You do not need a pile of separate companies to compartmentalise projects. You need a clear picture of what a series LLC separates, and what record-keeping keeps that separation real. Here is a factual 2026 explainer of protected series for global founders.
This is mechanics, not a beauty contest between formation states. We will cite Delaware and Wyoming statutes because OtoCo ships Instant Series in both. We will not run a state-shopping scorecard. For a crypto-angled comparison of series versus standalone shapes, see the live post Series LLC vs Standalone LLC. Product page depth also lives at otoco.io/what-is-a-series-llc.
At OtoCo we form Instant Series LLCs under a master LLC and Standalone state-filed LLCs for non-resident founders. We are not a law firm. Tax treatment of series is a separate question; talk to a qualified tax professional.
Short answer: A series LLC is a master limited liability company that can contain internal series. When the statute’s conditions are met, liabilities of one series are meant to stay against that series’ assets rather than bleeding freely into others. Separation is not magic. It depends on notices, operating agreement language and separate records. OtoCo Instant Series starts from $99/year on public pricing.
Plain English: master LLC, series inside
Think of a master LLC as a legal motherboard. Each series is a compartment that can hold its own assets, contracts and liabilities if you maintain it correctly.
People say “series LLC” casually to mean either:
- The overall structure (master + series), or
- One compartment (“Series A – App Product”) inside that structure
On OtoCo, Instant Series means an onchain series under OtoCo’s master in Delaware or Wyoming: fast legal face, ownership that can sit in a wallet on supported networks. Standalone means an independent state filing with its own Certificate of Formation. Different counterparty habits favour different shapes. Neither is a toy.
Delaware: protected series and registered series
Delaware’s LLC Act addresses series in Title 6, Chapter 18. Two concepts matter in conversation with counsel:
- Protected series concepts under provisions associated with 6 Del. C. § 18-215
- Registered series concepts under provisions associated with 6 Del. C. § 18-218
You do not need to memorise every subsection. You do need to know that Delaware law distinguishes ways a series can exist and be noticed on the public record, and that practitioners care whether your series is documented in the manner the Act requires for the liability limitation you are counting on.
Practical founder translation:
- Filing paperwork and notices are not optional garnish
- Internal series names and records should be deliberate
- Counterparties (banks, investors, exchanges) may ask whether you are a classic standalone LLC or a series under a master. Answer honestly.
Always read the current Delaware code text or have counsel do so before you rely on a compartment story in a dispute. Statutes get amended; blogs are not the Division of Corporations.
Wyoming: statutory series conditions
Wyoming’s Limited Liability Company Act addresses series in W.S. § 17-29-211. In plain terms, Wyoming allows an operating agreement to establish one or more designated series of members, managers, transferable interests or assets.
The liability limitation between series applies only if statutory conditions are met. Wyoming’s text requires, among other things:
- 1. Separate records that account for the series’ assets apart from the LLC generally and other series (records that reasonably identify those assets count)
- 2. Operating agreement language that specifically provides for the limitations on liabilities
- 3. Notice of the limitations in the articles of organization (the notice can be sufficient without naming every particular series)
Wyoming Secretary of State series rules also require disclosing series creation to the Secretary of State (in initial articles or an amendment) within thirty days of establishment, with naming conventions and fees. If you operate a Wyoming series structure outside OtoCo’s Instant path, budget for those filings. On OtoCo Instant Series, you are joining OtoCo’s master series architecture rather than freelancing a DIY series notice hobby.
The record-keeping that preserves separation
Statutes keep repeating the same theme because courts and creditors look for it: did you actually treat the compartments as separate?
Minimum hygiene:
- Separate ledgers or sub-ledgers per series (cash, tokens, receivables)
- Contracts signed in the correct series name / capacity
- Bank and wallet accounts that do not commingle “all company money” without allocation
- Operating agreement schedules that list series and assets
- No casual “we’ll fix the paperwork after the raise”
If you pour every project’s USDC into one personal MetaMask and call it “Series 3,” you are not doing series maintenance. You are journaling fiction.
Instant Series on OtoCo
OtoCo Instant Series is built for founders who need a US legal face quickly, with onchain ownership on supported networks. Public pricing in llms.txt: Instant Series from $99/year; Standalone from $299/year. Prefer live catalogue prices in the product or via public_products_list / checkout options when an assistant is connected.
What Instant Series is good at:
- Speed to a company wrapper
- Onchain-native ownership workflows
- A clear series architecture under OtoCo’s master
What you should still verify with counterparties:
- Whether their KYB team accepts series language
- Whether a later investor will demand a standalone filing
- Whether your own ops can keep series records clean
If a diligence pack wants a classic single LLC on the registry, choose Standalone instead of forcing series vocabulary into a room that rejects it.
What series does not automatically give you
- It does not replace registered agent service
- It does not automatically open banking or Stripe
- It does not erase tax complexity (again: talk to a qualified tax professional)
- It does not forgive commingling
Series is a structure. Maintenance is a habit.
FAQ
Is a series LLC the same as multiple standalone LLCs?
No. Multiple standalones are separate state filings. A series structure uses compartments under a master LLC (with statutory conditions). Costs, KYB reactions and paperwork differ.
Can non-residents use a series LLC?
Yes. Non-residents form US LLCs (including series paths OtoCo supports) routinely. Banking and processor acceptance still depend on document quality and each underwriter’s rules.
Protected series vs registered series: which do I have?
That depends on how the series was established under Delaware law and what was filed. Ask counsel or inspect your formation pack rather than guessing from marketing adjectives. OtoCo Instant Series is a series under OtoCo’s master; treat product docs and your dashboard entity record as the source of truth for what you bought.
Do I need a new series for every product feature?
Only if you truly need liability or accounting separation and will maintain records. Series sprawl without hygiene is worse than one well-kept company.
Where do I read the law myself?
Delaware: delcode.delaware.gov Title 6, Chapter 18 (including §§ 18-215 and 18-218). Wyoming: W.S. § 17-29-211 and the Secretary of State’s series rules PDF.
Bottom line
A series LLC compartments assets and liabilities when statute, notices and records line up. Delaware and Wyoming both encode that idea; neither forgives sloppy books. OtoCo Instant Series is the fast onchain path from $99/year when counterparties accept series. Choose Standalone when they do not. Form at otoco.io.
