Since the early 1990s, exchange circles in the form of Local Exchange Trading Systems have experienced a renaissance in Germany and are gaining significant popularity. This initiative, originally from Canada, aims to establish a non-monetary, locally confined economic cycle alongside the monetary economy through the use of a complementary currency. These are small, self-contained economic systems that adhere to similar principles as the formal market and reflect various social issues on a smaller scale. Simone Wagner examines the causes of the emergence and spread of exchange circles, the securing of their long-term sustainability, and their economic and social political significance. She demonstrates that the rise of exchange circles is less attributable to deficiencies in the formal economy and labor market.