Skip to content

For Players

Master the barter play

barter.game is not just a protocol — it’s a game of trust, timing, and strategy. The best players understand the social dynamics as well as the cryptography.

The currencies you hold are promises

Every “coin” in your wallet is a signed IOU from someone you know. “1 logo from Alice.” “1 hour from Bob.” The value is not in the token; it’s in the relationship behind it.

This changes how you think about your portfolio:

  • Diversify your emitters. Holding 50 promises from one person is concentration risk. If they ghost, you’re holding paper.
  • Pay attention to due dates. A promise with a maturity date is a time-bounded commitment. Trade accordingly.
  • Watch the limit. If Alice set limit: 100 on her “1 logo” promise, she can only issue 100 total. Scarcity matters.

Lead vs. follow: the risk decision

In every cross-bank trade, someone settles first. That party is the lead. The other is the follow.

  • Lead: Your balance moves immediately. If the follow bank never settles, you’re out. You carry the risk.
  • Follow: You wait for proof that the lead settled. Your balance only moves after you see a valid upstream signature. You’re protected.

When to be lead

  • The amount is small.
  • You know the counterparty well.
  • You trust their bank operator (it’s them, or someone you know).
  • You want the deal to close faster.

When to be follow

  • The amount is large.
  • The counterparty is new to you.
  • Their bank operator is unknown.
  • You can afford to wait.

In a ring trade (A → B → C → A), one party must break the cycle by leading. The protocol picks based on the graph structure. As a player, you should understand whether you’re in the lead set before you confirm.

The social layer is the enforcement layer

The protocol has no arbitration. If Bob ghosts after you settle as lead, there is no “dispute” button. Your recourse is:

  1. Yell at Bob. Seriously. The trust model assumes you know him.
  2. Don’t trade with Bob again. His reputation in your social graph degrades.
  3. Tell mutual friends. Information propagates through the same social network that makes barter.game work.

This is a feature, not a bug. The protocol is precise about what it guarantees (signed receipts, atomic balance updates) and honest about what it doesn’t (enforcing delivery).

Advanced plays

The liquidity bridge

Alice wants Bob’s “1 hour” but Bob doesn’t want Alice’s “1 logo.” Carol wants Alice’s “1 logo” and has something Bob wants. The protocol supports N-party rings. Alice proposes a three-way trade. The client builds the graph, slices per bank, and orchestrates the cascade.

Portfolio rebalancing

If you’re holding too many promises from one emitter, offer them to others at favorable rates. “I’ll give you 2 of Alice’s logos for 1 of your hours.” The protocol doesn’t price-match; you do. It’s barter, not a market.

The event play

Go to an event with an empty wallet. Mint a promise on arrival — “1 intro to my network.” Trade it for other promises throughout the day. Leave with a diversified portfolio of commitments from people you just met. Follow up next week to redeem.

The meta-game

The ultimate barter.game player is not the one with the highest balance. It’s the one with:

  • The most trusted issuer relationships. People know you’ll deliver.
  • The most diverse portfolio. Many small promises from many emitters.
  • The best timing. Knowing when to lead and when to follow.
  • The cleanest redemption record. You settle your debts promptly.

Be a good counterparty. The protocol records everything.