Time banking is a form of community exchange where individuals trade time-based services rather than monetary compensation. It operates on the principle of reciprocity, where time is the currency, and people exchange services such as tutoring, caregiving, or household repairs, amongst much more. Typically, for every hour of service a person provides, they earn one-time credit, which they can later use to receive help from another community member. Time banking fosters social cohesion, supports underserved populations, and encourages mutual aid in communities, making it an attractive alternative to traditional market-driven economies. However, the sustainability and scalability of time banks face numerous challenges, particularly in managing administrative tasks, tracking exchanges, and ensuring efficient communication between members.

This project is exploring the role of new technologies in helping time banks and other volunteer-based time exchanges to help track and manage the activities of volunteers. The overall aim is to create tools that reduce some of the administrative work of time banks and enables volunteers to track and exchange time for helping others in their community. Our research is particularly interested in ways in which time exchanges can be digitally tokenised – for example, via blockchain technologies – and enable new complimentary currencies and forms of exchange within localised communities.