Governance
Three governance tiers, an independent board, tiered voting and zero conflict of interest. Modeled on PCI SSC and the Linux Foundation.
The governance structure is modeled on PCI SSC and the Linux Foundation, adapted to a Russian limited company. Three tiers: shareholders, the board of directors and operating management; alongside them, an advisory Board of Advisors.
Three governance tiers
Own the company and appoint the board. The equity split and dividends are internal and are not disclosed on the public page.
Strategic decisions, standard changes, CEO appointment, budget and pricing. Quarterly meetings and ad hoc.
Day-to-day operations: CEO, CTO, COO, CFO, General Counsel, Chief QA Officer, Chief Comms, BD Director.
15–25 people from Members, observer regulators and academics. Elected for 2 years; they submit recommendations, with no decisive board vote.
Board composition — minimum 7 people
| Board of Directors | Board composition — minimum 7 people |
|---|---|
| Chair | Chairman of the Board — independent, appointed by all shareholders (supermajority). |
| Class A | 4pay.online directors — 3 (Class A). |
| Independent | Independent Directors — 2 (appointed by a board vote). |
| Observer | Founding Members board observers — 2–3 (non-voting, advisory). |
| Ex officio | CEO — ex officio, non-voting. |
Director independence criteria: not a Council employee, not an employee of a Member organization, no financial ties to a Member or CCSAC, and no close kinship with such persons.
4pay.online is one of the Founding Members with 1 of 7 seats and a stated board independence: standard decisions are taken by the Council board. The equity split and dividends are not disclosed on the public page.
Governance principles
Conflicts of interest are excluded through independent directors and chairman.
A 75% supermajority for major standard versions, CEO appointment, budget, pricing and opening new jurisdictions; a simple 51% majority for CCSAC accreditation, Member-tier rights and strategic partnerships.
Annual disclosure of all leadership affiliations; the Annual Report, QA statistics and the Annual State of CCSA Compliance Report are published.
A maximum of 6 years in one position (a director — three 2-year terms); a 2-year cooling-off before re-election.
Conflict-of-interest policy
Mandatory annual disclosure for the board, C-level, CCSAC owners and Members: financial interests in Member organizations and CCSACs, relatives’ interests, specific clients and deals, and membership in other standards bodies.
On an active conflict the participant recuses: takes no part in the discussion, does not vote and gets no access to the materials. The recusal is recorded in the minutes and in the Council Public Register.
Sanctions: failure to disclose — 90-day suspension of participation; an undisclosed CoI on a decided matter — removal, public disclosure and annulment of the decision; deliberate circumvention — termination, public disclosure and potential civil action.
Working groups
Standards Working Group — developing standard changes and the RFC process; includes rotating Members and observer regulators (ЦБ, АРРФР).
Audit & Quality Working Group — running the QA Program, peer review and discussing best practice.
Marketing & Communications Working Group — events, the content calendar and brand guidelines.
People and appointments
The standard is a v0.2 draft and the governing bodies are still being formed. Below are reserved seats with target appointment dates, not a current named roster. Names and affiliations are published as appointments are made and pass a conflict-of-interest check.
The composition is a target for v1.0. No seat is yet filled; the dates are targets. Real names will appear only after appointment and disclosure of affiliations.
| Body and seat | Seats | Status | Target appointment |
|---|---|---|---|
Board of Directors Chairman of the Board (independent) | 1 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q4 2026 |
Board of Directors Founder directors (Class A, 4pay.online) | 3 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q3 2026 |
Board of Directors Independent directors | 2 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q1 2027 |
Board of Directors Founding Members observers (non-voting) | 2–3 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q1 2027 |
Technical committee (Standards Working Group) Technical committee chair | 1 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q4 2026 |
Technical committee (Standards Working Group) Segment leads C.1-C.4 (custody, wallet, exchange, issuer) | 4 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q1 2027 |
Technical committee (Standards Working Group) Regulator observers (ЦБ, АРРФР) — rotating | 2 | Seat reserved | to be invited — target Q2 2027 |
Quality-assurance team (QA Program) Chief QA Officer | 1 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q4 2026 |
Quality-assurance team (QA Program) QA reviewers (ROC peer review) | 3-5 | Seat reserved | to be appointed — target Q2 2027 |
Appointments go through the board: the chairman and independent directors by a 75% supermajority; committee leads and QA reviewers by a simple majority. Every candidate files an annual disclosure before taking office.
4pay.online — founding sponsor and first reference site
4pay.online is the Council's founding sponsor and the first reference implementation of the CCSA standard. It is the only nameable party at the v0.2 draft stage; the remaining participants are reserved seats until appointed.
Founding sponsor; a reference site for validating CCSA requirements on live crypto-infrastructure.
1 of 7 seats (Class A), with no casting vote on the standard — decisions are taken by the board as a whole.
The Council does not audit 4pay.online and does not consult it on preparation. Certification of 4pay products runs through an independent accredited CCSAC on the same terms as anyone else; on any decision touching 4pay, the founder directors recuse — they take no part in the discussion and do not vote.
The reference-site status and the 4pay affiliation are disclosed publicly and recorded in the Council Public Register. The equity split and dividends are not disclosed on the public page.
Register interest
The standard is a v0.2 draft. Leave a contact and the Council will reach out when v1.0 is released.
The Council responds within 5 business days.
This opens an email in your mail client with the subject prefilled. The Council does not share contacts with third parties.
No contact data is collected on the site — the email opens in your own mail client.
The structure is modeled on PCI SSC and the Linux Foundation, adapted to a Russian limited company.
CCSA Standard
Draft v0.2 -> v1.0. Subject to change before 2027-01-01.
Three governance tiers
The governance structure is modeled on PCI SSC and the Linux Foundation, adapted to a Russian limited company. Three tiers: shareholders, the board of directors and operating management; alongside them, an advisory Board of Advisors.