What Are Tokenized Access Rights?

Tokenized access rights use blockchain technology to represent membership and usage rights in a commons-based system. Rather than traditional deeds or shares that confer ownership, these tokens grant the right to use resources and participate in governance, while explicitly excluding ownership claims or profit entitlements.

In OASA's model, the primary token (e.g., $TDF for Traditional Dream Factory) is a utility token that confers two key rights: (1) use rights—the right to stay at the village for a certain time each year at cost, and (2) governance rights—a voice in community decisions.

The Core Promise: "1 Token = 1 Night Per Year, Forever"

The hallmark promise of OASA's tokenized access rights is often summarized as "1 token = 1 night's stay per year, forever." In practice, a member holding 5 tokens is entitled to 5 nights annually in standard accommodations indefinitely.

Crucially, using a token for a night does not consume or destroy it—the same tokens entitle the holder to fresh nights every year. This makes the token akin to a perpetual membership, but with an important distinction: it is explicitly anti-extractive. Members pay only the operating cost for their stays (covering utilities, cleaning, food, etc.) with no markup for profit.

How It Works

Use Rights

Tokens grant the right to use the commons' resources. At TDF, this means accommodation nights, but the model can extend to harvest shares, workspace hours, event access, or other community resources. The key is that these are rights to use, not rights to own or profit from.

Governance Rights

Token holders also gain voting rights in community decisions. Governance weight is typically tied to token holdings but modulated by participation (Proof of Presence, contribution metrics) to prevent absentee control. Those who actively contribute and reside have a greater say than those who hold tokens but don't participate. See Rethinking Wealth for details.

No Ownership, No Profit

Token holders have no claim on the land's exchange value because the land is held in perpetual commons. The token is purely a right-of-use instrument, and all value derived from the land stays tied to its ecological and social utility. This eliminates the conflict between maximizing shareholder returns and maintaining affordable, regenerative services, creating a nature-backed economy.

Benefits of Tokenized Access Rights

Liquidity Without Speculation

Tokens can be transferred between members, providing liquidity if someone's circumstances change. However, because tokens don't promise financial returns, they're less attractive to speculators. The value is in the use, not the resale.

Transparent and Auditable

Blockchain technology provides transparency: all token transactions and treasury movements are on-chain, allowing anyone to audit the system. This builds trust and accountability in the commons governance.

Global Accessibility

Anyone around the world can purchase tokens to support and eventually visit the project. This enables global participation in local regeneration, channeling capital from anywhere toward place-based restoration.

Programmable Rights

Smart contracts can encode complex rules about token usage, governance weight, and access rights. This enables sophisticated governance mechanisms that would be difficult to implement in traditional legal structures.

Comparison to Traditional Models

Versus Property Deeds

Property deeds confer ownership, the right to sell, and the right to exclude others. Tokenized access rights confer only usage and governance participation, explicitly excluding ownership and profit claims.

Versus Shares or Equity

Shares typically promise financial returns through dividends or capital appreciation. Tokenized access rights promise only usage rights and governance participation, with no financial return mechanism.

Versus Membership Cards

Traditional membership systems are often centralized and opaque. Tokenized access rights are decentralized, transparent, and programmable, enabling more sophisticated governance and access control.

Implementation at Traditional Dream Factory

At TDF, $TDF tokens are minted through a bonding curve as people buy in. The token price increases as more tokens are issued, reflecting the project's growing capacity and reduced risk. Early supporters pay lower prices (around €200-250), while later buyers pay higher prices (approaching €420 at full capacity) as the village becomes more built and proven.

Tokens are initially non-transferable during the build phase to prevent speculation. Once the project reaches its funding and construction milestones, tokens become freely resellable, but they still confer no profit entitlement—only use and governance rights.

Future Potential

Tokenized access rights could enable a network of regenerative villages where membership at one commons grants reciprocal access to others. This would create a global network of regenerative spaces, each locally stewarded but globally accessible through tokenized rights.