🌬️ Start with UBEC (Air) — Your Gateway to the Commons

A Complete Guide to Beginning Your Journey with UBEC Tokens

Welcome to the Ubuntu Bioregional Economic Commons

"I am because we are" — Ubuntu Philosophy

The UBEC token is your gateway to participating in a new kind of economy—one built on the ancient wisdom of Ubuntu, where we recognize that our wellbeing is interconnected with the wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems.

Like air, UBEC is meant to be universally accessible, supporting all life, flowing freely to everyone who wishes to participate.

What is UBEC (Air)?

UBEC is the Gateway Token—your entry point into the four-element UBEC ecosystem. Just as air is essential for all life and available to everyone, UBEC ensures that anyone can participate in this new economic commons, regardless of background, resources, or location.

Key Characteristics

What UBEC Represents

• Diversity — Everyone has unique gifts to contribute
• Universal Access — No barriers to entry
• Gateway Function — Holding UBEC opens doors to the full ecosystem
• Network Health — Higher diversity = stronger, more resilient economy

Your Journey Begins Here

Starting with UBEC is simple. Follow these steps to join our growing community of 640+ participants from around the world.

Step 1: Create Your Stellar Wallet

UBEC tokens live on the Stellar blockchain. You'll need a Stellar wallet to receive, hold, and use your tokens.

Recommended Wallets:

Creating Your Wallet:

1. Download your chosen wallet app or visit the website
2. Click "Create New Wallet"
3. CRITICAL: Write down your secret key (56 characters starting with "S")
4. Use paper, not digital storage
5. Store in a safe, secure location
6. This is your only way to recover your wallet—lose it, lose everything
7. Set a PIN or password for daily access
8. Your public key (starting with "G") is now ready to share

📋 See: UBEC Onboarding User Guides — Technical Setup Section

Step 2: Activate Your Wallet

New Stellar wallets need approximately 2 XLM (about $0.20-0.50 USD) to activate.

Options for Activation:

1. UBEC can activate it for you — Ask during onboarding (easiest option)
2. Purchase XLM on an exchange (Coinbase, Binance, etc.) and send to your address
3. Ask another UBEC member to send you activation XLM

Step 3: Establish Your UBEC Trustline

Before you can receive UBEC tokens, you need to "trust" them. This is a Stellar security feature that prevents spam tokens from being sent without your permission.

Setting Up the UBEC Trustline:

1. In your wallet, go to "Assets" or "Manage Assets"
2. Click "Add Asset" or "Add Trustline"
3. Enter the token details:

Asset Code:  UBEC
Issuer:      GDPNB7S3IOM2J6C3NA2QG4TQAUCRZXPJJ4HSCSIKELEH7ORUCX5UB2VN

1. Confirm the trustline (costs a tiny amount of XLM)
2. You're now ready to receive UBEC tokens!

💡 Pro Tip: Once you've established your UBEC trustline, you can set up trustlines for all four tokens to be ready for full ecosystem participation.

Step 4: Receive Your First UBEC Tokens

Once your wallet is set up and trustlines established:

1. Share your public key (the "G" address) with UBEC
2. Verify via the onboarding process
3. Receive your first UBEC tokens
4. Welcome to the commons! 🎉

What Can You Do With UBEC?

Immediate Access

• Gateway to the Ecosystem — UBEC is your key to participating in all four elements
• Community Membership — Join 640+ participants building a new economic model
• Governance Rights — Participate in community decisions through voting

Economic Participation

• Send & Receive — Transfer UBEC to other community members in seconds
• Transaction Speed — 3-5 second settlement times
• Minimal Fees — Fractions of a cent per transaction

Your Holonic Journey

As you participate in the UBEC ecosystem, you'll be evaluated across five dimensions:

1. Autonomy Integration — Balance between independence and interconnection
2. Ubuntu Alignment — Embodiment of "I am because we are"
3. Reciprocity Health — Balance of giving and receiving
4. Mutualism Capacity — Creating mutually beneficial relationships
5. Regenerative Impact — Actions that renew and restore

Your holonic score determines your category and governance participation level.

📋 See: UBEC Governance Participant Guide

The 65/30/5 Distribution Model

All UBEC tokens follow a distribution model that ensures community ownership:

This means the majority of tokens always remain in community hands.

From Air to the Full Ecosystem

UBEC (Air) is just the beginning. As you engage with the ecosystem, you'll discover three more elements:

💧 Water (UBECrc) — Flow & Reciprocity

Earned through balanced giving and receiving, representing healthy flows of economic exchange like water through a watershed.

🌍 Earth (UBECgpi) — Stability & Mutualism

Recognized for developing stable, mutually beneficial partnerships, reflecting long-term sustainable cooperation like earth providing foundation.

🔥 Fire (UBECtt) — Transformation & Regeneration

Awarded for actions that transform and heal systems, recognizing your contribution to collective regeneration like fire catalyzing change.

📋 See: Water Reciprocity Guide | Earth Mutualism Guide | Fire Regeneration Guide

Security Best Practices

✅ DO

• Write down your secret key on paper
• Store secret key in a safe, secure location
• Make multiple copies stored separately
• Use a PIN/password for daily wallet access
• Keep wallet software updated
• Verify addresses before sending
• Start with small test transactions

❌ DON'T

• Ever share your secret key with anyone
• Store secret key digitally (no screenshots, photos, cloud storage)
• Send large amounts without testing first
• Click suspicious links about "urgent wallet issues"
• Give wallet access to untrusted apps

⚠️ UBEC will NEVER ask for your secret key. If anyone claims to be from UBEC and asks for it, it's a scam.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"I can't receive tokens" - Verify your UBEC trustline is established correctly - Check that you gave UBEC the correct public key (starts with "G") - Make sure your wallet is activated (has minimum XLM balance) - Contact support with your public key (never your secret key!)

"Transaction failed" - Confirm you have enough XLM for transaction fees - Verify the recipient address is correct - Check that the recipient has a trustline for the token you're sending

"I lost my secret key" - Unfortunately, there is no recovery possible without your secret key - This is why secure backup is critical before funding your wallet

📋 See: Full Troubleshooting Guide

Ready to Start?

Quick Start Checklist

• [ ] Download a Stellar wallet (Solar or Lobstr recommended)
• [ ] Create your wallet and securely store your secret key
• [ ] Note your public key (starts with "G")
• [ ] Activate your wallet with ~2 XLM
• [ ] Add the UBEC trustline using the issuer address above
• [ ] Contact UBEC or a community organizer to receive your first tokens
• [ ] Make your first transaction to practice
• [ ] Explore the community and connect with other members

Get Support

Community Resources:

• 📚 Complete Onboarding Guides
• 🏛️ Governance Participant Guide
• 👥 Community Organizer Guide
• ⚙️ System Administrator Guide

Connect:

• Find your local Community Organizer/Bioregional Leader
• Join community gatherings and calls
• Participate in governance discussions

Why Air?

In the Ubuntu worldview, air represents:

• Universality — Available to all, essential for all
• Diversity — Carries the breath of countless beings
• Freedom — Flows without restriction
• Life Force — The first thing we need upon birth

By starting with UBEC (Air), you're taking your first breath in a new kind of economy—one that recognizes your inherent worth, celebrates your unique gifts, and connects you to a community where we all thrive together.

Welcome to the Ubuntu Bioregional Economic Commons. May your journey be one of growth, connection, and transformation. 🌟

Attribution: This project uses the services of Claude and Anthropic PBC to inform our decisions and recommendations. This project was made possible with the assistance of Claude and Anthropic PBC.

Document Version: 1.2
Created: December 2025
Last Updated: December 2025