Gov/en/Portal:R&D/Open-Calls:Subscription-With-Tokens
💡 In simple words: Can we pay our subscription using the Subscription Tokens we earned? Yes, for now! We are asking everyone to help us figure out if we can keep doing this forever without breaking the system.
🎯 In 20 seconds (scientific summary): This Wave 2 Open Call seeks proposals on whether and how WikiDeal can sustain allowing users to pay their monthly or annual subscriptions using their activated Subscription Tokens. This mechanism is accepted initially to bootstrap the ecosystem, but its long-term financial viability regarding Foundation cashflow and tax implications must be evaluated.
| Open Call Status | |
|---|---|
| Wave | Second Wave (Draft) |
| Status | Not launched yet |
| Members / Commission | Undetermined (Under construction) |
| Chairperson | TBD |
| Facilitator | TBD |
Open Call: Subscription Payments with Subscription Tokens
Context
In the initial rollout of WikiDeal, users are permitted to pay their platform subscriptions (e.g., CHF 10/year or CHF 1/month) using their activated Subscription Tokens rather than fiat currency. This creates a closed-loop economy that highly incentivizes early participation.
However, subscriptions are a primary source of fiat revenue for the Foundation's maintenance and for generating the cash pool that covers the Subscription Tokens themselves. If too many users pay with Subscription Tokens, the fiat cashflow might dry up.
What we are looking for
We are seeking economic models, simulations, and policy proposals answering the following:
- Sustainability: Can we continue to accept Subscription Token-based subscription payments indefinitely? If yes, under what mathematical limits or caps?
- Tax Implications: How does the tax structure handle a subscription paid in internal network tokens (Subscription Tokens)?
- Transition Plans: If this feature must be phased out or limited (e.g., "only 50% of a subscription can be paid in Subscription Tokens"), how should this transition be structured to preserve community trust?
How to contribute
If you have economic models or policy ideas to share, please post your proposal on the Discussion tab of this page.
See also: Subscription Tokens · Subscription · Main Open Call Page