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We recently wrote about a home swapping platform based on a bartering system. Italy-based TimeRepublik uses a similar model by allowing users to earn skills with not money, but their own time.

TimeRepublik links users with those who can help them develop new skills, whether it’s learning to use software or scuba diving. Users don’t pay for the service — instead they build up ‘hours’ by helping others. If a member tutors somebody for an hour, they receive an hour to spend learning from other members. Users can list their skills on the platform’s directory, and will receive feedback, with positive reviews boosting their visibility and earning badges attached to their profile, so that they are rewarded with more work opportunities and more time in the bank.

By removing money from the exchange of services, TimeRepublik provides wider access for those wanting to gain skills, as well as unlocks what may otherwise be dormant talents in members of their community. What other services could benefit from a money-free sharing economy?