PieFedGNU Taler v1.0 released and is operating in Switzerland
asudoxwww.taler.net/en/news/2025-01.html
If you are in Switzerland, you can begin using it following the instructions here: https://taler-ops.ch/en/users.html
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Man, another really cool GNU project I hadn't heard of. I should subscribe to a mailing list or something.
A_norny_mousseI love the name. Sounds like something edible. Maybe it just reminds me of GNUtella. A Taler, btw, is an old currency (mostly present in fairytales these days) and etymologically related to dollar.
mostly present in fairytales these days
It's also the currency in the german language donald duck comics.
There are edible talers: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoggitaler š
We had a smaller version of this in our childhood; the contents were somehow halfway between chocolate and chewing gum.
Where can I pay with a Taler, after filling my wallet? Is it only with cooperating companies?
As stated in the website, there are currently no known shops that accept it. It was released a week ago, so you'll have to wait.
Betaler in danish means to pay, it sounds oddly similar
MouldyCatThat's interesting. I've always thought the name a little weak, so you prompted me to find its origins. According to wiki:
Taler is short for the "Taxable Anonymous Libre Economic Reserves"[7][8] and alludes to the Taler coins in Germany during the Early Modern period.
That definitely looks like a backronym! Anyway, the wiki for the Taler coins says this:
The word is shortened from Joachimsthaler, the original thaler coin minted in Joachimsthal, Bohemia, from 1520.
So the original root appears to be Thal or Tal i.e. valley (just like Neanderthal/Neandertal). The Taler wiki page goes on:
[The Holy Roman Empire's] longest-lived coin was the Reichsthaler, which contained 1ā9 Cologne Mark of fine silver (or 25.984 g), and which was issued in various versions from 1566 to 1875.
Was Denmark part of the Holy Roman Empire? Either way, your ancestors would've presumably often traded with Germans using these early Thaler/Taler coins.
I think it's a coincidence and not etymologically related - scandinavian languages use the verb "talar" or variations thereof for "pay" or "tell" and I think it's more related to the German word "zahlen": https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahl#Etymologie
I hope this is successful. It would be a great way to enable monetisation on the internet without relying on ads.
tabularI hope GNU Taler does well in Switzerland. One day I would like to accept payments/donations using Taler ā¤ļø
GNU Taler requires exchanges in order to function, and hasnāt had any so far. What exchange now exists for use in Switzerland? Is it Taler Operations AG?
It depends on wire transfers to move money into and out of a Taler wallet. Wire transfer fees are typically around 30 USD. Thatās not practical for most peopleās needs, even if covering batches of transactions. Are there plans to support a less expensive means of funds transfer?
Yep. The only exchange right now in Switzerland is Taler Operations AG.
As for the wire transfers, no alternative way that I know of.
exuTransfers within Switzerland are free for normal people. And SEPA has a relatively low fee for transfers in (some) other European countries.
GNU Taler requires exchanges in order to function, and hasn't had any so far. What exchange now exists for use in Switzerland? Is it Taler Operations AG?
It depends on wire transfers to move money into and out of a Taler wallet. Wire transfer fees are typically around 30 USD. That's not practical for most people's needs, even if covering batches of transactions. Are there plans to support a less expensive means of funds transfer?
About time this takes off the ground.
Now go read the FAQ and reconsider posting that in a Privacy community.
What is the problem exactly?
The expiration date on the money and p2p fund transfers requiring an intermediary and an ID.
afaik the expiration just puts the unspent amount back to your bank account (because you still need one with taler), so that can be an advantage if you lost your wallet.
but that other point is very concerning. what's the point then?
It's likely an alternative to blik or internal revolut/n26/cashapp transfers. And in that regard it's an improvement because of its openness. But privacy is not one of the reasons to use it.
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Who said you need an account that is Swiss to use it?