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We are in talks to move the npm CLI into an open source foundation, most likely OpenJS.
This will enable more contribution to the open source CLI project, helping to ensure that we do not get passed by in the market by alternative CLIs such as Yarn.
A foundation structure is a good fit for a mature open source project, because it builds transparency, trust, and collaboration with our community.
Since the CLI project has always been developed in the open, with active input from our community, we lose little by giving up unilateral governance, and gain a lot in terms of investment, stability, and reputation. Our "secret sauce" is the registry; a healthy CLI project helps maintain that advantage.
Participation in OpenJS in particular provides a forum for collaboration and communication with the biggest players in the JavaScript ecosystem.
The Node.js Foundation was not a good fit for the npm CLI, because it was a single-project structure. The JS Foundation was struggling and had been through many transitions, making it somewhat unstable. Starting our own foundation was cost-prohibitive.
OpenJS is a good fit because of its organizational structure and alignment of our mission to serve the JavaScript ecosystem as a whole.
Development of the npm CLI within a foundation will help us deliver value to new constituencies as they begin to show promise. Specifically, this helps get us out ahead of WebAssembly as it rises in prominence.
By moving the project to the foundation and licensing the use of the npm trademark to the foundation for use on the project, we can help prevent disruption of our position as the default registry for all JavaScript users, and secure a seat on the board where many decisions are made that affect the JavaScript ecosystem.