MazaCoin (Maza, MZC) is a cryptocurrency launched in 2014.[1]
 MazaCoin logo | |
| Denominations | |
|---|---|
| Code | MZC |
| Precision | 10−8 |
| Development | |
| Original author(s) | Payu Harris, AnonymousPirate |
| White paper | mazacoin |
| Initial release | 7 February 2014 |
| Code repository | github |
| Project fork of | Zetacoin, Bitcoin |
| Written in | C++ |
| Operating system | Windows, OS X, Linux |
| Source model | Open source |
| License | MIT License |
| Ledger | |
| Timestamping scheme | Proof-of-work |
| Block reward | 250 MAZA (as of September, 3 2021), (halved every 950,000 blocks) |
| Block time | 1 minute |
| Block explorer | mazacha |
| Website | |
| Website | Official website  |
History
MazaCoin was developed by Payu Harris in 2014.[2] MazaCoin was specifically designed for the Oglala Lakota tribe in South Dakota.[3] Some Native Americans adopted the use of MazaCoin to battle the US Government.[4][5][6]
In October 2017, a Mashable article on the Oglala Lakota included a video about Harris's efforts to get MazaCoin accepted.[7]
Recognition and use
The currency was adopted by the Lakota Nation in 2014, with half of its supply reserved by the tribe to minimize the price volatility common in cryptocurrencies.[8]
In 2017, The Lakota leadership formally recognized MazaCoin as their national currency, yet this decision encountered skepticism within the community.[8] The concept of digital currencies, heavily reliant on technology such as apps and smartphones, was less accessible to older generations and those without consistent internet access.[8] To counteract this, a system of paper wallets was developed, allowing MazaCoin to be stored and used in a more traditional, physical format.[8] This system allowed tribal members to use MazaCoin in physical form for transactions within the community, converting it back to digital format at the centralized facility.[8]
References
Further reading
- Indigenous cryptocurrency: Affective capitalism and rhetorics of sovereignty in First Monday (3 October 2016, Volume 21, Number 10) by Cindy Tekobbe and John Carter McKnight
- Decolonization in a Digital Age: Cryptocurrencies and Indigenous Self-Determination in Canada in Canadian Journal of Law and Society (1 April 2017, Volume 32, Issue 1, pp. 19-35) by Christopher Alcantara and Caroline Dick
