easyBitcoin app: who runs it, how it works and why NZ can’t use it

The easyBitcoin app is a US-only Bitcoin buy-and-hold app. easyGroup, the brand-licensing company of easyJet’s founder, lends it the name, while Uphold HQ Inc. runs the service and publishes the app. It launched on 9 September 2025 and closes on 30 November 2026. New Zealanders can’t sign up, because the terms require US residency.

Below we set out who does what, how money and coins moved through the app, and what it promised American customers. Everything was checked on 16 October 2026 against the app’s website, its terms and the two store listings.

What the easyBitcoin app does

easyBitcoin was built for first-time buyers. A customer linked a US bank account, bought Bitcoin in US dollars, either once or on a schedule, and left the coins in the app. Extra features rewarded regular buying and paid interest on cash.

There were no price charts, order books or lists of hundreds of coins. The app sold one asset, Bitcoin, and the pitch was that buying it should feel as ordinary as booking a cheap flight. On Apple it runs on iPhone only, listed under Finance with a 4+ age rating and no charge to install.

Is easyBitcoin connected to easyJet?

Only through the brand. The “easy” names are controlled by easyGroup, a London-based company that licenses them to other businesses: airlines, hotels, phone plans and, since September 2025, a Bitcoin app. easyGroup announced easyBitcoin on 9 September 2025, and coverage of the launch said it would contribute marketing funds.

The airline itself plays no part. Nor does easyGroup hold customers’ money or coins. It lends a name and a marketing push, then leaves the product to the licensee. That is why the terms, the app listings and the help pages all point to a different company.

easyBitcoin and Uphold: who actually runs the service

Three organisations sit behind the app, each with a separate job.

For a customer, the practical answer is Uphold. It holds the Bitcoin, processes withdrawals and handles support. What that dependence means for risk, including what an NMLS number does and doesn’t tell you, is covered in our easyBitcoin safety review.

How easyBitcoin works, from US bank link to custody

The flow is the standard one for consumer crypto apps.

1. Dollars in. A US bank account is linked (the marketing names Plaid for this) and US dollars move across.
2. Bitcoin bought. Those dollars buy Bitcoin as a one-off or as a recurring purchase.
3. Coins held for you. Uphold keeps the Bitcoin. The app shows a balance, but the customer doesn’t hold any private keys.
4. Dollars or coins out. A customer can sell back to dollars and withdraw to the bank, or send Bitcoin to an outside wallet, after the provider’s checks.

Step three makes easyBitcoin a custodial app: the company holds the keys and owes you a balance. With a self-custody wallet, you hold the keys yourself, usually backed up as a 12- or 24-word recovery phrase. Our explainer on custodial vs non-custodial wallets compares the two models.

easyBitcoin limits, rewards and interest as advertised

These are the features as the app and its launch materials described them. All were for US customers only, all end with the service, and we have not tried any of them.

Two numbers people search for are missing. We found no published fee schedule for buying or selling Bitcoin, and no published purchase limit beyond the bonus caps above. If a comparison site quotes an “easyBitcoin fee” or “easyBitcoin limit”, ask where it came from.

Is easybitcoin.money the same app?

Yes. When checked with curl on 16 October 2026, easybitcoin.money, easybitcoin.io and easybitcoin.co all redirected to easybitcoin.app, so they lead to one product. easybitcoin.money was first registered in 2014, long before the app existed, which suggests the domain was bought or re-registered later.

easybitcoin.com is different: it did not lead to the app and looked parked. The full list of genuine and lookalike addresses sits on our easyBitcoin login and phishing page.

Where easyBitcoin stands now

The homepage now announces that easyBitcoin will be sunset on 30 November 2026, and zero-balance accounts are already closed. Customers who still hold a balance can follow the dates and withdrawal checklist in our easyBitcoin shutdown guide.

Is easyBitcoin available outside the US?

No. The launch announcement said a UK version was expected later in 2025. A year on, on 16 October 2026, Apple’s lookup returned nothing for the UK, Australian or New Zealand stores, and the terms still cover US residents only. With the sunset date set, a UK launch now looks unlikely, though the company hasn’t said so.

Why New Zealanders can’t use easyBitcoin

Any one of three reasons rules it out.

• The terms. They cover people who live in, or access the platform from, the United States, and eligibility requires being a legal resident of the United States.
• The banking. Every money route assumed a US bank account, US dollars and a US deposit-insurance scheme. Nothing connected to NZ dollars, a Kiwi bank or NZ consumer protections.
• The calendar. The service ends on 30 November 2026.

The app is also absent from the NZ App Store. Why that happens, and why changing your store region or sideloading a file is a poor idea, is explained in our guide to easyBitcoin app downloads in NZ.

easyBitcoin, Easy Crypto and EasyBitcoin-PHP are not the same thing

Search results lump several unrelated “easy” and “Bitcoin” names together.

• Easy Crypto. A New Zealand broker with no link to easyGroup or Uphold. Swyftx bought it, and Easy Crypto stopped trading for NZ customers on 30 March 2026, moving them to Swyftx. Our Easy Crypto closure page covers what happened.
• EasyBitcoin-PHP. An open-source PHP library for developers who talk to a Bitcoin node. It has nothing to do with buying Bitcoin and was archived on GitHub on 23 July 2022.
• easybitcoin.nz (this site). An independent New Zealand guide to buying, holding and securing Bitcoin. It runs no app and holds nobody’s funds.

Kiwis who simply want a straightforward first purchase can follow our walkthrough on how to buy Bitcoin in NZ.

Which easyBitcoin guide answers your question

Each page in this section handles one question.

Store

Download status

Why the app isn’t in the NZ App Store, and how to spot clone apps and fake APKs using the name.

→ Security

Login and phishing

The official domains, 2FA basics, lost-access help and the phishing tricks aimed at app logins.

→ Closing

Shutdown timeline

Key dates, what the notice says, and how to move Bitcoin to a wallet you control.

→ Risk

Is it safe?

Custody, US regulation, deposit cover, ratings and privacy, checked against what the companies publish.

→ Options

NZ alternatives

Beginner-friendly apps that accept New Zealanders, compared on NZD funding and custody.

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