The people

What they build
Open roles via the TechTO Job Board
Working at Bunz
Browse open roles across the community on the TechTO Job Board — Canada’s most connected tech network. Bunz’s roles show up here whenever they post.
Open roles on the TechTO Job Board ↗Jobs live on jobs.techto.org — the only structured source. We link to it rather than scraping career sites, so the board is always the source of truth.
On the TechTO stage
Sascha Darius Mojtahedi of Bunz presents Changes in Retail
Watch on YouTube ↗Sascha Darius Mojtahedi of Bunz presents Platforms, Billionaires & Blockchain
Watch on YouTube ↗Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Bunz ↗
About
Bunz began as the Bunz Trading Zone, a Facebook group started by Emily Bitze around 2013 for Torontonians to barter goods without money. The mobile app launched around 2016. In 2018, under CEO Sascha Mojtahedi, Bunz introduced BTZ ('bits'), a digital currency users earned and spent at local shops. On the TechTO stage in February 2019 he said users had spent about $1M in BTZ over the prior 10 months across 2.9M+ in-currency transactions at 250+ shops. Later in 2019 the crypto pivot unraveled: layoffs hit, the BTZ program was cut back, and part of the community rebranded to Palz. The app subsequently changed ownership and, as of 2026, operates at reduced scale.
Backers
Not publicly confirmed here. Per the founder on the TechTO stage (Feb 2019), the BTZ currency reserve was backed by Bunz's own cash held in a bank account.
Quick answers
What is Bunz?
A Toronto barter and trading community, started as a Facebook group by Emily Bitze and later a mobile app, where people swap goods without cash.
Who founded Bunz?
Emily Bitze started the Bunz Trading Zone Facebook group. Sascha Mojtahedi later joined as CEO and launched its BTZ digital currency.
What was BTZ?
BTZ ('bits') was Bunz's own digital currency, launched in 2018 — earned in the app and spent at 250+ local shops, before the program was scaled back in 2019.
What happened to Bunz?
The 2018 cryptocurrency pivot faltered in 2019 with layoffs and BTZ cutbacks; part of the community rebranded to Palz. The app later changed ownership and operates at reduced scale.
