Our vision is to grow a community of Kiwi Bitcoiners and a thriving circular economy through the adoption of Bitcoin as the monetary standard.

As a small and highly digital country, we think that New Zealand can become a global leader in the adoption of Bitcoin technology.

This is an Open Source Project. If you have a Bitcoin project to contribute please get in touch!

 

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Bitcoin Events in NZ

Have a New Zealand Bitcoin Event or Meetup to share? Get in touch.

Bitkiwi - New Zealand's Premier Bitcoin Event

Friendly, laid back Bitcoin events held all over New Zealand four times a year.

Find out more about Bitkiwi here.

Regular Regional Bitcoin-only Meetups

Auckland Plebs

Taranaki Bitcoiners

Bitcoin Wellington

Christchurch Bitcoin Meetup

Queenstown Bitcoin Meetup

 

Bitcoin meetup

Coming Up

The Christchurch Bitcoin Meetup

Dec 04, 2024
Bar Yoku, Christchurch
07:00 PM Onwards

The Christchurch Bitcoin Meetup

Jan 01, 2025
Bar Yoku, Christchurch
07:00 PM Onwards

The Christchurch Bitcoin Meetup

Feb 05, 2025
Bar Yoku, Christchurch
07:00 PM Onwards

Bitkiwi XII

Mar 01, 2025
Queenstown
01:00 PM Onwards

Merchants Accepting Bitcoin in NZ

Why is Bitcoin Important for NZ?

Bitcoin is a new kind of digital money launched in 2009. Think of Bitcoin like a digital version of gold.

Bitcoin is native to the internet, and is a global, decentralised and censorship-resistant payment network. Bitcoin can be used by merchants, retailers, and individuals locally and internationally with minimal fees and no middlemen.

Shocked by your supermarket bill?

When there is no cost to print money, we get inflation and all parts of society feel the pinch. The increasing cost of living crisis in New Zealand and the world is due to the broken monetary policy of Governments who have had the ability to freely print money at zero cost.

Bitcoin fixes this.

Bitcoin is digital, but it is unique in that it cannot just be printed out of thin air. Bitcoin has a fixed supply backed by the energy of the world's largest decentralised network of computers. Every Bitcoin requires a certain amount of real-world energy to generate, which gives it fundamental value.

Bitcoin is like a better version of the gold standard, but for the digital era.

What does Bitcoin mean for New Zealand?

Bitcoin enables lower fees, more secure and private transactions, and an alternative to constantly increasing prices caused by Government and Reserve Bank monetary policy.

What the internet did for the way we interact with information is what bitcoin is doing to the way we use money.

A Positive Social Story

Beyond a day-to-day asset and payment tool held by tens of thousands of kiwi individuals and businesses**, Bitcoin is a positive social success, and is increasingly being used for remittance payments to developing nations, helping smaller nations avoid the debt trap, and to provide a way around financial censorship.
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Articles & Guides

Where to buy Bitcoin in New Zealand?

Looking to buy Bitcoin in New Zealand in 2024? Everyone’s Bitcoin journey starts in the same place, figuring out how to buy your first “sats”. This is a guide for Kiwis about where to buy Bitcoin in New Zealand, we’ll summarize your best options, compare prices, go over the pros & cons of each service and share some experiences from other Kiwi Bitcoiners.

Queenstown as New Zealand's Gateway to the Bitcoin World

‍Renowned for its breathtaking vistas of Lake Wakatipu and the Southern Alps, as well as its attraction as a luxury tourist destination, Queenstown could become a premier hub for Bitcoin innovation in New Zealand. Alongside exotic locales like El Zonte in El Salvador and the lakeside city of Lugano in Switzerland, Queenstown has been establishing its own local Bitcoin economy of innovators, businesses, and initiatives. From burgeoning startup ventures to Bitcoin community events and the building of Bitcoin infrastructure, Queenstown could become a hub for this new monetary technology in New Zealand.

The Bitcoin Scene in New Zealand in 2023

A summary of the Bitcoin Scene in New Zealand in 2023. A guide to Bitcoin Adoption, Events, History, Exchanges, Companies, Mining, Media, Personalities, Regulation, Tax Treatment, Opportunities and Headwinds for Bitcoin in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

How to Set Up a Bitcoin Wallet and Buy Your First Bitcoin – For Beginners

This is a guide for people who want to learn how to setup a Bitcoin Wallet and buy their first Bitcoin in New Zealand. This guide will get you using Blue Wallet on your Android or iOS device and then using EasyCrypto to buy Bitcoin.

How to buy non-KYC Bitcoin from New Zealand?

A guide to how to buy non-KYC Bitcoin from New Zealand for Kiwis. A summary of the best KYC free options: Peer to Peer, Azte.co, Hodl Hodl, Robosats and Bisq. Includes the best payment methods available from NZ. How to buy Bitcoin from New Zealand without giving up your Privacy.

The Future of Money - Private Innovation Issues Paper - A Guide for Kiwi Bitcoiners

This is a guide for Kiwi Bitcoiners on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s request for feedback on their issues paper - The Future of Money - Private Innovation / Te Moni Anamata - Te Auahatanga. What it’s about, a condensed version of the paper, what you have to do and some handy resources.

FAQ

Is Bitcoin legal in New Zealand?

Yes! In fact the New Zealand government and IRD already permit businesses to pay their staff in Bitcoin, there are registered Financial Service Providers (FSPs) operating in Bitcoin, along with clear statements from both the Government and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand setting a precedent for the legal use of Bitcoin.

Do I have to pay tax on Bitcoin?

For day-to-day payments, Bitcoin is considered a transfer of money from one form to another. Think of it like a transport card top-up (Snapper, AT Hop, Metrocard, etc).

If you receive Bitcoin as business income then you will have to pay GST and income tax just the same as if you were receiving dollars.

See IRD guidance

What is the impact of Bitcoin on the environment?

Bitcoin is powered by a decentralised network of specialised computers called miners. Bitcoin mining secures the network and helps give Bitcoin its value.

Bitcoin mining requires electricity and is no different than any other use of electrical power. However, mining is unique in that it tends to seek out areas where electricity is renewable, abundant, and low cost. In New Zealand this means Bitcoin mining is emerging as a key piece of co-locatable infrastructure alongside renewable hydro and wind generation assets.

Because electrical power is "use it or lose it", Bitcoin mining provides an important function as a load-balancing tool for the electrical grid.

Aren't there many "cryptocurrencies"?

It is important to understand the difference between Bitcoin and "Crypto". There are thousands of get-rich-quick "cryptocurrencies" that have emerged over the last few years which are highly volatile and often crash to zero.

Bitcoin however has been online for over 13 years and is the safest, most popular decentralised digital money we have. Unfortunately a lot of these "cryptocurrencies" are marketed alongside Bitcoin on online exchanges and can be confusing.

What about all these hacks and exchanges going bankrupt?

If you leave your Bitcoin on an exchange your funds may be at risk. It is important to learn to self-custody your own Bitcoin in your own Bitcoin wallet to keep it safe. If properly custodied, your Bitcoin is controlled only by you and cannot be taken from you.

Where can I buy Bitcoin?

There are a number of ways to buy Bitcoin in New Zealand, but as mentioned above it is important to choose the right way to buy and to understand the difference between Bitcoin and "Crypto".

We encourage you to attend a Bitcoin event first to learn more or you can reach out directly.

What is the best way to connect with other Bitcoiners?

The best way to meet other Bitcoiners in NZ is to attend a local meetup!
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NZ Bitcoin Projects

A collection of Kiwi Bitcoin projects, websites and tools.

Got a project that is ready for the public and want to share? Get in touch.

AcceptBitcoin.NZ

Learn more about how to get up and running with Bitcoin in New Zealand.

Learn Bitcoin

Learn Bitcoin Send, receive and hold Bitcoin with confidence.

Stackr

Stackr is a Bitcoin mining company that aims to grow its hashrate and revenue while using sustainable and renewable energy sources. Stackr are actively seeking options for our next mining facility location, including within New Zealand and overseas.

The Transformation of Value with Cody Ellingham

New Zealand podcast about Bitcoin and its long-term impact on society, thinking, and culture.

WalletMatrix

A wallet is your view into your bitcoin as your browser is for the web. Whether you're new to Bitcoin, a developer or a Bitcoin OG, the WalletMatrix wallet feature comparison service will help find what you're looking for.

Bitcoin Basics Podcast

Bitcoin is a journey. Hosts Faris Mali (economist, based in New Zealand) & Gordon Cormack (technologist) make the complex world of Bitcoin simple by interviewing experts & translating key concepts for the Bitcoin beginner.

Orange

Orange hosts a server in the popular game called “Rust” and is a place for learning about Bitcoin in a fun and engaging way! The objective is simple - we want to help people learn to survive and thrive with Bitcoin.

Lightning Pay

Lightning Pay is New Zealand's easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to Buy and Sell bitcoin, using the Lightning Network. Accept bitcoin payments over the counter, and receive bitcoin immediately, or NZD to your bank the next business day with zero fees.

/r/NZBitcoin Reddit Community

New Zealand Bitcoin original Bitocoin Subreddit - providing a space for Kiwi Bitcoin enthusiasts to discuss and learn about Bitcoin fundamentals and technology.

ASIC.NZ

NZ's trusted source for ASIC mining and immersion systems

The Bitcoin Shop

New Zealand seller of Bitcoin hardware wallets, nodes, book, and more.

Resources

A collection of curated Bitcoin resources.

Knowledge & Discussion

stacker.news
A Bitcoin discussion board like Hacker News, but where you can tip with Sats.
Lopp.net
Jameson Lopp is a long time bitcoiner, and a prolific educator in the space. Lopp.net has some of the best information for new users anywhere.
Bitcoiner.guide
BitcoinQ&A is well known in bitcoin for his bitcoin.guide and contributing to various projects in bitcoin

Podcasting 2.0

Swan Signal
Swan is a bitcoin only exchange, and has a mission focused on self custody and education
TFTC: A Bitcoin Podcast
TFTC is a podcast hosted by Marty Bent about Bitcoin. Join Marty, Editor in Chief of "the best newsletter in Bitcoin", as he sits down to discuss Bitcoin with interesting people.
value4value
value4value is a concept for how creators can monetise their content, writing, and podcasts via the Lightning Network over the likes of fountain.fm.
fountain.fm
Listen, learn, and earn for the value you bring to the platform by streaming sats over the Lightning Nework.

Get Setup With a Wallet

Wallet of Satoshi
The easiest Bitcoin wallet to get up and running with, has Lightning support. iOS & Android.
Blue Wallet
A simple Bitcoin Wallet with Lightning support. iOS, Android, Desktop.