The Red language has been actively developed since 2011, and is solid tech. The Red Foundation is brand new, being conceived in late 2017 and formalized as an entity in January 2018. It was created to help lead and support the community, provide project and design governance, and resources when possible.

The creation of the RED ERC20 token, the success of the token sale related to it, and growing momentum in the community with each new feature Red has added made us feel that a clearly defined leadership organization would benefit everyone involved, though it comes with its own costs. It is a proactive step, and one we feel is important in showing our support to the community as well as our serious commitment to the development of all facets of Red, Open Source, commercial, blockchain-based, and beyond. We're just getting started, so stay tuned.

Identifying key players and registering the foundation were important first steps, but are just the beginning. In some areas we can follow the lead of other programming language foundations, and we will. But where many of those foundations stop, seeing the language as their only ward, we see that as just one facet rather than our only responsibility. To that end, we will also promote the development and use of the Red programming language and tools, support contributors, be directly involved in the community, and coordinate and organize events.

Those are known quantities. But with the creation of the RED token, we are also entering uncharted waters, and this is where new goals, needs, and requirements will force us to be a living, dynamic organization. We don't have the luxury of laying down rules that will last for all time. In order to learn how RED tokens can, and should be used, exploration and courage are required. Finding the balance between embracing change, and providing solid footing for continued forward progress over the long haul, will be a challenge. Doing so reliably, securely, and as transparently as possible is our goal.