Complementary Currencies

Over 4,000 complementary currencies operate alongside national money worldwide. Three of the best-documented examples:

Austria, 1932–33

A local scrip with demurrage saved the town’s economy during the Great Depression — until the central bank shut it down.

Switzerland, 1934–present

An 80-year-old business-to-business currency, still used by tens of thousands of Swiss companies to smooth out business cycles.

Curitiba, Brazil

Trading bus tokens and recyclables for goods grew the local economy an estimated 75% faster than the surrounding region.