World’s first reo Māori cryptocurrency platform

During Māori Language week, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Easy Crypto has launched the world’s first cryptocurrency platform to be translated into te reo Māori.

In partnership with Māori software translation business Whakamāori, Easy Crypto has translated over 15,000 words of content – giving new meaning to their motto “We make it easy for Kiwis to buy and sell crypto”.

“Easy Crypto’s vision is ‘Crypto for Humans’ and as such, our effort is focused on a user-centred approach that simplifies all aspects of the crypto experience and accelerates its adoption for everyone. As New Zealand’s largest crypto platform, we’re proud to be role-modelling inclusivity by celebrating our culture and respecting te ao Māori,” explains Easy Crypto’s co-founder and CEO Janine Grainger.

According to the IRD, approximately 10 percent of the New Zealand population own crypto assets.

“This is a figure that is growing steadily as our appreciation for economic self-sovereignty grows. Easy Crypto would like to see all segments of our population become part of this growing user base and as a Kiwi company, our investment in a reo Māori version of our website for 17% of the population with Māori heritage (the largest minority) was an important part of bringing this commitment to life,” adds Janine. 

Normalising te reo for everyone in Aotearoa Recently founded by a certified reo Māori translator and a software developer, Whakamāori has a vision to normalise te reo for everyone in Aotearoa. They offer a unique ‘full service’ translation approach that enables companies to quickly and easily translate hardcoded English websites into te reo. ‘Whakamāori’ – literally translated – means ‘translate to Māori’; however, it also means ‘make natural’ or ‘make accessible’. 

“We’re stoked to work with Easy Crypto, who are not just the leading cryptocurrency platform in Aotearoa but also the ones with the most diverse client base — serving significantly more women, minorities, non-urban communities and older customers than others in the crypto industry. Our collaboration is especially meaningful in Aotearoa, where reo Māori translation isn’t just a service, but a cultural necessity. Additionally, as businesses go global, consumer demand for localisation and personalisation is stronger than ever,” says Waka, founder and lead translator at Whakamāori. 

An accessible crypto environment for all Janine was recently named the ‘IBM Most Inspiring Individual’ at the Hi-tech awards 2023 for, amongst other things, her work on fostering a secure, accessible crypto environment for consumers. Easy Crypto is New Zealand’s leading cryptocurrency retail platform offering customers a simple way to buy, sell and trade more than 160 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron and many more. Launched in 2018 by siblings Janine and Alan Grainger, Easy Crypto has since transacted over NZD$2.2 billion in total sales to date. Easy Crypto’s mission is to make crypto assets accessible and understandable for all, so everyone can get involved in the cryptocurrency market.