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Structure the DAO: Foundations, LLCs, and Cross-Border Compliance with James Kingston
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Billions in treasury, legal gray zones, and the race to get banked, DAO structuring is where crypto meets the real world.
In this MoonCast “builders’ episode,” co-hosts Sanad Karkar (Director of Legal & Regulatory Strategy, LPO&Law) and Razin Nizar (financial-crime & compliance specialist) sit down with James Kingston (Founder, DAO SPV) to demystify how DAOs become bankable, compliant organizations.
🎧 Tune in to hear:
- DAO, demystified: What a DAO really is (code + community), why wrappers matter, and where liability hides
- Wrapper playbook: Foundations vs. LLCs vs. Associations, Cayman, Panama, Marshall Islands, Wyoming, Switzerland
- Banking reality: What gets a “yes” from banks/exchanges, when EMI/fintech rails beat trad banking, and KYC expectations
- Token meets legal: Aligning governance/utility/fundraising tokens with the right entity and bylaws (and avoiding cap-table landmines)
- Precedent watch: The Ooki DAO case, service, liability, and why unwrapped governance voters risk personal exposure
- U.S. split-screen: SEC vs. CFTC turf tension, state-level DAO LLCs, and what federal clarity would change
- Cross-border basics: CFC rules (EU/US/Canada), substance, mind-and-management, and tax “neutrality” vs. “no tax” myths
- Risk radar: Sanctions, pseudo-anonymity, and the North Korea developer problem, controls founders actually use
- Practical checklist: Governance templates, voting quorums/delegations, bylaws you can update, and a path to “operationally decentralized”
👤 About the Guest
James Kingston is the founder of DAO SPV, a platform that helps Web3 entrepreneurs set up legal entities across 13 jurisdictions. A graduate of Oxford University and called to the English Bar, James combines nearly a decade of tech experience with deep expertise in international structuring.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Consult qualified experts before making decisions related to DAOs, digital assets, taxation, or regulatory compliance.
Support the show
Sanad Karkar, JD, LL.M, is a business and legal strategy consultant and the founder of Moonrock Consultancy Consultancy, with expertise in Business, Technology and international law. Legal Consultant at LPO&Law specialising in Web3, Digital Assets and offshore jurisdictions.
Razin Nizar (Associate - AICB, ACRC, ACAML, CAML) is the founder of Pragmax Consulting, specializing in risk and compliance.
Bridging Technology, Compliance and Law
This series will focus on highlighting the latest developments in regulatory compliance, legal frameworks, and the technological advancements shaping the blockchain industry. It brings together two former college friends from Bond University —Razin Nizar and Sanad Karkar—who, after diverging into different professional paths continents apart, have reunited at the forefront of digital assets more than 14 years later. As experts in risk management, compliance, business, and legal strategy, our collaboration is dedicated to exploring how the intersection of law, technology, and compliance can address the challen...
View all episodes
By Sanad & RazinSend us a text
Billions in treasury, legal gray zones, and the race to get banked, DAO structuring is where crypto meets the real world.
In this MoonCast “builders’ episode,” co-hosts Sanad Karkar (Director of Legal & Regulatory Strategy, LPO&Law) and Razin Nizar (financial-crime & compliance specialist) sit down with James Kingston (Founder, DAO SPV) to demystify how DAOs become bankable, compliant organizations.
🎧 Tune in to hear:
- DAO, demystified: What a DAO really is (code + community), why wrappers matter, and where liability hides
- Wrapper playbook: Foundations vs. LLCs vs. Associations, Cayman, Panama, Marshall Islands, Wyoming, Switzerland
- Banking reality: What gets a “yes” from banks/exchanges, when EMI/fintech rails beat trad banking, and KYC expectations
- Token meets legal: Aligning governance/utility/fundraising tokens with the right entity and bylaws (and avoiding cap-table landmines)
- Precedent watch: The Ooki DAO case, service, liability, and why unwrapped governance voters risk personal exposure
- U.S. split-screen: SEC vs. CFTC turf tension, state-level DAO LLCs, and what federal clarity would change
- Cross-border basics: CFC rules (EU/US/Canada), substance, mind-and-management, and tax “neutrality” vs. “no tax” myths
- Risk radar: Sanctions, pseudo-anonymity, and the North Korea developer problem, controls founders actually use
- Practical checklist: Governance templates, voting quorums/delegations, bylaws you can update, and a path to “operationally decentralized”
👤 About the Guest
James Kingston is the founder of DAO SPV, a platform that helps Web3 entrepreneurs set up legal entities across 13 jurisdictions. A graduate of Oxford University and called to the English Bar, James combines nearly a decade of tech experience with deep expertise in international structuring.
⚠️ Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Consult qualified experts before making decisions related to DAOs, digital assets, taxation, or regulatory compliance.
Support the show
Sanad Karkar, JD, LL.M, is a business and legal strategy consultant and the founder of Moonrock Consultancy Consultancy, with expertise in Business, Technology and international law. Legal Consultant at LPO&Law specialising in Web3, Digital Assets and offshore jurisdictions.
Razin Nizar (Associate - AICB, ACRC, ACAML, CAML) is the founder of Pragmax Consulting, specializing in risk and compliance.
Bridging Technology, Compliance and Law
This series will focus on highlighting the latest developments in regulatory compliance, legal frameworks, and the technological advancements shaping the blockchain industry. It brings together two former college friends from Bond University —Razin Nizar and Sanad Karkar—who, after diverging into different professional paths continents apart, have reunited at the forefront of digital assets more than 14 years later. As experts in risk management, compliance, business, and legal strategy, our collaboration is dedicated to exploring how the intersection of law, technology, and compliance can address the challen...