Author: Lara

The cryptocurrency world is preparing for the much-awaited 2024 boom with multiple cryptocurrencies in the spotlight. Here’s a deep dive into detailed guidance on the top altcoins to watch and purchase for the cryptocurrency boom, based on information from official altcoin project websites and various Web3 news sources. With its scheduled March 13 release, Mantle is designed to remain compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Mantle (MNT) price has just jumped on the bandwagon. Ethereum’s (ETH) much-awaited “Dencun” upgrade promises to significantly improve the scalability, security, and usability of the Ethereum network. BlockDAG (BDAG) has taken the crypto world by storm…

United States Senator Elizabeth Warren is pushing for a fair and regulated playing field in both the cryptocurrency industry and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) models by major tech companies. In a recent Bloomberg Television interview on February 27, Warren emphasized the importance of collaboration with the crypto industry while advocating for equitable regulations. According to Warren, ensuring a level playing field has been challenging due to claims from the crypto industry that concessions are necessary for its survival. She cited examples such as ransomware scammers, drug traffickers, and terrorists as actors for whom leniency is sought. To address…

Grayscale, a prominent crypto asset manager, has filed for a privacy-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday. The proposed Grayscale Privacy ETF aims to track the performance of five distinct sub-categories, marking a first-of-its-kind offering in the industry. These categories encompass companies involved in data security, privacy protection, and cybersecurity services, along with those integrating blockchain, artificial intelligence, and edge computing solutions, according to a filing submitted by David LaValle, Grayscale’s global head of ETFs. One notable aspect of the ETF is its allocation of 10% to privacy-preserving protocols, with the inclusion of…

Stockholm, Sweden, February 21st, 2024, ChainwireThe roadmap outlines the transition to the game’s Beta phase, introducing player-to-player trading and expanded user-generated content capabilities while advancing towards full decentralization.My Neighbor Alice has revealed its 2024 roadmap, which includes the announcement of the upcoming Beta Season 1. The Beta phase aims to build upon the popularity of Alpha Season 4, which generated over 1.5 million transactions on Chromia’s Appnet while attracting thousands of players. My Neighbor Alice is a decentralized multiplayer game that allows players to explore, gather resources, and craft unique NFTs while shaping the virtual world of the Lummelunda Archipelago. The…

Shenzhen, China, has rolled out digital yuan smart contracts for pre-payments on car purchases, in collaboration with the Agricultural Bank of China. According to local newspaper Jing Bao, the initial group of consumers successfully bought new vehicles using smart contracts powered by digital yuan in early February. The Pingshan District Administration for Market Regulation partnered with the bank to launch this pilot pre-pay program. Mr. Wang, among the first consumers, completed his purchase at the Haodi Automobile Dealership and Service Center. The entire transaction occurred on the digital yuan platform provided by the bank’s Shenzhen branch. This system enables customers…

Stockholm, Sweden, February 16th, 2024, ChainwireThe partnership aims to empower users of the Chromia ecosystem Web3 games like ‘My Neighbor Alice’ to create and leverage in-game wearable digital assets.Chromia announces its strategic partnership with RSTLSS, a platform that streamlines the creation of digital wearables and accessories. The news, accompanied by a video release from RSTLSS, garnered attention across various channels associated with both projects. This partnership signifies a significant step in expanding the possibilities of the on-chain digital worlds of Chromia games like ‘My Neighbor Alice.’Chromia is a Layer-1 relational blockchain platform that uses a modular framework to enable the…

The Uniswap Foundation, the organization behind the decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Uniswap, has announced a tentative deployment date for the protocol’s v4 following the upcoming Ethereum Dencun upgrade. In a post on their platform, the foundation outlined their roadmap for the rollout of v4. Currently, they are in the “Code Freeze” phase, focusing on core code completion, testing, gas optimization, security enhancements, and finalizing peripheral aspects. Next, the Uniswap Foundation will engage audit firms and hold a community audit contest to ensure the thorough examination of v4’s code. They aim for Uniswap v4 to have the most rigorous auditing process…

Canadian-based crypto infrastructure firm Aquanow has successfully acquired a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai. This license grants Aquanow permission to offer its services in the rapidly expanding crypto market within the jurisdiction. The announcement, made on February 12, reveals that Aquanow’s VASP license is currently non-operational, pending the completion of additional requirements mandated by VARA. These requirements may include localization measures and further regulatory approvals. Aquanow’s CEO, Phil Sam, expressed gratitude towards Dubai’s vision of becoming an innovation hub and highlighted the city’s policies as a pivotal factor in Aquanow’s…

A critical vulnerability has been identified in the “Cryptocurrency Widgets – Price Ticker & Coins List” plugin for WordPress, spanning versions 2.0 through 2.6.5, according to the CVE Program security firm. SingCERT, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, issued a warning regarding the vulnerability, which allows for the extraction of sensitive information. The plugin, marked as having critical vulnerabilities, received a base score of 9.8/10, signifying its severity. The National Vulnerability Database (NVD) explained that the plugin is susceptible to SQL Injection via the ‘coinslist’ parameter due to insufficient parameter escaping and query preparation. This vulnerability enables unauthorized attackers to…

A provincial supreme court judge in British Columbia upheld B.C. Hydro’s moratorium on crypto mining projects as reasonable, according to a ruling posted on Monday. The moratorium, enacted in December 2022, faced a challenge from Conifex Timber, a forestry company diversifying into crypto mining. Their plans for a mining operation with the Tsay Keh Dene Nation, an indigenous tribe, were affected. Justice Michael Tammen delivered the ruling on Friday, stating that B.C. Hydro’s decision to pause new connections for cryptocurrency mining for 18 months was reasonable and not unduly discriminatory. The ban was grounded on a cost-of-service basis, considering the…

Cybertrace CEO Dan Halpin warns of a sophisticated deepfake cryptocurrency scam featuring Australian mining tycoon Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest. The fraudulent video, circulating on Facebook, promotes a fake crypto trading platform promising lucrative returns. Halpin highlights the convincing nature of the scam, suggesting the scammers possess sales and marketing expertise. The deepfake video, altering Forrest’s appearance and speech, mimics a previous legitimate event. It lures viewers to a website named “Quantum AI,” notorious for scams. The fabricated footage showcases Forrest endorsing the platform, claiming substantial profits for users. Forrest, renowned for his success in the mining industry with a net worth…

Over the past 24 hours, the non-fungible token (NFT) market has experienced significant growth. According to CryptoSlam, total NFT sales volume has surged by 12.5% to reach $34,820,790. Transactions, buyers, and sellers have all increased by 3%-8%. Leading the sales volume today is LockDealNFT, with an impressive $2.7 million. Notably, LockDealNFT has seen an astounding 3,223% increase, making it the top performer of the day. In comparison, the second-best performer, Froganas, has seen a 59% increase. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s sales volume has dropped by 12% to $7.4 million, while Solana has seen a 2% increase to $8.7 million, widening the gap…

According to Coincu, ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has strategically acquired 360,830 shares of Ark 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) while simultaneously divesting 585,915 shares of ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO). The recent transaction, valued at around $14.15 million, is a part of ARK Invest’s broader strategy to integrate ARKB into its Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW). ARK Invest’s recent filing highlights its ongoing commitment to the Ark 21Shares Bitcoin ETF amid heightened competition in the spot Bitcoin ETF market. This move follows ARK Invest’s previous acquisition of 523,541 ARKB shares amounting to $21 million and the sale of 648,091…

In a groundbreaking move for higher education, OpenAI and Arizona State University (ASU) have formed a pioneering partnership to integrate ChatGPT Enterprise, marking the first collaboration of its kind in the academic realm. ASU, recognized as one of the leading research universities in the United States, will be the inaugural higher education institution to join forces with OpenAI on this initiative. Beginning in February, faculty and staff at ASU will have the opportunity to submit proposals, exploring innovative applications for ChatGPT Enterprise in three key areas: enhancing student success, fostering groundbreaking research, and optimizing organizational processes. Lev Gonick, ASU’s Chief…

Bitget a cryptocurrency exchange has introduced the “Blockchain4Her” initiative, aimed at supporting female-led businesses in the blockchain and Web3 sector. The program includes the launch of incubation programs tailored for female entrepreneurs and a $10 million fund dedicated to supporting startups led by women in the blockchain industry. Bitget’s study revealed that female-led blockchain startups secured only 6% of the total funding in the blockchain sector, highlighting the gender disparity in the blockchain funding market. The Blockchain4Her initiative aims to address this gender gap through incubation programs, pitch competitions, and recognition events, empowering women to take on leadership roles in…

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are experiencing a resurgence, with sales volume surging over 30% in the last 24 hours to reach $50.5 million, as reported by CryptoSlam. However, transaction numbers have seen a slight dip of less than 0.5%, totaling 313,887 at the time of writing. In addition to the numbers, significant developments in the NFT space have captured attention: Elon Musk removes NFT profile pictures from Twitter The most significant news revolves around Elon Musk’s platform X (formerly Twitter), which has removed support for NFTs from its premium subscription page. Previously, premium subscribers could showcase NFTs in hex-shaped profile pictures.…

The upcoming decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on a spot Bitcoin ETF has spurred speculation that the regulatory body might opt for approval without a public vote, as reported by Blockworks. The SEC’s scheduled meeting on January 11 looms just one day after the deadline to approve or deny the proposal presented by Ark and 21Shares. This potential approval process could involve a seriatim vote, a method where votes are individually circulated among commissioners. The progression to the next commissioner occurs after each one casts their vote. However, this approach comes with complexities, including the risk…

In the fast-evolving landscape of emerging technologies, the combined force of DePIN and AI is anticipated to be a transformative powerhouse in 2024, according to DeFi executives. DePINs, or decentralized physical infrastructure networks, gained momentum in 2023 as major manufacturers globally embraced the integration of physical infrastructure with blockchain technology. DePINs operate as blockchain protocols using cryptocurrency tokens to incentivize the decentralized creation and operation of physical infrastructure, particularly within the realm of the Internet of Things (IoT). Messari’s data reveals that the DePIN market presently values at nearly $2.2 trillion, with a trajectory poised to reach $3.5 trillion in…

Zug, Switzerland, January 2nd, 2024, ChainwireIn collaboration with Telekom MMS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, stc Bahrain, Heartcore Capital, Arca Finance, Cardinal Cryptography, and others, the hybrid event offers different tracks with up to $575K USD in bounties and funding opportunities. The Aleph Zero Foundation, committed to the advancement and adoption of the Aleph Zero blockchain, today announced the launch of CTRL+Hack+ZK, a comprehensive hackathon event. Spanning from January 10th to January 31st, 2024, this event will be held virtually. CTRL+Hack+ZK represents Aleph Zero’s most immersive hacking event to date, designed to spur innovation and collaboration in the blockchain space.CTRL+Hack+ZK…

Bitcoin miners are facing heightened selling pressure as their reserves hit the lowest point since May, coinciding with the cryptocurrency’s impressive December gain of over 13%. Data from CryptoQuant reveals a consistent decline in Bitcoin miners’ reserves throughout December, with approximately 3,000 bitcoins sold in the last 24 hours alone, bringing the total holdings to around 1,834,447 BTC. The net flow of Bitcoin on December 28 registered at minus 1,524 BTC, indicating that withdrawals surpassed newly minted coins. This ongoing trend raises concerns about potential selling activities by miners and their potential impact on the overall market dynamics. The decline…

The Bitcoin network achieved a new milestone on Christmas Day, with its hash rate soaring to an unprecedented 544 exahashes per second, as reported by Blockchain.com and confirmed by Bitinfocharts. This marks a substantial increase, with network hash rates having more than doubled throughout the year, surging by 130% since January. In tandem with this surge in hash rate, Bitcoin’s price has mirrored the trend, experiencing a remarkable 150% climb since the beginning of 2023. Reflexivity Research co-founder Will Clemente emphasized the resilience of the network, downplaying the impact of the 2021 China mining ban on the overall hash rate.…

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), operating under the U.S. Department of Commerce, is soliciting input from both AI companies and the general public through a request for information. This initiative aligns with the recent presidential executive order emphasizing the secure and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence (AI). Open for public input until February 2, 2024, NIST aims to collect crucial insights to facilitate testing procedures ensuring the safety of AI systems. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo underscored that this undertaking is a response to President Joe Biden’s October executive order, instructing NIST to formulate…

Microsoft and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) have forged a groundbreaking partnership, aiming to prioritize workers’ rights in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). The collaboration underscores Microsoft’s commitment to including labor leaders’ insights in technology development and fostering a labor-friendly AI landscape. The partnership outlines key objectives, including sharing information on AI trends with labor leaders and workers, integrating worker perspectives into AI development, and actively contributing to public policies that support the technological skills and requirements of frontline workers. Microsoft President Brad Smith emphasized the collaborative nature of the agreement, stressing the…

Web3’s evolution faces a user experience barrier, and industry experts advocate integrating Web2 functionalities as a solution. According to attendees at Berlin’s Next Block Expo, Web3 could harness the refined user experiences of Web2 for its products and services. Matthias Geihs, a senior cryptography engineer at Web3Auth, emphasized the challenges of cumbersome login methods and the complexities of wallet and private key management in Web3 services. Geihs highlighted data showing that 20% of lost Bitcoins stem from poor wallet management, contributing to user drop-offs during sign-ups. Web3Auth employs multi-party computation (MPC) for passwordless authentication, focusing on noncustodial wallet infrastructure. Notably,…

A group of U.S. senators, including Robert Casey, Richard Blumenthal, John Fetterman, and Kirsten Gillibrand, have penned a letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan seeking information on the commission’s efforts to combat the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in targeting older Americans with scams. Expressing the urgency to effectively counter AI-driven fraud, the senators emphasized the need for comprehensive data gathering on AI-related scams. In their letter, they urged the FTC to share details on how it collects data on AI-involved scams and ensures accurate representation in its Consumer Sentinel Network (Sentinel) database. Consumer Sentinel serves as the FTC’s investigative…

In a groundbreaking move, Dynamic Yield by Mastercard, the digital personalization and artificial intelligence subsidiary, has unveiled its latest innovation – the Shopping Muse generative AI chatbot assistant for e-commerce. The announcement came through a detailed company blog post, shedding light on the advanced capabilities of Shopping Muse in transforming the way consumers navigate and discover products within a retailer’s digital catalog. Shopping Muse operates as an advanced generative AI tool, redefining the online shopping experience by allowing users to make plain-language requests within the context of an online marketplace. Through a process known as algorithmic content matching, the AI…

In a collaborative effort, 18 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, have unveiled comprehensive global guidelines aimed at fortifying artificial intelligence (AI) models against potential tampering. The joint initiative underscores the imperative for AI companies to prioritize security throughout the design, development, launch, and monitoring phases of AI models. Released on November 26, the 20-page document provides a roadmap for AI firms, emphasizing the need for a “secure by design” approach, especially in an industry where security considerations often take a backseat due to the rapid pace of innovation. The guidelines encompass a range of recommendations,…

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), underscores the need for proactive measures in harnessing AI benefits and addressing potential threats. In a pursuit of increased global recognition and domestic utilization of Nigeria’s Payments System, Abdullahi emphasizes collaboration between NITDA, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and financial institutions. During an interview at the CBN’s 2023 Payments System Management Departmental Retreat program, Inuwa stresses the importance of collaboration to leverage emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics for enhancing digital payments. He acknowledges the significant role played by financial technology (fintech) in…

DUBAI, UAE, November 23rd, 2023, ChainwireBNB Chain, the community-driven blockchain ecosystem that includes the world’s largest smart contract blockchain, is highlighting the compelling growth stories of the projects that emerge from its project development program, starting with its hackathons. This comes in the wake of BNB Chain’s Istanbul Hackathon, which saw the emergence of a number of strong projects.The focus of the bear market is building quality Web3 projects – this is a time for developers to concentrate on identifying what real use cases need solving. However, quarterly funding for Web3 startups has dropped by approximately 84% this year. Against…

The United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Commerce are taking a significant step towards AI safety by inviting members to join their newly established Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium. In a document released on November 2, NIST announced the consortium’s formation and officially requested applications from qualified individuals and organizations. NIST’s objective in forming this consortium is to collaborate with non-profit organizations, universities, government agencies, and technology companies to tackle the challenges associated with AI development and deployment. The focus is on ensuring a human-centered approach to AI safety and governance, with the…