During the Great Depression a
group of Swiss business people
created a cooperative to help
them survive the difficult
times. WIR’s unique
feature was the use of a
Franc-denominated, asset-backed,
private currency designed to be
used, in combination with the
Swiss Franc, to increase
business activity.
From the initial 16 members the
WIR Trade System grew to 30,000 by the mid
1980s when the Trade System secured a
banking charter adding banking
services to the WIR
operation. Today, over 60,000
businesses are members and over
6 billion dollars in annual
volume is generated. It is
estimated that 25% of the volume
is real estate related.
ATC has used WIR, as a working
prototype, for the creation of a
similar system for the American
marketplace. The videos and
PowerPoints below provide a
quick introduction to the WIR
Trade System
and how it operates.
