The creation of a currency is a convention; it is established based on a "contract" between the members of a given community, with rules and principles shared by the community. The creation of a currency aims to ensure three main functions: a measure of value/unit of account; a medium of exchange/ payment; and a deposit/reserve of value.

Creating a complementary currency for São Miguel not only helps local communities to have a greater awareness of the socioeconomic inequities of the current financial system but also promotes sustainability, equity, and social inclusion by increasing their purchasing power and facilitating exchanges in the real, local economy: people and communities with "more money" and, therefore, with greater ability to favor financial circulation and the stirring of the island's micro-economy.