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New Zealand

Can a small island nation at the edge of the world become the prototype for how communities coordinate in the AI-crypto age?

Big Questions​

  • What is the role of New Zealand in the world?
  • What unique point of difference offers maximum potential?
  • What is holding us back the most? How can that be addressed?

Scoreboard​

CategoryPerspectivePotential
CultureRugby coordination, egalitarian, tall poppyHigh - exportable via diaspora network
Know-HowAgTech, clean energy, cooperative modelsHigh - sustainability leadership
Resources (Ownership)Land concentration, foreign ownership restrictionsMedium - tokenization opportunity
FinancesSmall market, conservative bankingMedium - crypto-curious but undeveloped
RegulationProgressive governance, pragmatic approachHigh - fast-adopter potential

Potential​

Traditionally fast to adopt innovative technologies and lead with progressive governance.

  • Agriculture Tech: World-leading dairy and farming cooperatives
  • ANZ with CCIP: Chainlink cross-chain settlement
  • ACC Infrastructure: Standardized protocols for treatment creating clean medical data lattice
  • Diaspora Network: Kiwis abroad as decentralized ambassadors and sales force

Strategic Opportunities​

Culture​

Flowing rugby demands alignment of decision-making across people with diverse physiological gifts to coordinate effectively in achieving a common goal. Better decisions, taken faster, executed effectively wins the game.

  • Cannot play free flowing rugby without a strong platform
  • Focus on following process and the right results typically follow
  • Best teams have strong links to their community
  • Use storytelling to build culture and ensure newcomers feel they belong
  • Win the collisions, win the game

With AI and open source protocols everything can be copied easily except culture.

Opportunity: Must become better at exporting culture. Go to any major city in the world and you find an Aussie, Irish, South African or English pub. Where are the Kiwi pubs/cafes? We can export a reinvention of the rugby club as cultural centre.

Challenge: Tall poppy syndrome limits visible ambition. Culture creates network effects—brain drain converts into a decentralised salesforce when framed correctly.

Put soul back into business, the ghost into the machine.

Technology​

Crypto & Blockchain​

Growing but still nascent crypto ecosystem:

AI Development​

Gaming​

Who is influential in blockchain gaming?

Economy​

Business Environment​

Venture Capital: NZ VC Landscape

Cost of Living​

CategoryAucklandWellingtonQueenstown
Rent (1BR)$400-600/week$350-500/week$450-700/week
Meal out$20-35$18-30$25-40
TransportCar-dependentWalkable CBDCar essential

Tax Considerations​

  • Progressive income tax: 10.5-39%
  • No capital gains tax (except property traders)
  • GST: 15%
  • Crypto treated as property (taxable on disposal)

Industry Sectors​

How does NZ stack up to provide most valuable resources for the future of commerce?

Primary Industries:

Services:

Regulation​

SPV & Business Structures:

Residency & Immigration​

Visa Options​

  • Skilled Migrant: Points-based permanent residency
  • Entrepreneur Work Visa: Business establishment
  • Global Impact Visa: High-impact entrepreneurs (Edmund Hillary Fellowship)
  • Working Holiday: 12-23 months for many nationalities

Integration Challenges​

  • Distance: Geographic isolation from major markets
  • Small market: Limited local scale
  • Housing crisis: High costs, especially Auckland
  • Brain drain: Talent attracted to larger markets

Quality of Life​

Healthcare​

Public healthcare with private options:

  • Universal ACC for accidents
  • Subsidized GP visits
  • Pharmaceutical subsidies (PHARMAC)
  • Strong preventive health focus

Safety​

Consistently ranked among safest countries:

  • Low violent crime
  • Stable democracy
  • Natural disaster risks (earthquakes, volcanoes)
  • Strong rule of law

Infrastructure​

  • Transport: Improving public transit in main centres
  • Internet: Good urban coverage, rural gaps
  • Energy: 80%+ renewable electricity
  • Housing: Supply constraints, high costs

Essentials Framework​

Essential Human Needs, Strong Identity and Belief System:

Challenges​

Economic Scale​

  • Small domestic market: 5 million people limits local growth
  • Distance to markets: Tyranny of distance for exports
  • Brain drain: Talent leaves for bigger opportunities
  • Tall poppy syndrome: Cultural resistance to visible success

Housing Crisis​

  • Affordability: Housing costs vs. income severely stretched
  • Supply constraints: Planning rules, construction costs
  • Foreign ownership rules: Restrict investment but also liquidity

Infrastructure Gaps​

  • Transport: Car-dependent outside main centres
  • Rural broadband: Coverage gaps
  • Water infrastructure: Deferred maintenance

Opportunities​

For Builders​

  • AgTech: World's testing ground for farming innovation
  • RWA Tokenization: First-mover regulatory opportunity
  • Clean tech: Renewable energy, green hydrogen
  • Healthcare AI: Clean ACC data as training ground

For Investors​

Resources​

Business & Startups​

Crypto Community​

Transport (Queenstown-Wanaka)​

News & Podcasts​

Content Providers:

Episodes:

Innovators to Watch​

  • Wayne Brown: Auckland Mayor, infrastructure focus
  • Aditya Das: Techemy Ltd
  • Kyle Den Hartog: Senior Software Engineer, Brave New Software, LLC
  • Thomas Scovell: Chief Customer Officer, Alkimi
  • Marta Adamczyk: Head of Business Development, SubQuery
  • Pramodya De Alwis: Head of Technology, Futureverse
  • Sally Hodges: Portfolio Manager & Tech Educator
  • Chris Kwon: IT Intern, Rocket Lab & ETHGlobal Finalist
  • Yaser S.: Investment Manager of Web3, UniServices
  • Gustavo Chiechelski: CTO, Tech Lead & Web3 Developer, Reap

Summary​

New Zealand combines progressive governance, strong cooperative traditions, and geographic isolation that forces international thinking. The challenge: can a small nation at the edge of the world become a prototype for crypto-enabled coordination?

Best for: Builders in AgTech, clean energy, and RWA tokenization who value quality of life and can work across time zones. Ideal testing ground for global products.

Watch for: Regulatory clarity on crypto, RWA tokenization pilots, and whether diaspora networks can be activated as decentralized growth engines.

Agency Framework​

Knowledge comes in two main categories:

  1. Science: Knowledge about the nature of the world, what exists and how it works
  2. Technology: Knowledge of how to transform the physical and social aspects of our environment

Layers of knowledge built up from experiments to explore potential to grow:

  1. Embodied knowledge - Knowledge embedded in tools where you don't need to know how a tool is made to gain leverage extracting value from using it
  2. Codified knowledge - Knowledge that exists in symbolic space as codes, recipes, formulas, algorithms, and manuals
  3. Knowhow - Knowledge that exists in people's heads that can't be easily explained or transferred through conversation, requiring extensive practice

Agency comes from capability to leverage science (best practice protocols) and technology effectively to transform the world for a better quality of life.