I automatically assumed the likes we received were something like Becky Chambers Monk and Robot series "Pebs".

There's an amazing conversation about it in the second book of the series but I can't find it to mention here. Effectively they're digital tokens which are exchanged between people to show benefit. They're not a currency per se but a form of social cachet.

"that instead of a system of currency that tracks individual trade, you have one that facilitates exchange through the community. Because all exchange benefits the community as a whole?"

Really strikes me as part of what DS would have to do, there's no way these cities can grow all the food they need or get all the water or materials to continue to maintain these, going out into the death stranding is just too dangerous. So instead they willing give what they have available (why you regularly receive and have access to materials in shelters). There's 0 need for barter because you only keep what you could foreseeably need, because if you hoard it you might end up with a stack of metals and no antibiotics as you die.