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@ f25afb62:8d50c6e7
2025-03-12 04:11:46
https://i.postimg.cc/6p0S1LrR/Kiwi-bitcoin.png
# Modernizing the Kiwi Dollar: How Kiwibank Can Lead the Future of Money
## **A Nation at an Inflection Point**
Kiwibank’s upcoming capital raise offers New Zealand a rare opportunity to **future-proof its currency and banking system**. With up to **$500 million** in new capital on the table, the government aims to strengthen Kiwibank as a competitor to the dominant Australian-owned banks. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has emphasized that **more capital means greater competition**, which could **drive down interest rates** and improve banking services for everyday Kiwis.
But this is more than just a competition play—it's a **chance to radically modernize the Kiwi dollar itself**.
By integrating **Bitcoin's open infrastructure**, Kiwibank could issue a **digitally native, globally liquid, and ultra-secure NZD**. This wouldn’t require reinventing the financial system but rather **leveraging existing and proven Bitcoin technologies**. The result? A financial system that **empowers Kiwis**, attracts global investment, and **puts New Zealand at the forefront of monetary innovation**.
This article outlines a **practical, step-by-step roadmap** for how Kiwibank could:
1. **Tokenize the New Zealand Dollar (NZD)** using **a Bitcoin sidechain like Liquid**.
2. **Issue Kiwi eCash**, providing **cash-like digital money** that’s private and fast.
3. **Enable global NZD payments via the Lightning Network**, making NZD as **instant and accessible as Bitcoin itself**.
4. **Unlock new Bitcoin-powered business models** that **expand Kiwibank’s revenue streams**.
This isn’t a distant dream—it’s **completely feasible today**. The question is: **Will New Zealand lead or lag?** 🚀⚡🇳🇿
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## **Kiwibank’s Capital Raise – A Launchpad for Innovation**
Kiwibank is raising fresh capital **to strengthen its position against the Big Four banks**, but this money could do much more than just improve traditional banking services. **It could lay the foundation for a digital-first Kiwi dollar, designed for the 21st century.**
New Zealand is actively **courting global investment**, simplifying its **“golden visa”** program to attract **wealthy innovators and investors**. If Kiwibank integrates **Bitcoin-powered financial infrastructure**, it would send a **strong signal that New Zealand is open for high-tech finance business**—drawing interest from:
- **Kiwi citizens**, who would benefit from a **better, faster, and cheaper** banking system.
- **KiwiSaver funds and institutional investors**, who would see Kiwibank as a **bold growth investment**.
- **Global Bitcoiners**, who might **invest in NZ** or move their wealth into a **Bitcoin-friendly jurisdiction**.
Simply put, **this capital raise is a chance to future-proof the Kiwi financial system**—and Bitcoin provides the tools to make it happen.
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## **Step 1: Tokenized NZD on a Bitcoin Sidechain**
The **first step** in modernizing NZD is **bringing it onto Bitcoin rails** by issuing a **tokenized NZD** on **a Bitcoin sidechain** like **Liquid** or **a custom-built KiwiBTC sidechain**.
### **How It Works**
- Kiwibank, alongside other NZ banks, could **issue digital NZD tokens**, backed **1:1 by reserves**.
- This would be **secured on a federated Bitcoin sidechain**—a **fast, low-fee** network pegged to Bitcoin.
- Transactions would **settle in seconds instead of days**, with **confidentiality features** ensuring **financial privacy**.
This is **not an experiment**—it's **already being done**. **Tether (USDT) uses Liquid today** to issue stablecoins, and the same **proven tech** could be used to issue NZD.
### **Why This Matters**
- **Faster Payments:** Move NZD **instantly**, unlike today’s slow banking rails.
- **Global Liquidity:** Anyone, anywhere, could **hold and transact NZD digitally**.
- **No Need for a CBDC:** The NZ government **retains full control** over monetary policy, without creating a **central bank-controlled digital currency**.
This **solves many of the problems** the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has been grappling with in its **CBDC research**—by **using open Bitcoin tech instead of building from scratch**.
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## **Step 2: Kiwi eCash – Digital Money With Cash-Like Privacy**
While a **tokenized NZD** would **revolutionize banking and business payments**, **Kiwi eCash** would do the same for **everyday transactions and person-to-person payments**.
**Kiwi eCash** is a **Chaumian eCash system**—a **digital cash** that **preserves privacy and security**, just like physical banknotes. It’s based on **battle-tested cryptographic blind signatures**, meaning:
- **No bank account required.**
- **No transaction tracking.**
- **Total financial privacy.**
### **How It Works**
- **NZ banks (or independent issuers) mint Kiwi eCash tokens**, backed by **tokenized NZD or Bitcoin**.
- These tokens are **held in a wallet and can be spent freely**—just like handing someone cash.
- Banks **don’t see individual transactions**, ensuring privacy.
- Multiple issuers (banks, credit unions, or fintech firms) could **offer interoperable Kiwi eCash mints**.
This is already happening with **Bitcoin eCash mints like Cashu and Fedimint**, and the **same concept** can be applied to **NZD**.
### **Why It Matters**
- **Digital cash with cash-like privacy**—protecting **financial freedom**.
- **Fast, free transactions**, perfect for **micro-payments and daily spending**.
- **Works offline**, unlike today’s banking apps.
- **Interoperable across banks**, reducing monopolistic control.
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## **Step 3: Bridging Kiwi eCash to Lightning – NZD at the Speed of Bitcoin**
The **final piece** of the puzzle is **making Kiwi eCash as fast and global as Bitcoin itself**.
By **bridging Kiwi eCash to the Lightning Network** (via **Taproot Assets**), NZD transactions would become:
- **Instant:** Settle in **milliseconds**, anywhere in the world.
- **Global:** Easily convert NZD to **any currency, anywhere**.
- **Ultra-cheap:** Fees near **zero**, unlike Visa or SWIFT.
### **How It Works**
- Kiwi eCash is **wrapped into Lightning channels** using **Taproot Assets**.
- **Payments flow instantly over Lightning**, just like Bitcoin transactions.
- Merchants, individuals, and businesses can **send and receive NZD globally** in a **Bitcoin-compatible format**.
This **integrates NZD directly into the Bitcoin economy**, giving it **instant global reach**.
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## **Step 4: New Bitcoin-Powered Services for Kiwibank**
Beyond modernizing NZD itself, **Bitcoin infrastructure unlocks entire new revenue streams** for Kiwibank:
1. **Bitcoin Custody:** Offer **multi-sig vaults** instead of **risky single-key custody**.
2. **Bitcoin Lending:** Let customers **borrow NZD against their BTC**—a proven model.
3. **Lightning Yield:** Earn **fees by providing Lightning liquidity**.
4. **Collaborative Bitcoin Custody:** Offer **collaborative custody** where customers **retain control** and Kiwibank is available for **recovery assistance**.
5. **Digital Securities**: Help **Kiwi business raise capital** with **digital securities on the Bitcoin sidechain** and facilitate **secondary market liquidity** of these securities.
Each of these **aligns with Bitcoin’s strengths** while **expanding Kiwibank’s business model**.
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## **A Bold Vision to Future-Proof the Kiwi Financial System**
This **isn’t just an idea**—it’s **a path forward that’s 100% possible today**.
- **For New Zealanders:** A **faster, fairer financial system** that puts power back in their hands.
- **For Investors:** A **banking innovation play**, positioned for growth.
- **For Bitcoiners worldwide:** A **Bitcoin-friendly financial hub**, with real-world Bitcoin services.
Kiwibank has **a golden opportunity** to lead this transformation. The technology is ready, the capital is available, and the global financial landscape is **ripe for disruption**.
The only question left is:
**Will New Zealand lead, or will we be left behind?**
🚀⚡🇳🇿
---
## **Sources**
1. Kiwibank Capital Raise: [NZ Lawyer](https://www.thelawyermag.com/nz/practice-areas/banking-and-finance/kiwibank-to-receive-500m-boost-as-government-targets-greater-competition-in-banking-sector/517422)
2. New Zealand Active Investor Visa: [NZTE](https://www.nzte.govt.nz/page/investor-migrants)
3. Taproot Assets & Lightning: [Lightning Labs](https://docs.lightning.engineering/the-lightning-network/taproot-assets)
4. Bitcoin Sidechains & Liquid: [Blockstream](https://blockstream.com/elements/)
5. Bitcoin eCash (Cashu/Fedimint): [Cashu](https://cashu.space/)
---
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/911023
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@ 21335073:a244b1ad
2025-03-12 00:40:25
Before I saw those X right-wing political “influencers” parading their Epstein binders in that PR stunt, I’d already posted this on Nostr, an open protocol.
“Today, the world’s attention will likely fixate on Epstein, governmental failures in addressing horrific abuse cases, and the influential figures who perpetrate such acts—yet few will center the victims and survivors in the conversation. The survivors of Epstein went to law enforcement and very little happened. The survivors tried to speak to the corporate press and the corporate press knowingly covered for him. In situations like these social media can serve as one of the only ways for a survivor’s voice to be heard.
It’s becoming increasingly evident that the line between centralized corporate social media and the state is razor-thin, if it exists at all. Time and again, the state shields powerful abusers when it’s politically expedient to do so. In this climate, a survivor attempting to expose someone like Epstein on a corporate tech platform faces an uphill battle—there’s no assurance their voice would even break through. Their story wouldn’t truly belong to them; it’d be at the mercy of the platform, subject to deletion at a whim. Nostr, though, offers a lifeline—a censorship-resistant space where survivors can share their truths, no matter how untouchable the abuser might seem. A survivor could remain anonymous here if they took enough steps.
Nostr holds real promise for amplifying survivor voices. And if you’re here daily, tossing out memes, take heart: you’re helping build a foundation for those who desperately need to be heard.“
That post is untouchable—no CEO, company, employee, or government can delete it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take it down myself. The post will outlive me on the protocol.
The cozy alliance between the state and corporate social media hit me hard during that right-wing X “influencer” PR stunt. Elon owns X. Elon’s a special government employee. X pays those influencers to post. We don’t know who else pays them to post. Those influencers are spurred on by both the government and X to manage the Epstein case narrative. It wasn’t survivors standing there, grinning for photos—it was paid influencers, gatekeepers orchestrating yet another chance to re-exploit the already exploited.
The bond between the state and corporate social media is tight. If the other Epsteins out there are ever to be unmasked, I wouldn’t bet on a survivor’s story staying safe with a corporate tech platform, the government, any social media influencer, or mainstream journalist. Right now, only a protocol can hand survivors the power to truly own their narrative.
I don’t have anything against Elon—I’ve actually been a big supporter. I’m just stating it as I see it. X isn’t censorship resistant and they have an algorithm that they choose not the user. Corporate tech platforms like X can be a better fit for some survivors. X has safety tools and content moderation, making it a solid option for certain individuals. Grok can be a big help for survivors looking for resources or support! As a survivor, you know what works best for you, and safety should always come first—keep that front and center.
That said, a protocol is a game-changer for cases where the powerful are likely to censor. During China's # MeToo movement, survivors faced heavy censorship on social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat, where posts about sexual harassment were quickly removed, and hashtags like # MeToo or "woyeshi" were blocked by government and platform filters. To bypass this, activists turned to blockchain technology encoding their stories—like Yue Xin’s open letter about a Peking University case—into transaction metadata. This made the information tamper-proof and publicly accessible, resisting censorship since blockchain data can’t be easily altered or deleted.
I posted this on X 2/28/25. I wanted to try my first long post on a nostr client. The Epstein cover up is ongoing so it’s still relevant, unfortunately.
If you are a survivor or loved one who is reading this and needs support please reach out to:
National Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7
https://rainn.org/
Hours: Available 24 hours
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@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1
2025-03-11 16:17:44
You can learn about what we’re doing at lava on our website: [lava.xyz](http://lava.xyz). We recommend you take a thorough look through everything before applying.
Not an immediate fit? Lava has an open referral bounty. If you refer someone to us and we hire them, we will pay you $5k for an in-person NYC full-time hire and $1k for non-NYC full time hires. Send referrals to [hello@lava.xyz](mailto:hello@lava.xyz)
We are looking for a designer to join our team at Lava. In this role, you will be responsible for leading the design of all of our products.
**What you will do**
- Drive and execute on an ambitious design vision for Lava
- Communicate with engineering teams to make sure designs are implemented properly
- Talk to users, analyze user feedback, and identify areas for improvement
**What we look for in you**
- You align with the guidelines and values we use to decide who we hire and how we operate: https://www.lava.xyz/onepager
- Expertise as a designer
- You are a great communicator (written and verbal).
- You are extremely organized.
- You learn fast.
- You work hard.
- You get shit done quickly.
- You live in NYC, or you’re willing to relocate to NYC.
If you feel that the above describes you, we’d love to hear from you!
Please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/cJFsuP3tXgSknPJ8A
Job Description: [https://lavaxyz.notion.site/Founding-Designer-78c91e29f4a44d0b8cb32e33ff40c167?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/Founding-Designer-78c91e29f4a44d0b8cb32e33ff40c167?pvs=21)
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/910384