A worldwide mutual credit community, built on trust, exchange, and contribution.

=CONNECT is a Connect Association project exploring how communities across the world can recognise and exchange value in ways that go beyond conventional money. Rather than focusing only on cash, =CONNECT gives value to the time, skills, care, knowledge, and practical help that people contribute to one another. It is designed as a shared community currency that can support local exchange while also linking people, projects, and communities across borders.

Why we are building it

• Strengthen cooperation between people who might not otherwise meet
• Make visible the work (care, hospitality, mentoring, cultural activity) that traditional money often overlooks
• Give young people and newcomers a practical way to participate in community life
• Support cultural and social initiatives that struggle to fund themselves through conventional means

How the system works

We run =CONNECT on Cyclos, an established open platform for community and complementary currencies used by hundreds of local exchange networks worldwide. Each member has an account on our own Cyclos instance at cyclos.connectassociation.org, with balances and prices shown in our =C symbol.

• Register for an account on our Cyclos instance and set up your profile.
• Earn credits when another member sends you =CONNECT for a contribution you offer, whether a workshop, hosting, a meal, a lift, or practical help.
• Spend credits with other members in the network, in person or online.
• Pay by phone using QR codes, user-to-user transfers, or simply by username.
• Offer and find services through the built-in marketplace.
• See your activity in one place: balance, transactions, pending payments, and contacts.

=CONNECT credits are not money, not an investment, and not redeemable for cash. They carry no interest, cannot be speculated on, and exist only to record mutual contribution and keep value moving inside the community.

Get the app

Install the free Cyclos app on your phone and point it to cyclos.connectassociation.org when you log in.

Prefer the browser? Log in at cyclos.connectassociation.org.

Where we are now

The project is in its early pilot stage. We are mapping interested partners (Camphill communities, cultural venues, youth initiatives, volunteer hosts) and onboarding the first members on our Cyclos instance.

A Brief Word on Tax
=CONNECT is not a tax shelter, and we would be poor stewards if we pretended otherwise. Members using =CONNECT in the course of a business, trade, or profession remain responsible for their own tax affairs in their own country. Purely social and neighbourly exchange is generally treated as hobby activity in Australia, Norway, and the United States, and does not usually create a tax event, while professional services usually do. If in doubt, members should speak to a local tax advisor. General orientation is available on request from the Stewardship Committee.

Get involved

If you would like to pilot =CONNECT with your group, offer a service, or simply learn more, please get in touch via our Contact page.