Electric House, London South Bank University
HackTheSystem is a community-driven initiative focused on developing technological solutions for community wealth building and democratic participation.
Overview
Founded in 2022 in South London, the initiative brings together artists, designers, technologists, policy experts, and community members to co-create digital platforms that democratize economic opportunities and civic engagement. HackTheSystem is distinguished by its dual focus on creating digital token marketplaces for local creative communities while simultaneously developing tools for deliberative democracy and collective governance.
History
HackTheSystem was conceived in 2022 by a coalition of organizations including Crystalisr, Regens Unite, and Blockchain Radicals, alongside academic partners like London South Bank University. The initiative emerged from converging interests in regenerative economics, smart-city development, decentralized arts, and participatory democracy movements.
Initially conceptualized as a single event, the first HackTheSystem gathering was postponed as organizers refined their approach and built stronger community relationships. After a three-year development period, HackTheSystem was relaunched in 2025 with a more focused methodology and clearer objectives. The initiative's evolution reflected growing interest in using blockchain and distributed ledger technologies, particularly the Radix ledger, to create community-owned cooperative structures modeled after established mutual organizations.
Purpose and Objectives
HackTheSystem's core mission is to supersede traditional economic and democratic systems that have failed to deliver equitable outcomes for local communities. The initiative has four primary objectives:
- Marketplace Development: Creating digital token marketplaces that connect local artists and designers directly with consumers, eliminating intermediaries and enabling creators to capture more value from their work.
- Democratic Participation: Building "pro-interactive" platforms that enable community members to participate in deliberative decision-making processes, both within economic cooperatives and potentially in broader civic contexts.
- Community Wealth Building: Ensuring that economic benefits from creative and cultural production remain within and circulate throughout the local community rather than being extracted by external entities.
- Digital Asset Democratization: Widening ownership of digital assets through innovative tokenization approaches, allowing community members to build wealth through fractional ownership of previously inaccessible assets.