AUDC is expanding its regional stablecoin strategy with the launch of a New Zealand dollar-backed digital currency and a series of senior executive appointments aimed at supporting the company’s next stage of growth. The fintech, known for issuing the AUDD Australian dollar stablecoin, has introduced NZDC as a bank-grade stablecoin designed to improve payment and settlement efficiency in New Zealand. The move comes as institutional interest in regulated digital payment infrastructure continues to rise across Australia, New Zealand and global markets.
AUDC Targets New Zealand Payments Market
NZDC has been developed to support faster, cheaper and more transparent payments within New Zealand’s financial system. AUDC says the stablecoin is intended to enable real-time, 24/7 settlement and reduce payment processing times from several days to near instant. The launch builds on the company’s experience with AUDD, which has processed close to $2 billion in transaction volume.
The New Zealand dollar remains one of the world’s most actively traded currencies, yet NZD-denominated stablecoins represent only a small fraction of the global stablecoin market. AUDC argues that this gap has limited institutional adoption and created inefficiencies for businesses that rely on cross-border transactions. The company sees particular opportunity in the Trans-Tasman corridor, where trade between Australia and New Zealand exceeds NZ$30 billion.
AUDC Chief Executive Officer Effie Dimitropoulos said New Zealand lacks a bank-grade, fully attested stablecoin backed by the local currency. She noted that government data points to more than 350,000 digital asset owners in New Zealand, conducting tens of millions of transactions worth billions of dollars. According to Dimitropoulos, the growth of digital asset activity highlights the need for regulated infrastructure that can serve institutions as well as consumers.
Compliance and Institutional Focus
NZDC has been structured to operate within New Zealand’s regulatory framework, with the issuing entity registered locally and aligned with Financial Service Providers Register requirements. The platform includes anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing controls and has applied to join the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme. AUDC says this compliance-first approach is central to positioning NZDC as trusted payment infrastructure for banks, institutions and commercial users.
As a fiat-backed stablecoin, NZDC is pegged one-to-one to the New Zealand dollar and draws on AUDC’s established governance, treasury, custody and banking frameworks. The company’s New Zealand rollout follows an industry delegation coordinated by Blockchain APAC and Blockchain NZ, during which AUDC met with banks, regulators, government agencies, law firms and infrastructure providers. Dimitropoulos said the engagement showed growing political and institutional curiosity about how digital assets can support New Zealand’s financial future.
Leadership Team Strengthened
Alongside the New Zealand rollout, AUDC has expanded its leadership team with the appointments of Andrew Kitchen as Chief Financial Officer and José Barroso as General Manager, Growth. Kitchen brings more than 30 years of experience across banking, insurance, fintech and financial services, including senior roles at Westpac, IAG and Macquarie Group. He has also served as CFO at BNK Banking Corporation and fintech start-up Hay.
In his new role, Kitchen will oversee AUDC’s financial strategy, governance and operational discipline as the company scales across Australia, New Zealand and global markets. Barroso joins from payments platform Zai, where he led sales, and has two decades of experience in commercial growth, partnerships and market development. His remit will include accelerating adoption of AUDD through distribution channels, partnerships and practical payment use cases.
The latest appointments follow other senior hires, including Jason Beale as Head of Product and Operations and Hamish Crittenden as Chief Technology Officer. Beale has held roles at SBI Digital Asset, the Singapore Stock Exchange and UBS, while Crittenden brings blockchain technology expertise to the company. AUDC says the expanded executive bench reflects rising demand for regulated stablecoin infrastructure and the need to support larger transaction volumes and institutional requirements.
Market Momentum
The broader stablecoin market is growing quickly, even as domestic adoption in Australia and New Zealand remains at an early stage. Industry observers have pointed to the increasing movement of experienced financial services executives into digital asset infrastructure roles as evidence of a maturing sector. Regulators are also paying closer attention, with Australian authorities working to support fintech innovation while clarifying licensing expectations.
AUDC secured its Australian Financial Services Licence in February, formalising its role within the regulated payments landscape. The company’s expansion comes as major financial institutions, digital asset platforms and fund managers explore tokenisation, stablecoins and blockchain-based settlement models. Market forecasts suggest stablecoins could become a multi-trillion-dollar sector by the end of the decade if institutional adoption continues to accelerate.
AUDC’s launch of NZDC and its leadership expansion mark a significant step in the company’s effort to build regulated digital payment infrastructure across the region. By targeting faster settlement, stronger compliance and institutional-grade use cases, the company is positioning stablecoins as a practical tool for modernising financial services rather than a purely speculative asset class. With growing transaction volumes, new executive expertise and a broader regional strategy, AUDC is seeking to play a larger role in the evolution of cross-border payments in Australia and New Zealand.