible knowledge of the blockchain space and a deep commitment to more transparent organizations.”
