BRIKCOIN Tackles the UK’s Affordable Housing Crisis Using Blockchain Technology
June 21, 2019
Property start-up BRIKCOIN has developed a unique financial model to answer the huge deficit in the affordable housing availability in the UK while solving the lack of liquidity for investments into private developments.
According to research undertaken by housing charity – Shelter, 3 million new affordable homes need to be built in the UK by 2040. Currently, just 6,000 homes are being built every year.
Deploying blockchain technology, BRIKCOIN aims to build, acquire or redevelop property in order to create 100% affordable housing properties.
Blockchain technology, the only way forward
Currently, investors in private development companies and funds cannot withdraw their investment quickly. When faced with mass withdrawals of investor stakes, the companies have to, in turn, sell their property assets at below market rates to return funds.
Through market analysis and extensive research, James Hare, BRIKCOIN CEO, is convinced that blockchain technology is currently the only way to solve the UK’s affordable housing crisis while involving the community and secure investors benefits and liquidation. He stated: “Of all the benefits of blockchain, liquidity is the kicker for BRIKCOIN. Property investment is an inherently illiquid asset class. BRIKCOIN’s model allows investors to liquidate their investments on global cryptocurrency exchanges, 24/7.”
James Hare became immersed in the benefits of blockchain technology early 2017 and has since been working on the BRIKCOIN model. James’s 20 years’ experience in the property industry and his financial background helped him figure out how blockchain could finally be the technology needed to shape his solution: “I was already working on a conventional affordable housing solution, an issue close to my heart, and at that time I was also beginning to learn more about cryptocurrencies and the benefits of blockchain technology. I then thought, what if we could create a truly cross border effect, to combine blockchain technology with a centuries old understanding; land and property. The outcome is BRIKCOIN.”
A unique model for a national crisis
BRIKCOIN’s unique model is, according to James Hare, why BRIKCOIN will succeed in providing affordable housing while keeping the community and investors involved in the long run.
He explained: “Firstly, BRIKCOIN retains ownership of each of its properties, which backs, supports and increases the BRIKCOIN token value. Secondly, in selling the long lease guarantee from the Local Authority to financial institutions, such as the pension funds, BRIKCOIN will typically benefit from a competitive 20% profit. Finally, BRIKCOIN also generates revenues from fees associated with property development and facilities management.”
BRIKCOIN will issue 1 billion BRIKCOIN tokens sold on their user-friendly platform accepting FIAT currencies as well as cryptocurrencies. Following a successfully completed private sale of 10% of this amount, (over £300,000 raised before Q1 2019) the presale and crowd sale will distribute a further 50% of the BRIKCOIN total, with 10%, 5% and 5% set for team, community rewards and philanthropy respectively. 20% will be locked up in a smart contract for a period of 9 months and used for future token value growth.
From October onwards, BRIK will circulate on crypto exchanges as an ‘ERC-20’ token backed by the Ethereum blockchain.
The funds raised during the token sale will be invested in building affordable homes across the UK. The properties will then be handed over on a 50-year lease to the local council with an agreement in place that ensures that the rents will remain below pre-defined affordable rents.
The 50-year income guarantee will then be sold to financial institutions, who already invest in stable, long term income generating instruments. Since these payments will be made by the local council, it will be backed by the rock-solid guarantee of the central UK government, making them very attractive income generating instruments for the institutions.
The team is in direct communication at the highest level with 18 of the 32 London Boroughs and have on going communications with the Greater London Authority, again at the highest level alongside Government ministers. Furthermore, they have forged strong ties with many other Local Authorities throughout the country, garnering the support of local MPs and Senior Civil Servants. As a private developer, BRIKCOIN will be moving forward with several schemes over the coming months.
James Hare concluded: “I believe every person should have a safe, secure shelter; a home.”
You May Also Enjoy
London property no longer a safe bet as real-terms prices slide
Inner London stagnates: Wandsworth, Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster saw annual growth of less than 0.5% between 2016 and 2024, new Rathbones research reveals. Southwark in freefall: Average house prices fell by 2% over the past eight years. Outer London underperforms: Even Bexley, the best-performing borough, only saw 2.8% annual growth –…
Read More 
Low deposit mortgage choice boosted to 17-year high
Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data reveals the combined choice of higher loan-to-value mortgages (90% and 95% LTV) rose to its highest count in 17 years. These deals combined represent 19% of the residential mortgage market overall, where choice is at an 18-year high. Month-on-month the overall average two- and five-year fixed mortgage rates…
Read More 
Property market beset by delays as conveyancer queries vary by an ‘alarming’ 8,176%
The scale of inefficiency in the property market was laid bare today by new analysis that reveals some conveyancers receive 83 times as many Land Registry queries as others. The number of requests sent to conveyancers to progress cases varied by an “alarming” 8,176%, ranging from 2.9 per 100 applications to 237, new analysis of…
Read More 
Breaking Property News 8/09/25
Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. MetaWealth and One United Partners launch €18 million tokenized real estate bonds opportunity in Bucharest Press Release London, UK & Bucharest, Romania Sept 2025 MetaWealth, a tokenised real estate investment platform, today launched a €17.9 million bonds basket targeting 19% annual returns, as part of its…
Read More
Hodge adds 95% LTV to Resi and Resi Retire propositions to support borrowers with complex income
New 95% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage options have been added to Hodge’s Resi and Resi Retire propositions, giving customers from age 21 with varied income types greater access to the property market. These latest enhancements align with Hodge’s wider shift towards “lifelong lending”, bringing together core residential and retirement propositions, where lending is based on a…
Read More 
Younger generations see homeownership as less important
The latest research from Yopa has revealed how attitudes towards homeownership vary between generations, showing that while the majority still aspire to own, its perceived importance has waned among younger buyers who also find the path to ownership more challenging than their parents did. Yopa surveyed* Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z to…
Read More