Stacked, formerly known as Lightning Pay, may be the only Bitcoin exchange left after a series of mergers and bankruptcies in the New Zealand cryptocurrency industry. To double down on their vision of making Bitcoin “as useful as money,” they have just launched a self-managed Lightning wallet.
found in StackedBitcoin.comthe company has taken a different tack from the country’s larger exchanges, which, according to Simon, Stacked’s co-founder and CRO, operate entirely on fiat and custodial bitcoin. Exchanges like Sharesies are built on the Robinhood model, With no way to withdraw cryptocurrencies To self-portfolios. while EasyCryptoa popular swap exchange that receives funds from the user and sends cryptocurrencies back to users’ wallets – similar to the Bull Bitcoin model – was recently acquired by Swiftex and shut down, directing its user base to its parent custody exchange.
Stacked, a 4-person company that has seen significant growth in the country in recent years, believes this is the wrong direction for the local Bitcoin industry, and as such has launched a self-custodial Bitcoin and Lightning wallet that complements its swap offering. Users send fiat currencies to Stacked and receive Bitcoin in their self-dedicated wallet. They can also pay their utility bills or even their rent with Bitcoin through Stacked, which settles fiat recipients via New Zealand’s innovative open banking payments framework.
Featuring a sleek and modern design, the Stacked wallet uses Breez and Spark software development tools on the backend to provide users with a stable and easy-to-use Bitcoin experience, with full integration with the Lightning Network. The app allows users to buy Bitcoin manually and on a schedule via Autostack, a DCA style set it and forget buy feature. Users can also manage contacts in the app to pay with Bitcoin on their part and deliver fiat currencies to recipients. The country has no capital gains tax; Instead, Bitcoin gains are taxed as income, leading to what may be a more favorable regulatory environment for excessive Bitcoin.
Stacked focuses its efforts on making Bitcoin useful as money in the world Bitcoin poola growing circular economy in Queenstown, New Zealand, which boasts only two merchants accepting Bitcoin so far. The company created a Custom website For the community and hosts regular events in the area, to encourage the local Bitcoin economy.
In fiscal year 2025 227,000 New Zealanders They were identified as unique users of crypto assets participating in approximately 7 million transactions. Domestic cryptocurrency trading volumes have reached approximately NZ$7.8 billion. Stack Projects The local digital asset market will generate revenues exceeding US$200 million in 2026. Nearly 50% of New Zealanders are current or potential investors in bitcoin and digital assets, according to 2024 Research using protocol theory.
