There are no rules for pricing in the CES. The 'law' of supply and demand prevails. However, within the context of the CES, certain services that otherwise would not be highly valued, might increase in value because of their relative shortage. Other services that outside the CES are expensive might be cheaper in the CES because the provider wishes to attract custom.



The purpose of spycatXchange is to facilitate trade without using dollars and to build a sense of community. It is also about meeting cool people, being creative, and causing the kind of trouble that inevitably results from any organized effort among artists and activists.

By "trade" we mean the normal economic activity of selling goods and providing services by producers, sellers or providers, and the purchase of these by buyers, customers, clients, patients, consumers, etc.

SpyCat serves two basic functions:

Each user gets an account number and a password, which gives you access to your account on this web site. The site works like a true online banking service. Participants can view their current balances and obtain statements of account. You can also keep track of the trading position of others, including the Administration account.

Goods and services are advertised on the web site through an "Offerings List". Participants look through this list, or do a search, and if you find anything you want, you contact the seller, who then provides the goods or service. Payment is effected through a Trading Slip, which serves both as a means of payment and a receipt for the goods or service. The information on the Trading Slip is entered by the seller into a transaction form on the web site. This credits the account of the seller and debits that of the buyer. Accounts record these debits and credits, giving a balance after each transaction.

To ensure that unscrupulous buyers do not exploit the system, details of each user's overall trading position are available to all. General trading statistics are also available to show how much trading is taking place.

The web site also provides all the information needed to contact other participants. There is also a 'Wants List' where participants can advertise for goods and services they require.

Trading in this system requires no supply of money, either by the community as a whole or by each participant. Instead of using a "hard" currency, which then has to be allocated according to some formula, the currency of this system is the pure recording of the values exchanged in trade. Money in this system is thus created at the trading interface and is recorded as credits for sellers and debits for buyers.

SpyCat is a member of the CES, and there are CES exchanges in a number of countries around the world. Each exchange has its own currency, but members of one exchange can trade with members of other exchanges, making CES currencies as versatile as our conventional currencies.

The local currencies are units of measure rather than tradable commodities like conventional currencies. However, to make these currencies meaningful to users, their value is based on the national currencies. This is purely to give them reference. They are in no way tied to the national currencies and will deviate from them over time.