Ten years of Breadcoin come with a lot of stories. Some go back even further than Breadcoin itself.
As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we went through our archives and pulled together ten things about Breadcoin that even longtime supporters may not know. There’s the breakfast conversation that started it all, the reason Breadcoin is still a physical coin, an unexpected period of growth, and a few ideas that came directly from the communities we serve.
How many did you know? Which one surprised you most?
The idea came before Breadcoin
Breadcoin’s story actually begins several years before the first coin was created. In 2011, John Gillis posed a question to Scott Borger over breakfast: How can we meet the world’s needs when the needs are greatest? That conversation helped set in motion the thinking that would eventually become Breadcoin.
Why a coin?
The physical token wasn’t an accident. Breadcoin was designed to pass from one person to another. The exchange itself creates an opportunity for conversation and connection — something that can disappear when assistance happens entirely through a card or an app.
Some of the model came from the community
Not every part of Breadcoin was designed at a desk. In communities where participating restaurants weren’t nearby, people began bringing food trucks together so Breadcoins could be redeemed closer to home. Those mobile events became part of the way Breadcoin works today.
Ten years in, Breadcoin continues to change as communities find new ways to use a simple idea. And we’re pretty sure there are more stories we haven’t told yet.
