Gov/en/Portal:R&D/Innovations:Rings Of Trust

💡 In simple words: Rings of Trust are circles of people who trust each other. The closer someone is to you in the ring, the more you trust them. It helps the platform know who is safe to work with, like rings of friends, friends-of-friends, and strangers.

⚠️ Not yet approved. This page describes a proposal that is still under community review. It is documented here so it can be discussed, improved and endorsed.

Wiki Core · Concept

Rings of Trust

Rings of Trust at a Glance

Definition	Agreement between ≥2 User Groups
Currency	Miles Credits
Coefficients	1 (restricted) to 10 (wide)
Self-generation	❌ Not allowed
Welcome amount	✅ Small grant to new users
Examples	Babysitting-Tutoring, Festival
See also	Miles Credits
See also	12 Programmes

A Ring of Trust is a formal agreement between two or more WikiDeal User Groups to accept each other's Miles Credits for services. Rings define the scope and conditions under which Miles Credits can be used — creating a functional complementary economy that grows organically as User Groups choose to cooperate.

A Ring of Trust is not imposed from above — it is created by User Groups who choose to cooperate, defining their own terms within the WikiDeal framework.

What Is a Ring?

A Ring of Trust is:

An agreement between two or more User Groups (the minimum is 2)
A commitment to accept Miles Credits for services within the Ring's scope
Governed by a usage coefficient that determines how widely the Ring's Miles are accepted
Registered in the WikiDeal system for transparency and auditability

Usage Coefficients: 1 to 10

Each Ring operates with a usage coefficient that reflects how widely its Miles Credits are accepted:

Coefficient 1 — Restricted: Miles can only be used within the two founding User Groups
Coefficient 5 — Moderate: Miles accepted across a cluster of related User Groups
Coefficient 10 — Widely accepted: Miles can be used across many Rings and User Groups in the ecosystem

A higher coefficient is not automatically better — it means the Miles are more versatile but may be worth less per unit due to wider supply. User Groups choose their coefficient based on their community's needs.

Miles Credits Interoperability

The key innovation of Rings is interoperability. Miles Credits earned in one User Group can be spent in another User Group — but only if both are in the same Ring. This creates:

A network effect: more Rings → more useful Miles
Community incentives: User Groups benefit from joining Rings with complementary services
No forced participation: User Groups choose which Rings to join

No Self-Generation of Miles

User Groups and individuals cannot create Miles Credits from nothing. The only exception is a small welcome amount granted to new members entering the ecosystem — enough to make a first Transaction and understand the system, not enough to distort it. This rule prevents inflation and ensures Miles remain tied to real contribution or funding.

Examples of Rings

🍼🎓 Babysitting-Tutoring Ring

A babysitting User Group and a tutoring User Group agree to accept each other's Miles. A parent can earn Miles by offering babysitting services and spend them on tutoring for their child. A tutor can offer lessons and receive Miles usable for childcare.

🎪 Festival Services Ring

Multiple User Groups involved in festival organization (sound, catering, transport, security) form a Ring. Workers can earn Miles in one role and spend them in another, creating a self-sustaining festival economy that minimizes CHF exchanges.

Rings and Programmes

Rings of Trust work alongside WikiDeal's 12 Programmes. Many programmes define natural Ring configurations — for example, the Shared Resources Programme facilitates Rings between User Groups sharing physical assets, and the Microcredit Programme enables Rings between lending and borrowing communities.

💡 Improve this concept — submit a proposal via Open Call