Breaking Down Blockchain: Decentralized, Transparent, And Secure

Vienna, Austria, 14th February, 2023, Chainwire Pantos, a multichain token system conceived by the team behind Bitpanda, announces the public beta launch of its multichain protocol today. Developers and users will be able to use the public beta to send tokens, wrap native coins of supported chains, and soon also create and deploy multichain tokens […] Vienna, Austria, 14th February, 2023, Chainwire Pantos, a multichain token system conceived by the team behind Bitpanda, announces the public beta launch of its multichain protocol today. Developers and users will be able to use the public beta to send tokens, wrap native coins of supported chains, and soon also create and deploy multichain tokens easily with a few clicks. Pantos is introducing a new Multichain Token Standard called PANDAS (Pantos Digital Asset Standard) to bring a truly multichain token system to the masses, enabling secure and seamless Web3 interoperability. Pantos currently supports seven chains on testnet: Ethereum, Polygon, Avalanche, BNB, Cronos, Celo and Fantom; and plans to integrate more EVM and non-EVM chains continuously. The majority of today’s Web3 applications and bridges lack the security and smooth user experience needed to bring Web3 functionalities to the masses. Pantos aims to improve this by offering a reliable infrastructure and the right tools to empower developers to easily create multichain assets. Pantos began in 2018 as an in-house research project by Bitpanda in collaboration with TU Wien (Austria) and later also TU Hamburg (Germany) to establish an open standard for truly decentralized multichain token transfers and blockchain interoperability. The public beta comes out after years of ground-breaking research in the fields of oracles, relays, smart contracts and blockchain efficiency. Pantos together with its researchers at the universities run one of the largest blockchain research labs in the world, as part of the Christian Doppler Laboratory Blockchain Technologies for the Internet of Things and have been able to secure funding for the project from the Austrian government. Eric Demuth, CEO and Co-Founder of both Pantos and Bitpanda, said “We are thrilled to introduce the public beta after years of research in collaboration with some of the most reputed universities in Europe. We believe that Multichain technology will be a catalyst for Web3 and foster widespread crypto adoption. Pantos offers users the simplest way to access a multichain Web3.” Bitpanda’s business expertise helps Pantos with the transition from a research project to a fully-functional product available to end users and developers in a simple and accessible way. Bitpanda will also be one of the first adopters of Pantos’ multichain token system. Furthermore, Pantos has secured a partnership with the leading Austrian bank, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), that is working with Pantos on blockchain interoperability solutions. Pantos’ native token PAN is currently available for trading on Bitpanda and N26. Researchers at Pantos are developing technology that will allow users to transfer digital assets of any kind freely between different blockchain protocols in a completely decentralized and trustless manner. Using the new PANDAS-20 standard, developers will be able to deploy assets on a variety of blockchains without maintenance work. Interested users or digital creators who lack coding skills will be able to deploy their own multichain tokens with ease. Though it aims to eventually become a fully decentralized open-source protocol with PAN as its own gas token, the public beta of Pantos comes with a trusted validation mechanism to ensure a smooth launch. This way, the team will ensure that the network cannot be attacked in its early stages, before it gradually evolves into a fully decentralized system.  About Pantos Started as a research project by the team behind Bitpanda in 2018, Pantos is an open-source protocol on a mission to make Web3 truly interoperable. It aims to become an enabler for sophisticated Web3 applications. Pantos’ cutting-edge technology allows existing and upcoming tokens to be deployed on multiple blockchain networks, giving users the freedom to choose the most suitable network for their digital assets. It had secured $12.1 million in funding through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) on Bitpanda in 2018. For more information, visit: Website  |  Twitter Contact Marsel Nenajcontact@pantos.io.....»»

One of the stumbling blocks for people who want to get involved in blockchain is getting their head around the concept to begin with. To put it in the simplest possible terms, blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions distributed across a network of computers, which means it is decentralized and transparent. Each block in […] One of the stumbling blocks for people who want to get involved in blockchain is getting their head around the concept to begin with. To put it in the simplest possible terms, blockchain is a digital ledger of transactions distributed across a network of computers, which means it is decentralized and transparent. Each block in the blockchain contains a number of transactions. With each new transaction, a record of that transaction is added to the ledger. That decentralized database – that blockchain – is also known as distributed ledger technology. You can picture it like a digital version of Legoland. if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get Our Activist Investing Case Study! Get the entire 10-part series on our in-depth study on activist investing in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or print it out to read anywhere! Sign up below! (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q4 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more   The best way to think of it is as a network of computers, similar to the internet except there are no central points where all the data is stored. The blockchain data is stored and copied on every computer or node in the network all over the world by whoever chooses to run a computer or node, which means the data is not controlled by a single group, party, or entity. (A node is a device or data point in a larger network. In networking, a node is either a connection point, a redistribution point, or a communication endpoint.) Every node on the network can be operated by anyone. If you download a bitcoin wallet, you’re probably running a bitcoin node without having to do anything to actively, or even knowingly, support the network. In addition to being decentralized, an important facet of the technology is the fact that it is secure. Every block of transactions is cryptographically secured through what is called a hash, which is a string of numbers and letters. Each unique hash can only be decrypted with a private key, or seed, provided by the person sending something via blockchain that has that hash attached to it. Now this may sound a little complicated, but at the most basic conceptual level, it is no different from buying a car or house and getting the unique set of keys to it along with your purchase. The Byzantine Generals Problem So why is blockchain such a game changer? The thing with blockchain is that it is the first time a network has been able to solve the Byzantine Fault Problem, also commonly known as the Byzantine Generals Problem. The problem is essentially this: Imagine you are in a battle and have an army attacking on two or more fronts; the enemy is strong enough to defend itself from one attacking army at a time but not two or more simultaneously. All parties must agree on a strategy and act in concert – otherwise your army will face complete failure and defeat. To add to the complexity, there may be officers, messengers, or other actors who are unreliable or corrupt working to undermine your victory. So how do you coordinate your soldiers to attack or retreat as one? If you are in multiple locations involving multiple decision-making processes and multiple actors, how do you reach consensus on what to do and execute that decision at the same time? While it is an interesting thought experiment, it is also a common real-world problem in many facets of society, including the internet. Blockchain creates consensus over the internet with transactions. It confirms transactions with many different nodes, which are then propagated as transactions across the network. It creates a permanent public record, so to speak. It takes the internet as it is today and adapts it to a completely digital world. What’s New About Blockchain? More and more of our everyday activity is taking place online. We have entered the age of the Internet of Things, wherein all devices are connected. We are sharing our lives and connecting online through social media, gaming, and other forums. We conduct our businesses, manage bank accounts, make purchases, and do a whole host of other things online. Blockchain opens up even more opportunities to do things online, but with one clear distinction: to have control over them. Let’s say you set up an Instagram account. You have ownership and control of your account – you can post whatever you like for the most part – but ultimately it’s not owned by you. The account is owned by the company. With blockchain/Web 3.0, you can create your own version of an Instagram account that no one can shut down or moderate. You can post anything, monetize it how you wish, take it with you anywhere (digitally or in the real world), and it connects to just about everything frictionlessly.   What Can You Do With Blockchain? If you’re a coder or developer, you can create a blockchain. The challenge is to create one that is efficient, cost-effective, secure, private, and scalable to millions if not billions of users and transactions – basically whatever your end user wants. Enter Vitalik Buterin. He is one of the most important people in the crypto space. Vitalik and a few other collaborators saw what Bitcoin was able to do, looked at the underlying technology that made it possible, and asked, “How can this decentralized, distributed network fulfill other uses?” Eventually they created Ethereum. Ethereum uses open-source blockchain technology to create other things that are decentralized, such as smart contracts. These are essentially self-executing contracts that do not require an entity to fulfill them. With a smart contract, you can do all kinds of things. It means you can eliminate a middleman. A smart contract establishes an agreement between party A and party B. For example, if you were to purchase real estate, you would normally need a broker. But using blockchain, you no longer need that broker to help navigate the legal and financial practices of the industry – in particular, the transferral of ownership. So there’s a crash course for you on blockchain. It is a flexible technology, and as such there are so many industries that blockchain will become an integral part of. We have only skimmed the surface of what can actually be done at scale. Article By Brandon Zemp About Brandon Zemp Brandon Zemp is an entrepreneur and investor. He made his mark early on as a trader in the fast-paced crypto market, and soon established his first company, BlockHash LLC, a blockchain consultancy providing educational resources for small business owners, students, developers, and investors......»»

The hyper-financialization of the crypto space, and extreme emphasis on “number go up” only hurt the space in 2022. Next year, it’s time to try a different approach. What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, I published a 2021 appraisal of crypto that focused on NFT art, with the blockchain artist and pioneer Rhea Myers contending that “creativity on every level is the highest I’ve ever seen.” Bitcoin and Ether were worth more than three times what they are now. Sam Bankman-Fried had recently been anointed the “world’s richest 29-year-old” by Forbes. Since then, crypto has embarked on a long and brutal fall in terms of market value and public perception. Following the collapse of Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange FTX, many people now consider the technology nearly synonymous with scams. The saga has threatened the mettle of even the most devoted members of the space. NFT trading volume is a fifth of what it was at the end of last December, and about $2 trillion—that’s with a “T”— has been lost from the crypto market since peaking near $3 trillion. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] But it’s far too early to write crypto’s epitaph: the industry has recovered from several major slumps in the past. As the calendar turns, it’s likely that a sluggish bear market will stretch on for months. But there are many people in the space working on tools for improving transparency to prevent future collapses; on regulation that both protects consumers and allows them access to crypto across the world; and on financial projects that don’t overpromise rewards. The hyper-financialization and extreme emphasis on “number go up” (crypto parlance for unstoppable financial growth) only hurt the space in 2022. Next year, it’s time to try a different approach. Here are some of the biggest lessons that the crypto world (hopefully) learned in 2022, to take into the new year. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is Get-rich-quick schemes thrived in crypto in the beginning of the year. In particular, many companies offered financial products with interest rates significantly higher than you’d get at a traditional bank. Celsius, a major lender, offered yields of up to 18%. Anchor, a program that was part of the Terra-Luna ecosystem, offered 20%. While these deals were met with skepticism, their creators —Celsius’s Alex Mashinsky and Terra-Luna’s Do Kwon—bragged that they had unlocked mechanisms that were simply better and smarter than their predecessors. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these schemes quickly fell apart when the market turned downward. Celsius filed for bankruptcy in July with more than 100,000 creditors—many of them individual customers. The Terra-Luna ecosystem became basically worthless, and Do Kwon is wanted by the South Korean police. Although many people had questioned the sustainability of both Celsius and Anchor during their rises, those criticisms were often dismissed as “FUD:” a shorthand for the needless “fear, uncertainty, doubt” of crypto skeptics. Too often, legitimate criticisms are dismissed as “FUD” by crypto optimists, who would rather believe that their riches will always swell even when faced by strong evidence going the other way. Decentralization can be a liability Decentralization is a core tenet of crypto: the idea that no government, bank, or individual actor should be able to control or manipulate it. Crypto leadership should be dispersed, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin explained to me in February. “Leadership positions aren’t fixed, so if leaders stop performing, the world forgets about them,” he said. “And the converse is that it’s very easy for new leaders to rise up.” Read More: Vitalik Buterin is Worried About Crypto’s Future But in 2022, crypto became shockingly centralized, precisely because there were no gatekeepers or regulators to stop new leaders from accumulating wealth and power. Three leaders in particular—Do Kwon, Su Zhu of Three Arrows Capital, and Bankman-Fried—amassed fortunes through social media charisma, sketchy financial products and a fierce growth mindset. They each earned widespread trust early in the year, and their projects became so integral to the crypto ecosystem that they seemed too big to fail. Yet fail they did. When Kwon’s Terra-Luna ecosystem fell apart, a vicious contagion hit crypto markets, in turn felling Su Zhu’s Three Arrows Capital and then Bankman-Fried’s FTX. Crypto was supposed to be about code, not people—but three men were able to accrue enough power to wipe out trillions in value. A similar problem plagued DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations), an organizational structure that was supposed to be more equitable for members. But because voting in those organizations was often based on the number of tokens you owned, a July study found that across several major DAOs, less than 1% of all holders retained 90% of the voting power. Self-regulation is failing to stop scams Crypto’s number one enemy in America this year was Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler, who used his power to crack down upon various crypto projects. Many crypto insiders believed that the industry should exist outside the purview of the SEC, and that the blockchain would allow them to self-regulate effectively. But crypto communities also failed to sniff out bad actors in their midst before it was far too late. First, investors of the decentralized finance (DeFi) project Wonderland failed to notice for months that its co-founder was Michael Patryn, a long-time scammer who had led a Canadian crypto exchange that had defrauded customers $190 million. Sam Bankman-Fried also amassed unprecedented power and popularity without anyone in crypto (or outside of it) bothering to fact-check whether anything he said was true. While it is true that Bankman-Fried’s downfall was brought about by insiders—including the crypto news outlet Coindesk and then Bankman-Fried’s rival Binance Changpeng Zhao—these revelations came too late for at least one million FTX customers and investors. It’s getting easier to catch crypto criminals Billions of dollars worth of crypto were swiped in scams this year, according to blockchain analysis firms like Chainalsysis. But while thieves thrived on the blockchain by exploiting bridges between chains and persuading users to hand over their personal keys, it also became increasingly clear that its transparent nature helped police track them down. The Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies have become increasingly active and adept in tracking down stolen money by tracing information trails across the blockchain. In February, the DOJ tracked down $3.6 billion in Bitcoin that had been stolen in 2016. Last month, the journalist Andy Greenberg published the book Tracers in the Dark: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency, which reveals the increasingly sophisticated techniques that investigators use to track down crypto criminals. “It took me a decade to realize how opposite of untraceable Bitcoin really was,” Greenberg told me in an interview. “Cryptocurrency tracing was not only possible, but an incredibly powerful investigative technique. And in the hands of one small group of detectives, it led to the bust of one massive cyber criminal operation after another, each bigger than the last.” Crypto prices are increasingly tied to mainstream markets Crypto idealists want to believe that Bitcoin and Ethereum operate outside of the traditional financial systems, and that cryptocurrencies are inflation-resistant. This was proved false in 2022: the prices of these currencies have begun to move in tandem with larger markets like the S&P 500. Crypto has certainly provided a lifeline for investors in countries with radically unstable currencies, like Venezuela. Crypto has also proved crucial for expedited fundraising and money transfers in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. But just as the stock market has tanked, with tech stocks in particular faring poorly, so too has crypto. Read More: Here’s Why Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies Keep Crashing Ethereum’s merge was a rare bright spot Amidst the slew of bad news, there was a shining bright spot for the crypto community: Ethereum completed its transition from Proof of Work to Proof of Stake after years of preparation. The transition reduced Ethereum’s energy usage by over 99.9%, according to estimates, and was shepherded into existence by a team of developers working in tandem across the world. The merge sets the stage for Ethereum to become faster, cheaper and more secure. Read More: Why The Ethereum Merge Matters.....»»

Where Crypto Went Wrong Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog, You want to fix the world with finance? Then fix this: wages' share of a financialized, globalized, speculative-bubble dependent economy have been falling for decades. Fix this and you really will change the world. Anything less changes nothing. Let's start by stipulating my perspective on cryptocurrencies is neither positive nor negative in the usual context of "to the moon" or "worthless," nor does it track any of the conventional narratives (decentralized finance will conquer the world, etc.) I've thought a lot about "money" and its role in the economic-social order, and its role in the extreme asymmetries of wealth-power-income inequalities that are dismantling the social order in broad daylight. I've also thought a lot about work and its role in social cohesion, individual fulfillment and a productive, level-playing-field economy. I've written two books on "money" and the potential utility of cryptocurrencies in reversing the extremes of wealth-power inequality that are destabilizing the social order. I invite you to read both books if these topics interest you: Money and Work Unchained (2017) A Radically Beneficial World: Automation, Technology and Creating Jobs for All: The Future Belongs to Work That Is Meaningful (2016) Once you grasp the potential of community-based labor-backed cryptos, you realize cryptos took the greed-soaked path to the Dark Side of a destructive asymmetry of wealth and power: those who issued blockchain cryptos (in all their forms) would become the new Extractive Elite, the new Power Elite, the New Parasitic Elite, buying the wealth generated by the labor of others for peanuts. Scrape away the high-falutin rhetoric, and blockchain/crypto distills down to the same old greed and avarice that powers traditional finance: those who own the mines gain wealth from the issuance of "money" and its proxy, credit, and those who control the spigots of "money" and credit then buy control of governance, labor and the productive assets that generate real-world wealth. Whether the "money" is metals that labor extracts to the benefit of the mine owners, cryptos issued to the benefit of miners and insiders, or fiat currencies issued (or borrowed into existence) by central banks and private banks, the principle is the same: the few who control the "money" issuance spigots benefit at the expense of the laboring many. This is why I say if you don't change the way money is issued and distributed, you change nothing. Cryptocurrencies--and not necessarily blockchain-based cryptos--have the potential to play a role in fundamentally changing the way "money" is issued and distributed, but this potential has been squandered in the Gold-Rush Greed of speculative schemes which depend on a greater fool volunteering to be the bagholder for an intrinsically utility-free (i.e. of no productive utility) speculative vehicle. Swapping one set of extractive billionaires for another set of extractive billionaires doesn't improve the world. Swapping billionaires changes nothing. As for the much-touted institutional participation: It's just another greed-driven rush to front-run the next gold rush. The tech bubbles have shown that early adopters mint billions, and so Pavlov's Institutional Managers all piled into blockchain and crypto schemes, no matter how flimsy and lacking in real-world utility, desperate to secure early equity rounds in what the institutions see as the next gold rush. The early mine claims got rich, everyone who came later got the shaft. As Mark Twain so entertainingly described, fortunes were made and lost with no relation to the actual prospects of the mining claims being traded. As for the claims of widespread utility of blockchain and crypto, all the claims are strained. Compare the rapid global distribution of mass produced spectacles lenses from Venice in the 1400s (glasses quickly reached Imperial China) with the supposed utility of blockchain and crypto: truly world-changing innovations that improve human life spread quickly. Where are the blockchain and crypto "innovations" that so improve human life that they've spread globally in a few years? There aren't any. Scrape away the speculative frenzy, the search for greater fools and the gold-rush mob of greed-driven Pavlovian Institutions, and what's left? If anything was truly world-changing in terms of improving human life, it would already be tracking the World Wide Web's expansion, and several billion people would already be using blockchain and crypto utilities due to their vast practical advantages over previous utilities. The truly world-changing opportunities to improve human life with cryptos don't enrich the issuers of the currencies or the early investors: they are distributed to those who are performing useful work in their communities rather than speculating. There are three false assumptions at the heart of blockchain/crypto: 1. We can all get stupidly rich while changing the world for the better. (The Internet model) 2. Blockchain/crypto is "open to everyone" because anyone earning fiat currency can use that to buy crypto. Getting stupidly rich from being an early investor and front-running speculative bubbles doesn't change the world. Confusing getting rich with "changing the world" doesn't change the world. As for "democratizing finance:" those without capital and no way to save up appreciable capital are left out of speculative assets. The already-wealthy have the means to jump on the bandwagon and so they end up owning the lion's share of the new hot asset. In this way, cryptos are no different from all the other asset classes dominated by the already-wealthy. A relative handful of early investors and issuers of cryptos became billionaires, the already-wealthy piled in and the bottom 90% were left to trade high-priced crumbs. 3. Fixing finance will fix the world. Just as those holding hammers see nails that can be pounded down, those steeped in the abstract world of speculation and finance think their expertise in making "money" is all that's needed to fix whatever is broken in the world. The reality is that finance has broken the world's ability to adapt by pushing wealth-power inequality to extremes that are breaking down economies and societies. Finance looks at scarcities--artificially created by cartels and monopolies, or the real-world scarcities of depletion--as "opportunities" for profiteering. Governance and regulation are "opportunities" to distort public policy to benefit the few at the expense of the public good. This is the ultimate fantasy of financiers of any stripe: I'm gonna do good while getting stupidly rich. But "doing good" quickly slides into the swamp of good intentions and glossy fantasies. The reality is greed and the desire for unearned wealth drives people to arrive to do good and stay to do well. The reality is financiers hope to "change their world" by getting rich, and it's easy to cloak this self-interest with noble-sounding goals and claims and persuade oneself that getting rich via speculation will magically ennoble the world. It won't. You want to fix the world with finance? Then fix this: wages' share of a financialized, globalized, speculative-bubble dependent economy have been falling for decades. Fix this and you really will change the world. Anything less changes nothing. *  *  * My new book is now available at a 10% discount ($8.95 ebook, $18 print): Self-Reliance in the 21st Century.  Read the first chapter for free (PDF) Become a $1/month patron of my work via patreon.com. Tyler Durden Wed, 11/16/2022 - 12:25.....»»

Belize City, Belize, 27th October, 2022, Chainwire GEM Digital Limited commits 25 Million Dollars to MintMe.com Coin. MINTME rose by over 50,000% in the last two years, and such news will only speed up its march to the top. MintMe, with over 70 000 users growing against the bear market, was built to serve as […] Belize City, Belize, 27th October, 2022, Chainwire GEM Digital Limited commits 25 Million Dollars to MintMe.com Coin. MINTME rose by over 50,000% in the last two years, and such news will only speed up its march to the top. MintMe, with over 70 000 users growing against the bear market, was built to serve as an alternative to fiat crowdfunding services. It allows users to create a unique token representing their brand or idea and have their fans and followers buy them as a means of donation. MintMe works as an electronic marketplace for these tokens, and it also has a traditional crypto exchange market within its services.       Thirty developers have been working tirelessly for over a year on a new, not yet released MintMe 2.0 version. It will include many ground-breaking features, such as adding a token shop, giving creators more options to monetize their ideas, and for investors to support projects with potential. This version will completely change the visual interface for MintMe, and it is planned to be released near the end of 2022. This investment commitment from GEM Digital will allow MintMe to propel its growth, allowing them to allocate funds toward talent acquisition, further development of its marketing efforts, the acquisition of scalability-related infrastructure, and the build of a fully functional mobile application to accompany its site.  Their commitment to providing MintMe with up to a 25 Million USD investment shows the untapped potential of the startup within their market sector and the institutional appetite for more blockchain-based alternatives to popular social and community services such as crowdfunding platforms. MintMe.com is not only an instrument for prospective entrepreneurs as well as social figures and organizations to crowdfund what they do, but also, it can serve as a medium for creators to directly interact with supporters and for supporters to potentially influence the development path of their favorite project, as well as getting to know more about its creator. MintMe continues to innovate and push its service forward, incorporating more and more features requested by its users and onboarding its native coin (MINTME) into multiple renowned decentralized exchange platforms. This, together with the notice of the upcoming release of their version 2.0 update, which will bring a complete redesign of the site, has been one of the factors of their exponential growth in the last couple of months. This commitment by GEM is a big step towards the mainstream integration of MintMe as a secure, straightforward, and community-driven crowdfunding alternative, allowing the service to boost its rate of development and look into the potential of implementing even bigger and more ambitious features to the platform, such as the addition of an NFT marketplace, DeFi token swaps, and more.  About GEM Digital Limited GEM Digital Limited is a digital asset investment firm. Based in the Bahamas, GEM Digital has committed capital to 50+ projects that trade on over 23 Centralized Exchanges globally. Their mission is to fuel growth and provide working capital to innovative, industry-leading projects in the Web 3.0 ecosystem. Global Emerging Markets (“GEM”) is a $3.4 billion alternative investment group with offices in Paris, New York, and the Bahamas. GEM manages a diverse set of investment vehicles focused on emerging markets and has completed over 570 transactions in seventy-two countries. Each investment vehicle has a different degree of operational control, risk-adjusted return, and liquidity profile. The family of funds and investment vehicles provides GEM and its partners with exposure to Small-Mid Cap Management Buyouts, Private Investments in Public Equities, and select venture investments. Contact CEOArtur MakowkaMintMe.comartur.makowka@mintme.com.....»»

Cloud storage is a centralized storage platform, but they are vulnerable to data theft or loss. Decentralized storage platforms, however, can overcome this drawback by breaking user data into smaller pieces and spreading it across nodes. Also, data is automatically encrypted when uploaded to the network. Such platforms usually have their own coins or tokens […] Cloud storage is a centralized storage platform, but they are vulnerable to data theft or loss. Decentralized storage platforms, however, can overcome this drawback by breaking user data into smaller pieces and spreading it across nodes. Also, data is automatically encrypted when uploaded to the network. Such platforms usually have their own coins or tokens as they exist on a blockchain. Let’s take a look at the ten biggest storage cryptocurrencies. Ten Biggest Storage Cryptocurrencies We have referred to the market capitalization data (as of June 22, 2022) of storage cryptocurrencies to rank the ten biggest storage cryptocurrencies. .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get The Full Ray Dalio Series in PDF Get the entire 10-part series on Ray Dalio in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q1 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Aleph.im (ALEPH) Created in 2018, it is an open-source crosschain network that features a decentralized database, such as computing, file storage and a DID (decentralized identity) framework. ALEPH is down almost by 1% in the last 30 days and by almost 59% year to date. As of writing, ALEPH was trading at $0.2622, giving it a market cap of more than $50 million. ALEPH has an all-time high of $0.8692 (January 2022) and an all-time low of $0.0247 (September 2020). MaidSafeCoin (MAID) It is the currency of the SAFE Network and users can spend it on Network services. MAID is down by over 2% in the last 30 days and by almost 60% year to date. As of writing, MAID was trading at $0.1672, giving it a market cap of more than $70 million. MAID has an all-time high of $1.38 (April 2021) and an all-time low of $0.004059 (March 2015). Augur (REP) It is an Ethereum token that assists in reporting and disputing the outcome of events on online prediction markets. REP is down by over 30% in the last 30 days and by almost 55% year to date. As of writing, REP was trading at $8.56, giving it a market cap of more than $90 million. REP has an all-time high of $123.24 (January 2018) and an all-time low of $0.783 (September 2016). Ocean Protocol (OCEAN) Co-founded in 2017, it allows users to realize the value of their data, as well as monetize it through the use of ERC-20 based datatokens. OCEAN is down by almost 25% in the last 30 days and by over 70% year to date. As of writing, OCEAN was trading at $0.1899, giving it a market cap of more than $100 million. OCEAN has an all-time high of $1.94 (April 2021) and an all-time low of $0.01351 (August 2019). Siacoin (SC) Officially launched in June 2015, it is a native utility token of Sia, which is a secure, trustless marketplace for cloud storage enabling users to lease access to their unused storage space. SC is down by almost 30% in the last 30 days and by over 70% year to date. As of writing, SC was trading at $0.003935, giving it a market cap of more than $190 million. SC has an all-time high of $0.1117 (January 2018) and an all-time low of $0.00001131 (December 2015). Storj (STORJ) Launched in late 2018, it is an open-source cloud storage platform that uses a decentralized network of nodes to host user data. STORJ is up by over 7% in the last 30 days but is down by over 60% year to date. As of writing, STORJ was trading at $0.6577, giving it a market cap of more than $250 million. STORJ has an all-time high of $3.91 (March 2021) and an all-time low of $0.04835 (March 2020). Arweave (AR) Launched in June 2018, it is a decentralized storage network that offers a platform for the indefinite storage of data. AR is down by over 42% in the last 30 days and by over 86% year to date. As of writing, AR was trading at $9.40, giving it a market cap of more than $300 million. AR has an all-time high of $90.94 (November 2021) and an all-time low of $0.4854 (May 2020). Holo (HOT) It is a peer-to-peer distributed platform for hosting decentralized applications. HOT aims to work as a bridge between the internet and apps developed using Holochain. HOT is down by over 19% in the last 30 days and by almost 71% year to date. As of writing, HOT was trading at $0.002194, giving it a market cap of more than $370 million. HOT has an all-time high of $0.03157 (April 2021) and an all-time low of $0.0002189 (March 2020). BitTorrent-New (BTT) Released in February 2019, it is a dedicated native cryptocurrency token of BitTorrent, which is a popular peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing and torrent platform. BTT is down by over 30% in the last 30 days. As of writing, BTT was trading at $0.0000007932, giving it a market cap of more than $700 million. BTT has an all-time high of $0.000003054 (January 2022) and an all-time low of $0.000000705 (June 2022). Filecoin (FIL) Launched in 2020, it is a decentralized storage system that aims to “store humanity’s most important information.” Filecoin’s decentralized nature aims to protect the integrity of a data’s location. FIL is down by over 33% in the last 30 days and by over 84% year to date. As of writing, FIL was trading at $5.68, giving it a market cap of more than $1.20 billion. FIL has an all-time high of $237.24 (April 2021) and an all-time low of $1.83 (August 2019). 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Singapore, Singapore, 7th June, 2022, Chainwire Cake DeFi, the fastest-growing Singapore-based Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platform, celebrated its third anniversary today with a key milestone. The company announced that it has paid out over US$317 million in rewards as of end Q1 2022 while continuing to see robust business growth of an average of almost 90% […] Singapore, Singapore, 7th June, 2022, Chainwire Cake DeFi, the fastest-growing Singapore-based Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platform, celebrated its third anniversary today with a key milestone. The company announced that it has paid out over US$317 million in rewards as of end Q1 2022 while continuing to see robust business growth of an average of almost 90% quarter-on-quarter since 2019.  “Our third anniversary is an important milestone for us. Despite the recent downturn in crypto prices, we have continued to experience tremendous growth in the past three years. We are now one of the fastest-growing Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platforms in Asia. This is only made possible by relentlessly creating value for our customers – we paid out a staggering US$317 million in rewards in just three years. We achieved this by creating a safe and secure one-stop platform for consumers to easily access DeFi services. The next stage of our growth will come from building access to DeFi and Web3 not just for consumers, but for businesses as well. It is our ambition to list Cake DeFi on a public stock exchange in the near future. We were offered a SPAC merger at US$1.5 billion but we had turned it down earlier in the year,” said Dr Julian Hosp, CEO and Co-Founder of Cake DeFi.   Since its launch in 2019, Cake DeFi has been committed to its mission of enhancing financial inclusion and advocating the responsible investment of crypto assets to generate passive income. With over US$1 billion of total customer assets on the platform and close to a million registered users, Cake DeFi aims to continue helping both experienced and new investors generate returns on their cryptocurrencies and digital assets safely and securely. Headquartered in Singapore, Cake DeFi is a key player in the DeFi community and continues to actively align its development with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)’s greater vision, to develop Singapore’s crypto and decentralized ecosystem, unlock new economic value, enhance financial inclusion, and enable more seamless and efficient financial services. Cake DeFi is a member of the Singapore FinTech Association’s Web 3.0 subcommittee and an industry member of ACCESS’ Virtual Asset Payments Group. Earlier this year, Cake DeFi also launched a US$100 million venture capital arm to accelerate start-ups in the Web3, eSports, gaming and Fintech spaces.  Cake DeFi today also announced that the company is committing a further US$1 million to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives to support the development of a sustainable DeFi ecosystem as well as local CSR programs.  This year, Cake DeFi will partner SportCares to enable vulnerable individuals to experience and reap the benefits of sport by instilling confidence and elevating one’s outlook to life. The partnership with SportSG will focus on a sport-based development programme using basketball, paired with volunteering opportunities and enrichment workshops. Cake DeFi also today announced that it had reached a licensing milestone in the EU and is now authorized to conduct services for exchanging cryptocurrency, and providing and administering cryptocurrency custodial wallets in Lithuania. This is a key step and will facilitate Cake DeFi’s cryptocurrency registration and authorisation in other EEA member states and for future conversion into an EU-wide cryptocurrency authorisation when the EU Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA) Regulations become effective.  Cake DeFi currently holds an exemption under the Payment Services (Exemption for Specified Period) Regulations 2019 granted by the MAS which allows it to continue operating in and from Singapore while the MAS is processing its license application to conduct digital payment token services. U-Zyn Chua, CTO and Co-Founder of Cake DeFi said, “R&D is in the DNA of any good tech firm. Our R&D arm Birthday Research makes up a third of our company’s strength and was formed to develop best-in-class blockchain innovations to drive the evolution of Web3. These innovations will in turn create more value for our customers with market-leading products in the DeFi space. In the coming quarters, users can look forward to a revolutionary DeFi product that will bring unbeatable yields to the industry. And as we integrate more blockchains into our platform, we will be able to deliver even more sophisticated DeFi products to our users. ” About Cake DeFi Cake DeFi is a fully transparent, highly innovative fintech platform dedicated to providing access to decentralized financial services and applications by enabling users to generate returns from their crypto and digital assets. It is operated and registered in Singapore and subject to applicable laws and regulations in Singapore. By enabling and empowering its users to harness the potential of DeFi, Cake DeFi aims to educate and inform people around the world on crypto and DeFi in a simple, easy to understand and hassle-free manner. Contacts Leticia Chua media@cakedefi.com Updated on Jun 7, 2022, 8:13 am (function() { var sc = document.createElement("script"); sc.type = "text/javascript"; sc.async = true;sc.src = "//mixi.media/data/js/95481.js"; sc.charset = "utf-8";var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sc, s); }()); window._F20 = window._F20 || []; _F20.push({container: 'F20WidgetContainer', placement: '', count: 3}); _F20.push({finish: true});.....»»

It’s been a bumpy road for the crypto market, with major cryptos experiencing some harsh downturn, while the crypto assets have shed around more than $800 billion in market valuation in the last month. Across all corners of the crypto market prices have been tumbling for four consecutive days, with leading cryptos including BTC, ETH, […] It’s been a bumpy road for the crypto market, with major cryptos experiencing some harsh downturn, while the crypto assets have shed around more than $800 billion in market valuation in the last month. Across all corners of the crypto market prices have been tumbling for four consecutive days, with leading cryptos including BTC, ETH, and SOL seeing their biggest price jumps in almost a year. if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get Our Activist Investing Case Study! Get the entire 10-part series on our in-depth study on activist investing in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or print it out to read anywhere! Sign up below! (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q1 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more With the crypto market now worth less than half of its peak in November 2021 ($3 trillion), investors are scrambling to see where they can pump cash into crypto and blockchain projects that could perhaps offer sizable returns for the greater part of the year. DeFi Is Growing At A Rapid Pace At the current rate of development, decentralized finance (DeFi) which includes some of the world's most valuable DeFi companies such as Coinbase Holdings (NASDAQ:HOLD) and Block (NYSE:SQ) have seen venture capitalists digging deep into their pockets to flow cash into the hands of startup entrepreneurs. Even at the pace at which DeFi is rapidly growing, the sector has yet to be as disruptive as many would’ve liked it to be. For what it’s worth, 2021 saw the biggest year in VC-backed deals for crypto and blockchain startups, with more than $33 billion of investments. At the back of it, this only accounted for 5% of all VC deals across all sectors in 2021 globally. Yet, as little as these investments may have seemed, there’s a sizable portion of investors and entrepreneurs who are throwing their weight behind the potential of DeFi, as it looks to revolutionize the next generation of lenders, borrowers, and traders. While traditional retail banking and consumer finance products remain the ideal place for individuals to lock in monetary payments, loans, and transactions, the growing tendency surrounding DeFi is slowly taking shape, offering a ripe opportunity for growth and global expansion. According to Ahmed S. CO-CEO & Chief Operating Officer at Hatom Labs, an early investor in the Elrond Blockchain, “It is possible to consolidate the adoption of decentralized finance protocols, but this would involve continuous research, innovation, and user education." Hatom is the very first Elrond Blockchain-based decentralized money market. In its current capacity, DeFi can address a sizable market of opportunities. In 2021, the Ethereum network was able to process more than 1.3 million transactions per day, surpassing remittances, trading, lending, and borrowing. Even more, the total value of assets transacted via DeFi has exploded. In 2020, roughly $2.2 billion worth of assets were captured. By the start of 2022, that amount has increased by more than 31,000% to over $68 billion. On paper, DeFi has the potential to create a new breed of consumers, influencing the way they bank, lend, transact, and borrow money. In practice the story looks a bit different, leaving a contrasting backdrop on which blockchain-based lending protocols are working. Lending And Borrowing Cryptocurrency “When it comes to lending and borrowing cryptocurrency, users want to make sure that their information is secure and that they can use a protocol system without worrying about the underlying complexity. That is maybe one of the challenges that must be overcome in the sector in order to develop the larger influence of decentralized finance.” Explains Ahmed S. COO and CO CEO of Hatom labs It’s perhaps interesting to see how much has already been done for the development of tools that help improve safety measures on various blockchain protocols. Last year, more than $11.2 million were raised for Sienna Network, a privacy decentralized startup built on the Secret Network. As the adoption of DeFi projects becomes more commonplace, security and privacy are playing a big role in the overall performance of DeFi in the nominal financial ecosystem. Then there’s the case of intermediaries, which according to some DeFi enthusiasts are rallying consumers as online commerce becomes an everyday essential for billions of global shoppers. With DeFi it’s possible to cut out the middle man, or financial custodians. On the DeFi system or network, all transactions are transparent, and with blockchain, it’s possible to have full disclosure and transparency on transactions. By cutting out the middleman, some claim that regulatory and safety precautions could become a major concern for those using the protocols. Many share a unified opinion over how DeFi exchange protocols are making it easier to access a borderless monetary and financial system. Decentralized control could perhaps be the key selling point for DeFi in the next few years, as crypto traders and a cohort of consumers are shifting opinions over a centralized monetary and banking system. Even though the world has operated on these means for hundreds of years, modern technology and development thereof have enabled a newer, and broader sector of finance, that helps give traders and investors better control over their digital assets. Ahmed S. states, “Although the cryptoverse is still mostly unregulated, its appeal and acceptance are rooted in its decentralized protocols. When it comes to DeFi and its set of principles, we are already witnessing how popular it has become among the general public, not only because it works alongside the crypto ecosystem, but also because it provides the much-needed security and mobility." “We must not forget that the DeFi sector, like crypto and blockchain, is still in its infancy, and that future endeavors could enable the fast-track development of decentralized financial tools and blockchain protocols that will facilitate its mainstream adoption.” It’s not impossible to consider how rapidly the market has already developed, but it’s possible to see how a new generation of traders and consumers are claiming their stake in the world of decentralized finance. 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The public has a burgeoning love-hate relationship with blockchain technology. The democratic and decentralized nature of this cryptocurrency-powered ledger has been hailed by many, but others are worried that enterprise blockchain uses too much energy to maintain and therefore cannot have a sustainable future. Q4 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more However, part of […] The public has a burgeoning love-hate relationship with blockchain technology. The democratic and decentralized nature of this cryptocurrency-powered ledger has been hailed by many, but others are worried that enterprise blockchain uses too much energy to maintain and therefore cannot have a sustainable future. if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get The Full Walter Schloss Series in PDF Get the entire 10-part series on Walter Schloss in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q4 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more However, part of the beauty of blockchain is its ability to solve problems, even its own energy efficiency. Blockchain can provide unique solutions to sustainability issues in business, so it is important that developers and company leaders start using blockchain to target their business and sustainable development goals. Why Is Blockchain Particularly Useful For ESG Goals? Blockchain is different from other technologies in that it enables the immutability of data while ensuring transparency and security. This unique combination of characteristics makes it an unbeatable tool for verifying and improving sustainability ratings and reporting. For example, companies with complex supply chains could leverage blockchain technology to create more trusted records throughout the product journey while maintaining transparent communication with consumers. It could even be used to “score” different components and contractors involved in a supply chain, allowing for credible sustainability assessment. Follow this to its logical conclusion and you can easily picture a world in which consumers can decide where to put their dollars based on how well the farmers were treated at the start of the supply chain. When data is immutable, trust is possible. It is important for those using blockchain to connect blockchain technology and sustainability. We need the kind of transparency and democratization that it can lend to such an important and contentious subject. And with commercial suppliers making up a hefty proportion of business’ environmental footprint, better supply chains should be front and center of sustainability strategies. Who's Using Blockchain Right? Thanks to certain companies, large and small, the use of blockchain to achieve ESG goals is becoming a reality. IBM is one example of a large company connecting automation and sustainabilitywork. The IBM team is implementing blockchain solutions to improve transparency in their supply chain to improve sustainability credentials. Smaller companies are also playing their part. In fact, small companies have the potential power to drive change because they’re nimble. Provenance is a company using blockchain to tell consumers directly about the sustainability of supply chain touchpoints. Consumers can follow the journey of a product and trust that the information they’re seeing is accurate and unbiased. ESG is an important global consideration, and international organizations are also stepping up to address sustainability needs. The World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group have collaborated to develop OpenSC food provenance using blockchain technology, with one of the goals being to improve sustainability. Blockchain Applications In Business That Could Impact Sustainability Smart contracts are how the blockchain functions. They are part of the overall strategy of blockchain technology and sustainability because they’re the heart of blockchain’s immutability. Essentially, a smart contract is an if-then statement (trusted logic) written in code that determines when a viable transaction has occurred. These contracts are so valuable because, once written, they can’t be tampered with. Smart contracts empower sustainability goals in two main ways: Efficiency: Because smart contracts are so much more efficient and less prone to human error, businesses can trust them implicitly. Using them will then free up tons of time. Business processes become quicker and smarter, leading to adoption and ultimately enabling and improving sustainability capabilities. Trust and motivation: Automated transactions based on a secure and immutable blockchain immediately enable trust. Entities in the supply chain can therefore receive compensation for appropriate behaviors and are incentivized to take the “right” actions (i.e., actions that contribute positively to sustainability goals). By leveraging trusted data and trusted logic within the blockchain, companies of any size can improve sustainability reporting and help maintain ESG credentials and push their sustainability goals. At the same time, they can create better, more transparent relationships with suppliers and consumers. Blockchains continue to mature, as do the solutions built on top of them. Even as projects are seeing good traction, mass adoption has not yet occurred. Early adopters find themselves in a powerful position to influence change and increase the efficacy of sustainability goals. About the Author Gigo Joseph is the vice president of international business development at Chainyard, a blockchain consulting company focused on delivering production solutions that address supply chain, transportation, manufacturing, government, and financial services pain points. Gigo is a recognized strategic business leadership, engineering, and business process consultant who has built complex software solutions from ideation to end-of-life. 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In July, the Spanish police and Europol seized thousands of counterfeit passports and ID cards in Barcelona. They carried out multiple raids to dismantle an organized crime group involved in document fraud, illegal immigration, and property crime among other things. Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Police forces also seized equipment such as […] In July, the Spanish police and Europol seized thousands of counterfeit passports and ID cards in Barcelona. They carried out multiple raids to dismantle an organized crime group involved in document fraud, illegal immigration, and property crime among other things. if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get The Full Walter Schloss Series in PDF Get the entire 10-part series on Walter Schloss in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Police forces also seized equipment such as printers, laminators, professional document cutting tools, ID card chips, UV ink, and more. The criminals had ordered materials to create 10,000 fake Spanish ID documents and a thousand French documents. A Disease For The Economy Sometimes it’s difficult to believe that document frauds are so prevalent in the Internet-connected age where much of the world’s information is just a few clicks away. The market for counterfeit documents such as passports, driving licenses, ID cards, and even educational certifications is booming. Last year when the US government was sending out free money to the unemployed to help them battle the crisis, fraudsters from outside the United States stole over $400 billion from the US government. The fraudsters tricked the Department of Labor into sending them half the amount earmarked for unemployed Americans. Whether it’s Brazilians flocking to the US border using fake documents and fake families, or people using fake vaccine certificates to enter another country, or job seekers lying on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles to land better opportunities, fake documents have pervaded into every aspect of life that requires documentary proof. In education and job markets, people often misrepresent their credentials initially and then continue that misrepresentation over the course of their entire career. A New Perspective On Document Authentication It has become increasingly difficult for organizations to verify and authenticate documents using the existing authentication systems for two reasons: The complex processes involved in verifying the authenticity of documents Fraudsters getting better at creating counterfeits that look identical to the genuine ones Governments as well as private institutions have been looking for better authentication methods to stop document fraud. Many have tried to resolve it by designing more secure documents that are harder to counterfeit. However, it has only made fraudsters more creative in figuring out ways to create fake documents. A foolproof method has remained elusive. So, authorities and institutions are leaning towards blockchain technology to secure, verify, and authenticate documents. The transparent and immutable nature of blockchain prevents anyone from tampering with the information recorded. Unlike traditional documents, it’s nearly impossible to tamper with a blockchain record without leaving a trail as every computer in the network has a copy of the document. Blockchains maintain the integrity of a document by creating a hash. Since every single version of a document is time stamped and given a hash, institutions and organizations can keep track of when a document was added to the blockchain and when it was tampered with. Cardano-based Blockademia is a project using blockchain to solve the problem of document fraud. It’s a decentralized information system that aims to bring authenticity to a wide range of documents including diplomas, certificates, insurance policies, title deeds, state documents, source codes, certificates of ownership, music and film rights, and other documents. Blockchain provides automation and cost-effectiveness for issuers, besides giving easy access to the requested information. Another element that has attracted organizations to blockchain technology is the fact that it offers greater privacy than traditional document management systems because it anonymizes data and requires permissions to access certain documents. Whether it’s educational institutions, insurance firms, pharmaceutical companies or state offices, anyone could issue and verify documents on the blockchain using platforms like Blockademia. Given the rising number of false academic and professional credentials, it’s the need of the hour for institutions to issue their certificates and diplomas on the blockchain. That way, students get an immutable proof of their academic credentials, and institutions dramatically reduce the costs involved in issuing certificates and accessing their historical data. Ethiopia has become one of the first countries to build a blockchain-based universal student credentialing system. In April this year, the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia partnered with Cardano to create secure records of “educational performance for 3,500 schools, 5 million students, and 750,000 teachers, giving all pupils verifiable digital qualifications and increasing social mobility.” Cardano has demonstrated that its infrastructure will be capable of enabling administrators to create tamper-proof educational records of over five million students. The project aims to facilitate better administration and identify educational under-achievement to improve access to opportunities for high-quality education. In the process, Ethiopia and Cardano are building immutable records of students’ academic credentials to stop educational fraud rampant in the job market. Final Thoughts Blockchain technology has found applications in multiple industries ranging from banking to supply chain management. It has all the right ingredients to reduce - or prevent altogether - document frauds that cost the global economy trillions of dollars a year. Issuing documents such as educational diplomas and certificates on blockchain is the first step towards a long-term commitment to bring a new level of authenticity. Updated on Nov 9, 2021, 11:28 am (function() { var sc = document.createElement("script"); sc.type = "text/javascript"; sc.async = true;sc.src = "//mixi.media/data/js/95481.js"; sc.charset = "utf-8";var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sc, s); }()); window._F20 = window._F20 || []; _F20.push({container: 'F20WidgetContainer', placement: '', count: 3}); _F20.push({finish: true});.....»»

Open Bank Project, API3, Qredo & Sovryn Form Alliance with Banco Hipotecario to Power Bitcoin Adoption in El Salvador Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more The Next Generation Of Blockchain Applications Berlin, XX October 2021 — A new alliance between Banco Hipotecario, TESOBE – the company behind the Open Bank Project – API3, […] Open Bank Project, API3, Qredo & Sovryn Form Alliance with Banco Hipotecario to Power Bitcoin Adoption in El Salvador if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get The Full Henry Singleton Series in PDF Get the entire 4-part series on Henry Singleton in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more The Next Generation Of Blockchain Applications Berlin, XX October 2021 -- A new alliance between Banco Hipotecario, TESOBE - the company behind the Open Bank Project - API3, Qredo and Sovryn will bring forth the next generation of Blockchain applications offering open banking solutions to provide financial inclusion to all in El Salvador. El Salvador's groundbreaking Bitcoin Law entered into force on September 7, 2021, introducing unfamiliar challenges for traditional financial institutions as well as more specific consumer needs related to bitcoin storage and currency exchange. Together, leaders in the blockchain space will utilize their resources and knowledge to facilitate a smooth adoption of bitcoin as legal tender, ensuring citizens reap the benefits of digital banking and national infrastructure can handle this momentous change. Banco Hipotecario, a national bank with a commercial focus, joined forces with the Open Bank Project and API3 to assess and facilitate solutions for Salvadorans and the financial service sector. API3 and Open Bank Project 10-year partnership has set major ambitions to merge traditional and decentralized industries. With Banco Hipotecario, the joint-partnership hopes to realize the potential for end-to-end open digital systems. The alliance has selected Qredo's decentralized custodial infrastructure to power bitcoin banking solutions in El Salvador. Alongside this, Sovryn, the Bitcoin-native decentralized trading and lending platform will provide the infrastructure to enable traditional banks to o er Bitcoin-native DeFi products such as lending, trading and Bitcoin backed-stablecoins to their customers. The collective aim is to accelerate the democratization of Bitcoin electronic payments and help citizens enjoy the benefits of digital and decentralized transactions. It will also support the nation’s larger financial framework to promote a smooth and effective integration of Bitcoin as legal tender, driving financial inclusion for Salvadorans. Bitcoin Adoption In El Salvador The Bitcoin phenomenon is propagating across Latin America. By leveraging Qredo’s revolutionary crypto infrastructure, which is entirely compatible with the Bitcoin Lightning Network used in El Salvador, combined with Sovryn’s ability to build on bitcoin, TESOBE’s APIs and API3’s Airnode, this alliance will support El Salvador’s seamless transition into a crypto-friendly financial services system. “This alliance is a great opportunity for El Salvador to create new financial products that support the needs of our Salvadoran citizens,” said Celina Padilla, president of Bank Hipotecario de El Salvador. “We are closer than ever to achieving true financial inclusion and I am proud that Banco Hipotecario is the first bank at the national level to carry out this type of alliance. Now everyone has their eyes on our country and on our bank.” “We are super excited and grateful for the opportunity to assemble this advanced Crypto Banking infrastructure, which will act as the foundation for a new breed of financial services in El Salvador,” says Simon Redfern, CEO of TESOBE and founder of the Open Bank Project. “Our combined technologies will help Banco Hipotecario deliver more transparent and inclusive financial services to Salvadorans – especially the underbanked part of the population – and will remove many of the uncertainties that stand between El Salvador and the advantages of cryptocurrency adoption.” “API3 is incredibly excited to announce this alliance and we can’t wait to see the synergies between these leading technologies in action. As the world’s financial system is modernized, we will help build a foundation for the future of digital banking that can easily be adapted to fit the needs of those who will benefit from it most,” says Heikki Vänttinen, Co-Founder at API3. "We are glad to get in at the ground zero of global bitcoinization," says Anthony Foy, Qredo CEO. “Qredo brings the scalability and instant settlement to underpin bitcoin banking infrastructure, making it possible to adopt crypto assets securely on a national scale, with none of the governance limitations imposed by private keys." Edan Yago, core contributor at Sovryn, commented: “With its adoption of Bitcoin, El Salvador has chosen to rewrite the script of its national finance system and to blaze a trail for other nations to follow. DeFi is now coming to the world and Sovryn is playing a crucial part in these early practical steps towards making Bitcoin adoption a reality in El Salvador and beyond.” About Banco Hipotecario de El Salvador Banco Hipotecario de El Salvador, a national bank with a commercial focus, offers a wide range of banking products and services such as consumer and corporate loans, savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and related financial services to individuals, small- and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations. About the Open Bank Project Led by Berlin-based software company TESOBE GmbH, the Open Bank Project is the leading API Management platform for banks that want to ensure a rapid and secure enhancement of their digital offerings. The Open Bank Project assists banks in deploying Open Banking platforms by providing access to over 450 standardised APIs, used by our vibrant global community of over 11,000 developers. About API3 The API3 Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that builds decentrally governed and quantifiably secure data feeds to power Web 3.0 applications without employing third-party intermediaries. Powered by Airnode-enabled first-party oracles, API3’s dAPIs are fully decentralized and blockchain-native APIs with quantifiable security. About Qredo Qredo is a decentralized digital asset management infrastructure and product suite designed to unlock new opportunities for institutional investors in digital assets and decentralized finance. Qredo's Layer 2 blockchain protocol enables users to seamlessly transfer and settle BTC, ETH, and ERC-20 tokens. Assets are secured by Qredo’s advanced Gen 2.0 multi-party computation (MPC), which provides tier-1 bank security and institutional-grade governance. About Sovryn Sovryn is a Bitcoin-native financial operating system that allows people to utilize their Bitcoin in decentralised applications. The Sovryn protocol provides an infrastructure using layer-2 technologies for the next generation of DeFi. For more details about the Sovryn tech stack, its use cases, and the SOV token see the Sovryn Black Paper. (function() { var sc = document.createElement("script"); sc.type = "text/javascript"; sc.async = true;sc.src = "//mixi.media/data/js/95481.js"; sc.charset = "utf-8";var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(sc, s); }()); window._F20 = window._F20 || []; _F20.push({container: 'F20WidgetContainer', placement: '', count: 3}); _F20.push({finish: true});.....»»

The Tron and Rainberry boss said he modeled himself on Alibaba founder Jack Ma. He was charged by the SEC with fraud and other securities violations. Justin Sun/Twitter Justin Sun, who branded himself as a "crypto whiz kid," was charged by the SEC with fraud and other securities violations. The CEO of Tron and BitTorrent first gained attention after winning a $4.6 million charity lunch with Warren Buffett.  Here's what you need to know about the 32-year-old crypto entrepreneur.  Sun grew up in a rural province of China.Tron CEO Justin SunReutersAccording to reporting from The Verge, Sun left home at a young age to study the strategy game Go in Wuhan. The Verge, citing a former employee of Sun's, said he described his mother as a "tiger mom" and his father as a "penny-pincher."Sun attended a business school founded by Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma.Sun with Alibaba's Jack Ma.Instagram/Justin SunSun's oldest photo on Instagram shows him receiving a certificate from Ma. "Inspired by the best to shape the future for the better," the caption reads.Sun was the youngest member of the inaugural class at Hupan University, a Chinese business school founded by Ma in 2015, according to the South China Morning Post. Ma recruited 30 students who he believed could revolutionize the Chinese business world. Sun wrote his thesis on the blockchain industry, titled "The Birth of a Decentralized Internet," SCMP said. He graduated from Hupan in 2018.Sun attended a prestigious Ivy League school for graduate studies.f11photo/ShutterstockSun graduated from Peking University with a bachelor's degree in history in 2011, according to his LinkedIn page. Peking is China's second-best university, according to Times Higher Education's World University Rankings. Two years later, Sun earned a master's degree in political economy from the University of Pennsylvania, one of eight prestigious US colleges that make up the Ivy League. He began his career at a San Francisco-based crypto company.Justin Sun attends Consensus 2019Steven Ferdman/Getty ImagesSun joined Ripple Labs as a chief representative and adviser in Greater China at the end of 2013, according to an older version of his LinkedIn page. He worked at the cryptocurrency startup — which has received backing from Google Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and other blue-chip investors — for just over two years.Sun founded an app called Peiwo, which translates to "accompany me," that same year. The app aspired to become China's Snapchat and matched users by analyzing 10-second voice clips, according to Forbes. The app was ultimately kicked off both the Android and Apple app stores and banned from China for disrupting "socialist values," according to the Verge.Justin Sun Yuchen, founder of Tron and CEO of BitTorrent, speaks during Ifeng Finance Summit at China World Summit Wing on November 4, 2015 in Beijing, China.Getty Images/Visual China GroupThe app aspired to become China's Snapchat and matched users by analyzing 10-second voice clips, according to Forbes. The app was ultimately kicked off both the Android and Apple app stores and banned from China for disrupting "socialist values," according to the Verge. In July 2017, he founded the blockchain company, Tron.BitTorrent billboard.BitTorrentTron is a blockchain company with its own cryptocurrency that is "dedicated to building the infrastructure for a truly decentralized Internet," his LinkedIn page states. Less than a year later, Tron acquired BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file-sharing service, for around $126 million, according to TechCrunch. Sun currently serves as CEO of Peiwo, Tron, and BitTorrent, now known as Rainberry.Sun has a powerful presence on social media.Screengrab of Justin Sun's Twitter page.TwitterSun has amassed 3.4 million Twitter followers. He's also posted pictures of himself posing with celebrities such as Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.Forbes included Sun in its 30 under 30 Asia list in 2017, and in its 30 under 30 China list from 2015 to 2017, Sun wrote on his LinkedIn page. He gained national attention for winning a charity auction lunch with Warren BuffettSun met with Buffett in 2020.YouTube / University of Nebraska–LincolnIn 2019, Sun bid $4.57 million on an eBay-sponsored charity lunch with Warren Buffett. Sun said he planned to use the meal to convert Buffett, a notorious skeptic of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, into a true believer. Buffett has said Bitcoin has "no unique value" and will ultimately become worthless, and derided it as a "delusion" and "rat poison squared." Sun postponed the dinner with Buffett, citing kidney stones. However, the Verge reported that the lunch was initially canceled due to pressure from the Chinese government.One year later, Sun had dinner with Buffett, inviting several key players in the crypto community.Sun initially postponed his meeting with Buffett.Charlie RoseSun executed a full-court press on Buffett during their dinner in January 2020. He invited eToro founder and CEO Yoni Assia, Litecoin creator Charlie Lee, and other crypto advocates to dine with them. He also gave Buffett a smartphone loaded with Bitcoin and Tron, although Buffett later said he doesn't own any cryptocurrencies.Sun has engaged in attention-grabbing stunts.5,000 everydays artwork by Beeple, which was sold at Christie's auction house for $69 million.ReutersAside from Sun's winning bid for a meal with Buffett, he has engaged in other high-profile stunts, such as giving away free Teslas in Twitter sweepstakes and coming in second place in a record-breaking $69 million Christie's auction of an NFT by digital artist Beeple. Sun has gained a reputation as a controversial figure.Justin Sun paid millions of dollars to join one of Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space trips.Associated PressAfter Sun announced he was rescheduling his lunch with Buffett, Chinese news outlet Caixin reported he was being held in China over accusations of illegal fundraising, gambling, money laundering, and pornography activities, citing a report by the 21st Century Business Herald.Sun dismissed the allegations on Weibo and said he was being treated for kidney stones. "The illegal network fundraising was not true," he wrote in Mandarin, adding that Tron "actively cooperated" with authorities to comply with regulatory requirements. He added that Tron complied with laws and regulations in Singapore, where it's located, and the money-laundering allegation was "not true."However, in March 2022, the Verge reported that Sun has a long history of bending financial laws in the US and China, and collected passports in countries like Malta, Guinea-Bissau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, saying that he would escape to one if the law ever caught up with him. Sun jumped on the meme-stock bandwagon in 2021.Justin Sun speaks at a conference.Getty Images/Visual China GroupSun invested $10 million in GameStop and $1 million in each of AMC and the iShares Silver Trust during the meme-stock frenzy in January 2021. He told Bloomberg that the Wall Street Bets movement represented a "paradigm shift" in finance and suggested memes are the new fundamentals for the next generation of investors.In March 2023, Sun was charged by the SEC with fraud and other securities law violations.Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan were also charged by the SEC.KGC-03/STAR MAX/IPxThe SEC charged Sun and three of his companies, Tron Foundation, BitTorrent Foundation, and Rainberry, formerly BitTorrent, with the unregistered offer and sale of crypto asset securities. Sun was also charged with fraudulently manipulating the price of his cryptocurrency, TRX. The SEC also charged several celebrities who worked with Sun's companies, including Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The SEC said eight celebrities including Lohan and the artist known as Soulja Boy illegally touted tokens. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued crypto mogul Justin Sun for allegedly violating securities rules, and said eight celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and the artist known as Soulja Boy illegally touted tokens. Lohan and Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, illegally promoted the tokens — Tronix and/or BitTorrent — without disclosing compensation, the SEC alleged. Most of the celebrities agreed to pay a total of more than $400,000 to settle the allegations, without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, the agency said in a statement. The only two that didn’t were Soulja Boy and singer-songwriter Austin Mahone. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Lohan didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment by phone or email. The attorneys representing Cortez Way and Mahone declined to comment. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in federal court in New York, alleges that Sun worked with companies he owns and controls – the Tron Foundation, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd., and Rainberry Inc. — to engineer the offer and sale of the unregistered securities, including the Tronix and BitTorrent tokens. It also accuses the crypto entrepreneur of breaking antifraud and market manipulation rules. Read More: How Logan Paul’s Crypto Empire Fell Apart “Sun and others used an age-old playbook to mislead and harm investors by first offering securities without complying with registration and disclosure requirements and then manipulating the market for those very securities,” Gurbir Grewal, the director of the SEC’s enforcement division, said in a statement. Sun was an early investor in Bitcoin, and has used his investments as well as his success with a social-media app in China to start Tron, a blockchain network that’s currently used by thousands of gambling and gaming apps. In the complaint, the SEC said Sun and his companies employed “bounty programs” that directed users to complete certain tasks, such as social media promotions, in exchange for tokens. The agency also alleged that the crypto businessman carried out a fraudulent scheme to artificially inflate the trading volume of Tronix — the native crypto of the Tron network — in the secondary market, including by directing his employees — from at least April 2018 through February 2019 — to conduct more than 600,000 “wash trades” of TRX between two crypto accounts he controlled. Read More: Influencers Are Scamming Their Fans Through Crypto. Here’s How Their Tactics Have Evolved. “It makes sense that the SEC examines the practice of wash trading,” said Campbell Harvey, a finance professor at Duke University. “Market manipulation should not be allowed in any type of market. Again, there should be clear guidelines specific to the crypto space as to what constitutes manipulation.” Sun, and representatives of Rainberry didn’t immediately return requests for comment. TRX, the token associated with the Tron network, dropped around 12%. The price of BTT, a token associated with BitTorrent, fell by more than 1%. Read More: 2022 Killed Wide-Eyed Crypto Idealism. Here Are Lessons for 2023 The total value locked in decentralized-finance apps — which let people lend, borrow and trade — on the Tron blockchain dropped by more than 3% in the last 24 hours, to about $5 billion, in the last 24 hours, according to tracker DeFi Llama. — With assistance from Olga Kharif......»»

The global financial ecosystem has become increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, and it’s a problem. A new countless amount of cyberattacks and threats have put the financial industry, including fintechs at greater risk of being exposed to bad actors. These incidents have made it increasingly difficult for fintech companies and startups to grow their influence […] The global financial ecosystem has become increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, and it’s a problem. A new countless amount of cyberattacks and threats have put the financial industry, including fintechs at greater risk of being exposed to bad actors. These incidents have made it increasingly difficult for fintech companies and startups to grow their influence among existing and new consumer markets. if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') { document.write(''); } .first{clear:both;margin-left:0}.one-third{width:31.034482758621%;float:left;margin-left:3.448275862069%}.two-thirds{width:65.51724137931%;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element input{border:0;border-radius:0;padding:8px}form.ebook-styles .af-element{width:220px;float:left}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer{width:115px;float:left;margin-left: 6px;}form.ebook-styles .af-element.buttonContainer input.submit{width:115px;padding:10px 6px 8px;text-transform:uppercase;border-radius:0;border:0;font-size:15px}form.ebook-styles .af-body.af-standards input.submit{width:115px}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy{width:100%;font-size:12px;margin:10px auto 0}form.ebook-styles .af-element.privacyPolicy p{font-size:11px;margin-bottom:0}form.ebook-styles .af-body input.text{height:40px;padding:2px 10px !important} form.ebook-styles .error, form.ebook-styles #error { color:#d00; } form.ebook-styles .formfields h1, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-logo, form.ebook-styles .formfields #mg-footer { display: none; } form.ebook-styles .formfields { font-size: 12px; } form.ebook-styles .formfields p { margin: 4px 0; } Get The Full Henry Singleton Series in PDF Get the entire 4-part series on Henry Singleton in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Q4 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more   Only manufacturing, finance, and insurance have seen the highest number of known cyberattacks between 2020 and 2021 according to an X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2022 by IBM. Other industries such as professional and business services energy, retail and wholesale, transportation, and government, among others have witnessed an increased number of cyberattacks during the same period. In the geographical arena, the Asia-Pacific region took the top spot for the most cyber-attacked region in 2022 according to the IBM index. The region accounted for about 31% of all incidents remediated worldwide. The onset of the pandemic helped fuel the financial industry’s digital transformation. Yet, at the same time, it has come with a perpetual objection, prompting governments and institutions to introduce more stringent data and privacy regulations for fintech companies. Our global reliance on digital infrastructure, specifically in the finance category has yet to clarify who is responsible for protecting the system against any possible threats. And while fintech continues to grow, helping to break down financial barriers and accessibility for millions of consumers, cyber threats are relentlessly introducing new problems for the industry, consumers, and businesses. Global Industry Connectivity One of the wonders that fintech has brought to the world stage is its almost seamless compatibility on a global scale. Traditional banks and new-age financial institutions are increasingly connected, despite not being within geographical range or proximity. With the development of more advanced digital infrastructure and software systems, fintech companies can deliver a simple, yet reliable software service to consumers located in remote corners of the world. Piggy-backing on existing infrastructure, or simply becoming a third-party service delivery agent has meant that even if fintechs do not have the frameworks in place, they can rely on the groundwork that came before them. While on paper the relationship between these institutions seems like a viable long-term solution, it often complicates matters at both ends if flaws in the system are detected by bad actors or malicious intruders accessing data sources. The risk of data loss, misuse of information, operational disruptions, and other known threats are now interchangeable, as companies and institutions are linked with information technology (IT) infrastructure. It only further brings about more complications such as legal actions and reparations. Which side of the communication channel was responsible for the intrusion, and who will be held liable for repairing the damages? Other facets including costs, and upkeep of cybersecurity infrastructure place another burden on all involved parties. While it has made the world a more connected place and provided that it delivers safe, trustworthy, and authoritative services to consumers globally, flaws in the system serve as an entry point for bad actors that have become more interlinked than ever before. The Rise Of Cloud Computing Fintech companies and startups have for quite some time leveraged the possibilities of cloud computing, enabling them to develop and grow their frameworks into untapped consumer markets. The rise of cloud computing has given life to new forms of understanding and transacting with money. Massive volumes of data and information can now be instantaneously accessed and shared among involved parties. For financial services, cloud computing enabled them to develop services and products such as digital wallets, payment gateways, neobanking services, and digital form filling. All the while these services provide consumers and businesses with a seamless financial experience, it also poses both short and long-term risks. The scalability of cloud computing has taken a more principal position for malicious players. By accessing local data centers, these bad actors now have access to an unlimited amount of private information and data. Although security measures have been implemented over the years as the complexity of cloud computing developed, conventional systems still exist and can act as a gateway for hackers and daring cybercriminals. Incidents relating to data centers being infiltrated and hacked are plentiful. In January 2023, around 12 of Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works servers were attacked by ransomware, shutting down all of its servers. During the same time, the Albanian government was witnessing daily cyber attacks following a major incident linked to Iranian hackers in 2022. Even the U.S. government and the National Security Agency (NSA) have been accused of committing several cyberattacks against Northwestern Polytechnical University in China. The Chinese government claims the NSA and U.S. authorities are stealing user data and tapping into its digital communications networks. Threats at a geopolitical scale only highlight further the important role cybersecurity plays for the financial sector. It’s a disheartening thought to consider, that if a country’s national computing servers can be infiltrated, how quickly will hackers and cybercriminals be able to jump over the barriers imposed by financial providers and fintech companies? That’s still only the tip of the problem. Mass issues such as these aren’t the only challenge fintech companies are facing. The number of consumers that access data and networks using unprotected and underhanded internet connectivity in different regions of the world also pose a different threat to the integrity of the system. Internet connections are often protected by a VPN, and for consumers and small businesses that do not have a VPN installed on their computer, open themselves to wider scrutiny from hackers and malicious actors. Often hackers are able to tap into a computer or system without a person being aware of their presence, tracking and monitoring activity, infecting devices and spreading malware on devices. To avoid these risks, it is recommended to learn how to use VPN properly and to ensure that all internet connections are secured with a reputable VPN service. With smaller and less secure fintech companies relying on other traditional existing systems, or newer infrastructure specially erected for digital finance, how much easier will it become for malicious actors to access conventional data centers? Digital Compliance Matters Although not solely related to the increased risk some fintech companies are exposed to regularly, compliance matters across different regions have made it harder for some fintech companies to operate in their target markets. Perhaps not because they are unable to provide a reliable service, but because they are unequipped with the proper cybersecurity infrastructure required by local authorities. Lawmakers have for several years been looking to introduce more stringent and reliable compliance matters that can help protect its national financial service ecosystem and consumers' private information and data. As some economies are spearheading this trend, others are seeing slower adoption of progressive regulatory factors due to a lack of information, knowledge, and the proper resources to implement these structures. Issues of diplomacy not only strain some fintech companies from operating in specific geographical regions, but it means that companies that are not required to monitor consumer activity, are only helping to fuel an illicit industry operating under the nose of the authorities. Where companies are not required to monitor, track or report any suspicious activity which they may deem a threat to both themselves and consumers, bad actors are often able to freely roam without needing to stress about regulatory consent. In itself, it brings different questions to mind relating to consumer privacy and data collection factors that have for some consumers lead them to become victims of cybercrime in more than one possible way.   Another question is, how much is too much regulation? The rise of digital currencies and decentralized finance (DeFi) has meant that some users are disconnected from more traditional institutions, and are solely using blockchain technology for their financial activities. Using this sort of technology makes it harder for regulatory institutions to properly monitor any possible malicious activity that may be taking place. For fintech companies on the other hand, it poses a risk to their cyber frameworks and customers if they have more lenient standards by which they operate. When we start to mix how some fintech companies can provide consumers with a broad range of services and products in one part of the world, while withholding it in another due to regulatory concerns, it still puts countless consumers and businesses in direct contact with cyber threats that are often unknown to them. Concluding Thoughts Fintech has a growing number of possibilities that provide consumers with direct access to financial services that enables their financial autonomy. While large-scale fintech adoption has seen vigorous growth, it’s an industry that is yet to mature and understand the cyber challenges that come with democratizing the finance industry. Although there is no correct solution to the evergreen problem, understanding how cybercriminals are an ongoing threat to not only small-scale financial services, and the global finance ecosystem will enable fintech companies to go to work on reliable cybersecurity frameworks that is complicity with standardized regulations, but set the tone for the years head......»»

Insider asked crypto execs and various experts where the industry will go after a slew of critical partners have been wiped out. After a tumultuous crypto winter, some investors are finally admitting the industry's shortcomings.ViewApart/Getty Images Insider asked crypto execs and experts where the industry will go after critical partners failed.  Markets are at risk of more volatility and less liquidity in the near term, one cofounder said.  Others see a bull case for decentralized finance and parking assets in non-custodial wallets. Crypto is facing a banking problem, with three of the industry's crucial financial partners shuttering in the past week.Silicon Valley Bank, Silvergate Capital, and Signature all closed, and each had distinct ties to the trillion-dollar market. Crypto-friendly venture capital funds and digital asset firms held cash with SVB, which is now the second-largest bank failure in history. Circle, the company behind the number 2 stablecoin USDC, holds $3.3 billion in cash reserves with the now-fallen bank. Silvergate, which served crypto clients like Coinbase and Kraken, also closed after a prolonged drop in customer deposits that began last year, along with a slew of other financial issues. And on Sunday, Signature was seized by regulators after concerns that the banking crisis would spread. The surprising failure of the crypto-friendly banks is "undoubtedly a significant blow to the industry," a blockchain exec told Insider, adding that if alternatives cannot be found it will be "challenging for the industry to recover to its former glory.""One of the trends that contributed to the crypto industry's growth since 2017 was the increasingly close connections between regulated financial institutions, centralized crypto services, and decentralized finance," Ran Hammer, Vice President of Business Development of blockchain infrastructure provider Orbs, said. Hammer added: "However, with significant macroeconomic changes in the financial world, the delicate balance that existed seems to have spun out of control, resulting in massive failures in [centralized finance] and now also legacy financial institutions."More volatility and banking alternatives Both Silvergate and Signature offered real-time payment platforms for clients, shoring up liquidity for some of crypto's biggest players.Now markets are at risk of increased volatility and decreased liquidity of certain tokens in the near term, Thanh Nguyen, cofounder of blockchain security firm Verichains Lab, told Insider. Meanwhile, a renewed interest in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) may occur as the industry recovers from a crisis in confidence after jitters in stablecoin markets. "CBDCs could provide a more secure and stable means of entering the crypto market by allowing investors to directly purchase and hold CBDCs, without the need for intermediaries such as banks, which in turn could help to mitigate the impact of the bankruptcy of crypto-friendly banks," Nguyen said. Others saw the fallout as a bull case for decentralized finance, specifically parking assets in non-custodial wallets and out of a third-party intermediary. "The Fed's policies have brought into focus the shortcomings of the banking system and made the case for the self-custody that decentralized cryptocurrencies were designed to provide," Andrei Grachev, managing partner at digital asset market maker and investment firm DWF Labs, told Insider.And a blockchain gaming exec said the relationship between traditional banks and crypto has also taken another massive hit, which could impact the US lead on crypto innovation as well. "This situation again opens up an opportunity for financial institutions in other jurisdictions to take a lead on this," Oleg Fomenko, cofounder of blockchain gaming developer Sweat Economy, told Insider. Finally, banking and financial institutions will face more investigations and de-leveraging in the coming months.Youwei Yang, Chief Economist at crypto mining firm BTCM, told Insider that the ecosystem could revert back to the era when few major banks would do business with crypto.However, the SVB fallout could make crypto purer, as its original purpose as a peer-to-peer cash system gets more emphasis, Yang added. "[Decentralized finance] will grow to combat the shortage of bank access, as you can see the recovery of [the decentralize finance] sector over the weekend was extraordinary."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Taipei, Taiwan, 13th March, 2023, Chainwire Bloxmith, the player-first Web3 gaming studio, today announced that the open beta for Raiders Rumble, its unique 1v1 squad battler game for mobile powered by the Flow blockchain, is now available for download on Google Play and Apple App Store.  Raiders Rumble challenges players to apply fast-paced strategic decision […] Taipei, Taiwan, 13th March, 2023, Chainwire Bloxmith, the player-first Web3 gaming studio, today announced that the open beta for Raiders Rumble, its unique 1v1 squad battler game for mobile powered by the Flow blockchain, is now available for download on Google Play and Apple App Store.  Raiders Rumble challenges players to apply fast-paced strategic decision making in countering the moves of their opponents. Built as a strategic esports game for the masses, it features a daily rotation of tournament modes where the top 50 percent of participants can win in-game items or RUMB tokens, Raiders Rumble’s project token.  Furthermore, players do not need a crypto wallet or digital collectibles (NFTs) to start playing and enjoying the game. To maintain competitive integrity, digital collectibles in Raiders Rumble do not provide any in-battle advantage, though they have several other unique features that make them highly valued by collectors. “For our first game, we wanted to pioneer a new type of competitive mobile strategy game that would help bridge the gap between traditional and Web3 gamers,” said Bloxmith Co-founder and CEO Wayne Lee. “We are delighted to be working on the Flow blockchain – it solves the scalability problem for games and digital collectibles. With frictionless onboarding, social logins and familiar payment methods, Flow is built from the ground up to make it easier for mainstream users and brands to transition from Web2 to Web3.” As part of the launch and esports nature of the game, Raiders Rumble will host three Flow-sponsored bonus tournaments. Strategy gamers will have the opportunity to win FLOW tokens, with a total prize pool worth $USD 120,000 in FLOW up for grabs for the best strategy gamers around. These Flow-sponsored tournaments are scheduled to take place between March 23-31, with more details on the Raiders Rumble website here. “Raiders Rumble is a compelling example of a mobile game that can simultaneously appeal to a mainstream audience while introducing them to the power of Web3 gaming powered by Flow,” said Chirag Narang, Head of Product at Flow. “The Bloxmith team’s innovative take on game design and player onboarding aligns strongly with Flow’s vision and goals for our ecosystem around gaming and onboarding mainstream users to Web3.” About Bloxmith Founded in December 2021 by a group of passionate gaming veterans from Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Pumpkin VR and Facebook Gaming, Bloxmith’s mission is to create player-first games that are still fun even after 1000+ plays. Bloxmith’s investors include Infinity Ventures Crypto, Dapper Labs, Vayala, Moon Holdings, Bitoro, SEA Pixel, and Results.io. For more information, visit: Website |  Twitter  |  LinkedIn  | Discord About Flow Flow is a decentralized layer one blockchain designed for onboarding mainstream consumers. Frictionless, secure and eco-friendly, Flow empowers developers to innovate and push the limits that will bring the next billion to Web3. Today, Flow is home to a thriving ecosystem of creators from top brands, development studios, venture-backed startups, crypto leaders, and more. For more information, visit www.flow.com Contact Deon Mohhello@bloxmith.com.....»»

San Francisco, USA, 25th February, 2023, Chainwire Telept Inc., a Web 3.0 startup, has announced today the launch of a ground-breaking first-mover Web PC platform Telept City, which empowers participants to create one-of-a-kind AI generated Non-Fungible Token (NFT) called X-Native. With its cutting-edge AI Generated Content (AIGC) image generation model that has undergone rigorous fine-tuning […] San Francisco, USA, 25th February, 2023, Chainwire Telept Inc., a Web 3.0 startup, has announced today the launch of a ground-breaking first-mover Web PC platform Telept City, which empowers participants to create one-of-a-kind AI generated Non-Fungible Token (NFT) called X-Native. With its cutting-edge AI Generated Content (AIGC) image generation model that has undergone rigorous fine-tuning utilizing a vast database of images, and coupled with an intuitive game-like user interface, provides a novel and accessible AI Web 3.0 experience for participants of all levels. Creating NFT is a breeze with Telept City, and it can be done with minimal effort and costs. What is Telept City? Imagine the users are capable of generating an NFT through a AI powered platform similar to playing a text adventure game. Telept City’s multiple-choice options are presented in a way that is both engaging and easy to navigate. Upon logging onto Telept City via Metamask wallet, users are greeted with an interface that’s reminiscent of a trivia game. The questions were designed to tap into users’ thinking about their own self-image through a gamified approach and to help them create their desired NFT. The AI interprets the answers and generates a user-defined image, which can be finally encrypted as an NFT of X-Native Collection. Telept City – PC webpage, style of sci-fi universe. Telept City What is X-Native Collection? The set of NFTs produced by Telept’s AI exclusively for Telept City users is known as X-Native (Official Name on OpenSea ‘Telept City: X-Native’). The concept of X-Native project is based on benchmarking the visual version of Ethereum Name Service. The X-native collection is an ever-expanding library of NFTs created using the Telept AI. In addition to owning a piece of historic NFT art and an asset worth ETH, the primary advantage of owning X-Native is its social significance and exclusive privilege, as outlined in the X-Native roadmap which will be released on March, 23rd. It contains AI NFTs and X-Native Mystery boxes with exclusive IP on the Ethereum.  The beta version of X-Native’s NFT The beta version of X-Native Mystery Boxes As the CEO of Telept, Lika Lee believes that the value of an NFT will go beyond just its financial worth and has the potential to produce significant social value. “Decentralizing NFT production is the trend. With the growing adoption of NFTs, we are committed to making it easier for everyone to create them, whether the user is experienced with Web 3.0 or just getting started. We will take the first step of using AI and NFT technology to shape a new way of forming identity and personality representation, while also providing an unprecedented way for people to experience industry changes.” Lika Lee says. Telept expects to see even more application scenarios for NFTs once the labor required to create them has been reduced. Telept City –  PC webpage, text adventure style NFT generation process Telept City  Telept City : A New Era of Empowered Digital Asset Creation The NFT market has been experiencing tremendous growth in recent years, and the AI is poised to take this trend to new heights. In today’s digital landscape, these interactions are often expensive, intimidating and high entry barriers. Telept City is a platform that leverages AI to automate the NFT creation process, making it accessible for anyone to create unique NFTs. The platform uses a semi-customized set of text inputs, in the form of selected words or phrases, to generate an image with a wide range of styles. In the upcoming version, users will be able to actively participate in the creation of their own NFTs by giving simple text. The goal of Telept City is to democratize the process of creating NFTs and empower individuals to express themselves creatively through the use of AI technology, representing a significant stride towards a more decentralized and equitable digital future for the industry. Further Thinking of the Telept City  Telept represents a revolutionary approach to NFTs, combining both blockchain and AI technologies to enable new forms of digital ownership and social interaction. The team will continue working towards its goal of empowering individuals, organizations, and communities by providing them with greater control over their data, on-chain identity, and social potential.  Can’t wait to unlock a world of limitless possibilities with AIGC NFT? Make an AI NFT to become a member of X-Native. For more information, visit Telept City’s Website. About Telept  Telept is an all-in-one Socialfi Mobile DApp under the umbrella brand of a Stealth Startup. The company houses a number of products that span various categories that empowered with groundbreaking technologies. Telept makes building and launching Web3 projects easy from news feeds, groups, projects and more. Socials:  Twitter | Discord | LinkedIn  Contact CMORenee B.Telept Inc.renee@telept.xyz.....»»

As Its Central Bank Limits Cash And Pushes A CBDC, Nigeria Needs Bitcoin Authored by Heritage Falodun via BitcoinMagazine.com, Following an unsuccessful CBDC launch, Nigeria’s central bank is now trying to cut off cash. Bitcoin can help Nigerians find sovereignty... Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, introduced a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the eNaira, into its financial system in late 2021, an action that paved the way for different sets of financial policies, regulations and restrictions from the country’s central bank. In an attempt to drive consumers toward alternative options, like its CBDC, the Nigerian government has now put restrictions on the amount of cash that can be withdrawn. It has limited cash withdrawal from banks to about $225, which is around 100,000 naira per week, with a daily limit of about $45. This is another example of how Nigeria's financial terrain has been a rollercoaster of economic sabotage since the launch of the eNaira. Source: 21st Century Chronicle In the words of Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the whole point of the CDBC is “to ensure that more people in this country are financially included. If you see, a lot has happened in terms of the evolution of money from commodity to metallic, then paper, to plastic and now we are talking of digital. And so, we need to be at pace with where the world is moving.” In his view, Nigerians should have found that the CBDC is the solution to their financial predicaments such as inflation, monetary censorship, rigorous payment rails, epileptic cross-border payment channels and rigid access to foreign exchange, among others. Not surprisingly, the reverse has been the case, as the situation on the ground in Nigeria right now is gradually moving from “banking the unbanked” to “un-banking the banked.” On February 2, 2023 — just two days after the initial January 31, 2023 deadline set by the Central Bank of Nigeria for all Nigerians to return the old naira denomination of 200, 500 and 1,000 notes — a Nigerian named Oluwasegun Kosemani tweeted, “I just spent 1000 Naira from my Naira @Mastercard by @gtbank to buy 10,000 Naira cash from a @palmpay_ng POS. The Nigerian government is intentionally forcing its citizens into a cashless Keynesian economy while they position their surveillance CBDC - eNaria as final destination.” As this example shows, the well-informed Nigerians youth, which happens to be about 70% of Nigeria’s population, understand that these regulations are mostly about financial control. They are about pushing a cashless policy in which the government has complete control over all citizens while having the luxury of tracking every single transaction. Source: Twitter Judging with the less than 0.5% adoption rate on the eNaira since its launch about 16 months ago, it seems that only government actions, such as the cash restrictions that Nigerians are battling with right now, will force people toward using the CBDC. Nevertheless, the Nigerians disposition is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf as the country regularly tops lists for the highest bitcoin and crypto exposure. HOW NIGERIANS ARE ADAPTING TO NEW FINANCIAL REALITIES To learn more about the balance between Bitcoin adoption and being forced toward the eNaira, I spoke with a few business owners in Nigeria. Eric Ogbekene, who works in the media and tech industry there and also runs a bespoke men’s fashion business on the side, said, “The cash swap policy has been ridiculous, to say the least. Today, February 4, 2023, alone, you could not get any physical cash in the entire Garki ultra modern market in Abuja, Nigeria. People are unable to take care of little business deals, like cash for services, transportation, etc. It’s so bad because even the traditional banking applications seem to be overwhelmed by the sudden surge in transactions and cannot cope.” I interviewed an over-the-counter bitcoin liquidity provider named Oluwatimilehin Kayode, popularly known as “Pander” by his customers and merchants. “How have you been coping with business amidst this new policy and cash shortage?” I asked. “Bro, e no dey easy like that oo, but we dey push am, if I will be honest with you,” he responded in Nigerian dialect. “It’s crazy, it affected our P2P dealings a bit on exchanges as most transactions keep showing bank network errors and also there are limits on transactions and high charges. But as you know, Bitcoin will always find a way out for us amidst all restrictions. Although we had low access to cash over the counter, we keep pulling the P2P transactions through with Bitcoin and Tether using our existing, conventional ways.” Mary Imasuen, a Bitcoin podcast host, has tweeted that, “If vendors were open to accepting bitcoin payments, we wouldn't have to deal with the craziness happening in the country right now.” Sharing her odyssey amid the cash and transaction struggles, Imasuen has experienced people withdrawing 20,000 naira with 3,000 naira as the charge being paid to the merchants. She has stated that “money is being sold for money right now.” Nigeria has always been a cash-based society and with the current issues, people can't get cash from banks or ATMs. Those who do get cash must pay for it at a premium and the prices for things have skyrocketed. Source: Twitter Perplexed as I am by the government’s actions, I feel that Nigerians are resilient. It’s no wonder that Ray Youssef, the CEO of Paxful, has written that “The youth of Nigeria taught me to think beyond the financial systems of the West and look into alternative payments to buy Bitcoin.” Nigerians need to know right now that the CBDCs are here and that, slowly but surely, the government will continuously restrict their access to cash until it’s gone and it has fully taken away everyone’s financial freedom. Proffering sustainable solutions, the best bet and only solution for Nigerians toward attaining a decentralized, cashless economy is through Bitcoin, which is fundamentally different from the cage of financial slavery spearheaded with CBDCs. Bitcoin’s blockchain democratizes finance with proof of work by enabling transactions in a distributed, open and transparent ledger, while CBDCs offers a centralized and closed-source fabric which gives full control and issuance to the government. Until Nigerians decide to intrinsically separate money from State actors, the masses will remain slaves to central authorities. Ultimately, this is more of an opportunity for Nigeria to opt out and break the shackles of financial restrictions with Bitcoin. Tyler Durden Fri, 02/17/2023 - 03:30.....»»

With Bitcoin Integration, Nostr Could Redefine Social Media Authored by 'Stephanie Sats' via BitcoinMagazine.com, Incorporating many of the values inherent in Bitcoin, the Nostr protocol could grow into a social media platform that better serves its users... Despite the rapid rise of Bitcoin-focused conversation happening there, Nostr is not a social medium. Nostr is a social-serving, open protocol intended for liberated speech and communication. The main point of distinction here comes down to this tool’s indifference, at least compared to many popular social platforms. Though the tech is fundamentally different from Bitcoin (more on this later), there’s key overlap: Nostr doesn’t care who you are, whether you follow a set agenda or how often you’ll feed an algorithm with attention. Nostr acts more like aspiring, decentralized tech that may incentivize truth — with the help of Bitcoin. THE CURRENT STATE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Censorship is used to govern and mediate many social media platforms and services. The guardrails in place may feel arbitrary to consumers, prescribing a set of rules that differ from a user’s core values. Incentives are driven by the dollar — by companies run by fiat currency (which is issued by a government, and therefore inextricably tied to it). There’s increasing weariness of algorithms aligned with monetary incentives and the entities running them that own our information. It’s easy for users to lose trust in advertisers and influencers alike, as their motives fuel the platform but remain unclear. I believe this comes down to the role of the user; we’re not always part of the collective that’s building it. And when we do contribute, we may not be profiting fairly — if at all. On traditional social platforms, users who aren’t bothered by censorship may still feel overwhelmed by bots and spam. Others may flock to social platforms for gaming and community support, only to dodge and sift through scam messages. Algorithms are so in sync with our behavior and thought patterns that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate the product from the consumer. We saw these sentiments unfold over the past year with Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter and how divisive that was. We’ve seen it in kickback after Meta’s rebrand. Social media can be scary or divisive at best — but despite all of this, we still use it. So, for connection, growth and building… where should we go? Of course, there are quality, encrypted communication platforms which offer more shielded, secure interactions… but I wouldn’t define these as “social networks” either. They often function as vehicles for private, secure communication instead of shared spaces. SO, IS NOSTR THE ‘DECENTRALIZED TWITTER’? First, let’s unpack this a bit and explain what Nostr is and is not, because to think it solves all of the problems of traditional social media may be somewhat naïve. Nostr is for developers. It’s an open-source project for builders that serves as a broadcast platform and content hub aggregate. From the architecture alone, we can start to differentiate it from Twitter or any other existing platform. This protocol is newly, actively developed — so while it tugs at the root of topics like free speech and privacy, the tech itself is in its nascent stages. Nostr aims to decentralize private communications and data while allowing us to interact in new ways. For all of those reasons, we should learn about it — perhaps in the same way some of us should have learned about Meta products before dishing our credentials. WHAT MAKES NOSTR UNIQUE TO BUILDERS? With Nostr, data is stored on relays. Anyone can run their own relay, which acts like a personal server or channel. Users can be in charge of their own relays and run them with very little cost upfront — but more on monetization later. Users can kick people off of their relays, but there are various relays that individuals can join. If a relay owner doesn’t want to host a person’s messages, that user can simply move to another one. This is a key differentiator from censorship on Twitter or Meta, where posts and accounts can be removed or frozen for not conforming to the platform’s centrally-operated rulebook. Any user can build their own client, which is the program or application that hosts messages and information. Clients can be used to access the internet and broadcast posts (or facilitate communication) with the help of public and private keys. Nostr uses cryptographic signatures to keep communications secure; public and private key pairs are used to encrypt and send data. Similar to Bitcoin, the Nostr code functions as a protocol. Yet it’s important to point out that Nostr is not a type of blockchain technology. There’s overlap — these innovations use some similar tools to accomplish different things. Nostr was made so builders can connect with the people they want to and broadcast information, but it’s not the same as a globally-connected, blockchain-based network like Bitcoin — where all nodes have to agree, or come to a consensus. That can work great for something that functions as a currency, but consensus doesn’t have as much of a use in Nostr’s social aspects. They simply use cryptography in different ways. WHAT NOSTR DOES DIFFERENTLY Nostr technology is modeled after a lot of social platforms in terms of what they’re used for: broadcasting information or sentiment to others (in community forums or one-off messages), direct communication and self-expression. Because it is decentralized, Nostr is more censorship resistant because it’s not controlled by one entity, group or company. Nostr can be used for sharing all types of content — ideas, direct messages, blogs, newsletters or even some games. You can think of the Nostr protocol as a “language” for computers to communicate with one another. Instead of a post (“event”) going live via one central server, it’s sent to a specific indicated server(s), and other servers can pull the information from there. Nostr uses queries to store data, and that data is in a JSON format — similar to the social media we know today. But instead of a central server structure like Instagram or Twitter, Nostr is open source and allows for users to choose how and where data is used. With Nostr, you can use your key to connect to or run a public relay to broadcast information, or to focus on smaller, more private communications. There are options, and the main point here is that a lot of these options are in the builders’ hands. Using Nostr doesn’t take up lots of storage for data, either — there’s content, tags and key storage. Nostr is accessible because excessive storage isn’t needed, depending on your goal. Although this might all sound kind of complex because there are new terms and a lot to learn about the protocol, the technology itself is simple — and simpler technologies tend to be easier to scale. Nostr could grow fast, and there are lots of use cases. HOW NOSTR SCALES AND ADAPTS TO OUR SOCIAL LANDSCAPE Because this tech adopts a simpler structure, the “look and feel” differs from social media that tends to automate experience. Engaging Twitter or Instagram involves a transaction of personal information for a smooth, unified (yet prescribed) app interface and user experience (UX) journey. My personal experience using Nostr, as a newbie, helped further confirm just how different this tech is from any social media I’ve used. There are tradeoffs: I felt more self reliant in using my keys to initiate set up, and less concern about data management or corporate greed. On the flipside, the UX as a whole felt unfussy but graceless: a refreshingly no-frills approach to social exchanges. I don’t view this as a positive or negative, per se, but I think some users will have a learning curve (or at the very least, an adjustment from highly-managed and moderated platforms). There’s no Nostr website or customer service to guide them along; it’s grassroots in its reach. This could certainly be a plus for the Bitcoin community, which thrives on mutual education and reciprocity. The lack of bells and whistles eliminates trust, and suggests developments on the individual and community levels. The Nostr community is fledgling, which provides ample opportunity for growth and renewed personal social strategy. There’s also lots of exploring that a creator needs to initiate, since there’s a wide range of relays and clients available. Fewer guideposts can lead to confusion for some, but the tradeoffs are freedom of choice and self-directed learning. As for privacy, users don’t have to give a set of personal identifiers in order to set up an account. This is, of course, a major differentiator for platforms that store, sell, track and centralize your data for corporate profit or control. THE BITCOIN INCENTIVE People are hopeful that Nostr will allow for free speech, resistant-censorship communication and rich community building, which goes hand in hand with the Bitcoin ethos. Not only this, but there could be a monetary component built in parallel to Nostr that’s radically different from how other social networks behave in popular culture today — especially when it comes to centralized algorithms and ad incentives. Since clients can filter material by choice, they may create all sorts of different algorithms to do this. There is potential for monetization of one’s hosted relay by charging fees via the Lightning Network, an especially exciting prospect for many Bitcoiners. Over time, we may see things like Fedimints incorporated in Nostr monetization practices as well. This self-driven monetization structure can have major implications on bots, spam and bad actors in general, both on the user level and protocol level. In the way that Bitcoin’s protocol discourages bad actors by nature of its very code, Nostr developers are actively working to bake security and honest action into its technology. For example, some builders are looking into implementing costs assigned to relays, as a paid model that incentivizes honesty and reliability via proof-of-work models. In this potential design, for someone to send messages, they would have to post collateral in order to do so. This way, if there’s a bad actor, the reward could potentially be retracted as a consequence. Combined, this would allow for a type of social network that focuses more on building instead of censorship or centralized incentive structures. Bitcoiner values (such as sovereignty, privacy and decentralization) and Nostr’s potential monetization structure work hand in hand, and this is why so many Bitcoin hopefuls are actively setting up their own nodes and planning ways to incorporate Nostr into their careers or lifestyles. Nostr speaks to the decentralized communication need that Bitcoin could likely never support on its own, even with Layer 2 scaling — since blockchain technology functions best as a proof-of-work cryptocurrency. Reciprocally, Bitcoin solves the monetary pitfalls that most social media inherits. WHO’S IN CHARGE? Media is material that anyone can share, and it should be up to individuals and communities to regulate materials. For Bitcoiners, this boils down to a recurring conversation around decentralization. Individuals may find themselves abandoning certain familiarities (like regulations or convenience), in order to flourish on the decentralized end of the spectrum. When it comes to social media and communication, it’s up to the individual where to draw that line. Some feel safer relying on a nucleus of control calling the shots, whereas Bitcoiners crave full autonomy despite the fact that they now hold more of the responsibility. Nostr is a new innovation, and there’s a lot to learn. There are aspects you might want to consider about this tech while doing your research and making your own decisions. Since Nostr is not surveilled by any one authority or watchdog, users may need to do more due diligence as they grow comfortable in accepting that responsibility. The Nostr protocol provides a stark, simple contrast to the high levels of censorship and guardrails that we’re used to seeing — which is what makes it an entirely separate entity from “social media” as we know it. Tyler Durden Thu, 02/16/2023 - 14:45.....»»

Tel Aviv, Israel, 7th February, 2023, Chainwire  Today, the Fuse Network unveils Fuse 2.0. Aimed at taking on a significant challenge cryptocurrencies face on the road to mass adoption. Delivering a mobile-friendly technology stack to safely open new SaaS business models in Web3. Existing digital payment rails execute billions of daily transactions. Fuse believes that […] Tel Aviv, Israel, 7th February, 2023, Chainwire  Today, the Fuse Network unveils Fuse 2.0. Aimed at taking on a significant challenge cryptocurrencies face on the road to mass adoption. Delivering a mobile-friendly technology stack to safely open new SaaS business models in Web3. Existing digital payment rails execute billions of daily transactions. Fuse believes that offering a cheap, flexible, and simple solution to transact with every business on the planet will drive the usage of digital payments and cryptocurrencies further. Fuse unveils a payments network focused on mainstream business adoption to enable companies that may need to be more technically or crypto-savvy to provide a blockchain-powered user experience that is simple, fast, and secure. “To drive widespread adoption, we must focus on competing with the dominant players like Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe rather than Ethereum or any other blockchain. So we built a fully interoperable and open-source one-stop shop to help businesses uncover the value added from the decentralization of finance,” says Fuse Network CEO Mark Smargon. Initially launching in 2019, years of working with ecosystem partners have allowed the Web3 payments company to build a robust network, create and provide Ethereum-level tooling tailored for business, and vitally learn which aspects of business are not desirable to decentralize. Fuse 2.0 heavily concentrates on providing all aspects required for businesses to explore Web3 payments from the network to core business-ready infrastructure and white-label mobile wallets. Most importantly, outlining a network structure for Fuse 2.0 fit to scale Web3 payments by introducing the concept of Operators and Power Validators.  Scaling crypto adoption with everyday payments  Introducing the concept of Power Validators and Operators in the Fuse vision, Smargon highlights how this structure can drive long-term growth and provide decentralized, scalable Web3 business infrastructure that is easy to navigate and build. The new structure divides the network into three layers served by merchants, Operators, and validators. The consumer layer consists of merchants building Web3 applications for their end users using the Fuse tech stack, specifically the Charge platform. Here, fee abstraction is a powerful tool to remove complex blockchain actions and give users a similar experience to what they are used to with Web2 finance apps like Venmo or Revolut. To do that, transactions are processed, and fees are paid by Operators, not end users. This forms the business layer and, ultimately, the layer that can drive the mass adoption of crypto through regular Web3 payments. The final piece of the puzzle is Power Validators. They supply the services Operators require to build functioning Web3 apps such as node infrastructure and oracles. The Operators purchase these services to resell them to their customers, filling the demand side. One Operator already showcasing the power of the Fuse tech stack is Bitazza, with the Freedom Wallet being the centerpiece of the value proposition. The Freedom Wallet is a mobile wallet running on Fuse Network, built using Charge’s API, already used to fuel everyday crypto payments for several small to medium-sized businesses in Southeast Asia. Fuse firmly believes the new approach can emphasize Operators like Bitazza, drive the next wave of adoption, and get crypto into the hands of new users without the speculative qualities. At the same time helping small to medium businesses become more competitive in the global economy.   Fuse will have a significant presence at this year’s ETH TLV, taking place between Feb 1st to 9th, as one of the key sponsors for the week’s festivities. During the week, Fuse will unveil its new branding, website, and overall mission via a live broadcast from Fuse HQ in Tel Aviv. In addition, Mark Smargon will reveal more on Fuse 2.0 throughout Q1 2023. In line with the rebrand, Fuse released a new White Paper that charts a course toward a new era of innovation. This will be followed by the highly anticipated 2.0 Roadmap and detailed technical documentation for the developer community. About Fuse Network Fuse strives to be the most business-friendly blockchain ecosystem for the mainstream adoption of Web3 payments. Our approach to bringing crypto payments and DeFi to the masses involves empowering other projects, businesses, organizations, and communities to adopt crypto payments and decentralized finance (DeFi). Fuse Network is the decentralized EVM-compatible public blockchain that powers the Fuse platform and ecosystem. Contact Dan Edelsteinpr@marketacross.com.....»»