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FOAF Foundation

Overview

The FOAF Foundation (Friend of a Friend) is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) with a mission to rebuild local economic resilience. We are doing this by activating and expanding a trust-based mutual credit protocol that has been in development since 2018.

FOAF has deep roots. Our governance token was deployed to Ethereum in December 2018, representing 7+ years of patient development through multiple market cycles. Rather than chase trends, we've focused on building real utility for local economic cooperation.

We believe people and communities can support each other directly, without always needing banks, cash, or centralized platforms. Our tools are designed to work in the real world, starting with simple local trade and growing into a larger ecosystem for community exchange.

Our Mission

  • Replace Fiat Dependence Make it possible for people to meet everyday needs through mutual credit and trust rather than money.

  • Strengthen Local Economies Help communities increase their capacity to support one another through trade, shared resources, and personal connection.

  • Govern Together Operate as a DAO where decisions are made collectively by those who participate and contribute.

Why FOAF?

This is infrastructure, not speculation. FOAF represents 7+ years of consistent development toward cooperative economics. We deployed our token during the 2018 crypto winter when builders were focused on utility, not hype. We've spent the years since developing the actual protocol that gives these tokens meaning.

  • Proven Commitment Our founding team held 100% of tokens through multiple market cycles without selling, demonstrating long-term vision over short-term gains.

  • Rooted in Trust The network uses friend-of-a-friend connections to route credit and access. People exchange through social trust paths, which increases accountability and creates space for cooperation.

  • Accessible by Design Anyone can participate through custodial wallets that require zero crypto knowledge. RHEO flows through trust paths in the background, allowing users to contribute and trade without technical barriers.

  • Grows with the Community We are starting with food surplus and garden exchange. But this framework can grow to support tools, services, childcare, repairs, and more. FOAF adapts to what each community values and wants to share.

We support what people already know how to do: grow food, help neighbors, and trade what they have. FOAF gives them a simple structure to do more of it, and to do it with trust and resilience in mind.

Our First Project: GrowOperative

Our first application is called GrowOperative. It helps people share homegrown food and other goods within their social circles. It is simple and local, but it is also a gateway to something much larger. GrowOperative gives people a way to experience mutual credit in action, and to build the trust connections that will support broader economic participation over time.

Explore the GrowOperative docs

Our Documents

The project is organized so that contributors and readers can find what they need based on interest and role:

  • FOAF Foundation – This document: our mission, governance, and overall vision
  • GrowOperative – First application of our mutual credit and trust system
  • Marketplace and Technical – Architectural details, token design, and development plans

2026: Activation Year

After years of protocol development, 2026 marks FOAF's public launch:

Q1-Q2: Community funding through Canadian exemptions Q3: International expansion via regulatory-friendly jurisdictions Q4: Global token distribution and GrowOperative alpha launch 2027+: Full protocol deployment on Radix with community governance

We're not building from zero. We're activating mature infrastructure that's been thoughtfully developed for cooperative economics. The foundation exists. Now we're opening it to the communities it's designed to serve.

Get Involved

We welcome participation from anyone who believes in this mission:

  • Gardeners and growers with something to share
  • Developers and designers building for impact
  • Local organizers strengthening community networks
  • People who want to reduce reliance on cash and bring their economy closer to home

We believe in giving communities the tools to care for themselves. This is not a platform to manage them. It is infrastructure that allows neighbors to create value together, build trust, and support the systems they already rely on.

FOAF is not just a DAO. It is an approach to economic life built on relationships, collaboration, and shared purpose.

Let’s grow something better, together.