Impact of Digitalization of Money on People's Perceptions of Community Currencies: a Gaming Simulation Analysis

Abstract

In this study, we examined the changes in users’ awareness and behavior in response to different forms of CCs, as well as their evaluation of different CCs through an analysis using gaming simulation. The findings reveal that the introduction of a CC increases the ratio of purchases made within the community and the ratio of volunteering to provide the requested help in both analog and digital CCs. However, digital CCs were evaluated as stimulating the local economy whereas analog CCs were evaluated as strengthening the local community. This study also examines the extent to which the characteristics of analog CCs impact the transformation of perceptions regarding CCs through digitalization by analyzing the relative evaluation of analog banknotes with digital charge type and analog with digital LETS-type.