Universal Basic Income is a socialist boogeyman. The amount of resistance to official UBI programs almost guarantees that it will never come to fruition, as conservatives and libertarians alike enjoy clutching their pearls in fear that their hard-earned money will be stolen by the government and spent on keeping poor people clothed and fed.
But what happens when a UBI project emerges that doesn't rely on a centralized authority -- and therefore taxpayers -- for funding? That's the idea behind Manna, a charity-based cryptocurrency that aims to distribute Manna tokens as Universal Basic Income. Manna hit a major milestone recently with the launch of MannaBasics, an online storefront where coinholders can exchange their Manna for basic groceries. Here's what I experienced when I checked it out.
A Brief History of Manna
Starting its life as Grantcoin not too long ago and eventually rebranding to its new name, Manna is housed at the Mannabase website, where tens of thousands of active accounts receive weekly disbursements. Unlike all too many crypto projects, signing up to become a recipient is completely free. The site has grown to around 185,000 registered users, with about half of those going through the full application process to receive weekly UBI payments.
I've been following Manna since its Grantcoin days, and I'm glad to say that I've received more than 12,000 Grantcoin/Manna over the last couple of years. That sounds impressive, but a single Manna isn't worth much -- $0.0055 USD as of this writing -- but Manna was never meant to be a speculative asset. Indeed, it was always intended to be used as a currency, and with the implementation of MannaBasics, now you don't need to exchange your Manna for BTC or USD to use it to buy goods and services.
The MannaBasics Platform
MannaBasics is a brand-new e-commerce website thrown together by an independent Manna supporter known only as Hold The Coin (HTC). He or she is an active eBayer, having accrued 735 stars of positive feedback since first opening their eBay account in 2013, which works out to a 99.7% positive feedback rating. There's 365 items for sale on HTC's eBay storefront as of this writing, ranging from USB cables to hair care products to clothing to toys; there's really no theme to their storefront, making it a real grab-bag.
However, the MannaBasics storefront is very much themed towards non-perishable groceries and other staples. Canned tuna, microwaveable popcorn, organic macaroni and cheese box mixes, soap, and even feminine hygiene products are all included, with the latter being a thoughtful touch. Prices range from 50 Manna to 350 Manna, making these products quite inexpensive indeed.
The Ordering Process
Having plenty of Manna accrued, I decided to purchase the 1000 Manna "Pantry Box" and added the 350 Manna Always Panty Liners after discussing the purchase with my wife @Alladesria. Adding things to your shopping cart was easy and error-free, as is expected from even the most rudimentary e-commerce sites today. Simple, straightforward -- obviously the work of someone who knew what they're doing. HTC has obviously been selling things over the internet for long enough to know how to put together a simple checkout system.
Checking Out
Checkout was also simple. After inputting your name, email, and shipping address, MannaBasics finalizes your order, applies shipping costs, and then provides shoppers with a Manna wallet address to send your funds to. My order came to a total of 2600 Manna, thanks to the 1250 Manna shipping costs. I wasn't particularly enthused with shipping amounting to nearly the same amount as my order, but considering that the total price was only the equivalent of $14.36 USD it's still much less expensive than it would have been to purchase these items at a brick-and-mortar store, or even over Amazon.
About half an hour later, I received a confirmation email from MannaBasics, complete with order number and the promise of a tracking number once my package ships. Once the package arrives, I'll be able to evaluate shipping time and the condition the goods are in upon arrival.
Final Thoughts
So far, I'm gratified to see that the Manna community has taken the initiative in creating online marketplaces where UBI recipients can use Manna as intended. I'm not entirely enthusiastic about the high shipping rates, but the overall price of the purchase was still reasonable. I'm also not entirely comfortable with the lack of any pertinent details about the identity of Hold The Coin, though any worries that the seller is dishonest were easily put to rest by their incredibly high eBay feedback rating.
UBI is a concept I can get behind. More support for UBI, especially when it comes from non-governmental organizations like the cryptosphere, can help prove that providing a minimum level of income to everyone around the world is not only possible but also feasible. UBI from non-governmental sources takes financial and social pressure off governments, reduces the tax burden of the average individual, and, in the case of Manna where cryptocurrency is being harnessed for the sake of providing UBI, provides all the benefits of decentralized computing.
I'll be watching Manna in the future and hoping for its success. If you're interested in learning more about Manna, the project has begun blogging right here on Steemit as @mannacurrency. If you want to sign up for its UBI project yourself, visit Mannabase and sign up. And no, that's not a referral link, either, so don't worry that I'm shilling for some of that sweet referral bonus. Your praise and adulation is more than enough.
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