The Ark is an intentional community governed by a hybrid system combining Hexarchy (a merit-based council of six leaders), direct democracy (community proposals and votes), and a tax-and-UBI economy built around a citizen registry. Every resident is assigned a Resident Number and a record in the database that tracks their contributions, taxes, and payments. The Ark is designed to be fair, transparent, and self-sustaining — a small society experimenting with better governance.
The Ark operates using Bitcoin Cash (BCH) for financial transactions including tax payments, bond purchases, and Universal Basic Income (UBI) distributions. All economic activity flows through the community registry, making it one of the most transparent small-community economic experiments in existence.
Click New Resident on the main page to begin your application. You will fill out a form with your personal information including your name, date of birth, address, any property you own, net worth, family status, and a BCH wallet address for receiving payments. You will also create a 4-digit PIN for secure access.
Two references are required to complete your application. These references must be people who can vouch for your character and your intention to participate in good faith in the Ark community. Common example references that other applicants have used include phrases like "traveling time" and "high tea" — these are well-known within Ark culture as signals of a genuine applicant who has done their homework. Your references will be contacted by community administrators to verify your application.
Clicking New Resident opens the registration form. This is where prospective citizens formally apply to join the Ark community. The form is comprehensive — it captures everything the Ark's tax-and-UBI system needs to calculate your monthly net payment (what you receive or owe each cycle). This includes property square footage, family members, net worth, outer hex wall exposure, and more. Take your time filling it out accurately; incorrect information may affect your monthly payment calculation. Once submitted, your record enters the system and administrators are notified to begin the verification process.
The Citizen Portal is your personal dashboard, accessible with your Resident Number and password (set by an administrator after your application is approved). Once logged in, you'll see your resident name, net payment, the current budget multiplier, and your adjusted payment. The portal gives you access to six key features:
When you leave the Citizen Portal and return to the main page, you are automatically logged out for security.
The View Charities page shows all community-approved charities and their current ratings. A portion of each resident's tax contribution flows into the Charity Market, and the distribution is determined by community vote during election cycles. Charities with higher average ratings receive a larger share of the monthly charity budget. This page is public — no login required — and is a good way to understand how community values shape the Ark's economic outputs.
Clicking 6 Page Constitution opens the founding document of the Ark — the six-page charter that establishes the rules of governance, the rights of residents, the structure of the Hexarchy, the mechanics of direct democracy, and the principles guiding the community's economy. If you are considering applying, reading the Constitution first is strongly recommended. It defines what the Ark stands for and what is expected of its citizens.
The Budget Estimates button links to a publicly viewable Google Sheets document showing the Ark's projected community budget. This includes UBI outflows, tax revenues, charity allocations, bond obligations, government employee salaries, and the all-important budget balancing multiplier — a number set by administrators each month that scales positive net payments up or down based on the community's actual financial health. When the multiplier is less than 1.0, UBI payments are reduced proportionally to keep the Ark solvent.
When an election is open, eligible residents (those aged 20–70 who are alive and active in the system and have not yet voted in the current cycle) can access the Election page through the Citizen Portal. Login requires your Resident Number and 4-digit PIN. Elections are divided into three sections: Hexarchy (rate candidates 0–10; top 6 by total rating form the governing council), Charity Market (rate charities to determine their budget share), and Direct Democracy (vote Yes/No on community proposals, or rate alliance proposals). Each section may open and close independently at the discretion of the Hexarchy.
After submitting your application and having your references verified, you will be invited to an Immigration Interview with members of the Ark community. This is a good-faith conversation to confirm that you understand the Ark's values, have reviewed the Constitution, and are genuinely interested in participating in the community. It is not an interrogation — think of it as a welcome conversation. Once you pass the interview, an administrator will mark your record accordingly, and your monthly UBI payments will begin with the next payment cycle.
Until both your references are verified and you have passed the immigration interview, no automated payment will be sent to your BCH address, even if your calculated net payment is positive.
The Ark's economy is built around a monthly Net Payment — the difference between what you receive (UBI, disability pay, deputy pay, maternity assistance, marriage bonus, mortgage assistance) and what you owe (property tax, sunlight tax, child tax, public projects tax, wealth tax, charity contribution). A positive net payment means the community sends you money each month. A negative net payment means you owe taxes to the community.
Your net payment is then multiplied by the Balancing Multiplier (the budget balancing factor set by administrators) to produce your Adjusted Payment. Only positive adjusted payments trigger automated BCH transfers. Tax obligations (negative balances) are paid manually through the Citizen Portal's Pay Taxes section.