Preamble
Bitcoin is a free, open protocol – accessible to everyone in the world. But while it empowers the individual, its societal potential has so far been largely untapped. Civic Bitcoin is the vision of a democratic use of Bitcoin by communities, cities, initiatives, and public institutions – without changing the protocol, but through clear principles of collective participation.
1. Bitcoin is public infrastructure
Bitcoin is not a company, not a government, not a contract. It is a shared data space for managing and transferring value. We claim this protocol as part of the digital public sphere.
2. The rules are open – we play together
No one needs to be asked for permission to use Bitcoin. We actively participate as a democratic community: We mine, receive, store, and distribute Bitcoin – based on jointly defined goals.
3. Value is created through participation
Our organization uses mining and fees from Lightning transactions not for private profit, but for the collective financing of social purposes: Education, climate, culture, digital infrastructure, social innovation.
4. Governance is democratic, not technocratic
What we do with Bitcoin is decided not by the market or code, but by:
- Transparent rules
- Community voting
- Accountability to all stakeholders
5. The code remains – the use changes
We do not change the Bitcoin protocol. We are creating a new governance layer: an interface, an organization, a collective approach – a citizen-oriented alternative to individual use.
6. We create access for all
We lower technical barriers through:
- simple interfaces
- educational offerings
- transparent tools for participation
Bitcoin is not just for developers or speculators – but for everyone who wants to shape society.
7. Distribution is traceable
All Bitcoin income and expenditure of Civic Bitcoin organizations are:
- documented on-chain
- publicly viewable
- periodically reviewed together
8. Our goals are open, but purpose-bound
We determine what the jointly generated Bitcoins are used for. Not for accumulation, but for activating social potential. These purposes can change democratically – but never degenerate into private appropriation.
9. We don't fork money – we expand its meaning
We are not a technical fork of Bitcoin. We are a social fork of the idea of what money can be: Not just a medium of exchange, but jointly created, jointly responsible value.
10. Civic Bitcoin is a beginning – not a dogma
Any community can start Civic Bitcoin. Anyone can participate, develop it further, propose new principles. It is not a finished system, but a public invitation to the cooperative evolution of money.