These fees exist because platforms own: the network, the algorithm, the transaction rails.
Candao's insight: Decentralize all three.
How Zero Fee Works
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THE ZERO FEE MECHANISM │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. HOLD $CDO tokens (one-time, varies by tier) │
│ ↓ │
│ 2. AI Ghost activated for your account │
│ ↓ │
│ 3. Ghost matches, negotiates, transacts 24/7 │
│ ↓ │
│ 4. Value flows peer-to-peer (no extraction) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Zero Fee ≠ Zero Cost
Important clarification: Zero Fee does not mean infrastructure runs for free.
Cost
Who Pays
How
AI inference (Ghost operations)
Network
Covered by ecosystem rewards pool
Storage (P2P cloud)
Users
Token holding tier or micro-payments
Blockchain gas
Users
Near-zero (<$0.001) via L2
Development
Candao Foundation
Funded by 30% partner revenue share
Protocol operations
Ecosystem
Buyback & Make redistribution
The key difference: These are operational costs, not extractive fees. Users pay for resources consumed, not for the privilege of access.
Example: Zero-Fee Ride-Sharing
Uber Model
Candao Model
Driver earns $15 of $20 fare
Driver earns $20 of $20 fare
Platform takes $5 (25%)
Platform takes $0
Monthly: loses $500+
Monthly: keeps $500+
Requires: nothing
Requires: ~$100 CDO hold (kept, not spent)
Real Stories: A Day in the Zero Fee Economy
Annabelle — Vacation Rental Host, Lisbon
Before (Booking.com/Airbnb):
12 bookings this month = $10,000 gross
Platform takes 20% = $2,000 gone
Net: $8,000
After (Candao):
Same 12 bookings = $10,000 gross
Platform takes 0% = $0 gone
Net: $10,000
Required: $100 CDO (one-time, locked)
"I held $100 in CDO once. That's it. Now my AI Ghost handles bookings, and I keep everything I earn. Last year, platforms took $24,000 from me. Never again."
Marcus — UX Designer, Remote (Upwork Refugee)
Before (Upwork/Fiverr):
$5,000/month in contracts
Platform takes 15% = $750 gone
Client communication filtered, platform-controlled
After (Candao):
Same $5,000/month in contracts
Platform takes 0% = $0 gone
Direct client relationships, Ghost-negotiated rates
Saved: $9,000/year
"Fiverr took 20% of every job. Now my Ghost finds clients, negotiates rates, and closes deals while I sleep. I keep 100%."
Ana — House Cleaner, Barcelona (TaskRabbit User)
Before (TaskRabbit):
40 jobs/month @ $50 average = $2,000
Platform takes 15% = $300 gone
Limited to platform's client pool
After (Candao):
40 jobs/month @ $50 = $2,000
Platform takes 0% = $0 gone
Ghost-matched directly with neighbors
Saved: $3,600/year
"I clean homes. Why should an app in San Francisco take 15% of every job? Now my Ghost matches me with clients in my neighborhood. Zero cut."
The Pattern
Platform
Who They Tax
Candao's Answer
Airbnb / Booking
Hosts (15-25%)
Ghost-matched stays, 0%
Upwork / Fiverr
Freelancers (10-20%)
Ghost-negotiated contracts, 0%
TaskRabbit
Service providers (15%)
Direct matching, 0%
Hinge / Bumble
Singles ($30/mo)
Token hold, unlimited matching
Patreon
Creators (8-12%)
Direct support, 0% platform cut
The fees disappear. The value stays with the people who create it.
FAQ
Q: If there are no fees, how does Candao make money? A: Partners share 30% of their direct revenue with Candao Foundation. The Foundation uses this to fund development, grow the ecosystem, and buy back tokens.
Q: What if the token price drops? A: Your access never changes. You hold tokens for access, not speculation. Even if market price fluctuates, your $100 in CDO still unlocks Infinite Package.
Q: How is this different from a coupon or discount app? A: Coupons are temporary discounts within fee-based platforms. Zero Fee is structural — the platform architecture itself eliminates extraction. It's a different economic model, not a marketing trick.
Q: What stops partners from secretly adding fees? A: Smart contract enforcement. Partners commit to Zero Fee at the protocol level. Breaking the commitment = removal from the ecosystem.
Q: Is this just cheaper because you're new? A: No. Fee removal isn't a launch tactic — it's the core design. Candao is built so fees are architecturally unnecessary. As the network grows, Zero Fee becomes more powerful, not less.
