  We present an architectural alternative to global digital platforms termed
grassroots, designed to serve the social, economic, civic, and political needs
of local digital communities, as well as their federation. Grassroots platforms
may offer local communities an alternative to global digital platforms while
operating solely on the smartphones of their members, forsaking any global
resources other than the network itself. Such communities may form digital
economies without initial capital or external credit, exercise sovereign
democratic governance, and federate, ultimately resulting in the grassroots
formation of a global digital democracy.
