Drops

Platform access units

Drops are SWIM’s unit of access. When a buyer wants to claim an offer from a merchant’s Stream, they evaporate Drops to do it. Think of Drops as the currency of participation — they represent genuine engagement with the platform, not just a financial transaction.

Drops are not a cryptocurrency. They are not transferable between accounts. They cannot be cashed out. They exist as a mechanism to create alignment between merchants and buyers — buyers who have Drops are buyers invested in the ecosystem, not just passing through.

How buyers acquire Drops

Buyers purchase Drops with cash. That’s the primary path — Drops are not free, and they are not earned by browsing or completing profile steps. A buyer who has Drops has spent real money to acquire them. That’s the commitment signal.

Drops expire one year from the date of purchase. A year is a long time — plenty of space to find offers worth claiming. After that, they’re gone. Water evaporates; it doesn’t sit in a glass indefinitely.

Merchants may also gift Drops to buyers as a reward or welcome gesture. The mechanics for this are still being developed, but the intent is clear: merchants who want to attract buyers can seed their economy directly.

This matters. A buyer spending Drops has already committed cash to the ecosystem. They’re not a one-time visitor; they’re someone with skin in the game.

Evaporating Drops to claim an MBO

When a buyer finds an offer they want, they evaporate the required number of Drops to claim it. This is called claiming an MBO — a Merchant Brand Offer. The Drops are permanently consumed. Water evaporates; it doesn’t come back as the same drop. In exchange, the buyer receives the entitlement: the physical product, the digital download, the service booking, or the experience access.

Merchants set their own Drop prices. Higher Drop prices don’t necessarily mean higher buyer cost — they reflect the perceived value of the offer in the ecosystem. A merchant who sets thoughtful Drop prices builds a healthier, more loyal customer base than one who treats every offer as a clearance item.

What Drops are not

Drops are not stars, points, or miles. They don’t accumulate toward a tier. They don’t give SWIM a reason to manipulate merchant pricing. Drops are a clean mechanism: buy them, evaporate them to claim value, and let them go after a year if unused. Nothing more.