Greetings, r/cooperatives!

We're back with an exciting update on the InterCooperative Network (ICN), the blockchain platform built to empower cooperatives and communities. We've been making significant progress, refining our technology and expanding our vision. We're eager to share the latest developments and dive deeper into the concepts that make the ICN unique.

Blockchain for a Cooperative World

At its core, the ICN leverages blockchain technology, a decentralized and transparent digital ledger. This allows us to create a system that's resistant to tampering and censorship, fostering trust and accountability. However, we recognize that many blockchain implementations prioritize profit and competition. The ICN is different - it's designed from the ground up to promote cooperation and shared ownership.

Proof of Cooperation: Rewarding True Value

The heart of the ICN is our innovative Proof of Cooperation (PoC) consensus mechanism. Unlike Proof of Work or Proof of Stake, PoC doesn't just reward computing power or financial holdings. It recognizes and rewards the diverse contributions that make a cooperative network thrive.

• Contributions Beyond Code: We value all types of contributions, from code development and documentation to community building, governance participation, and education.
• Reputation-Based System: Your contributions earn you a reputation within the network. This reputation influences your ability to participate in key processes and earn rewards.
• Nodes and Reputation: Each node in the network has a reputation tied to the contributions of its associated users. Nodes with higher reputation scores are more likely to be selected for critical tasks like validating transactions, further incentivizing positive contributions.

Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs): Your Digital Passport

In the ICN, you control your digital identity through Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs). These are like digital passports that prove your identity and link to your reputation. Your DID empowers you to interact securely within the network and build your reputation through active participation.

One Member, One Vote: Upholding Cooperative Principles

While reputation is valuable, we firmly believe in the cooperative principle of "one member, one vote." The ICN's governance is democratic, ensuring that every member has an equal voice in shaping the network's future.

Turning a Dream into Reality

We have a bold vision for the ICN, but we need your help to make it a reality. We're actively seeking contributors of all kinds:

• Developers: Join us in building and refining the core technology that powers the ICN.
• Community Builders: Help us foster a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone feels empowered to contribute.
• Educators and Communicators: Create educational resources and spread the word about the ICN's mission and potential.
• Financial Supporters: Your donations can help us accelerate development, secure infrastructure, and reach a wider audience.
• Feedback Providers: Share your thoughts and ideas to help us shape the future of the ICN.

We believe that the ICN has the potential to not only revolutionize how cooperatives operate but also to create sustainable livelihoods for those who contribute to its growth. By joining us, you're not just supporting a project; you're becoming part of a movement to build a more cooperative and equitable digital future.

Join the Movement

• GitHub:https://github.com/InterCooperative-Network
• Email: intercooperativenetwork@gmail.com
• Discord:https://discord.gg/GCWKPWdvgH

Together, let's harness the power of blockchain to build a more cooperative and sustainable world!

Here's our brochure: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kfQfS-6OxASsV5B1K9LccDuZ5MrnlXdOLirUNQXAipI/edit

I am not quite sure the best subreddit to post this in so I will be trying several. This is not exactly a hypothetical. But I am more interested in just seeing what other people. Especially those around my age and perhaps a little bit younger think of this scenario.

I am 37 M mid-Atlantic region of the US. I live with my parents in an amazing house. It has a little bit of land, and I love it here. The house is already in my name in a trust fund. So, I will take over as the sole owner someday. The problem is I am not a big earner financially and I am not really looking to change that. I live a simple life, and I am very happy not really joining the rat race. Thus, keeping up the house on my own is not really an option financially speaking. I will inherit some money, and the house is already paid for, but there are obvious expenses with a house like this. It is not a mansion or anything- to me it is exactly the right size.

The somewhat unique thing about the house is that it has two master suites, both in their own wing, both with their own bathrooms obviously. The house even has two living rooms. The yard area and garden areas are great. To me the house would be perfect for two couples to live in :)

I will admit I have been single all my life. So, my confidence in finding a partner is a bit on the low side right now. But I really think once my parents pass on, I would love to share the house with my girlfriend/wife and another couple.

Obviously, each couple would get one of the master suites and one of the living rooms. Everything else would be communal. There are three guest bedrooms also in case we wanted to have friends stay over or anything like that.

I would not charge the other couple rent or anything. But both couples would of course contribute to the expenses. Expenses like electricity, food fund, garbage fund, and stuff like that. And of course, everyone would pull their fair share as far as cooking, cleaning, and maintenance of the property goes. I really think this would be my ideal lifestyle once my parents have passed on. For the record I love living with my parents and I am super happy with my life right now. I certainly hope this is many years in the future.

I am also hoping this would maybe allow people to potentially retire early. And who knows perhaps all of us if we split costs could retire in say our 50s :)

Like I said I am just curious if this sort of lifestyle would appeal to people around my age. Say to people 40 and younger. Obviously if you are older, I would love to hear your opinion also. If anyone has any questions, I will be very happy to answer. Any and all responses will be greatly appreciated, thank you.

First time buying a coop in nyc and wondering if these fees are normal and if this is on top of closing fees that are paid to the attorney. What other fees am I expected to pay in addition to my down payment?

Cooperatives: The Revolution We Keep Ignoring

So, let’s talk about the elephant in the room—or rather, the cooperative in the room that everyone seems to walk right past like it’s the salad bar at an all-you-can-eat steakhouse. Cooperatives, my friends, are the unsung heroes of economic systems. They’re like that band you’ve never heard of, but if you did, you’d swear they were the best thing since sliced bread. But instead of giving them a listen, most people just keep spinning the same old capitalist tracks on repeat, oblivious to the revolution happening in the background.

You see, capitalism is like that one friend who always insists on going to the most expensive restaurant and then conveniently "forgets" their wallet. Sure, you’ve got choices—but they’re all expensive, and you’re left holding the bill. And communism? Well, that’s the friend who promises to cook for everyone, but by the time dinner’s ready, you’re all starving, and the meal is a single, sad potato. Neither option is exactly ideal.

Enter cooperatives—the friend who says, “Why don’t we all pitch in, cook something amazing together, and split the leftovers fairly?” Radical idea, right? Yet, for some reason, people keep swiping left on cooperatives like they’re allergic to common sense.

Let’s break it down:

In a cooperative, power isn’t held by a few oligarchs in expensive suits or by some bureaucratic overlord with a fetish for red tape. No, power is decentralized—spread out among the people who actually do the work and benefit from the results. It’s like a democracy, but instead of electing politicians to screw things up, you elect people to run a business that actually has to be accountable to you. Imagine that—a system where the people in charge actually care about what you think. Wild, I know.

But here’s the kicker: cooperatives aren’t just about making decisions together. They’re about making good decisions together. You know, the kind that don’t end with someone losing their job or their dignity or both. In a cooperative, the profits don’t just line the pockets of a few at the top—they get reinvested into the business or shared among the members. It’s almost as if everyone’s well-being is considered. What a concept!

Now, you might be thinking, “But Matt, isn’t this just a pipe dream? Isn’t this communism with a smiley face sticker slapped on it?” And to that, I say: hell no! Cooperatives aren’t about handing over control to the state or some shadowy collective. They’re about taking control back from those who’ve been screwing us over for years. They’re about building a system where the people who do the work are the ones who reap the rewards. It’s like capitalism, but without the moral hangover.

So why the hell aren’t we all on board with this? Maybe it’s because cooperatives don’t have the glitz and glam of a Fortune 500 company, or maybe it’s because we’ve been brainwashed into thinking that anything that doesn’t involve screwing over your neighbor isn’t a “real” business. But if we actually gave cooperatives a shot, we might just find that they offer a way out of the mess we’re in—a way to build an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

Imagine a world where the companies we work for don’t just see us as expendable resources but as partners in a shared venture. Where the decisions about our work, our pay, and our future are made by us, not for us. Where the success of the business is directly tied to the well-being of everyone involved. That’s the world cooperatives are trying to build, and it’s a damn shame more people aren’t paying attention.

So here’s my challenge to you: stop walking past the salad bar. Give cooperatives a try. They might just be the revolution we’ve all been waiting for—the one that actually works.

And if not, well, at least you can say you tried something new. Worst case, you’ll still be better off than in that capitalist steakhouse where the only thing you’re guaranteed to get is the bill.

Greetings everyone. I am looking for help to start a Reddit-Credit Union, managed transparently as a cooperative (AMA).

I spent 8 of the last 10 years on the leadership team of a Midwestern bank with over $400 million in assets (which are loans to banks/CUs), around 100 employees, and about 45 thousand customers. Before that I spent almost 20 years as senior technology executive at a large national bank (~8 billion in assets) and an infrastructure director at a nationwide investment firm (~30 billion under management).

During my time in retail banking, I did a lot of wondering why credit unions (and banks to some extent) weren’t being used to super charge the financial wellness of their communities. I learned that in cases where good people are in charge, fear of change and lack of incentives are the main obstacles but, in most cases, it is a pure lack of concern for anything besides funding big business projects or rolling out scalable and profitable (aka exploitive) retail products. After a lot of research and talking to experts it was clear starting a credit union of my own would take lot of time, expertise, and patience, but it wouldn’t have to cost a lot per member – so long as there is adequate interest. So, I decided to take some time and lay out how I think this could happen, the general opportunity and specifically how it could help a lot of people.

I’m sharing this idea in /cooperatives and /creditunions subreddits. If nobody cares, that's fine too, I'll sleep better knowing I’m trying.

FYI, this doesn't have to be just a credit union for Reddit users, it could be for users of any platform. But this seems like the best place to start.

Credit unions are (or should be) about improving the financial wellness of their customers, who unlike bank customers should be called members and who are actual shareholders of the CU. The traditional way that credit unions help their target community has been by providing typical consumer banking products like checking accounts, car loans and mortgages - which often come better priced than traditional banks with service that is often slightly worse, or the reverse. A gem credit union is competitive in price and service. But there is so much more opportunity to help people financially than offering them a few banking products with good service. It is truly shocking to see how little most CUs even try. Efforts like customer credit counseling can help people by consolidating debt to lower payments and fees, but often these types of services are reserved for customers ready to buy a house. A CU managed by the community could not only expand services like credit counseling but also serve as a trusted expert to members, not just in helping them to manage debt and budgets but also address many of the underlying causes of financial anxiety. This could include helping members assess other areas of personal wellness and direct them to community-based resources (because nothing impacts our financial life more than our physical, mental, environmental, and emotional wellness) but mainly focusing ways to directly impact member finances and financial anxiety with career coaching, small business consulting products and tools, and general education from how to cut personal costs with the latest tips and training to setting realistic financial goals. There is probably no bigger investment opportunity on earth right now than locating and working with people who are interested in improving their personal financial health.

Putting aside the amazing opportunity to provide financial help to members of our community, a credit union might be the ideal institution to operate and manage as a transparent cooperative – making it highly sustainable and repeatable by others, setting an example to create further cooperatives. Successful cooperatives create more accountable products and services, and a better work environment while protecting revenues from being extracted out of local communities into unaccountable global for-profit corporations. While in a credit union there is a significant amount of compliance and security issues to mitigate, the upside is that the work efforts are relatively standardized for all institutions in the small and medium size spaces. In addition, the US banking industry collects and shares maybe the most data than any industry, which includes information like the number of FTEs institutions employ based on how much assets they are manage, to how much employees are paid, the amount and type of loans they carry based on institution size, the number of checking and saving accounts and their average balances, and much more. This would give the membership objective ways to measure how successful the credit union has been to date and if the members are setting reasonable goals for the future.

Where to go from here. The cost to get a core platform contract, experienced people to get things started, and complete the chartering process would not be worth unless there was initial funding of at least several hundred thousand or a commitment from a good number of users, ideally at a 1,000 or more but possibly a combination of both funding and support. Who is already interested in being a shareholder of Reddit credit union and for others who might be interested, what are the main questions and concerns?

City of Chicago Community Wealth Building Initiative’s Worker Cooperative Matchmaker Event

Connecting small business service providers and funders with the worker cooperative development community and ecosystem.

Chicago, Illinois –

The Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) presents the Worker Cooperative Matchmaker in-person event on Thursday August 22nd from 12:30pm-3:00pm at the Windsor Park Lutheran Church located at 2619 East 76th Street. The event is free for attendees and organizational vendors that provide technical assistance or professional services to small businesses. This program has been made possible by funding from the City of Chicago Community Wealth Ecosystem Building (Community WEB) program. Register ASAP as tickets are limited - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chicago-worker-cooperatives-matchmaker-tickets-943738185317

Featured speakers will include:

• Alvyn Walker, Windsor Park Lutheran Church
• Nneka Onwuzurike, First Deputy, Business and Neighborhood Development, City of Chicago Mayor’s Office
• Megan Gordon, Project Equity
• Sequane Lawrence, Revolution Institute
• Claudia Espinal, Justice Cream
• Frank Cetera, Democracy at Work Institute

A free lunch will be provided for attendees catered by Majani’s Soulful Cuisine and Jerk World Chicago, followed by a welcoming address, a speaker's panel, and two sessions of open networking, table vendors, and table topic discussions. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chicago-worker-cooperatives-matchmaker-tickets-943738185317

The Matchmaker will connect small business service providers and funders with the worker cooperative development community and ecosystem, including entrepreneurs, workers, and current worker cooperative owner-members. Business service providers will learn more about worker ownership and the Chicago Community Wealth Building initiative, while connecting with entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and other relevant stakeholders. This event will allow attendees to ask questions, communicate their needs, and identify opportunities for collaboration and further learning and networking.

Small business owners looking at succession and exit planning will learn how they can benefit from having the employees take over the business by getting a fair market price, and ensuring their business’s legacy by selling to reliable and experienced workers.

Conversions to employee-ownership are also particularly relevant to supporting the sustainability of SEDI owned businesses that may be at higher risks of closing due to their inability to “compete in the free enterprise system having been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same business area who are not socially disadvantaged” as per the U.S. Treasury Department definition of SEDI owned businesses.

About Community WEB

The Community Wealth Ecosystem Building (Community WEB) is a $6 million program that awarded grants to 17 organizations to provide highly-specialized CWB technical assistance in six core categories: research and convening; education and outreach; business development; legal & governance; finance and fundraising; and assets & operations. Community Wealth Building disrupts traditional economic development by placing power and resources into the hands of the community. Click here to learn more - https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/community-wealth-building/home.html

I used to work at a place owned by a co-op and watched it get run into the ground by people who couldn't handle confrontation, and put personal ethics above good business practices.

I love the idea of a co-op structure but it's clear not everyone is a good business partner.

How did you find your partners? Were they friends first? What is your story?

I've had a head fantasy for a while. A small brewery owned, managed, and operated by the workers; "proudly worker owned" labelled on the can. It wouldn't be the first worker owned brewery, many already exist!

Currently, I have no means of making it happen, I am not a wealthy person, an I don't know much about brewing but I plan to take a brew-master course to get started. I have some marketing, and accounting education under my belt, but that was a long time ago.

I live in Canada, around the Niagara region.

I don't know much about cooperatives, how they're started, how they're managed, how ownership is shared, how the initial capital is raised, how decisions are made, how work is allocated; I was hoping to get some insight. If anyone has experience with cooperatives and would like to share some knowledge, I'd be really happy for that.

This is something I don't ever expect to happen, and if it does it wont be for a long time, but it would be a dream come true.

Examples from the US, in the article

https://organizing.work/2019/04/why-do-coops-hate-unions/

I don't know if one can generalize from these examples but the examples are striking in themselves.

I think co-ops harbour great potential for beeing both worker- and consumer-friendly, but it's not an automatic thing (maybe obvious).

in a nutshell, comradery coop is an alternative to patreon, and was something i'd watched for a few years. the only place i know to check was their twitter account. my account is no longer active on twitter, hasn't been for a while, and i really don't want to reopen it just to look at their tweets. does anyone here know if comradery coop is still up and running?

Hello r/Cooperatives,

We’re excited to share the latest developments of the InterCooperative Network (ICN), a pioneering initiative designed to empower cooperatives, community organizations, and grassroots movements through blockchain technology. The ICN is more than just a digital platform; it’s a collaborative effort to build a new, cooperative-driven economy that prioritizes democratic governance, sustainability, and mutual support.

What is the ICN?

The InterCooperative Network (ICN) is a decentralized platform tailored specifically for cooperatives. It provides the tools necessary for democratic decision-making, secure data management, and seamless resource sharing, addressing the unique challenges cooperatives face in today’s digital landscape.

Key Features of the ICN:

• Global Connectivity: Connects cooperatives across geographic and sectoral boundaries, facilitating collaboration and mutual support.
• Democratic Governance: Scalable governance models empower members at every level, from local cooperatives to global federations.
• Data Sovereignty: Ensures secure and sovereign control over data and digital identities, so cooperatives and their members retain ownership of their information.
• Collective Action: Tools that enhance the ability of cooperatives to engage in political and social advocacy, amplifying their voices in the public sphere.

Recent Developments and Community Involvement

In response to the feedback and discussions we’ve had on our Discord server, we’re pleased to announce the formation of a Steering Committee. This committee will guide the ICN’s development, ensuring that it remains a truly collaborative and community-driven effort. We’re actively seeking members with diverse backgrounds and experiences to join us in shaping the future of the ICN.

Key Points from Recent Discussions:

• Blockchain Use Cases: The ICN leverages blockchain for a range of use cases, particularly in closed environments where actors are trusted or semi-trusted, such as business contexts involving suppliers, workers, and vendors.
• Organizational Structure: We’re exploring legal structures like 501(c)(6) or benefit corporation to sustain the network, with membership dues as a potential revenue stream.
• Reputation and Consensus Mechanisms: We’re developing innovative reputation systems integrated into our consensus mechanisms to ensure trust and accountability.
• Energy and Sustainability: Minimizing the environmental impact of our operations is a core principle, and we’re committed to finding sustainable solutions.

Join the Steering Committee

We invite all passionate individuals and cooperative members to join our Steering Committee. This is your chance to directly influence the direction of the ICN and ensure that it aligns with the values and needs of the broader cooperative community.

Get Involved:

1. Join the Conversation: Engage with us on Discord, where we discuss everything from governance models to technical development. ICN Discord Server
2. Contribute to Development: Check out our open-source codebase on GitHub and contribute to the project: ICN GitHub Repository.

Next Steps

We’re planning our first Steering Committee meeting soon and would love for you to be a part of it. If you’re interested, please join our Discord server and participate in the ongoing discussions. For those with technical skills, we welcome your contributions on GitHub. We’re also working on expanding our social media presence to engage a broader audience.

Conclusion

The InterCooperative Network is a collective effort to create the tools that cooperatives need to build a new, resilient economy. This is not just our project—it’s your project too. Together, we can create something that has a lasting impact on the cooperative movement.

For more information or to get involved, please reach out at intercooperativenetwork@gmail.com.

Let’s build the future of cooperation together. 🌱

Best,
The ICN Team

Useful Links:

• ICN GitHub Repository
• ICN Whitepaper
• ICN Discord Server

edit: I also have the current website with a temporary ddns domain. Since its DDNS, reddit wont allow me to post the link. But you can visit it at https://icn-project.ddns(dot)net/

edit-edit:

ICN #Cooperatives #Blockchain #Decentralization #OpenSource #SocialJustice

I am writing it up in Google Docs, so we can share the document and just write up the draft and offer ideas. I feel like having one or two additional viewpoints would really strengthen the content. It will describe (with sources) the benefits of workplace democracy/worker cooperatives in a clear and concise way, and I plan to post it in r/Cooperative (a sub I created so I had my own place to post data/research and things on co-ops). It'll be a post I plan to share with people I know so I have something to reference whenever I talk about it, and it will help with the memory as well, making it easier to talk about it. I like writing up these kinds of posts on co-ops because I have to do research, which helps me learn a lot.

Some of the things that will be covered in the content: social capital, aggregate demand, wealth/income inequality, worker retention, worker satisfaction, income volatility, innovation, survival rates, civic participation, productivity.

You can also offer any suggestions for any sections or good sources I should include right here if you do not want to contribute to writing directly. Thank you.

An article

https://libcom.org/article/make-economic-democracy-popular-again

"In Spain, for example, there are many Catholics who are active in unions and advocate economic democracy with reference to their Christian faith.

America’s most famous liberal thinker, John Dewey, rejected capitalism as 'industrial feudalism' and advocated 'industrial democracy'. In Europe, the liberal John Stuart Mill took the same view."

Host or join workshops, network, QnA forum, etc. Let me know if that's something that would interest you.

You might feel powerless, but remember, real power lies in collective action, especially within the cooperative movement. Every conversation you start, every small act of resistance, every moment of solidarity with your fellow cooperative members and community is a step towards building a more just and equitable world.

The cooperative movement is all about transforming small actions into powerful change. When you join a cooperative, you’re not just signing up for a different way of doing business—you’re joining a movement that puts people and community first. By participating in a cooperative, you’re helping to build an economy that values fairness, shared ownership, and democratic decision-making.

Every time you advocate for the cooperative model, you’re planting the seeds of change. As more people recognize the benefits of cooperation over competition, our collective impact grows. When enough people embrace the cooperative movement, real systemic change becomes inevitable.

Cooperatives are proof that we don’t have to accept the status quo. By uniting our efforts within this movement, we can create an economy that reflects our values, where power is shared and everyone has a voice. The cooperative movement is not just an alternative; it’s a blueprint for a better world.

Don’t underestimate the impact of your involvement. Each decision to support and promote cooperatives, each effort to bring others into the movement, contributes to a powerful wave of change. Together, as cooperators, we are challenging the status quo and creating a future where our voices aren’t just heard but are the driving force behind our economic and social systems.

The path to change is rooted in the cooperative movement, and it’s a journey we take together. Let’s move forward, united in our vision for a better tomorrow, driven by the principles of cooperation. Join the movement, take action, and be part of the transformative power of cooperatives.