Auckland - Australian organizers are staging NZ Crypto Con, New Zealand's largest cryptocurrency and blockchain event to date at the New Zealand International Convention Centre on June 6 and 7.
Web3 Australia Group is committing substantial resources to the two-day event, which expands its Aus Crypto Con format across the Tasman and onto the motu.
The event is real and well-resourced. It marks another chapter in New Zealand’s small crypto market being shaped by established Australian operators through acquisitions and expansions.
Organizers commit substantial investment
Web3 Australia Group chief executive David Haslop said NZ Crypto Con was created because the group saw a genuine gap in the NZ market for a large-scale, professionally produced event focused on digital assets, blockchain and the future of finance.
The group built Australia Crypto Con - one of the largest crypto event platforms in the Southern Hemisphere and consistently heard from companies and community members that New Zealand was ready for something of its own, he said.
Haslop said a very substantial amount had gone into the event, covering financial investment and months of operational work across logistics, production, partnerships, compliance, marketing, sales, education, content programming, exhibitor management, speaker coordination and attendee experience.
He noted the organizers had invested heavily in industry relationships built over years in Australia, which helped secure support from global brands including Binance as keynote theater sponsor.
Australian blueprint meets local partnerships
Haslop said the primary goals were education and accessibility to close the knowledge gap between global technology developments and local understanding.
The event also aims to drive economic and ecosystem development by attracting international companies, investment, talent, partnerships and innovation into New Zealand, he said.
Cryptocurrency NZ had been exploring its own large-scale retail event under the working title Decentralize NZ. It entered a formal partnership with the Australian organizers after an initial period of caution.
CNZ had been wary of further opening the local market to overseas operators at a time when Australian companies already held significant influence, including through Swyftx’s purchase of Easy Crypto.
Decentralize NZ was ultimately shelved. NZ Crypto Con has taken the large-format retail and community expo space, creating two complementary annual events on the calendar: NZ Crypto Con targeting retail investors and broader public engagement, and Blockchain Forum New Zealand's Crypto Winter, which focuses on policy makers, regulators, industry professionals and academics.
Local industry weighs benefits against ownership and maturity realities
Blockchain Forum NZ's executive director Trevor Topfer said events of this kind were crucial for building awareness, discovery, connection and learning while providing pathways for industry players to grow businesses with new clients, partners and investors.
He described New Zealand’s crypto industry as still in its infancy or pre-teens, with strong advocacy to policy-makers and regulators and signals that the jurisdiction was worth exploring, yet considerable work remained to unlock real growth.
Topfer noted almost 50 per cent of Kiwis were either actively investing or interested in digital assets, indicating fast retail market expansion.
BlackBull Markets chief business development officer Anish Lal said the New Zealand-founded broker was sponsoring the local eco-system because of its deep roots and commitment to education, innovation and responsible adoption in Aotearoa.
Cryptocurrency NZ's community director Kodi Sinclair, reflecting on the Australian predecessor event the CNZ team attended, said the diverse crowd across all age groups and families created a welcoming atmosphere that moved beyond early-adopter crypto-bro vibes.
Pay It Now chief operating officer Daniel Rawiri highlighted a strong Kiwi community mentality of mutual support among users, builders and players.
Swyftx representative Paul Quickenden pointed to New Zealand’s early leadership in areas such as funds, NFTs, real-world assets and AI integration alongside a knowledgeable and consistent user base.
Binance representative Jenny Kong described the ecosystem as standing out for its maturity and collaborative spirit, with Kiwi users thoughtful, discerning and holding the industry to high standards.
The event occurs against a backdrop of persistent banking pressures that have made it extremely difficult for locally owned crypto platforms to operate. New Zealand banks have engaged in widespread de-risking, repeatedly withdrawing or denying services to domestic exchanges.
This has contributed to the closure of multiple home-grown platforms, including BitNZ (2017), NZBCX (around 2021) and Kiwi-Coin - New Zealand’s longest-running Bitcoin exchange - which shut down on January 1, 2026 after years of unstable banking access. Newer local entrants such as Flow Crypto, CoinHQ and AltcoinTrader have not secured reliable banking relationships.
A snapshot of NZ's largest crypto providers; 2011 - 2026
Some local players expressed reluctance about the Australian-led format and overseas sponsorship dominance in a market where fully New Zealand-owned platforms are now fewer. Pay It Now, one of the larger remaining locally owned services, was not offered naming rights.
Stacked, formerly Lightning Pay NZ, confirmed it would not attend in any professional or company capacity. Spokesperson Simon Collins said the company was approached for speaking slots, sponsorship and exhibition opportunities but declined.
“Stacked is Bitcoin-only by design, not by default. We are interested in better money, savings, wealth, and services for our customers. We just don’t see those being reflected by the rest of the crypto space,” Collins said.
“Attending an event that treats Bitcoin as one asset among many wouldn’t be consistent with that focus. We would love if there were a Bitcoin-focused event in New Zealand - we’d be the first ones in the door.”
NZ Crypto Con will test whether an experienced offshore operator can deliver lasting value and infrastructure for New Zealand’s high-trust domestic scene.
What the event will look like on the ground
Attendees can expect a full two-day programme of keynote talks, panel discussions, fireside chats, educational tracks and interactive workshops across multiple stages at the New Zealand International Convention Centre.
The agenda draws on the tried-and-tested Australian format with practical, balanced content covering cryptocurrency markets, regulation, tokenization, self-custody, AI integration and real-world use cases.
Confirmed major partners include naming rights sponsor Swyftx, keynote theatre sponsor Binance, and exhibitors such as BlackBull Markets, Pay It Now, Coinstash, Macropod, Empire Crypto Trading, Tiger Trade, Uminers, Mayson, Litecoin, SumSub and Cryptocurrency NZ.
Speakers already confirmed include Southland MP Joseph Mooney, Swyftx’s Paul Quickenden, Crypto Consulting NZ's Nicolas Turnbull, Mastering the Markets educators, Litecoin’s Robbie Coleman, University of Auckland’s Giovanni Russello and others drawn from a growing lineup.
Beyond the main sessions, organizers have planned networking zones, an exhibition floor focused on hands-on interaction, merchandise, and side events.
The official after party is scheduled for the evening of June 7 at 7pm, designed as the main wrap-up for extended networking and community connection.
Disclosure: Cryptocurrency NZ is an exhibitor at NZ Crypto Con.