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I find it kind of cute that they set up this mock-up currency 'kudos' to toy around with it. (https://demo.taler.net/en/)

What makes it (more) cute is that you can use it to reserve entries in their GNS first-come-first-served service. (https://fcfs.gnunet.org/)

GNS being the GNU Name System which is a decentralized/p2p equivalent to DNS. (https://www.gnunet.org/en/gns.html)

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These examples under Essays feels obnoxiously dystopian; it's just a demo environment of course but I really hope that's not the feature where were heading into, in which every single link/piece of information on the Internet is locked behind payment.

Doomsaying aside, here in Poland nearly everything can be paid with BLIK payments system - whether it's something you purchase on the Internet or small groceries at shop around the corner. You can also withdraw/depo money by ATM or do a small transfer to someone's else phone number

https://www.blik.com/en

Why I find it kind of cute is that those buys (GNS fcfs) are basically meaningless - in a p2p system everyone can just host a service like this.

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