The Brochure can be downloaded in .pdf format here:

Please share widely!

We have also been working on a set of questions to follow on from the brochure.  If you can’t find the answer to your questions, do add questions at the end of the list and we will get you an answer as soon as we can.  See FAQs on this website.

These are the main criteria for the system:

• Low barriers to entry for B2B, B2C and C2C
• Cater for range of technical comfort levels
• At least as secure as chip and pin credit card
• Quick to develop trial
• Extensible and open
• Use standard, easily available components
• Plenty of marketing oportunity
• Innovative and news-worthy
• Low risk system
• Focus on user experience and trust

The system components have been so far identified as the following:

• A lightweight, scalable server to run the LQN accounts
• A simple web based client that can run on anything from a
  mobile phone, through an iPod touch to a laptop.
• Scalable security / ease of use trade-off depending on
  levels of trust
• Extensions for vouchers and cheques as ‘delayed electronic
  transactions’
• A system that is as anonymous and secure as a credit card
• As easy as using a phone

Usage of the system is proposed on the following assumptions:

• We sign up users by giving them a card containing their
  account number and verification number (optionally
  increase security using photo)
• We forward a PIN to them in a secure manner (not email)
• We could ask some users (high volume such as retailers) to
  upload photographic evidence (buildings or faces)
• Users and customers use simple web interfaces where they
  must input some of account numbers, PINs and
  amounts. All these are digits to enable simple mobile
  phones.
• Retailers choose their input device – we will recommend
  touch-screen smart-phones / PDAs but they can use what
  they like. For QR codes we would recommend 3 types of
  smartphone.

We also plan to introduce self-printed vouchers as physical currency:

• Use once
• Change credited automatically to printer’s account
• Scanning takes trader to

  https://lqn.ie/katz/voucher?id=4829NSLF92

• Could be printed for users at Kilkenny Katz help-desk

This summarizes the proposals presented to Kilkenny people, both from the public and the council. Discussions are going on to decide on further steps.

Feel free to contact us for more information.

Initially, the LQN had been proposed as an electronic system only. Such a system allows different tweaking, as there is the chance to adjust the currency supply to the economic activity level.

After the auspicious meetings with both the Kilkenny Council and the Kilkenny public, the wish for the introduction of a paper version of the quids has been postulated. The main driver for this being an increased identification and acceptance through tangible units, as well as broader integration of potential members with no interest or reluctance to adopt electronic devices.

The project team has taken up this new proposal very seriously, as it recognizes the validity of its advantages. Several issues need to be addressed, like the costs of production, introduction and distribution/removal, forgery, as well as coexistence issues with the electronic version of the quids.

There is an interesting discussion thread at the feasta website which deals with this subject. You can follow it here.

The situation in Ireland due to the financial crisis is worsening. Local councils are forced to cut back expenses, and might be pushed to more cuts in the next months.

Out of these conditions, local authorities develop an interest in being able to still pay wages to their employees. Scenarios, in which they pay them wages partly in Euro and partly in alternative currencies, are being discussed.

The meeting with the local government of Kilkenny has been very fruitful. They are very interested in supporting the adoption of the quid in their area. For this to happen, approval from the Minister of the Environment needs to be sought first. This will be our next step. If we get approval, the introduction of the quid alternative currency comes much closer to realisation.

There have been also voices for the issuing of paper notes of quids. Initially, this was not included in our draft, but as it has been requested, we don’t see any major problems in running the mainly electronic quid system alongside a limited amount of paper bills.

On a public meeting, Kilkenny citizens have expressed interest and acceptance to an alternative currency, and individuals offering collaboration and leadership have already emerged.

Both the local government as well as the public are very supportive of the quid system. This offers for The Liquidity Network an ideal situation: support as well from bottom-up as from top-down. There could be no better fertile ground for the system.

A next meeting is scheduled for September; until then, we want to get green light from the Ministry, a crucial step. That meeting will flesh out in more details how the quid (or however Kilkenny wants to name its local currency) introduction could work, and possibly be able to demonstrate as much as possible.

So this spurs the developer team on making progress for the simulation. A vertical integration of software components using the simulation environment SimPy took place; for now it is only a very simple simulation of people getting quids into accounts. In subsequent sprints, we are going to refine the simulation, continuously adding functionality.