💰 How Funding Flows
Follow the money. Every dollar tracked. Full transparency.
Understanding where money goes is essential to trusting the platform. Here’s the complete breakdown.
IMPORTANT: Liana Banyan is a service platform. Credits and Joules are platform service units — they provide access to services within our ecosystem, like arcade tokens. They cannot be cashed out or transferred. If you want to make money, you build a business using our services and raise capital externally.
The Three Currencies
Liana Banyan uses a Three-Gear Currency System:
| Currency | What It Is | How You Get It | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credits | Service access units | Buy ($1=1 Credit) or earn | Access platform services |
| Marks | Reputation tokens | Earn by contributing | Unlock features, boost visibility |
| Joules | Locked-value service units | Earn by backing projects | Locked-in service value + governance |
The Gears Interlock
CREDITS (Buy/Earn)
↓
Back projects, complete work
↓
JOULES (Locked Value)
↓
Service access protected at original rates
MARKS (Reputation)
↓
Earn by contributing
↓
Unlock multipliers
↓
Earn more JOULES per contribution
Where Credits Go
When you spend credits, here’s the breakdown:
Project Backing (e.g., 2ndSecond Medallion)
| Allocation | Percentage | Example ($50) |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 50% | $25 |
| Platform Infrastructure | 30% | $15 |
| Service Credit Pool | 20% | $10 |
Your $50 backing:
- Gets you the physical product
- Earns you 50 LB credits for future services
- Earns you Joules (locked-value service units)
Initiative Contributions
| Allocation | Percentage | Where It Goes |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Impact | 80% | Actual charitable work |
| Operations | 15% | Running the initiative |
| Platform | 5% | Infrastructure support |
Full transparency: Every initiative has a public dashboard showing exactly where every dollar went.
The Boaz Principle: Cost + 20%
All commerce on Liana Banyan follows Cost + 20%:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SELLER'S COST: $100 │
│ ↓ │
│ PLATFORM MARGIN: +20% = $20 │
│ ↓ │
│ FINAL PRICE: $120 │
│ ↓ │
│ BREAKDOWN: │
│ • Seller receives: $100 (83.3%) │
│ • Platform receives: $20 (16.7%) │
│ ↓ │
│ PLATFORM'S $20 GOES TO: │
│ • Operations: $10 │
│ • Initiative funding: $5 │
│ • Service credit pool: $5 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Why Cost + 20%?
- Fair to sellers (they get their costs covered + profit margin)
- Transparent to buyers (no hidden fees)
- Self-sustaining (platform funds itself)
- Charitable impact built-in (initiatives funded automatically)
Initiative Funding
The 14 initiatives are funded through three sources:
1. Commercial Portal Margin
Every purchase through commercial portals (Let’s Go Shopping, Let’s Get Groceries) contributes 5% to initiatives.
2. Direct Donations
Members can donate credits directly to any initiative.
3. Voting Allocation
Members vote quarterly on initiative priority, affecting funding distribution.
Initiative Funding Dashboard
Each initiative shows:
- Total raised
- Current month spending
- Impact metrics (meals served, prescriptions filled, etc.)
- Funding source breakdown
- Complete transaction history
Credit Allocations
When platform activity generates value, active participants may receive bonus Credits:
How Credit Allocations Work
| Source | What Happens | Who Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Project success | Platform earns service revenue | Active backers receive bonus Credits |
| Initiative impact | Efficiency savings | Credited to initiative contributors |
| Gig completion | Customer pays for work | Worker receives payment in Credits |
The Joule Advantage
Members with more Joules have:
- Higher priority for bonus Credit allocations
- Better rates on platform services (locked at time of earning)
- Greater voting weight on governance decisions
Important: This is NOT profit sharing. Credit allocations are bonus service credits, not cash. They can only be used for platform services.
The Service Economy
Credits circulate within the ecosystem:
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ MEMBERS buy Credits → Access platform services │
│ ↓ │
│ PROJECTS get funded → Creators hire providers │
│ ↓ │
│ PROVIDERS earn Credits → Use to back other projects │
│ ↓ │
│ MORE PROJECTS funded → More creators join │
│ ↓ │
│ MORE PROVIDERS needed → More skills available │
│ ↓ │
│ BETTER PROJECTS launched → More members attracted │
│ ↓ │
│ ───────────── REPEAT ───────────── │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Result: Self-sustaining ecosystem where service access compounds.
How to Actually Make Money
Liana Banyan is a service platform. Here’s how members make real money:
1. Complete Gig Work (2-7 Days)
Other members/businesses need work done
↓
You accept the task
↓
You complete the work
↓
Customer pays you (in Credits)
↓
Use Credits for YOUR business services
↓
Your business makes money externally
2. Build a Business
Use platform services:
• Manufacturing network (3D printing, production)
• Fulfillment services (shipping, logistics)
• Payment processing
• Talent marketplace (hire contractors)
↓
Raise capital EXTERNALLY:
• Kickstarter
• Wefunder
• Republic
• Your own customers
↓
KEEP YOUR PROFITS
(LB is your vendor, not your investor)
3. The Band Strategy
Find 3-5 people with complementary skills
↓
Trade time for time (no cash changes hands)
↓
Each person's project gets professional help
↓
Launch together, share audiences
↓
Each person's external business succeeds
Your Credits and Joules make your business operations cheaper. They don’t replace the need to build a real business.
Full Transparency Dashboard
Every member sees:
- Your credit balance — Current service access holdings
- Your Joule balance — Locked-value service units
- Your Mark reputation — Contribution score
- Transaction history — Every credit movement
- Service usage — What you’ve accessed
- Initiative impact — Where your contributions helped
FAQ
Where does my money actually go?
Every transaction is tracked and visible. Platform operations, manufacturing, initiatives — all public.
How do I know initiatives aren’t skimming?
Each initiative has a public dashboard with complete transaction history. Third-party audits quarterly.
What happens if a project fails?
Your pledged credits return to your balance. Joules are only earned when projects ship.
Can I cash out my Credits?
No. Credits are platform service units, like arcade tokens. They provide access to services within the Liana Banyan ecosystem. If you want money, build a business using our services and raise capital externally.
Can the platform take my credits?
No. Credits are your service access units. Only you can spend them.
What’s the platform’s cut?
Maximum 20% on commercial transactions. Zero on peer-to-peer credit transfers.
How do I make real money?
- Complete gig work for other members (they pay you in Credits)
- Build a business using platform services
- Raise capital externally (Kickstarter, Wefunder, etc.)
- Keep your profits — LB is your vendor, not your investor
See It Live
“Transparency isn’t a feature. It’s the foundation.”