Bread Cooperative has been using crypto as a means of supporting causes since the 1st of July 2024. Our $BREAD token, a non-speculative currency that is pegged to the US Dollar, is at the core of what we do. Holding our token will neither earn nor lose you any money. But what it does do is enable a global network of mutual aid, where every participant has a voice.

A lot has changed since those early days, but the vision to use crypto in ways that are simply impossible in traditional finance remains the same.

This guide covers all you need to know about the Bread Solidarity Fund, formerly known as the Crowdstaking Application.

Sections include:

• How the BREAD Solidarity Fund works

• Overview of each part of the Solidarity Fund app

• How to get xDAI

• How you can contribute, or "bake" $BREAD

• How you can redeem your funds, or "burn" $BREAD

Explanations are intended to be as approachable as possible. Links to our documentation are included where available if you would like to explore any of the ideas in more detail.

Crypto networks are managed by participants, not a central authority like your bank. Your bank can offer you interest as incentive for keeping money in your accounts. Decentralised networks do the same by offering yield as a reward for contributing your crypto to maintain the system.

What makes $BREAD special is that you can support causes using just this yield, no need to give away your money. This creates flexibility to offer support over an extended period of time even if you have limited funds.

Time to check out the Solidarity Fund page! We have screenshots below to walk you through each section, feel free to look around first. We highly recommend doing this on a desktop/laptop rather than mobile since it's just easier with more room to operate. We'll check out the "Governance" tab at a later date, this guide is just about the default "Bake" page.

The main Solidarity Fund page provides an overview of the $BREAD in circulation, with real-time updates being fetched from Dune Analytics. The box showing 5.1% APY is a snapshot of the current rate of yield generation per year. This number is linked to the SKY Savings Rate and will fluctuate based on market conditions. Fluctuations are totally normal, and are an inherent part of how decentralised networks work.

The orange box at the top-right of the page is the key starting point for your Solidarity Fund journey. Clicking it will open a window that lets you connect a crypto wallet, as shown below.

Unlike what the name suggests, your funds are not actually stored in your wallet. Crypto wallets enable you to send and receive crypto, but the crypto itself is permanently onchain. So if you ever forget your password to your crypto wallet, you can always restore provided you still have your private key or seed phrase (24 words that you were prompted to write down when opening your wallet).

Different chains have a variety of preferred wallets. $BREAD is on the Ethereum network, and most wallets you might have heard of will work for baking & supporting causes. While we are not endorsing any one wallet, many members of the $BREAD team prefer to use Rabby. Metamask is a major wallet too and is ideal for beginners. As you get more familiar with the crypto ecosystem and increase participation with Bread, we would encourage you to also support our member project Citizen Wallet.

If your wallet is not showing up on the list, go through the following steps:
1 - Check if the browser extension is installed & up-to-date. You might need to restart your browser after any updates. Next, check if you are signed-in, and you have the correct sub-account selected. This exact process will vary for each wallet.
2 - If you are using a mobile wallet like Rainbow, click on the WalletConnect option and scan the QR code with your device. You can then continue the sign-in process on your device.

If you have no crypto whatsoever, you will need to acquire some to get started. Rules for acquiring cryptocurrency vary between countries and jurisdictions, so please check your local rules. For those who prefer peer-to-peer purchases away from Big Tech influence, we recommend using zkP2P as an alternative.

Now that you have crypto and are signed in, the first step to baking $BREAD requires holding xDAI. xDAI's value is linked to the US Dollar, and this helps maintain $BREAD's consistent $1 value.

If you already hold xDAI and want to get to baking BREAD, you can skip this section and scroll on down. Or keep reading to make sure you always have xDAI when you need it.

For those who do not hold xDAI in their wallet, we have a really easy way to convert your existing crypto of choice to xDAI, rather than buying xDAI from an exchange. The all-new Solidarity Fund lets you "Bridge" over any crypto you already have into xDAI. The bridging function is marked here with the big orange star.

Clicking that Bridge tab will show you all the assets currently held in your wallet, example below.

For this example, we will be bridging Ethereum from the Base network to xDAI on the Gnosis netwok. Both Base and Gnosis are known as Layer 2 networks, designed to make Ethereum transactions cheaper and faster. If you would like to learn more about how Layer 2 (also known as L2) solutions works, you can read more here.

We have chosen to bridge 0.001 Ethereum from the Base network to xDAI.

The bridging is handled by LI.FI, and shows you the US Dollar value that you are sending (in this case $3.21) and the amount in xDAI you will get out ($3.19). The number out will be slightly less than the number in because this bridging action comes with small network and participant fees.

The price that you have been offered is valid for a limited time only, and the network will refresh and provide you with an updated quote if you take time to bridge. This is normal, because asset prices in crypto are always changing.

The intern doing the bridging waited for a bit to show you this price change in effect.

Clicking the "Review Bridge" button takes you to this next screen, where you can see the bridging route and final fees.

Clicking the "Start bridging" button will open a transaction window in your wallet. The address & balance have been blocked out in orange for privacy, but all the other information is important for you to review. Intern is using Rabby wallet, your experience might look a little different but the end result will be the same. Let's go through the steps on how you should be reviewing this transaction.

• Intern expects to pay 0.001 ETH. Check.

• This amounts to ~$3.20. Check.

• The chain I'm bridging FROM is base. Check.

• The system uses the LI.FI protocol to do this bridging. Check.

• Intern is expecting to pay in ETH. Check.

The last numbers in blue let me choose how large a transaction fee I am willing to pay to ensure this bridging happens faster. Best to leave this at the current defaults.

Take your time to review. If the prices change and you need to start again, that's totally ok.

Intern's review has passed all the checks, so they click sign.

The next window will show that the transaction is happening. It will take a little bit of time, feel free to stretch your legs for a couple minutes.

When it's all done, you'll get a success message.

Close the window and you'll get a secondary confirmation. Click done and you can head over to the 'Bake' tab.

Intern has a total balance of ~6 xDAI, and for this example will bake 3 $BREAD.

1 $BREAD = 1 xDAI = $1

Enter the amount in the xDAI field and you should see an equal number in $BREAD. Numbers match, intern clicks "Bake."

A transaction window from your wallet will pop up. You can review this information, double check all your numbers. Wallet address and balances have been blocked out in orange for privacy.

• 3 xDAI in, 3 $BREAD out. Check.

• It says "Unknown Signature Type" because the $BREAD network is still a somewhat novel kind of onchain action. Other wallets might show a similar 'site popularity' tab. The Solidarity Fund has a small but passionate set of users, unlike the 'high popularity' services like decentralized exchanges with tens of thousands of daily active users. When in doubt, ask for help on our Discord and tag a moderator.

• The operation is 'mint,' which is what the act of creating fresh tokens is called. Check.

• If it's your first time baking, you may get an additional warning. Intern does this all the time so their wallet is familiar with this process, as you can see in the 'interacted before' section of the transaction. Check.

• If it's all clear, sign the transaction.

This process will be quicker than bridging, and you'll get a triumphant pop-up message post. You're now part of the $BREAD Solidarity Fund, and we get to officially call you Breadfam for the first time.

Tell your friends on socials because you're doing something that is beyond the comprehension of traditional finance.

The $BREAD you hold is yours to do with as you please. We would love you to keep your funds in the network as long as you can, but we know that there are times you would need to redeem your funds. Here's how you can do so.

Navigate over to the "Burn" tab. You'll see that the entry fields have swapped. The process of burning reduces the total number of $BREAD in circulation by giving you back an equivalent amount in xDAI. Intern will redeem 3 xDAI back.

The orange button enables you to convert your BREAD into Wrapped xDAI, which will maintain the current amount of $BREAD in circulation. If you still want to redeem to xDAI, click the "Burn" button below.

A popup window will give you a final chance to swap instead of burn.

Just like before, we have a transaction to review. Addresses & balances are blocked out in orange.

• 3 $BREAD in, 3 xDAI out? Check.

• Dollar valuations line up? Check.

• Interacted before? Check.

• Operation = burn? Check.

• Gas fees? Keep them at the defaults. Check.

Click sign, and the transaction will only take a few seconds.

Here's your success message.

If you have questions, want to connect with others doing the same, or just want to be around people who believe crypto can be more than just speculation, join us on Discord.

The Breadfam is small but committed. We're happy to help if you get stuck, and we'd love you to join the journey to make crypto work for everyone.

Solidarity forever 🍞

Bread Cooperative has been using crypto as a means of supporting causes since the 1st of July 2024. Our $BREAD token, a non-speculative currency that is pegged to the US Dollar, is at the core of what we do. Holding our token will neither earn nor lose you any money. But what it does do is enable a global network of mutual aid, where every participant has a voice.

A lot has changed since those early days, but the vision to use crypto in ways that are simply impossible in traditional finance remains the same.

This guide covers all you need to know about the Bread Solidarity Fund, formerly known as the Crowdstaking Application.

Sections include:

• How the BREAD Solidarity Fund works

• Overview of each part of the Solidarity Fund app

• How to get xDAI

• How you can contribute, or "bake" $BREAD

• How you can redeem your funds, or "burn" $BREAD

Explanations are intended to be as approachable as possible. Links to our documentation are included where available if you would like to explore any of the ideas in more detail.

Crypto networks are managed by participants, not a central authority like your bank. Your bank can offer you interest as incentive for keeping money in your accounts. Decentralised networks do the same by offering yield as a reward for contributing your crypto to maintain the system.

What makes $BREAD special is that you can support causes using just this yield, no need to give away your money. This creates flexibility to offer support over an extended period of time even if you have limited funds.

Time to check out the Solidarity Fund page! We have screenshots below to walk you through each section, feel free to look around first. We highly recommend doing this on a desktop/laptop rather than mobile since it's just easier with more room to operate. We'll check out the "Governance" tab at a later date, this guide is just about the default "Bake" page.

The main Solidarity Fund page provides an overview of the $BREAD in circulation, with real-time updates being fetched from Dune Analytics. The box showing 5.1% APY is a snapshot of the current rate of yield generation per year. This number is linked to the SKY Savings Rate and will fluctuate based on market conditions. Fluctuations are totally normal, and are an inherent part of how decentralised networks work.

The orange box at the top-right of the page is the key starting point for your Solidarity Fund journey. Clicking it will open a window that lets you connect a crypto wallet, as shown below.

Unlike what the name suggests, your funds are not actually stored in your wallet. Crypto wallets enable you to send and receive crypto, but the crypto itself is permanently onchain. So if you ever forget your password to your crypto wallet, you can always restore provided you still have your private key or seed phrase (24 words that you were prompted to write down when opening your wallet).

Different chains have a variety of preferred wallets. $BREAD is on the Ethereum network, and most wallets you might have heard of will work for baking & supporting causes. While we are not endorsing any one wallet, many members of the $BREAD team prefer to use Rabby. Metamask is a major wallet too and is ideal for beginners. As you get more familiar with the crypto ecosystem and increase participation with Bread, we would encourage you to also support our member project Citizen Wallet.

If your wallet is not showing up on the list, go through the following steps:
1 - Check if the browser extension is installed & up-to-date. You might need to restart your browser after any updates. Next, check if you are signed-in, and you have the correct sub-account selected. This exact process will vary for each wallet.
2 - If you are using a mobile wallet like Rainbow, click on the WalletConnect option and scan the QR code with your device. You can then continue the sign-in process on your device.

If you have no crypto whatsoever, you will need to acquire some to get started. Rules for acquiring cryptocurrency vary between countries and jurisdictions, so please check your local rules. For those who prefer peer-to-peer purchases away from Big Tech influence, we recommend using zkP2P as an alternative.

Now that you have crypto and are signed in, the first step to baking $BREAD requires holding xDAI. xDAI's value is linked to the US Dollar, and this helps maintain $BREAD's consistent $1 value.

If you already hold xDAI and want to get to baking BREAD, you can skip this section and scroll on down. Or keep reading to make sure you always have xDAI when you need it.

For those who do not hold xDAI in their wallet, we have a really easy way to convert your existing crypto of choice to xDAI, rather than buying xDAI from an exchange. The all-new Solidarity Fund lets you "Bridge" over any crypto you already have into xDAI. The bridging function is marked here with the big orange star.

Clicking that Bridge tab will show you all the assets currently held in your wallet, example below.

For this example, we will be bridging Ethereum from the Base network to xDAI on the Gnosis netwok. Both Base and Gnosis are known as Layer 2 networks, designed to make Ethereum transactions cheaper and faster. If you would like to learn more about how Layer 2 (also known as L2) solutions works, you can read more here.

We have chosen to bridge 0.001 Ethereum from the Base network to xDAI.

The bridging is handled by LI.FI, and shows you the US Dollar value that you are sending (in this case $3.21) and the amount in xDAI you will get out ($3.19). The number out will be slightly less than the number in because this bridging action comes with small network and participant fees.

The price that you have been offered is valid for a limited time only, and the network will refresh and provide you with an updated quote if you take time to bridge. This is normal, because asset prices in crypto are always changing.

The intern doing the bridging waited for a bit to show you this price change in effect.

Clicking the "Review Bridge" button takes you to this next screen, where you can see the bridging route and final fees.

Clicking the "Start bridging" button will open a transaction window in your wallet. The address & balance have been blocked out in orange for privacy, but all the other information is important for you to review. Intern is using Rabby wallet, your experience might look a little different but the end result will be the same. Let's go through the steps on how you should be reviewing this transaction.

• Intern expects to pay 0.001 ETH. Check.

• This amounts to ~$3.20. Check.

• The chain I'm bridging FROM is base. Check.

• The system uses the LI.FI protocol to do this bridging. Check.

• Intern is expecting to pay in ETH. Check.

The last numbers in blue let me choose how large a transaction fee I am willing to pay to ensure this bridging happens faster. Best to leave this at the current defaults.

Take your time to review. If the prices change and you need to start again, that's totally ok.

Intern's review has passed all the checks, so they click sign.

The next window will show that the transaction is happening. It will take a little bit of time, feel free to stretch your legs for a couple minutes.

When it's all done, you'll get a success message.

Close the window and you'll get a secondary confirmation. Click done and you can head over to the 'Bake' tab.

Intern has a total balance of ~6 xDAI, and for this example will bake 3 $BREAD.

1 $BREAD = 1 xDAI = $1

Enter the amount in the xDAI field and you should see an equal number in $BREAD. Numbers match, intern clicks "Bake."

A transaction window from your wallet will pop up. You can review this information, double check all your numbers. Wallet address and balances have been blocked out in orange for privacy.

• 3 xDAI in, 3 $BREAD out. Check.

• It says "Unknown Signature Type" because the $BREAD network is still a somewhat novel kind of onchain action. Other wallets might show a similar 'site popularity' tab. The Solidarity Fund has a small but passionate set of users, unlike the 'high popularity' services like decentralized exchanges with tens of thousands of daily active users. When in doubt, ask for help on our Discord and tag a moderator.

• The operation is 'mint,' which is what the act of creating fresh tokens is called. Check.

• If it's your first time baking, you may get an additional warning. Intern does this all the time so their wallet is familiar with this process, as you can see in the 'interacted before' section of the transaction. Check.

• If it's all clear, sign the transaction.

This process will be quicker than bridging, and you'll get a triumphant pop-up message post. You're now part of the $BREAD Solidarity Fund, and we get to officially call you Breadfam for the first time.

Tell your friends on socials because you're doing something that is beyond the comprehension of traditional finance.

The $BREAD you hold is yours to do with as you please. We would love you to keep your funds in the network as long as you can, but we know that there are times you would need to redeem your funds. Here's how you can do so.

Navigate over to the "Burn" tab. You'll see that the entry fields have swapped. The process of burning reduces the total number of $BREAD in circulation by giving you back an equivalent amount in xDAI. Intern will redeem 3 xDAI back.

The orange button enables you to convert your BREAD into Wrapped xDAI, which will maintain the current amount of $BREAD in circulation. If you still want to redeem to xDAI, click the "Burn" button below.

A popup window will give you a final chance to swap instead of burn.

Just like before, we have a transaction to review. Addresses & balances are blocked out in orange.

• 3 $BREAD in, 3 xDAI out? Check.

• Dollar valuations line up? Check.

• Interacted before? Check.

• Operation = burn? Check.

• Gas fees? Keep them at the defaults. Check.

Click sign, and the transaction will only take a few seconds.

Here's your success message.

If you have questions, want to connect with others doing the same, or just want to be around people who believe crypto can be more than just speculation, join us on Discord.

The Breadfam is small but committed. We're happy to help if you get stuck, and we'd love you to join the journey to make crypto work for everyone.

Solidarity forever 🍞