One of the great advantages of Steemit is its easy and totally free gateway to cryptocurrencies, without any entry or investment barrier to the digital tokens and blockchain technology. This could make easier to exchange and barter clubs, social and complementary currencies organizers to calculate and promote a parity between Steem and its local currencies.

Here in Brazil and South America there are succesfull examples of LETS (Local Exchange Trade System) and I think this experience could have a great potential to be tested.

I believe that LETS, community and social banks as barter clubs that also works with alternative currencies could accept Steem and other cryptocurrencies to broad and atract new users, mainly the young people and perhaps introducing digital and virtual services and goods into their ecosystem.

Neighbourhoods blockchain and cryptocurrencies

Theoretically, even new barter and exchange clubs could be organized in neighbourhoods starting through Steemit and by using Steem as main currency. This could happen if the community or local group has access to smartphones and web connection.

One Steemit blog with news, information and local offers could be the backbone, stimulating shops, service providers and clients to interact and make transactions with the cryptocurrency. Each neighbor could become a content provider, with more content, promotions and offers, generating more Steem and atracting new users in a virtuous circle.

Of course that this process must begin like another LETS and social bank project, that is, offering essential goods and services, preferably capital goods - the most common example is offering slicing machine to a pizzaiolo that still uses a knife - that could be bought using cryptocurrency. This would convince the traders, service providers and shop owners to accept the alternative coin to pay the capital products (in payment installments or after a fixed date).

Blockchain in existing community banks

Otherwise, in a community with a complementary currency already in use, as existing in Palmeiras neighborhood (Banco Palmas/Palmas Bank) in Ceará state, Brazil, a Steemit integration would allow content creators, journalists, artists, musicians, designers, programmers and blockchain digital entrepreneurs to join the local economy and ecosystem. Imagine a Steemfest edition in this community where all the local commerce accepting Steem as they also accept Palmas currency and Real (brazilian government oficial money) :-)

I'm not an economist but perhaps one threat would be an unexpected outside whale (rich cryptocoin user) intervention approaching these communities to buy resources in a disproportional way. To avoid this kind of risk maybe would be necessary some rules, limits or taxes to external users.

Anyway, the clash between LETS complementary currencies and cryptocurrencies would occur sometimes in a near future. I think the Nabucodonosor project here in Brazil and the Waba - whose growth strategist is the steemian witness @chitty- in Argentina, but I suppose both of them have an initial platform's cost and investment.

In this landscape Steem and Steemit has a big advantage, it's all ready and set, you only need a plan and get the neighbours, community or group people together and start.

I think this can inspire @mallorcaman and his work convincing bars and restaurants in his town to accept Steem and the people of #Aceh, as noticed by @steevc today, probably one of the top local communities in Steemit now.

Post translated from the portuguese: Steemit e criptomoedas como ferramentas para economia solidária, moedas sociais e clube de trocas.

Pictures under creative commons license in Flickr, authors ksa rosa Novo Horizonte (Mate Complementary Currency), Lumo Coletivo (Palme Limpe e Palmas bill).

Log on Steemit and take rewards for your content too >>>

Steem and cryptocurrencies as a tool to implement and expand LETS (Local Exchange Trade System)

Neighbourhoods blockchain and cryptocurrencies

Blockchain in existing community banks