YEM vs. Crypto: Unraveling the Uniqueness in the World of Digital Assets

By: Edrian Blasquino

Reading Time: ca. 5 Min.

When most people think of digital assets, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum likely come to mind. However, the world of programmable money has expanded far beyond just cryptocurrency. One project exploring new frontiers is YEM, created in 2017 as a "rainbow currency" developed openly by over 3,700 individuals globally.

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Crypto - Short for cryptocurrency, these digital assets use cryptography for security. Most function as decentralized peer-to-peer payment systems independent of any government or bank. Key characteristics include being powered by blockchain databases, using "cryptographic hashes" for secure transactions, and having a limited or capped supply. The earliest and most famous example is Bitcoin.

YEM (Your Everyday Money) is a digital currency created in 2017 by over 3,700 individuals from more than 150 countries. It is managed by the non-profit YEM Foundation, which acts as the regulatory body for YEM and represents it to international organizations.

A total maximum supply of 100 million YEM can be created, with around 21.5 million YEM currently in circulation.

At a market price between $25,000-$30,000 per coin, YEM has a total market capitalization of over $538 billion. It is held by more than 1.28 million investors worldwide, making it one of the largest cryptocurrency projects by ownership.

The first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, launched quietly via a 2008 whitepaper during economic turmoil. No premise allocated coins, focusing instead on immutable monetary policy through proof-of-work verification. Its pseudonymous transactions accelerated adoption among censorship circumvention advocates.

Other pioneers like Ethereum soon broadened the technological frontier, enabling self-executing smart contracts and new applications to be built atop decentralized ledgers. Additional coins multiplied across various platforms with novel mining models.

Large exchanges facilitated mainstream access to this emergent asset class and helped spread security awareness in digital assets, essential for protecting the value being transferred on decentralized networks.

Progress centered on decentralization, immutability, and neutrality and catered more to individual participation. While liberating finance, community focus shifted towards speculative tendencies as markets formed.

YEM came into being through a democratic worldwide crowdsourcing effort. Over 3,700 contributors representing 157 nations collectively established its mission and governance. Rather than being pre-mined privately, it was founded as a community currency.

The YEM Foundation plays a pivotal role in advocating for YEM's adoption as a means of payment across different jurisdictions. It maintains a status with the United Nations to represent YEM globally.

Its ultimate goal is for YEM to serve internationally as a widely-used and legally recognized form of currency. Through the efforts of its founding team and nonprofit regulatory body, YEM has emerged as a significant player in the digital currency sector since its inception.

YEM differentiates itself from other crypto assets in several ways.

Objectives
While cryptocurrencies highlight censorship resistance and secure digital transactions for varied uses, YEM aimed to develop an independent economy as the principal medium of exchange on its permissionless network.

 
A focus on prosperity through ethical economics and common ownership differentiates it from the storage-of-value narrative prevailing among speculative crypto assets. Participation remains centered on collaboration, not solely the prospect of financial gains.

Ownership
YEM is represented by a non-profit foundation rather than a for-profit company. The YEM Foundation, comprised of board members worldwide, works to establish YEM as a pure currency that brings value and stability to crypto.

Free from corporate influence, the foundation aims to develop an economy where YEM is the sole accepted form of payment. YEM is used confidently for thousands of daily transactions on its private YemChain blockchain.

Models of Adoption
Most cryptocurrencies promote adoption through centralized exchanges treating coins as assets. Platforms concentrate power within fiat on-ramps beyond many regions' reach long-term.

YEM community builders circulate helpful knowledge worldwide through diverse voluntary roles. Grassroots dissemination patiently grows local YEM champions who welcome all to self-sovereign participation. Overreliance on intermediaries becomes avoidable through earnest coordination.

Economic Model
YEM is governed and regulated by the nonprofit YEM Foundation, giving it centralized oversight, unlike most decentralized cryptocurrencies. The Foundation advocates for legal status acceptance to establish YEM as an internationally recognized payment method.

It also promotes stability and adoption through representation to influential organizations like the UN. In contrast, most digital currencies lack centralized bodies pursuing legally recognized payment status, advocacy, or stability measures.

Monetary Policies  
Fixed supply schedules make cryptocurrencies well-suited to stoking scarcity narratives that may aid short-term valuation yet undermine long-run sustainability as currencies. Merchants hesitate to adopt unstable means of exchange.

While YEM also has a fixed supply, its emissions match rising demand through consensus, prioritizing stability essential for daily life. Volatility disincentives spending and hoarding which YEM intends to displace with collaborative endeavors increasing overall prosperity.

It's worth noting that cryptocurrencies can also impact an individual's credit score. Therefore, understanding credit reports in investment decisions warrants careful consideration.

Collaborative Innovation
Of course, cryptocurrencies promise innovation through the transformative power of blockchain technology itself. However, each project must determine how to apply this new toolkit of programmable money most responsibly and align it with community values.

YEM envisions an economy built on participation, where all members work together collaboratively rather than competing individually.

Potential Outcomes
While still developing early, YEM presents a distinct approach compared to corporate crypto ventures by prioritizing community ownership. Only time will tell if such a cooperative economic model resonates more broadly or remains a niche example.

But YEM gives a glimpse into cryptos' untapped potential for open, collaborative money and financial systems beyond speculation. As a non-profit community currency, YEM uniquely positions itself among crypto assets by embracing participation over profits as the driving force for long-term sustainability.

The digital asset industry continues to broaden our understanding of what programmable, peer-to-peer money can achieve. Cryptocurrencies opened the floodgates to innovation, but each project must determine the most responsible path forward.

As the “world of YEM” emerges, it demonstrates crypto need not be defined solely by speculation. YEM provides an alternative philosophical lens of building shared prosperity through cooperation – a perspective that could impact future monetary systems.