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We need altcoins as long as we interact economically over the net, with people we do not know (or simply with people outside our local communities). If we try to imagine what qualities a "solarpunk coin" should have, what are your thoughts? Do we know any existing coin, checking all boxes? This question is more about political economy of Solarpunk, then its technology.
I’m interested in currencies with depreciating value as an incentive to spend or loan money without incentivizing excess wealth hoarding. This was first proposed by Silvio Gesell over 100 years ago but modern digital currencies may make the idea far easier to implement.
Thoughts?
That wouldnt go very well for poorer people.
Imagine spending 90% of your income to survive while the 10% youre saving for a car/house goes to shit because of a stupid incentive to spend?
Hell no
This is just one idea. It is not meant to solve every problem. Though, frankly, I don’t think your critique is very relevant. The poor typically have little or no savings and spend their money immediately. So they should be largely unaffected by this. And increased spending and lending by the more privileged should benefit the poor to some extent, as will the reduction in the wealthy’s spending power.
But yes I think further ideas and programs would be needed to fully solve poverty. This type of currency would easily accommodate a UBI or similar benefit programs since the natural reduction in money supply would solve any issues of inflation typically associated with large direct payments to citizens.
Its not very cognizant of you to assume that poor people dont/cant save money. Youre implying that they are poor because they dont save or youre implying that they just cant save because of how poor they are which is mostly untrue.