Coverage of NZ projects, developments that affect Kiwis, and the wider policy environment.
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Student clubs will run the second and third major Web3 hackathons in New Zealand this year, with Auckland hosting in April and Christchurch in July. Registration is open.
Lightning Pay NZ has rebranded as Stacked as New Zealand’s crypto market remains in flux after Easy Crypto’s closure. Many Kiwis are reluctant to move to overseas or to custodial platforms, with new entrants facing banking de-risking challenges.
From today, the IRD receives systematic data on crypto activity from NZ and overseas platforms, tightening the net on centralized trading while genuine decentralized activity and peer-to-peer trades remain in the grey zone.
Users must now migrate to the Swyftx website, the self-custodial Easy Crypto Wallet is reducing services, and Swyftx is in talks to divest the NZDD stablecoin.
Experts in New Zealand's Bitcoin scene told Cryptocurrency NZ that personal Ai agents like OpenClaw could simplify Bitcoin's on-boarding complexity, as studies reveal Ai has a preference for Bitcoin over stable-coins.
Crypto ATMs are not yet banned in New Zealand, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee told Cryptocurrency NZ, while CoinFlip lobbies for legality as scam reports mount and de-banking has washed out most NZ-based operators.
The consultation, released on Jan 29, outlines the IRD's initial views and seeks feedback on tax implications for common DeFi activities like wrapping, bridging, lending, borrowing and staking.
Michael O’Keefe, based in Otago, spends days submerged dredging gold from cold creeks with a suction dredge and stacks $10 Bitcoin each day, sharing both with his 138,000+ followers.
The New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs has deemed Polymarket & Kalshi illegal gambling platforms, with no plans to enforce with individual user penalties.
In the far south of New Zealand, at 46.41°S, Invercargill claims the crown as host to the world's southernmost active Bitcoin and crypto meetup - outranking even southern South American cities.
Southland marches on as the region quietly spearheads the countries Bitcoin hydro mining sector, with near-zero government support despite ongoing growth rhetoric.
NZ's P2P crypto Discord has reinstated democracy and voted to reverse it's Monero-only rule, while Discord's facial recognition rollout sparks backlash.
Swyftx has begun migrating Easy Crypto customers to the platform.
As New Zealand's Bitcoin silo has concentrated, it reflects a maturing industry and user base seeking to distinguish and position itself as separate to the broader crypto landscape.
Repeated viral claims that the 2026 refreshed NCEA curriculum will include education on crypto have spread to hundreds of thousands - while the Ministry of Education affirms such claims are false.
Amid global crackdowns on privacy coins, the NZ P2P Marketplace doubles down and embraces Monero-only listings.
NZ's last holdout for privacy coins, Easy Crypto, to remove Monero and Zcash post-acquisition by Swyftx, directing users to unregulated alternatives.
New Zealand’s Web3 ecosystem took centre stage as the 2025 BlockchainNZ Awards celebrated the pioneers, innovators, and institutions shaping Aotearoa’s digital future.
Swyftx's Easy Crypto buyout leads to role cuts across NZ, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia as part of regional streamlining.
The 2025 BlockchainNZ Awards offer more than accolades. From long-time pioneers to fast-moving start-ups and legal institutions, this year’s finalists show how far Aotearoa’s blockchain ecosystem has evolved.
The Bitcoin Policy Institute NZ launch event and paper proposes tax exemptions for transactions under $1,000, aiming to make BTC everyday money, not just speculation.
WEBUOA is redefining how students learn about blockchain and decentralised technology. In less than a year, the group has grown to over 150 members, combining hands-on learning with a social, collaborative culture.
Crypto meets rugby: Swyftx's multimillion NZ push mirrors UFC's Crypto.com deals, normalizing digital assets.
The community-driven server, active since 2021, now mandates face-to-face (F2F) NZD cash trades in listing channels for its 3,500 members, with any deviations resulting in a no-warning ban.
2025 marks a year of historic cross-industry and parliamentary developments across New Zealand's Bitcoin and blockchain sector.
Futureverse, formed by merging 11 Web3 start‑ups and backed by a US$54 million Series A, was placed into receivership on 30 September 2025 after secured creditor 50T Holdings attempted to protect its position.
Kiwi-Coin, NZ's oldest BTC exchange (2014), shuts Jan 2026 from banking de-risking. Caps decade of local failures as parliamentary inquiry hearings into banking competition begin this week.