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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Advocates of a cashless economy believe that Greece's barter networks [marketwatch.com], most of which arose out of necessity following the country's financial crisis, are here to stay:

The controls have gradually lifted over the past few months, returning some normalcy to Greek economic life. And so while Greeks used barter networks to trade goods and services at times when few had ready cash at the peak of the controls, they use them now with resources scarce and the country battling a bailout impasse that requires further austerity. It is the perfect time for barter to evolve from a form of crisis therapy to a sustainable alternative for the economy, advocates and enthusiasts say. But for that to happen, they argue, they must organize the more than 200 networks currently operating in Greece into a functioning system of cashless commerce, attracting business participants to build scale and reach.

[...] In Greece, [the] growth [of barter systems] sprang out of necessity [theguardian.com] in the early days of the country's financial crisis, spiking in popularity [nytimes.com] last summer when daily ATM withdrawals were capped at 60 euros, or about $65. Over 200 groups have been created since the financial crisis began in 2010, according to antallaktiki.gr [antallaktiki.gr], a Greek barter group aggregator. They include local-trade cooperatives [wsj.com]; grass-roots solidarity groups, such as a hospital in Athens [mkiellinikou.org] that serves more than 100 people a day on donated supplies and time; online-barter auctions [nytimes.com] that resemble eBay; and time banks. Some networks practice pure barter, or a direct exchange of goods. Most have adopted some type of unit that approximates the value of goods or services. The networks operate across the country, reaching into some of its more remote islands, and span all areas of commerce.

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