The contents of this newsletter are point-in-time statements. Please note the date of publication.

19 October 2022

Welcome to our October monthly newsletter from the Qoin Association where we update the community on all things Qoin. Please watch our QDN broadcast channel for news and events updates

The Community Group Leaders are currently finalising their top 3 key priorities and action items for each, in line with the Community Objectives.

Some of the priorities being reviewed now are:

• Community Standards Group: Social media policy guidelines to help create a safe environment on all social media channels run by Qoin.
• Merchant Fair Trading Group: Setting standards for the Fair-Trading Policy Guidelines for Merchants to follow
• Technology Development Group: Point of Sale integration for Merchants
• New Projects Group: Currently putting the ‘finishing touches’ on Qhub. See more details on the upcoming launch of Qhub further in this newsletter.
• Global Expansion Group: Digital Marketing Strategies for merchant growth

Once finalised, each groups top 3 key priorities will be published to the Community in the HELP button in the Qoin App.

Sid Suresh was welcomed to the Technology Development Group as Deputy Leader, replacing Lee Barton who has resigned. We thank Lee for her contribution.

To find out more on the latest with our community leaders go to the HELP button in the Qoin App under the ‘Community Groups & Leaders’ tab.

Paul Hebbink, New Zealand’s Chief Operating Officer, hosted our Qoin Community Update on Thursday 6^th October as the HQ team were at the Qoin sponsored Business Expo in Brisbane.

One of the key topics discussed was the importance of Merchants being accountable for their Q Shop Directory Listings. It’s important we’re all accountable for the success of the community and keeping directory listings up to date is one area merchants can actively engage in.

This includes Merchants update their Qoin trading hours, the percentage Qoin they’ll accept and snoozing their listing if they’re not currently taking Qoin.

The discussion also covered using the Report button on a Merchant’s Directory Listing if they’re not following these guidelines and reiterated that any Merchants reported are followed up by the validation team.

At the end of the day, we don’t want to waste business owners time with inaccurate listings, so it’s important the community assist in making the Q Shop Directory effective for everyone to use.

The next Community Update will be on Thursday the third of November, at 10 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time.

The community update is dedicated to our merchants and consumers and provides the perfect opportunity for all to learn about our current and upcoming projects and initiatives like the Beta Wrapping and the latest tech news.

We encourage community participation, and this is your opportunity to ask any questions you may have during the Zoom.

Please visit the HELP Button in your Qoin App and tap the Monthly Qoin Community Chat topic for the zoom details.

By an order of the Federal Court made on 20 July 2022, the applicants in the class action brought against Qoin, BPS Financial Limited and other parties were ordered to provide security for costs in the sum of $750,000 by 7 October 2022.  The Applicants did not comply with those orders.

While the class action has been stayed, the failure to provide security means that Qoin, BPS and the other Respondents can now apply to seek to dismiss the class action.  That process is being commenced promptly.

Qoin and BPS look forward to the matter being concluded as promptly as possible.

During September we introduced a brand-new segment exclusively on QDN – our merchant feature of the week! During this segment we promote an active Qoin Merchant, and their product offer exclusively to the Qoin community to help you spend your Qoin.

Some of the most recent deals featured include:

Antipodas Shoes: A family business that bring the spirit of the Mediterranean to Australia with quality shoe brands. Antipodas Brands accept 100% Qoin on online purchases using your Qoin App while stocks last.

https://shop.qoin.world/listing/shoes-100-made-in-spain-now-available-in-qoin/ https://www.antipodasbrands.com.au/collections/qoin?page=1

My Window Cleaner: Clean your own windows around the home with the My Window Cleaner Kit on 100% Qoin. All you need is tap water, no chemicals or detergent!

Australia: HOME WINDOW CLEANING KIT – Qoin

New Zealand: HOME WINDOW CLEANING KIT – Qoin

Rua Resort: Rua Resort is set on a hill with views of Mount Pirongia just outside Hamilton in New Zealand. It’s a Boutique Bed and Breakfast on 100% Qoin. The relaxed guesthouse has well-appointed rooms for individuals and families with panoramic views.

https://shop.qoin.world/listing/rua-resort/

Ruffled Raps: Purchase a 4-foot Christmas tree with everything you need to decorate it, including the lights. Available in Australia for $155 cash and $155 Qoin. Shipping is also included in the price.

https://shop.qoin.world/listing/ruffled-raps/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/324064015377976/permalink/781034783014228/

If you’d like your products or services included in our merchant feature of the week, please contact us via [email protected]. Remember your Qoin Deal feature will be seen by hundreds of viewers.

We are excited for the upcoming launch of Qhub!

The Qhub is your Merchant Virtual Office, giving access to a range of resources and tools for merchants to learn and develop their Qoin trading skills, support each other, grow the community, and build confidence.

Look out for the launch of Qhub on QDN coming very soon!

On Thursday 6^th October, the Small Business Expo sponsored by Qoin was held at the Nissan Arena in Brisbane.  There were 320 stand holders, of which 120 were Qoin merchants.  It was hugely successful and an excellent opportunity for networking among the Qoin and the wider business community.

GrabbaCoupon, a coupon sharing platform, will soon be available to the Qoin community.

GrabbaCoupon is a community leaders initiative and designed to help you spend Qoin on daily deals and bundles all in the one place. The platform provides users with a search functionality featuring 8 different filters that will highlight available deals in your local neighbourhood.

The website is built and currently testing with a Beta Group of 10 Merchants who are preloading their coupon deals and bundles for redemption testing.

Qoin is focused on expanding the merchant ecosystem so the community has more spending opportunities – more merchants more product. Please support the Refer a Merchant tab in the HELP button that includes a 6-minute Qoin video where Julia explains exactly what Qoin is, the benefits, and how to download the Qoin App. You can send the link to a fellow business owner to inform them how Qoin can benefit their business. Have a look in the HELP button for details on the generous reward for both you and the new merchant.

Are you looking to strengthen your business connections, meet more Merchants in your local area and cultivate trade opportunities for your business? The Qoin Community Networking Groups provide a place for all to interact to build better relationships.

Over the past month there have been some fantastic Networking Events including:

• Western Sydney Merchants attended the first Cumberland City network meeting, hosted by Sean Coleman, on Tuesday 6 September at 6pm at the Fully Tabooly Kebab Stop at Pemulwuy Marketplace.
• This was followed up by another great networking event to welcome all merchants and consumers in the Qoin Western Sydney community to join the Cumberland City networking meetup on Tuesday 11^th October
• Two fantastic events were hosted by Alan Solomon at The Cook Café and Bar in Hamilton, New Zealand on Thursday 8 September from 5-7pm and Thursday 15 September.
• The NZ community were also invited to take part in the Tauranga and Mount Maunganui group who met at the Mount Social Club on Wednesday 12th October.

Please visit the EVENTS Button in your Qoin App for information on future Qoin Events.

If you are a Qoin Merchant and interested in learning more about the benefits of hosting or joining a Small Networking Group in your area, please contact Qoin Networking Group Support via [email protected].

BTX has advised that 131 wrapped Qoin holders have now successfully wrapped their Qoin and 2,260,835 wQoin are now in circulation. For extensive information on the wrapping go to the HELP button in your Qoin App and click on the ‘Wrap Qoin Important Information’ tab.

During the month of September 2022, the community transacted 2,395,755 Qoin across 7,318 transactions between wallets resulting in an average transaction size of Q327.

The Tech team are still underway with the development of our latest Android and IOS wallet upgrades.

Current App Features that are in development:

• Live Chat support functionality
• Ability to support more blockchains and crypto tokens
• An inbuilt voucher solution for merchants
• Overhaul of the current in app messaging functionality
• Biometric login functionality
• Enhancing the consumer and merchant onboarding for a greater customer experience

During September, Ethereum transitioned to a new method of verifying transactions, known as Proof of Stake. This technical upgrade, called ‘The Merge’, reduces the amount of energy used by the network and sets the stage for Ethereum to lower its fees and expand its user base. This drastic change makes it greener and lay the foundations for developers to continue exploring the crypto landscape.

The Merge was the most significant event in the digital assets industry for years and the most ambitious software upgrade ever.

The merge enhances nearly all metrics of the Ethereum blockchain – helping to deliver faster speeds, higher volumes, and lower costs to users in the long term which is a promising sign as wQoin settles in on the Ethereum blockchain.

The Reserve Bank of Australia have selected the Quorum platform to pilot its Central Bank Digital Currency eAUD.

The RBA in collaboration with the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre have released a white paper which outlines a plan to test a general-purpose pilot CBDC for use in real-world business models.

Three years ago, the Qoin Project, one of Australia’s largest digital currency projects, also selected Quorum as their technology platform to build and innovate the Qoin blockchain and wallet integrations.

The Qoin project has a lot in common with the eAUD pilot. It will also operate on a private and permissioned Ethereum (Quorum), which is a well-understood platform. Like Qoin, it will also be using APIs and smart contract functions to transfer tokens, display token balances, token supplies, and whether a third-party account can approve a token amount.

The eAUD project offers an opportunity to experiment and test new business models for current and emerging markets on a platform designed for innovation.

The industry expressions of interest deadline close at the end of October, with selected use cases for pilot CBDC by December 2022.

Thank you to all our members of the Qoin Community for your support, loyalty and trading thousands of Qoins in September. We trust you saved and preserved a lot of cash by spending your Qoin in the community.