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# Yin vs. Yang Currencies

Our token system is philosophically rooted in economist Bernard Lietaer's concept of complementary currencies. Understanding this framework helps explain why we use both TFT and Cloud Credits.

## Currency Philosophies

### Yang Currencies

- **Nature**: Conventional, national currencies (e.g., dollar, euro, yen)
- **Creation**: Centralized, can be fair-launched or created by a centralized authority
- **Characteristics**: Promote **competition**, **scarcity**, **hierarchy**, and **analytical or linear thinking**
- **Strengths**: Efficient for global trade and industrial economic activities
- **Limitations**: Relying solely on Yang currencies fosters fragility, social isolation, and volatility

### Yin Currencies

- **Nature**: Complementary or community currencies (e.g., barter systems, time banking, trade credits, caring relationship tickets)
- **Creation**: Decentralized, often **mutual credit systems** created by participants themselves
- **Foundation**: Rely on **community trust** rather than a central issuer
- **Characteristics**: Foster **cooperation**, **egalitarian relationships**, **quality of life**, **sustainability**, and **social trust**
- **Environment**: Thrive within **bounded communities**, where circulation and reciprocity reinforce social cohesion

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## Why Both Matter: The Complementarity

Lietaer doesn't present Yin and Yang currencies as antagonistic — but as **complementary tools**, each serving distinct purposes:

- Societies that incorporate both systems, **dual currency systems**, are typically more **resilient**, **socially robust**, and thrive economically

### Real-World Examples

#### Bali's Dual System
- **National (Yang) currency**: Used for wider commerce
- **Community-based Yin currency**: *narayan banjar* (based on hours of service)
- **Impact**: Empowers communal projects and mutual support
- **Scale**: About **30% of adult life** in Bali occurs in this Yin economy, reinforcing trust and collective well-being

#### Japan's Care Economy
- **System**: Complementary Yin currencies reward caregiving
- **Function**: Caring-for-elderly credits can be used for university tuition
- **Result**: Solves multiple community needs through alternative value systems

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## Lietaer's Integral Economy Vision

Lietaer's broader vision forms part of his **"Integral Economy"**: a balanced system where:

- **Financial capital (Yang)** and **social capital (Yin)** coexist harmoniously
- **Goal**: Foster **integral wealth** — not just material accumulation, but also community, natural, and social well-being

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## Summary Table

| Feature             | Yang Currency                                      | Yin Currency                                  |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Creation**        | Central authority, fiat                            | Mutual credit, community-based                |
| **Focus**           | Liquidity, scarcity, hierarchy                     | Cooperation, mutual credit                    |
| **Use Case**        | Trade, blockchain, investment, liquidity providing | Mutual credit, services, exchange of capacity |
| **Examples**        | USD, EUR, JPY, TFT                                 | Time banking, cloud computing capacity, CC    |
| **Role in Society** | Efficiency & growth of capital                     | Builds trust and resilience alongside Yang    |

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## Application to ThreeFold

In our system:

- **TFT (Yang)**: Tradable, scarce, subject to market forces, provides investment opportunity
- **CC (Yin)**: Stable, community-focused, promotes cooperation, enables predictable service exchange

This dual structure aims to:
- Preserve market efficiency and investment potential (Yang)
- Enable stable, community-oriented value exchange (Yin)
- Create resilience through complementarity
- Balance speculation with sustainability

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## Final Thoughts

Bernard Lietaer's Yin-Yang currency model invites us to **rethink our relationship with money**. By blending **efficiency and competitiveness** (Yang) with **cooperation and scarcity-healing systems** (Yin), communities can cultivate greater **resilience, trust, and sustainable abundance**.

:::info Philosophy in Practice
Our dual-token system isn't just about technical mechanics — it's about creating an economy that serves both market efficiency and community well-being.
:::

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## References

- [The Yin and Yang of Money: Complementary Currencies](https://baritessler.com/2009/05/yin-and-yang-currency/)
- [The Yin and yang of currency](https://syntropic.world/the-yin-and-yang-of-currency/)
- [Bernard Lietaer, Visionary Economist](https://www.rozsavage.com/bernard-lietaer-visionary-economist/)
- [Of Human Wealth - Bernard Lietaer](https://bernard-lietaer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2004-Of-Human-Wealth-Beyond-Greed-Scarcity-Lieater-Belgin-annotated.pdf)
- [Interview with Bernard Lietaer -- Money, Community & Social ...](https://uazu.net/money/lietaer.html)
- [THE FUTURE OF MONEY - Bernard A. Lietaer](https://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Money_and_Economics/The_Future_of_Money-Bernard_Lietaer.pdf)
- [Trade: The Yin Currency I Love to Use](https://baritessler.com/2017/07/trade-yin-currency-love-use/)