A Bitcoin (virtual currency) paper wallet with QR codes and a coin are seen in an illustration picture. A new specifically Christian digital currency has now been launched.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTIANTODAY.COM

Religion News Service

BATON ROUGE, La. – Christ Coin has launched as the first Christian cryptocurrency. Built by Life Change, Christ Coin has a mission to meet the spiritual and practical needs of anyone, and unite Christians together as one community for the purpose of reviving hope, repairing lives and rebuilding dreams.

Built by a team of Christian entrepreneurs, Christ Coin is groundbreaking in its ability to build a global Christian community via cryptocurrency.

Worldwide, cryptocurrencies have hit the mainstream finding incredible success, with major retail brands having already adopted cryptocurrency for commerce, accepting “coins,’” also called “tokens,” along with cash, checks and credit cards.

Those brands include Overstock, Dish Network, Apple, Expedia, Paypal, Ebay and NewEgg, just to name a few.

Cryptocurrencies are here to stay. Experts are weighing in:

“We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error,” said entrepreneur Tyler Winklevoss in an interview with the New York Times.

“With e-currency based on cryptographic proof, without the need to trust a third party middleman, money can be secure and transactions effortless,” said Bitcoin developer Satoshi Nakamoto.

“Just consider this: control of a currency is one of the most powerful tools a government wields; ask anybody in Ireland, Portugal, Greece or Cyprus who lived through these countries’ recent financial crises. Bitcoin promises to take at least some of that power away from governments and hand it to people. That alone augurs significant political, cultural and economic clashes,” said Paul Vigna, author of “The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money Are Challenging the Global Economic Order.”

Just as PayPal changed how we pay for items and services, cryptocurrency has emerged as the next evolution in global commerce, the ongoing ways in which the world uses and earns money.

Christ Coin allows the faithful to have a way to approach finances that uniquely helps grow and support the global Christian church. Instead of dollars, consumers purchase or earn “coins,” which can be used for purchasing or exchanged just like any other currency.

Christ Coin allows churchgoers, pastors, churches, faith-based ministries, missions organizations and more to reach a wider audience, while helping to fund Christian projects such as church plants, humanitarian efforts, Vacation Bible School (VBS) and other ministries and outreaches.

Following the initial crowdfunding period, anyone can sign up on the Life Change Platform and be monetarily rewarded by interacting with the platform in various ways including: volunteering, participating in small groups, posting content and even reading the Bible. Investment in the crowdfunding is not required.

“The overarching benefits of the Life Change Platform truly go beyond what people would typically think when talking about finance and economics,” explained Luke Forstmann, cofounder of Christ Coin. “We like to use the L.I.V.E.S. acronym: Leave your mark on the world by supporting humanitarian efforts; Invest in a cryptocurrency; Vault your spiritual life; Earn additional income; (and) Support the vision of your local church through tithes and offerings. Yes, Christ Coin is an investment opportunity, but it goes so much farther than personal finance. We hope it will change lives, support ministries and inspire people to grow in their faith.”

The full L.I.V.E.S. description can be found on the Christ Coins website.

As with other cryptocurrencies, Christ Coin will offer quarterly buybacks and burn of coins.

This allows Christ Coin to continue to grow and increase their currency value.

Christ Coin will continue their coin sale until December 1 at 7 a.m. CST.

A short video explanation of Christ Coin can be viewed by visiting www.youtube.com/watch?v=Casigw-G7PE.