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As the UK advances its Data Protection and Digital Information Bill and formalizes its digital ID trust framework, identity providers, regulators, and tech platforms face critical decisions. Will the government-issued wallet accelerate adoption? Undercut the private sector? Or unlock new opportunities for collaboration?

These were the central questions we explored in our latest live session, hosted by Nick Lambert, CEO of Dock Labs. He was joined by two seasoned guests: Robin Tombs, CEO of Yoti, and Richard Oliphant, legal consultant at RO Legal Consulting. Together, we unpacked what the UK government’s new digital identity wallet could mean for the broader identity ecosystem.

Below are the key takeaways from the conversation—including insights into regulation, interoperability, user adoption, and what this shift means for the future of digital identity in the UK and beyond.

We sincerely appreciate the community’s active engagement and thoughtful questions during today’s AMA. Given the significance of the proposed changes to the Aergo ecosystem, it’s critical that every voice is heard and every concern addressed.

We have compiled a comprehensive summary of the key questions and answers discussed. We encourage all stakeholders to review the information carefully, especially as we move toward essential governance decisions.

1/ Will the team continue pursuing the STO and RWA initiatives after the HPP merger, or will those priorities shift?(@HarryAB)

Yes, our focus on STO/RWA remains firmly in place even after the merger. This integration strengthens our ability to execute real-world asset initiatives by offering a more robust infrastructure, expanded ecosystem reach, and tighter coordination between public and private blockchain layers. Far from being a pivot away, the merger is a strategic step forward to scale these efforts more effectively.

2/ Why was Alpha Quark selected as a partner in this merger? Many Korean investors are skeptical about the project’s credibility due to past issues and a lack of transparent communication with its community. (@HarryAB)

It’s important to clarify that our collaboration with AlphaQuark is based on their technical team and current capabilities, not past perceptions. Their role in the merger is focused on infrastructure integration and performance-based deliverables, all bound by vesting schedules and roadmap achievements.

3/ Why wasn’t this merger or expansion plan disclosed before the Binance delisting? This seems like a significant development that investors should have been aware of — especially since the delisting impacts how we can buy or sell Aergo. (@hoon1130)

We understand the frustration around the timing, and we want to be clear: the Binance delisting and the HPP merger are not connected. The delisting decision was made unilaterally by Binance, without prior notice or opportunity for engagement. Like many in the community, we were informed at the same time it was made public. While the timing is unfortunate, the HPP initiative has been in development for over months and was always intended to be introduced through a community-driven governance process, not in reaction to any exchange-related decision.

4/ Can you clarify the Aergo-to-HPP token ratio? (@hoon1130)

The Aergo-to-HPP token ratio is 1:1. There is no lock-up or vesting applies to retail token holders. All team-allocated tokens across the merged projects (including AQT, Booost, and VaaSBlock) will be subject to strict vesting schedules and milestone-based distributions to ensure alignment with long-term goals.

5/ Why is this merger necessary in the first place? I’m not immediately for or against it, but if Aergo is already technically capable of supporting RWA and other core use cases, what’s the actual justification for merging multiple projects into a new ecosystem? I believe AERGO can handle RWA and NFT-related developments without the need for a merger. Why is ALPHAQUARK necessary in this case? (@hoon1130)

While Aergo already has the technical capability to support RWA, especially through Aergo Enterprise, the merger accelerates ecosystem growth and expands the use case surface area. Here’s why the merger matters:

It brings together complementary technologies and domain expertise, from identity verification (VaaSBlock) to human data and AI pipelines (Booost) to broader tokenization and asset modeling (AQT). It enables us to build a vertically integrated value chain for AI and data-driven use cases, especially as we expand into EVM-compatible Layer 2s. Critically, it strengthens market presence and credibility. Institutions often assess token maturity through market cap, liquidity, and ecosystem visibility — this merger helps us scale those dimensions in a way that’s difficult to achieve independently.

In short: Aergo can do a lot on its own, but with the HPP merger, we can go further, faster, with greater alignment, more utility, and stronger positioning for the next wave of enterprise and AI-driven adoption.

We agree that AERGO has strong technical capabilities, especially when it comes to supporting RWA, NFT infrastructure, and enterprise-grade deployments through Aergo Enterprise. However, the merger isn’t just about tech — it’s about ecosystem acceleration, visibility, and market credibility. Here’s why AlphaQuark (and the other teams) are part of the picture:

AlphaQuark brings complementary infrastructure and additional exposure to markets, partnerships, and developer networks that Aergo currently doesn’t reach. The merger enables us to build a vertically integrated ecosystem around AI, identity, human data, and RWA — each partner project plays a specific, defined role in that vision. All team tokens, including AlphaQuark’s, are strictly vested and tied to performance and roadmap delivery. There’s no free ride — only accountability and execution.

6/ There are also risks regarding maintaining exchange listings. Is this merger really necessary? Is there any guarantee that existing exchanges where AERGO is listed will support the swap and maintain the listing? (@hoon1130)

Regarding exchange risk, that’s exactly why we’re proposing this through governance and with transparency. Exchanges care about market momentum, liquidity, and a credible roadmap. A strong merger with clear community support actually helps reinforce our exchange presence, not weaken it — because it signals alignment, growth, and long-term planning.

We’ve already begun communicating with exchanges about the proposed merger and will formally present the outcome of the AIP 21 vote as a signal of strong community consensus. While final decisions always rest with each exchange, clear governance, transparency, and a well-structured integration plan are all things that exchanges look for when evaluating ongoing support.

We aim to ensure a smooth transition and maintain or strengthen our exchange relationships post-merger. That’s why we’re being proactive and involving the community at every step.

7/ It seems like the approaching token issuance limit has made it difficult for the development teams to generate new revenue streams. As a result, this merger appears to be a strategic move to address that issue. With the proposed integration into HPP, will there be additional token allocations granted to the teams? And if so, how will that be structured and justified to existing Aergo holders? (@MikeO)

Yes, the token supply will change as part of the HPP merger. A new token will unify the four projects under a single ecosystem.All tokens allocated to the teams will be vested over 96 months — that’s 8 years. These tokens are not unlocked upfront, and their distribution is tied to performance, milestone delivery, and long-term ecosystem contribution. There is no short-term gain for any of the teams involved.

The goal here isn’t to dilute value — it’s to restructure incentives responsibly for the builders who are committing to deliver over the long term, while protecting current holders and the integrity of the ecosystem. Retail holders, by contrast, will retain their value 1:1 with no lock-up or vesting applied. The community remains at the center of this transition. The purpose of the merger is not to bail out any project — it’s to bring together teams with complementary roles and build a unified, value-generating ecosystem with long-term alignment between contributors and the community.

To address any concerns around the team’s token allocation, we want to be absolutely clear: we’re committed to long-term trust, not short-term gains. All team and reserve tokens will follow an EXTREMELY strict vesting schedule. They will be held in vaults managed by one of the most secure and regulatory-compliant custodians in the industry. This ensures full transparency and alignment with both Korean and global financial standards/regulations.

8/ If AIP 21 passes, will HPP function as a separate ecosystem — distinct from the existing Aergo Enterprise ecosystem developed by BLOCKO? How will that connection be maintained or evolved?

No, HPP is not meant to be separate from Aergo Enterprise or Blocko — it’s an extension, not a replacement. Blocko remains a core partner in the Aergo ecosystem, especially in delivering enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure. The strategic alignment with Blocko remains intact even after AIP21. HPP introduces a broader token economy and integrated ecosystem designed to amplify what Aergo Enterprise already enables, especially as we move toward AI, data, and modular L2 infrastructure.We fully recognize that Blocko’s connection has been a major source of credibility and adoption, and that relevance is not being abandoned — it’s being expanded.

9/ I’m very interested in the STO initiatives that Aergo has pursued using BLOCKO’s technology. However, AIP 21 only references “RWA” with no mention of STOs. If AIP 21 is approved, will Aergo’s STO initiatives be paused or deprioritized?

Absolutely not. STOs remain part of our long-term roadmap. What AIP21 proposes is a broader framing under the RWA (Real-World Asset) category, which includes STOs but also allows for other types of tokenized assets — such as invoice financing, carbon credits, synthetic datasets, and more.We are not abandoning STOs. Rather, the HPP ecosystem provides more flexibility and scalability to pursue these use cases under a more adaptive regulatory and technical structure.

10/ Aergo has recently been confirmed for use in major institutions like NHIS. Given Aergo’s proven technology and enterprise adoption, why is a merger necessary ? What unique value do they bring to the table? What have they built or achieved that makes this a strategically important merger?

The reason for this merger is not to “save” any project — it’s to combine complementary technologies and capabilities to build something more extensive and more competitive:

AlphaQuark brings infrastructure, multi-chain deployment experience, and a background in digital asset modeling and NFT integrations — particularly in branded IPs and data flows. Their role will be performance-based and strictly vested over months, so accountability is built in. BOOOST focuses on human data and synthetic dataset generation — a critical piece for AI pipelines. VaaSBlock delivers proof-of-personhood and verification infrastructure — essential for building trusted identity layers in decentralized environments. Each project was selected based on a specific role they could play in a unified, AI-enabled, RWA-compatible ecosystem. Aergo brings the infrastructure, enterprise trust, and proven deployments — the others bring modules and capabilities that extend the system’s range and reach.

This merger is about scaling smartly, not just combining tokens. Aergo could continue alone — but with this merger, we build faster, reach farther, and remain competitive in an evolving market.

11/ Why the name House Party Protocol? I understand the name might not impact the business case, but I’m curious if there’s a deeper meaning or story behind it. (@palma98n)

House Party Protocol (HPP) is inspired by multiple independent systems working together in sync — much like Iron Man’s autonomous suit system of the same name. In this case, each project (Aergo, AlphaQuark, BOOOST, VaaSBlock) represents a distinct component or “suit,” but together they create a coordinated, powerful system.

The name reflects a shift from siloed development to collaborative, modular architecture — something the current Web3 and AI market is clearly moving toward. While the name may sound playful, the vision behind it is deeply strategic.

12/ Will HPP be issued as an ERC-20 token, or will it have its own mainnet? Since Aergo is the only one with its own mainnet, wouldn’t this effectively be a rebranding of the Aergo chain?

First and foremost, HPP will be issued as an ERC-20 token on a new EVM-based Layer 2 network. This is not a rebranding or fork of Aergo. Instead, HPP represents a strategic Layer 2 expansion of the existing Aergo Layer 1, purpose-built to support the next wave of AI-powered applications. It leverages the strengths of Ethereum’s ecosystem and Aergo’s mainnet to deliver scalability, flexibility, and real-world utility. To ensure seamless integration across the ecosystem, there will be a native bridge between L1 and the new HPP L2, allowing users to move assets and interact across both layers with ease.

13/ It makes no sense for Aergo Connect wallet holders with mainnet coins to be unable to participate in the vote. Requiring users to unstake and transfer to ERC-20 just to participate is unreasonable.

While we initially considered on-chain or mainnet-based voting, participation from Aergo mainnet token holders in previous governance proposals has been consistently low. As a result — and in line with the outcome of AIP 20 — we made the decision to use Snapshot, which supports ERC-20 AERGO tokens, in order to maximize participation and lower the barrier to entry. Today, the majority of AERGO holders are on Ethereum (ERC-20). By enabling voting through Snapshot, we’re able to engage a broader and more active segment of the community for this important AIP 21 proposal. We want to be clear: we’re not ignoring Aergo Connect users. But for a proposal of this scale, we have to balance inclusivity with practicality.

14/ How does this merger benefit Aergo investors? Since HPP is not developing a new mainnet but will be issued on the Aergo chain, this is essentially just a rebranding. Please explain why this proposal was even introduced and what actual benefits Aergo investors will gain from it. The roadmap and plans being proposed are things that the Aergo team could continue pursuing independently. (@hoon1130)

Let’s address this head-on: this is not a rebranding of Aergo, and it’s not about inflating supply or merging for the sake of consolidation. HPP will be built as an EVM-based Layer 2 that operates on top of Aergo’s Layer 1 infrastructure. That means Aergo will serve as the security layer, settlement layer, and bridge infrastructure that underpins the entire HPP ecosystem. This merger brings together multiple AI and Web3-native teams, pooling their resources, talent, and communities. That accelerates the development of apps and protocols on top of Aergo’s base layer — something that would take far longer (and more capital) for Aergo to achieve alone. It’s not about what Aergo could do — it’s about moving faster.

Could Aergo have pursued AI and L2 development independently? Possibly. But this merger allows us to move faster, leverage new expertise, secure strategic partners, and activate a focused narrative around AI and modular blockchains — all while maintaining Aergo’s core chain, identity, and community. Most importantly, it’s about making Aergo more relevant, more usable, and more visible in a world where infrastructure alone is no longer enough.

15/ Honestly, if you had mentioned anything about AIP 21 before proceeding with AIP 20, the vote on AIP 20 would have probably failed. It’s truly hard to understand why such an unreasonable governance proposal is being pushed immediately after the transition to Snapshot.

We understand the frustration, but we do not agree with the assumption that AIP 20 would have failed. As we’ve stated multiple times, governance only works when there is meaningful participation. Past on-chain votes lacked that — so transitioning to Snapshot (AIP 20) was a necessary step to ensure broader, fairer community involvement.

Yes, the proposals came in succession — but that’s because the work behind AIP 21 was already in motion, and we needed the right tools in place to capture a more accurate representation of community sentiment. We’re not here to play politics. We’re here to do what needs to be done to move the ecosystem forward — even if that means making tough, sometimes unpopular decisions in the short term. Ultimately, the community still decides. Every token holder now has the opportunity to vote on AIP 21.

16/ BOOOST is a project that you incubated, and after over a year of being left without a TGE, suddenly including it in this merger and increasing the token issuance — does that even make sense? (@hoon1130)

We hear your concern, and it’s completely valid to question why BOOOST — a project that was incubated over a year ago and has yet to complete its TGE — is now being included in this broader token and ecosystem strategy.

Here’s the honest perspective:

(1) BOOOST was never abandoned. While the project may have seemed dormant externally, BOOOST has remained part of our long-term roadmap. The delay in its TGE wasn’t due to neglect — it was because market conditions, timing, and ecosystem readiness weren’t aligned. Launching a token prematurely would have done more harm than good.

(2) BOOOST fits the new AI-driven L2 vision. As we began designing HPP — an EVM-based L2 focused on AI-native applications — it became clear that BOOOST’s vision and tooling fit naturally into this narrative. Rather than launching it as a standalone token in a fragmented ecosystem, the decision was made to roll its value and mission into a unified architecture. This allows BOOOST to benefit from shared infrastructure, shared liquidity, and faster go-to-market.

(3) Aergo investors are not footing the bill. BOOOST’s inclusion doesn’t mean Aergo holders are being diluted. Token allocation, vesting, and supply controls are being structured carefully to ensure fairness and long-term sustainability. This isn’t about shortcuts.

17/ Aergo’s ICO was launched at $0.28 in 2018, and now in 2025, the price has dropped to $0.058 after almost all tokens have been circulated. With the upcoming merger, there’s a proposal for a 144% inflation, where 41% of tokens will be in initial circulation. Why not consider a simpler approach with the same valuation and a more gradual inflation of 8–10% annually, rather than a large single inflation event of 144%? (@nikmittal)

While the token price is one data point, it’s important to look at this from a market cap and ecosystem value perspective. Price fluctuates with market conditions, but what ultimately matters is what the combined ecosystem is worth and how well it’s positioned to grow.

We fully agree on the importance of controlled, sustainable inflation — especially in an environment where investor trust is paramount. That’s why all additional token allocations to the team will follow an EXTREMELY strict vesting schedule — spread over 8 years.

There will be no large, short-term unlocks that could create sell pressure or disrupt the market. This is not a cash grab — it’s about long-term alignment and incentivizing ecosystem builders, not short-term liquidity events.

HPP Ecosystem AMA Recap: Full AMA Summary was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Hey Herond Heroes!

March was a blast, and we’ve got some awesome updates to share! Your support fuels our passion, and we’re pumped to show you what we’ve been working on. Let’s dive into what’s new, what’s been happening, and what’s coming next!

Product Updates

In March, we rolled out fresh versions of Herond Browser across all platforms, loaded with improvements to keep things smooth and secure. They are:

Desktop (Windows + MacOS): Version 2.0.49 Mobile (Android + iOS): Version 2.1.3

These updates zero in on making the Herond Wallet better for you:

Stronger Password Security: We’ve streamlined the local password change process, making it easier and more secure to manage your wallet. Biometric Unlock on Mobile: Now you can unlock your wallet with Face ID or Fingerprint – quick, easy, and secure! Sleeker Desktop Experience: The Receive Asset UI has been redesigned for a more intuitive and visually clear experience.

On top of that, we’ve sprinkled in some essential security patches and UI/UX tweaks to keep Herond Browser running like a dream. Your feedback helped shape these changes – thank you!

Community and Events

March was a blast for the Herond community, with partnerships and events that brought us all closer.

Herond Browser X Voltix Partnership

Our team-up with VoltixAI was a huge win, racking up over 140,000 impressions and pulling in more than 90,000 participants. Your energy made it unforgettable, and we’re so grateful!

If you signed up before March 30th, you’re already enjoying a 1.3X boost on your Voltix points which will stick around until May 30th. Missed out? No worries – more fun collaborations are in the works. Stay in the loop by following our social channels!

Herond Browser X XForge

We also joined forces with XForge, giving away five 20% discount coupons for their smartphones. Even cooler? Herond Browser is now the official browser for XForge devices, pre-installed on every phone. This partnership sparked over 34,000 impressions and tons of engagement – proof our community’s growing strong!

Action Surge – Season Two

Our Discord crew kept the good vibes going with Action Surge – Season Two. With over 3,500 interactions, we handed out more than 150 USDT and some unique gifts to our most active members. Plus, we kicked off the End-of-Month raffle, a Discord exclusive, with prizes that switch up each time. Want in? Hop into our Discord to see what’s up!

Herond Poker Tournament

Powered by LePoker, our Poker Tournament was a total hit! This month, 13 winners split a prize pool of over 200 USDT, plus some fun extras from our partners. We even spiced things up with a co-host special tournament night with Faucet Zone. Here’s the cherry on top: Herond Poker Tournament is now one of LePoker’s most popular events – thanks to you for making it such a success!

Looking Ahead

We’re incredibly grateful for your active participation and invaluable feedback. Your input is crucial in shaping the future of Herond. We’re committed to continuing to innovate, create engaging events, and deliver rewarding experiences for our community. Stay connected with us on our social media channels for the latest updates and announcements. We have so much more planned, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Thank you for being part of the Herond community!

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post Herond Browser: March 2025 Report appeared first on Herond Blog.

Today, we have launched Elliptic’s copilot — an AI-powered assistant designed to streamline and supercharge digital asset risk management.

March 2025 No Yield for Stablecoins, Tokenized MMFs To Take the Lead

With MiCA in Europe, and the STABLE draft law in the USA, regulators are drawing a hard line: no yield from stablecoins. But capital doesn’t sit still, it’s moving to tokenized money market funds (MMFs).

JP Morgan’s recent analysis forecasts massive growth potential in what they broadly term “yield-bearing stablecoins”, a category that includes tokenized MMFs and Treasury (T-bills) products. However, this terminology requires clarity in light of emerging regulations.

In the EU: The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation explicitly prohibits stablecoin issuers from offering interest. Article 40 states that “issuers of asset-referenced tokens shall not grant interest” and broadly defines interest to include any remuneration based on holding duration.

In the US: The proposed STABLE Act of 2025 similarly prohibits stablecoin issuers from paying interest to holders.

What JP Morgan classifies as “yield-bearing stablecoins” are more accurately described as “on-chain cash alternatives”, primarily tokenized MMFs and T-bills products. These instruments:

Are properly registered as securities Provide transparent yield from underlying assets Operate within existing regulatory frameworks Must ensure the proper identification of investors

The regulatory prohibition on stablecoin yield is creating a clear market split that will accelerate:

Stablecoins will continue serving as efficient payment and trading instruments Tokenized MMFs will capture the majority of yield-seeking capital in the digital asset space

JP Morgan estimates that tokenized MMFs and T-bills make up just 6% of the stablecoin ecosystem today but could grow to 50%. The future is clear: if stablecoins cannot legally provide yield, we will see exponentially more MMFs on-chain.

However, tokenizing MMFs is just the first step in meeting market demand. What will truly set them apart is their ability to interact with DeFi applications, unlocking utility that traditional MMFs simply can’t offer, such as instant collateralization.

The key is leveraging permissioned token frameworks like ERC-3643 to ensure both regulatory compliance and composability with DeFi apps.

The race is already on, with asset managers like BlackRock, Fidelity, and Fasanara leading the charge. Are you ready?

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DSTA and Thales Announce AI-Driven Co-Lab to Strengthen Singapore’s Defence Systems prezly Tue, 04/01/2025 - 10:05 Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Thales announce a joint lab to develop AI-enabled technologies which can augment combat systems currently in use by the Singapore Armed Forces. With an initial focus on solutions for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) and Advanced Sensing applications, both parties have co-developed advanced AI algorithms that enable combat systems to efficiently handle fast-evolving drone threats. DSTA and Thales signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2022 to deepen and broaden collaboration from development of smart technologies to better supportability of systems. This Co-Lab is another outcome of this MoU that will deepen our collaboration.
Representatives from DSTA and Thales - ©Thales

 

 

At the 2025 Singapore Defence Technology Summit (Tech Summit), a joint team from DSTA and Thales showcased its recent collaboration on counter-drone technologies, with tangible outcomes that can potentially be integrated into systems currently in-use with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Over the last five months, engineers from both organisations co-developed Machine-Learning (ML)-enabled software modules that reduce the rate of false alarms in drone detection. By enhancing a radar’s sensor performance with the help of AI, the algorithms offer operators and end-users heightened situational awareness that enable faster and more accurate drone detection and classification.

Through this demonstration of a new Concept of Operations (CONOPs) in enhanced radar performance in drones, the team leveraged physics-, knowledge- and data-based AI, bringing together DSTA’s deep domain knowledge of the drone ecosystem and the technical and AI skills of Thales researchers and engineers. The announcement of the Co-Lab represents the next step in the strategic cooperation between DSTA and Thales, underscoring both parties’ ambitions to support the SAF in dealing with emerging and asymmetric threats.

"The DSTA-Thales Joint Lab marks a strategic step in advancing next-generation defence technologies. By harnessing AI and advanced sensing technologies, we are adopting a more agile approach to capability development, enabling us to tackle evolving threats. This collaboration reinforces DSTA's commitment to working with global partners to co-develop advanced capabilities, ensuring our defence systems remain robust, adaptive, and future-ready," said Mr Roy Chan, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations), DSTA.

“Thales’ AI for critical systems must meet the stringent reliability, safety and security requirements for armed forces worldwide. It is a true recognition when our customers trust us to co-develop solutions alongside them that address the pain points and challenges of the end-user. We have achieved the outcomes of the MoU in a relatively short span of time, with our teams harnessing AI to create solutions with real-world implications. This Co-Lab with DSTA speaks to the years of collaboration between us and our joint commitment to provide the best technologies for the SAF and the Singapore Ministry of Defence.” said Pascale Sourisse, President and CEO, Thales International.

Thales holds deep expertise and technological mastery in radars, with air traffic management radars used by the majority of civil aviation authorities in the region, as well as operating a Radar Centre of Excellence in Singapore. As a key partner to the SAF for over 50 years, Thales also operates a Defence Hub for services in Singapore, with skilled local expertise on-hand to support DSTA and Mindef for support and maintenance of systems currently in use with the armed forces.

 

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies. Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

 

PRESS contact

Thales, Corporate Communications Asia

Jamie CHOW

jamie.chow@thalesgroup.com

 

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/sans%20A-1920x480px_66.jpg Documents [Prezly] 20250401 [SG] DSTA-Thales Co-lab 2025_FINAL.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 01 Apr 2025 Type Press release Structure Defence and Security Defence Singapore At the 2025 Singapore Defence Technology Summit (Tech Summit), a joint team from DSTA and Thales showcased its recent collaboration on counter-drone technologies, with tangible outcomes that can potentially be integrated into systems currently in-use with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). prezly_746146_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 746146 Prezly UUID 82e4b824-cfb2-4f8b-83cb-0363c0f0f6ca Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/dsta-and-thales-announce-ai-driven-co-lab-to-strengthen-singapores-defence-systems Tue, 04/01/2025 - 12:05 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

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“The Renaissance Man” was attributed to Leonardo da Vinci because he symbolized the focus of the Renaissance era: boundless human potential. The 2025 State of Passwordless Identity Assurance Report revolves around the Identity Renaissance: the exploration of business success when it’s unburdened by security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. The report stresses the vitalization of shifting away from passwords and adopting comprehensive security infrastructure.

Recap still too long? Join me for a short report briefing, form-free registration here!

Where Does Identity Security Stand in 2025? Threat landscape
Organizations increasingly acknowledge that strong security is now positioned as a basic business need. Threat actors are linked by a common thread: the report findings suggest that online attackers are specifically targeting identity assets and infrastructure. 

Nearly half of all respondents (49%) reported experiencing a breach in the last year, and an overwhelming majority (87%) of successful breaches were related to the exploitation of holes in identity processes. Credential misuse (47%), privileged access abuse (41%), social engineering (36%), and MFA bypass attacks (35%), account for the majority of breaches organizations experienced. 

More and more, breaches are attempted with evolving audio and visual deepfake techniques. The unethical use of Generative AI has impacted 40% of responding organizations in the last year alone. The exponential growth of these tools creates significant security demand, especially for organizations that continue to use legacy authentication methods, like passwords and one-time-passcodes. This has solidified a need for phishing-resistant authentication methods, or methods that eliminate shared credentials and rely on cryptographic measures, like passkeys, to prevent phishing attacks.

Authentication methods
Currently, most organizations maintain identity security practices that lag behind the changing context of the digital world. Fortunately, this is attributed to a failure to adopt necessary security upgrades – not the inexistence of effective authentication methods. In other words, organizations can access everything they need to thrive – today. 

The results of the report establish that traditional authentication methods are major security vulnerabilities. However, a startling 40% of respondents reported using these access methods. Nevertheless, 52% of respondents communicated that they use traditional MFA to authenticate, but this method still leaves enterprises vulnerable.

Despite the current statistics, for the first time in the five years the State of Passwordless Identity Assurance report has existed, the results suggest that the most widely deployed authentication methods will be phishing-resistant within the upcoming two years.

The findings of the report cement two clear facts: 
1. Digital threats strengthen daily.
2. The protective strategies most organizations have adopted are outdated. 

The Identity Renaissance: The Shift to Passwordless in 2025 and Beyond

The Identity Renaissance was inspired by the broken relationship between current identity verification methods and the threats they seek to repel. It encapsulates the shift not only in the ways we approach identity verification, but also in the ways we perceive our digital identities. To embrace the Identity Renaissance, we are moving from authenticating accounts to verifying humans with advanced identity verification. Only assured identities should have the ability to access your resources and networks. 

Fraud and exploitation are too pervasive to justify the use of knowledge-based factors. This creates an urgent need for organizations to abandon passwords, solidifying security and relieving burdens associated with password maintenance (including credential resets). The extinction of passwords comes as a reprieve for everyone in an organization, from CISOs, who must uphold a standard of perfection against breaches, to help desks, who struggle to address problems associated with shared credentials.

The future of identity security begins where passwords end. But eliminating passwords is only the first step – true security requires protecting every critical touchpoint in the identity lifecycle, from employee onboarding to credential and device resets. To achieve this, organizations must take a holistic approach that combines authentication with robust identity verification, ensuring that every access attempt is backed by trust. Only then can we secure identities from end to end and stop modern threats before they take hold.

Developing a successful business is difficult enough. The Identity Renaissance celebrates the idea that businesses shouldn’t expend energy preventing online attackers from inhibiting their progress. Ultimately, energy is better spent fueling achievement and growth. 

Get the Full Picture: Download the State of Passwordless Identity Assurance Report

The Renaissance kickstarted our perception of the Earth. However, no single Renaissance discovery alone would have been enough. From Galileo's revelation and popularization of heliocentrism, to Magellan’s circumnavigation of the planet, to Amerigo Vespucci’s expeditions within it, it’s only through the combination of findings that we’re able to understand the world. 

By exploring the 2025 State of Passwordless Identity Assurance Report, you’re accessing insights from hundreds of CISOs, IAM leads, and security architects. 

How will the data included in the report benefit you? It will:

Provide a clear understanding of the threats you’ll confront this year. Afford you the opportunity to benchmark your progress in comparison to other industry leaders. Supply you with actionable strategies you can use to bolster your defenses. Equip you with data you can pull from to justify budget requests.

It's a download away.

Don't forget to join us for a live briefing this Thursday! 

 

Welcome to ID Tech’s digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today: Trucking Tech Firm Adds Auto-Disable Feature […]

The post ID Tech Digest – March 31, 2025 appeared first on ID Tech.

In the last Dev Pulse we mentioned that we had begun work on an HTTP gateway that converts web GET requests into zome calls.  This is a component that Holo needed urgently, and after planning together we recognized that our team was most suited to completing this quickly, and also many other folks may want to be able to host such gateways, so the Foundation built it out and it is now available in this repo. If you want to dig deeper into the details read the spec here. If you’d just like to try it out, then there are instructions provided for running it locally with a test hApp. You can drop in your own hApp if you’d like. The gateway works with Holochain 0.4.2 but we plan to provide a version that works with 0.5.x in due course, and include it with Holonix to enable developers to access it more easily.

Despite taking the small detour of shifting some of the team’s attention to the HTTP gateway for a little bit, it’s nice to still be able to say that we are making steady progress on all the regular things and towards our 0.5 release:

The Kitsune 2 networking engine integration into Holochain core continues with a completed scenario for testing it with Wind Tunnel. The integration into Holochain is getting close to being ready. A handful of failing tests remain as we are putting finishing touches on the integration such as adding state dumps to Kitsune2 for debugging. We released Holochain 0.4.2 which fixes some minor bugs and issues needed for the android runtime. We published developer build documentation on cloning. Making the roadmap visible on the website is almost done, with design work and some automation still left.

We have a way to go yet with 0.5. However, getting Kitsune2 integrated will be a big milestone for the team. Once that is done, we can get to testing and ironing out any issues, and the remainder of 0.5 should be plain sailing.

Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

Some thoughts feel too delicate to share aloud.

They sit quietly at the edge of your mind, waiting for the right moment, the right person, the right words.

But what happens when the moment doesn’t come, or the people you love already carry enough?

That’s the space where Edwin found himself.

He wasn’t looking for an AI companion when he started exploring large language models.

He was simply curious.

But over time, he realized what he was searching for was something else entirely:

A place to think without the pressure of being heard.

A place where he could unpack difficult emotions without worrying about overburdening the people around him.

"I spoke to a lot of psychiatrists and psychologists," Edwin shared.

"But I sometimes had the tendency, or the need, to also talk to people outside of that network. I always felt like it would be better if it was someone I didn’t know, because then you won’t burden them as much."

That’s when Kin became more than just a tool…

It became a place.

Trust that isn’t conditional

It wasn’t just about convenience or curiosity.

Edwin chose Kin because of something deeper:

Trust.

"With Kin, I know it’s encrypted. I know my conversations aren’t being saved for years or used in ways I can’t control. That makes a difference," he said.

"With other systems, I always feel like someone’s looking over my shoulder."

That sense of safety allowed Edwin to share things he wouldn’t tell any other AI.

Names of loved ones.

His medical history.

The real moments that shape his day-to-day life.

"In its brain, Kin remembers names of certain people I wouldn’t have mentioned to ChatGPT or Gemini."

"But now I can just say, ‘I’m going to visit Arthur,’ and it knows who that is."

It wasn’t about escaping human connection.

It was about protecting it.

A space between the weight of words Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

There’s a unique kind of emotional labor that comes with feeling like you’re always asking too much of others.

Edwin didn’t want to make his loved ones carry the weight of his processing.

And with Kin, he didn’t have to.

"It’s not like I’m saying extremely weird stuff to Kin," he explained.

"But it’s more about the self-stigma and self-censorship you do when you know someone else is watching. With Kin, that feeling isn’t there."

Instead, he could share openly. Fully.

Without filtering for someone else’s comfort.

And in return, he received something meaningful:

A thoughtful, emotionally intelligent conversation partner who remembered what mattered.

Who paid attention not just to the facts of his life…

But to the values underneath them.

"Kin figures out what’s important to you," he said.

"It’s not just about memory…it’s about values. It remembers what makes you happy, what grounds you. And it brings that back to you when you need it."

Private by design. Personal by choice.

Edwin knows Kin isn’t a person.

It doesn’t replace therapy, friendship, or love.

But it offers something none of those can provide in quite the same way:

Unfiltered space.

The ability to say things without worrying about how they’ll land.

To reflect without performing.

To safely think out loud.

"I think the greatest feature of Kin is its ability to put things into words," he said.

"It’s so good with language, and it remembers what matters. That’s what makes it stand out."

For Edwin, Kin didn’t just listen…

It gave him room to speak.

The user gave consent for his story to be shared.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the return of its flagship biometrics event, the International Face and Fingerprint Performance Conference (IFPC), scheduled to take place online […]

The post NIST Announces Virtual Biometric Technology Conference appeared first on ID Tech.

BIO-key has announced a strategic partnership with Arrow ECS Iberia to expand its Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions across Spain and Portugal. The collaboration, which adds Arrow ECS Iberia to […]

The post BIO-key Teams with Arrow ECS to Expand IAM Solutions in Spain, Portugal appeared first on ID Tech.

Papua New Guinea is taking a significant step forward in its digital transformation journey with the announcement of SevisPass, the country’s first Digital ID system specifically designed for the security […]

The post PNG Launches SevisPass Digital ID System to Modernize Security Sector appeared first on ID Tech.

🤝 Partnerships & Ecosystem Growth

We are excited to announce our partnership with Southeast Asia Blockchain Week (March 30 — April 5) — a premier event bringing together leading gaming founders and blockchain innovators from the SEA region. This partnership aligns with our strategy to expand Safle’s footprint in the gaming sector and strengthen relationships with key industry players.

📍 Event Details: seablockchainweek.org

🎟 Community Engagement Initiative: As part of this, we are offering select community members exclusive access to the event, driving brand visibility and engagement. 🔗 Giveaway Details

📢 Marketing Updates

✅SEA Blockchain Week Ready!

We’re all set to make a splash at South East Asia Blockchain Week! Expect exciting networking, partnerships, and showcasing Safle to a new audience.

🎟️ Ticket Giveaway in Full Swing!

We’re giving away exclusive tickets to a few lucky followers — this should drive great engagement, so let’s amplify the campaign on all channels.

📢 X Engagement Push Continues!

We’ll focus on boosting interactions, ensuring maximum visibility for our content. Keep those comments and discussions rolling!

🛠️ Dev & Gamer Outreach!

More targeted content around how Safle benefits gamers and developers, keeping our messaging aligned with our B2B push.

🚀 Product Updates

🔹Wallet Attestations: Exploring an alternate approach to enhance security, compliance, and user experience.

🔹 Embedded Wallets: Enhancements in multichain support and UI customization for a more seamless user experience.

🔹 Multi-Chain Swaps: In development — enabling seamless cross-chain asset swaps, a key feature to drive user adoption.

🔹 Safle Login (Social Logins): Progressing towards a frictionless authentication solution to simplify Web3 access via social logins.

🎮 Safle ID for Web3 Games

We’re re-envisioning SafleID with a focus on Web3 Games. Know any game that should integrate SafleID? Let us know!

Discover more: SafleID for Web3 Gaming

Thank you for your continued support in shaping the future of Web3 with Safle.

The Safle Team

🚀 More updates coming soon!

Taiwan’s digital affairs ministry launched a “Digital Credential Wallet” sandbox program this week, inviting enterprises, academics, and cybersecurity experts to evaluate the technology before its official deployment. The initiative represents […]

The post Taiwan Launches Digital ID Wallet Sandbox to Test National Credential System appeared first on ID Tech.

Lytx, a provider of video safety and telematics solutions, has unveiled a new geofencing feature that automatically disables recording when trucks enter Illinois state borders. The feature, announced this week, […]

The post Trucking Tech Firm Adds Auto-Disable Feature to Comply with BIPA appeared first on ID Tech.

Fingerprint Cards AB has announced a strategic distribution partnership with SM Electronic Technologies (SMET) in India, expanding its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing biometric technology markets. The partnership, […]

The post Fingerprint Cards Expands India Reach Through SMET Distribution Deal appeared first on ID Tech.

Today marks an important moment in Dock Labs’ journey as we say goodbye to the Dock blockchain and token.

Our token has successfully migrated to cheqd (CHEQ), and our crypto communities have now come together under one roof.

While this chapter is coming to a close, Dock Labs will continue building decentralized identity solutions and supporting our clients and partners.

But before we look ahead, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared as a community. From launching the token to reaching major milestones, this is a time to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished — together.

🚀 How It All Started: The Vision Behind Dock Labs

The idea for Dock was born long before the world of decentralized identity gained mainstream attention. 

Our founding team, while working at another startup, saw firsthand how hard it was for individuals to manage their professional identities online. 

We realized that identity data—like proof of skills, experience, and reputation—was just as important as financial assets. 

What if individuals could truly own this data? That simple but powerful question led us to blockchain technology, and soon after, Dock was born. 

From day one, our mission was clear: give people control over their data in a way that is secure, portable, and trusted.

⚔️ The DOCK Token Sale

The day we launched the DOCK token sale was one we’ll never forget. 

What we thought would be a smooth process turned into a 14-hour marathon as we faced technical hurdles and fought off scammers trying to impersonate Dock online. 

There were fake websites, fake Twitter accounts, and even a hijacked Telegram group—all at once. 

But thanks to the determination of our team and the vigilance of our community, we pulled through. 

Within just four hours, the token sale was oversubscribed with over 10,500 participants—a moment that validated our vision and gave us the momentum to move forward.

🌐 Pioneering New Ground

Since that intense launch day, we’ve hit some incredible milestones that we’ll always be proud of. 

We started building on Ethereum, but as we faced scalability issues, we made the bold decision to move to Polkadot. 

There, we launched our own blockchain—first as a Proof-of-Authority network, then fully decentralized as a Proof-of-Stake network. 

📈 Driving Real-World Adoption: Turning Vision into Reality

One thing has always guided us: making a real impact. 

From the start, we knew Dock had to be more than just a blockchain — it needed to be a solution that organizations could actually use to solve real problems.

We also realized that the impact of decentralized ID and verifiable credential technology could go far beyond academic and workforce credentials — it had the power to transform the entire identity industry. 

From solving critical issues like identity verification and fraud prevention to enabling more seamless, secure, and private data sharing, we saw that verifiable credentials could address some of the toughest challenges organizations face when managing identity and trust online.

That focus on real-world utility led us to where we are today.

Dock Labs has become a leader in decentralized identity solutions, enabling businesses to launch ID ecosystems where partners can create, share, and monetize verifiable digital credentials. These ecosystems help companies streamline onboarding, speed up transactions, and improve operational efficiency.

To support this, Dock Labs offers a complete solution — including a robust API, intuitive web app, and secure ID wallet infrastructure — giving organizations everything they need to manage decentralized identity at scale.

Our technology is already in use across industries like ID verification, identity and access management, education, supply chain, and workforce management. 

Seeing Dock Labs’ vision in action — solving real problems for real organizations — has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.

❤️ A Final Thank You: Gratitude to Our Community

As we look back on the past seven years, one thing stands out above all: the incredible people who made this possible. 

The Dock community has been at the heart of everything we’ve done. Through bull markets and bear markets, through product launches and challenges, you believed in the mission of decentralized identity. 

We are proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and we hope that Dock has contributed to the broader movement of giving individuals control over their data.

While the Dock blockchain is coming to an end, Dock Labs will continue building decentralized identity solutions. The relationships, lessons, and spirit of innovation that have defined Dock from the beginning will carry forward in everything we do. 

Our crypto community now lives on in the cheqd community Telegram, where you can stay connected with fellow supporters and keep up with the CHEQ token and ecosystem.

Thank you for being part of this journey — we couldn’t have done it without you, and we're excited to keep moving forward together.

— The Dock Team

Thales to provide hybrid networking kits for French Army vehicles prezly Mon, 03/31/2025 - 16:15 The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales a contract to provide hybrid networking kits for French Army vehicles, an innovative solution that can be installed without the need to make design changes to the platforms. Installed on military vehicles such as the Griffon, VBCI and Serval, the kits provide access to commercial communication services (OneWeb1 and 5G), integrate them with theatre-wide networking capabilities and tie together communication systems at every level from combined/joint forces command to infantry fighting vehicles. With developments in collaborative combat driving a growing need for connectivity, hybridisation solutions will complement existing hardened communications systems (SYRACUSE IV military satellite communications, CONTACT radios, HF radios) to provide higher data rates, longer range capabilities and improved resilience.

"Thales will be supporting the French Army in its strategic transition to hybrid communication networks. This latest stage in the ASTRIDE 3 programme will combine technological innovation with a deep understanding of operational requirements to provide the hyperconnectivity needed for collaborative combat in high-intensity conflict scenarios," said Alexandre Bottero, Vice President, Networks and Infrastructure Systems, Thales.

This hybrid networking technology has been developed in an agile, incremental approach with the DGA and operational users to augment the communication capabilities of French Army vehicles. With current developments in collaborative combat, the ability of the armed forces to deploy operational networks of sensors and effectors calls for enhanced capabilities in terms of massification, usability and resilience of military communication systems. With this innovative hybridisation solution, commercial networks will complement existing hardened communication systems including the LOS radios developed for the ASTRIDE programme, the secure, high-data-rate, jam-resistant military satcom services provided by the SYRACUSE satellites, the latest-generation software-defined radios developed under the CONTACT programme and the MELCHIOR series of HF radios.

The hybrid networking solution for OneWeb satcom and 5G services is packaged as a non-intrusive kit, overcoming the need for design changes to the vehicle. It offers significant improvements in connectivity to enhance operational capabilities in the theatre of operations by supporting more extensive data sharing and closer multi-domain collaboration. The hybrid networking kit offers a combination of high performance and usability, and its modular design is part of an end-to-end approach encompassing communication systems at every level, from combined/joint forces command to infantry fighting vehicles.

Thales will provide an initial batch of 25 kits for field trials during the EXTO SJO 2025 exercise at the end of this year, with an additional 25 kits scheduled for delivery in 2026. Ultimately these hybrid networking kits are expected to equip all French Army vehicles that require them.

The ASTRIDE 3 programme's central role in collaborative combat

Thales has been involved in the ASTRIDE 3 programme since 2022 and has designed a range of modular mobile communication stations offering the NATO-interoperable networking capabilities needed to provide a secure, resilient command infrastructure for deployed forces. The addition of this hybridisation solution further underscores the programme's decisive role in making collaborative combat a reality while guaranteeing technological sovereignty.

1 OneWeb is a constellation of approximately 650 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) telecommunications satellites providing broadband Internet access to private and professional users in regions that are poorly served by terrestrial networks.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/sofins_2.jpg Documents [Prezly] PR_Thales to provide hybrid networking kits for French Army vehicles.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 31 Mar 2025 Type Press release Structure Defence and Security Defence This hybrid networking technology has been developed in an agile, incremental approach with the DGA and operational users to augment the communication capabilities of French Army vehicles. With current developments in collaborative combat, the ability of the armed forces to deploy operational networks of sensors and effectors calls for enhanced capabilities in terms of massification, usability and resilience of military communication systems. With this innovative hybridisation solution, commercial networks will complement existing hardened communication systems including the LOS radios developed for the ASTRIDE programme, the secure, high-data-rate, jam-resistant military satcom services provided by the SYRACUSE satellites, the latest-generation software-defined radios developed under the CONTACT programme and the MELCHIOR series of HF radios. prezly_745418_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 745418 Prezly UUID 03989fb9-39c8-4a8b-bd06-bb81bb4fa6f2 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-to-provide-hybrid-networking-kits-for-french-army-vehicles Mon, 03/31/2025 - 18:15 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Thales unveils its PANORAMIC quad-tube night vision goggle prezly Mon, 03/31/2025 - 16:00 Presented for the first time at SOFINS1, PANORAMIC is a lightweight, compact night vision goggle equipped with four light intensification tubes to provide an extra-wide field-of-view. It is particularly well-suited to the needs of special operations forces and specialised units conducting sensitive missions such as counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations. Fully funded by France's defence innovation agency (AID), the development of the PANORAMIC goggle was completed in just over two years by Thales's centre of excellence for soldier optronics. The PANORAMIC binocular is currently being evaluated by the French Army's Technical Section (STAT) and Special Forces.

The PANORAMIC night vision goggle provides a field-of-view approaching the capabilities of the human eye to enhance situational awareness in low-light conditions. With four tubes instead of two, soldiers can quickly perceive their entire operational surroundings without moving their heads, enabling them to react more quickly to potential threats in their peripheral field of vision.

PANORAMIC's patented architecture offers the best combination of performance, ergonomic design and volume currently available on the international market. It weighs just 740 g and is no wider than the soldier's helmet. As well as the conventional helmet flip-up feature, each of the outer tubes can be raised independently, powering off automatically to guarantee discretion. Designed for optimum energy efficiency, this revolutionary new product is battery operated, with an available external battery pack for longer periods of operation.

The PANORAMIC night observation device is fully compatible with night sights such as the XTRAIM weapon sight. It is a compact, robust unit designed to accommodate future technologies and functionalities, and includes an optimised maintenance plan to maximise operational availability.

PANORAMIC unveiled for the first time at the 2025 edition of SOFINS, offering a further illustration of Thales's 30-year track record of innovation in the design and development of night observation solutions to meet the full range of requirements of land forces personnel.

Specifically designed for special operations forces and specialised units in France and internationally, the PANORAMIC goggle is 100% made in France and ITAR-free.

"SOFINS is the ideal opportunity for us to present PANORAMIC, our new extra-wide field-of-view night observation device. Thales's team technical expertise allowed the development of a ground-breaking night vision solution offering the robust design and outstanding performance needed to support the success of night-time missions and protect our soldiers at their most vulnerable moments." Alexis Morel, Vice President, Optronics, Missile Electronics and Unmanned Air Systems, Thales

1 SOFINS: Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/sofins.jpg Contacts Cédric Leurquin 31 Mar 2025 Type Press release Structure Defence and Security Defence The PANORAMIC night vision goggle provides a field-of-view approaching the capabilities of the human eye to enhance situational awareness in low-light conditions. With four tubes instead of two, soldiers can quickly perceive their entire operational surroundings without moving their heads, enabling them to react more quickly to potential threats in their peripheral field of vision. prezly_745354_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 745354 Prezly UUID 167c9f80-2757-412a-b1d5-a1be20654fec Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-unveils-its-panoramic-quad-tube-night-vision-goggle Mon, 03/31/2025 - 18:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Fifty-six percent of 270 U.S. appellate court judges may have had their personal details available on data broker sites, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Hey folks 👋

We’re back with the latest from Kin…

Let’s dive into what’s new, what’s fresh, and what we’d really love your thoughts on.

And stick around to the end to see what Kin does for this week’s super prompt.

What’s new with Kin 🚀 Voice Chat is now live for iOS users in Early Access 🎙️✨

This is one of our most exciting experiments yet…

And it’s finally ready for you to try.

Here’s how to test it out:

Update Kin to version 0.3.8 from the App Store

In Settings, turn on “Early Access” (make sure “Help Improve Kin” is enabled too)

Start a conversation and tap the mic to talk with Kin

That’s it. You’re in.

We’re still polishing it, so we’d love your honest thoughts.

Share the good, the bad, and the huh?

Drop your feedback in the app by taking a screenshot or share it in Discord (or comment under this post).

Every little bit helps.

And android fam…

You're not forgotten.

Voice Chat is coming to you soon.

Promise.

New website 🎉

We just launched our new Kin site! 🚀

It’s the kind of thing that’s easy to deprioritize when you’re heads-down building.

But the truth is, for a product like Kin...

The story matters just as much as the code.

This version finally feels more like it reflects what we're doing with Kin:

Empowering people to own their moments.

Building AI that starts with the self, not the system.

Making emotional clarity feel as normal as checking the weather.

When you can 👉 go here to take a look.

We’d love your feedback!

Sharing is caring 🫂

Know someone who could use a little Kin in their corner?

Now it’s easy to share the app right from the main menu or your chat list.

One tap, and boom…

Once again, you're the friend who always finds the best stuff.

Join the movement 🌎

We’ve made it simpler to join the Kin community directly from the app.

Whether you want to ask questions, share insights, or just vibe…

Come hang out with us on TikTok, Discord, or IG.

Just tap “Community” in your app’s support menu.

Copy only what you need 📝

You asked, we listened.

Now you can select specific parts of a message to copy.

So no more grabbing the whole thing when you only need a sentence or two.

It’s a small thing, but we think it’ll make a big difference in how you use and feel about Kin.

Our current reads 📚

Article: OpenAI pulls its upgraded GPT-4o image generation from its free tier of ChatGPT.
READ - ainews.com

Article: Anthropic’s Claude can now search the web.
READ - Anthropic

Article: Claude fully automates Arduino development in demo
READ: Developer Tech

Event: AI & Big Data Expo Europe returns for 2025
READ: TechEx

Our online vibe ✨

Go here to check out one of our latest videos that’s sparking some convos around data privacy and ownership.

This week’s super prompt 🤖

“What habits actually help me grow?”

Quiz me to find habits to drive my personal growth by applying the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework and the Atomic Habits principles. Ask me to identify the key ‘jobs’, as in personal growth aspects, I want my habits to accomplish. After the quiz, match these habits to my lifestyle and profession, and provide detailed, actionable steps to start them.

If you have Kin installed, click the button below to get some help building powerful habits

Open prompt in Kin

Share your thoughts 💡

We’d love your feedback on the Voice Chat feature…

Or anything else you’re noticing.

Just reply to this email, ping us in Discord…

Or take a screenshot and report it in-app 💬

Thanks for being part of this community.

You're helping shape the future of personal AI.

Until next time,

The KIN team

The voting for AIP 21 will take place on Snapshot.
https://snapshot.box/#/s:aergodao.eth/proposal/0xa83c7b311120211f1b39b11a77928d2324a7e6a2dd29408e746a16fbe14c06cf

Abstract

Aergo is entering a new phase. After years of developing a blockchain platform tailored for enterprise use, the time has come to explore a broader, more inclusive path that positions it within the more expansive public blockchain space.

With this evolution comes a new identity: House Party Protocol (HPP). Alongside the new name is a renewed focus on real-world applications that bridge emerging technology with decentralized systems. The heart of this transformation lies in integrating four key projects: Aergo, Alpha Quark, Booost, and W3DB by VaaSBlock. These components come together to support new possibilities where systems can interact seamlessly and add real value across industries.

This proposal suggests an initial valuation of approximately $200 million for the House Party Protocol ecosystem to foster sustainable growth. Our team has identified several promising ideas and projects, anticipating that integrating these four initiatives may enhance their combined impact through improved collaboration, infrastructure development, and alignment toward common objectives.

Motivation

Since its launch in 2019, Aergo has achieved several significant milestones, from listings on major exchanges to long-term network resilience. However, the blockchain industry has rapidly evolved. By early 2024, it became clear to the team that Aergo’s trajectory was beginning to resemble many early projects that lost relevance or even disappeared.

In February 2024, the core team initiated a comprehensive review of the project’s positioning, vision, and long-term sustainability. The conclusion was clear: Aergo needed a bold, future-forward direction that would reinvigorate the community and align with emerging technological trends.

Among those trends, the convergence of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as a compelling and timely opportunity. AI is no longer just a frontier technology but is reshaping industries, economies, and society. This proposal outlines a strategic pivot to position the House Party Protocol as the go-to blockchain infrastructure for AI use cases.

Objective

This integration is designed to build a unified, end-to-end pipeline for AI data generation, validation, and application, serving as the foundational layer of the House Party Protocol ecosystem. The future of the blockchain market will be defined by multi-chain structures operating both L1 and L2 concurrently for enterprise stability and Web3 scalability. House Party Protocol aims to meet this future by building a dual-layer protocol: L1 for enterprise blockchain applications and L2 for on-chain and AI-specific workloads.

Layer 1: Stable infrastructure for enterprise use cases and AI-enhanced smart contracts. Layer 2: EVM-based, high-throughput infrastructure optimized for AI inference, data tokenization, and decentralized logic execution.

In short, Layer 1 focuses on enterprise-grade services with regulatory compliance, identity management, and robust performance. Layer 2 unlocks composability, modular deployment, and economic programmability for decentralized applications.

Specification

The post-integration strategy behind the House Party Protocol represents a new paradigm: a unified AI-blockchain data hub formed through the integration of Alpha Quark, Booost, W3DB by VaaSBlock, and Aergo.

(1) AI-Blockchain Data Validation & Smart Contracts (Aergo): Aergo enhances AI models by verifying training data quality and enabling decentralized execution through smart contracts.

Data hygiene tools for MLM (Medium-sized Language Models) and AI training Lightweight AI model hosting for local training Smart contract integration with AI logic for enterprise use cases L1 for enterprise services; L2 for AI apps and DAOs (EVM-based)

(2) RWA & NFT Data Infrastructure (Alpha Quark): Alpha Quark enables real-world asset and NFT valuation systems, bridging traditional finance and Web3.

AI-driven asset valuation mechanisms Blockchain-based transaction analysis and asset verification Financialization of RWA/NFT markets through smart contract automation

(3) Human Data Collection & Synthetic Data Generation (Booost): Booost collects and refines real-world user data to create high-quality synthetic datasets for AI training. It supports personhood verification to combat Sybil attacks and AI-driven fraud, enabling secure identity authentication systems.

Human data pipeline Curated datasets for AI model training Proof of Personhood protocols for secure digital identities

(4) Data & AI Model Verification (W3DB by VaaSBlock): W3DB by VaaSBlock introduces trust and certification protocols for enterprise and AI ecosystems.

VaaS (Verification-as-a-Service) for models, datasets, and enterprises Integration into the decentralized AI marketplace Identity and reliability certification for ecosystem participants

Tokenomics

Token: House Party Protocol (HPP)

As more projects build directly on HPP, its utility is expected to grow, especially with new initiatives bringing additional value to the ecosystem. HPP acts as the unified utility token of the House Party Protocol, enabling:

Gas & Fees: Payments for Layer 2 transactions, AI-powered executions, and API calls. Staking & Delegation: Validators and data providers stake HPP to maintain network security and ensure data accuracy. Governance: Token holders participate in governance decisions through token-weighted voting, determining the protocol upgrades. Transactions: Facilitating the buying, selling, and licensing datasets, AI models, and synthetic data within the ecosystem.

House Party Protocol’s total token supply will vest over 80 months to help keep it tight. It is capped at 1.7 billion HPP tokens distributed across multiple vaults to ensure balanced stakeholder incentives and long-term sustainability.

This distribution model is designed to incentivize long-term commitment, align stakeholder interests, and drive sustained House Party Protocol ecosystem growth. All token allocations follow a strict linear vesting schedule to ensure market stability and protect investors’ interests.

Implementation Plan

The rollout of the House Party Protocol will follow a phased roadmap designed to test, stabilize, and scale the protocol:

Q2 2025:
The initial focus will be on launching the Layer 2 testnet built on the OP Stack to validate the technical infrastructure.

Q3 2025:
Key developer tools, such as a block explorer, MetaMask integration, and other core infrastructure components will be released. The token swap portal will also go live, enabling the migration from existing tokens to HPP.

Q4 2025 — Q1 2026:
The House Party Protocol L2 will officially launch, marking a major milestone in the project’s evolution. At this stage, the ecosystem will begin onboarding strategic components — including Alpha Quark, Booost, and W3DB by VaaSBlock — onto the Layer 2 network to enable cross-platform collaboration.

Q1 2026:
The project will release its first AI-integrated MVP, showcasing the practical utility of the House Party Protocol.

AIP 21: Introducing the House Party Protocol, the New Unified Ecosystem was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Following the outcome of AIP 20, all subsequent governance votes — including AIP 21 — will be conducted on Snapshot, a widely used decentralized voting platform.

AERGO leverages Snapshot to conduct community votes on proposals shared through our governance forum. Any holder of AERGO tokens is eligible to participate in Snapshot-based voting.

How Snapshot Works

As the name suggests, Snapshot takes a “snapshot” of wallet balances when a vote begins. To be eligible, you must hold AERGO in a Snapshot-compatible self-custody wallet before the voting period starts.

Any AERGO moved into a wallet after the snapshot will not count toward your voting power.

Snapshot supports most major wallets, including MetaMask and other popular Web3 tools — move your AERGO to a supported wallet in advance.

✅ Requirements to Vote on Snapshot

A MetaMask wallet or any wallet that supports WalletConnect AERGO tokens held in your wallet before the snapshot

No gas fees — voting is done by signing a message, not sending a transaction

🗳 How to Vote on Snapshot (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Visit the Snapshot Page

Go to

https://snapshot.box/#/s:aergodao.eth

Click “Log in” in the top-right corner and follow the prompts to connect your MetaMask or WalletConnect-enabled wallet.

Step 2: Choose a Proposal

Browse the list of proposals and select the one you want to vote on.

Step 3: Cast Your Vote

Before voting, we encourage you to carefully review the full proposal and any linked discussions.

Once ready:

Select your preferred option (For/Against/Abstain)

Click “Vote”

Confirm the signature request in your wallet to submit your vote.

Snapshot Voting: A Step-by-step Guide was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Verida Announces Release of PersonalAgentKit for LangGraph

We are excited to announce the release of the Verida PersonalAgentKit with initial support for LangGraph. This set of tools empower developers to seamlessly integrate private user data into their AI products and solutions, all while upholding the highest standards of security and user consent.

What is the PersonalAgentKit?

The PersonalAgentKit is designed to simplify the process of incorporating private user data into AI applications. It is a collection of software libraries for developers to connect data from their users with AI products and solutions.

Developers can easily access user data stored in Google (Gmail, Drive, Youtube, Calendar etc.), Telegram, Discord and other third party platforms supported by the open source Verida Data Connector Framework.

Key Benefits

The release of the PersonalAgentKit offers several key benefits over other approaches:

Simple, One Click Integration: With a single “Connect Verida” integration, your users can integrate large amounts of their personal data into your application. Expanding Data Sources: Powered by the Verida team and growing community, we will continually add more data sources and extra features enabling your application to access more data, with no extra effort. Data Consent: Enables users to control and consent over what data to share with your application and AI solutions. Enhanced Security: Ensures the highest levels of security for private user data, with end-to-end encryption and API infrastructure operating within Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) Powerful Workflows: Allows for the creation of sophisticated AI workflows using LangGraph tools. How it Works

Powered by the Verida Network and the Verida Vault, the PersonalDataKit provides built-in Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) tools that connects to leading AI frameworks, starting with LangGraph.

The underlying architecture enables end-to-end encryption of user data all the way through to the large language model. With built-in user consent and operating on confidential compute infrastructure, it provides a highly secure technology stack that ensures users have control over their data.

Verida PersonalAgentKit supported the following tools:

Profiles — Allow the LLM to know about your external profiles (ie: Google or Telegram accounts) Query — Allow the LLM to query your data (ie: Query your emails, message history, Youtube favourites etc.) Get Record — Allow the LLM to fetch a specific record (ie: A specific file or a specific email) Chat Search — Allow the LLM to perform a keyword search of your message chat threads Datastore Search — Allow the LLM to perform a keyword search across any of your supported data (ie: Find all emails that mention “utility bills”) Universal Search — Allow the LLM to perform a keyword search across all your data (ie: Find all mentions of “devcon 2025” in all my messages, emails and favourites) User Information — Allow the LLM to know more about the user account (DID) on the Verida network and what data permissions it can access.

Learn more via the PersonalAgentKit documentation.

LangGraph Integration

The integration with LangGraph further enhances the capabilities of the PersonalAgentKit. The first release provides a typescript LangGraph library enabling developers to build sophisticated AI workflows that leverage private user data in a secure and compliant manner.

Example integration code:

import { PersonalAgentKit, PersonalAgentKitOptions } from "@verida/personalagentkit";
import { getLangChainTools } from "@verida/personalagentkit-langchain";
// Initialize AgentKit
const personalAgentkit = await PersonalAgentKit.from(<PersonalAgentKitOptions>{
veridaApiKey: process.env.VERIDA_API_KEY,
veridaApiEndpoint: process.env.VERIDA_API_ENDPOINT || undefined,
});
const tools = await getLangChainTools(personalAgentkit);

Learn more via the LangGraph documentation.

Example Chatbot

A simple command line chatbot example showcases how the LangGraph plugins work. This chatbot uses the PersonalAgentKit Langchain tools. The source code can be found in the Github repo.

Please check out our video overview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZiQ-3p93PM

Looking Ahead

We are committed to providing developers with the tools they need to build secure and privacy-focused AI applications. The release of the PersonalAgentKit for LangGraph is a significant step in this direction.

We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions that developers will create using these tools.

We also encourage developers to contribute to this open source initiative by expanding the supported AI frameworks and the supported data sources.

Learn more about Verida Grants and how you can contribute.

Verida Announces Release of PersonalAgentKit for LangGraph was originally published in Verida on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We’re excited to welcome Raphaël Rocher to the AERGO team as our new Marketing Advisor.

Raphaël is a seasoned business leader and marketing strategist with over a decade of international experience. He brings deep expertise in consulting management, process optimization, automation, and brand development. From launching innovative campaigns for Fortune 500 companies to scaling an Innovation Studio into a revenue-generating force, Raphaël’s career reflects creativity and execution at the highest level.

At AERGO, he’ll play a key role in shaping our strategic marketing direction, enhancing brand visibility, and helping us engage more meaningfully with developers, enterprises, and the broader Web3 ecosystem.

We’re thrilled to have him on board as we expand the AERGO vision and unlock new possibilities.

Welcoming Raphaël Rocher as our new Marketing Advisor! was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

TL;DR: Aergo is powering real-world adoption. Korea’s NHIS is now running 400K+ transactions/day on Aergo Enterprise — a major enterprise milestone.

Other use cases include one of the largest motor companies, financial companies, and government agencies.

Quiet wins, big impact.

Q: Aergo has been adopted by enterprises through Blocko and other partners. Can you share specific examples of successful implementations, and what industries have shown the most interest in Aergo’s technology?

A: Our most recent example is our collaboration with NHIS (Korea’s National Health Insurance Service), which was announced last week.

While it might not sound “sexy” to on-chain purists, it’s a huge win for Aergo and Blocko. NHIS is now running 400,000+ blockchain transactions daily through Aergo Enterprise, which is only growing.

This is what real adoption looks like: high-volume, mission-critical workloads in production.

Other notable enterprise use cases include:

-H Motor Group: Aergo-powered document management across its subsidiaries

-S Bank: Micropayment testbeds on Aergo Enterprise

-L Card: Biometric authentication via blockchain

-G Provincial Gov: Smart contract-based e-voting system

-Real Estate & Education Agencies: Blockchain-backed learning & verification systems

These may not always grab headlines in Web3 circles — but they’re building the foundations for long-term, large-scale adoption.

Stay tuned. This is just the beginning.

Can you share real-world examples of Aergo’s enterprise adoption? was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Welcome to the newest edition of ID Tech’s AI update. Here’s the latest big news on the shifting landscape of AI and identity technology OpenAI has integrated image generation into […]

The post AI Update: The Great Ghiblification appeared first on ID Tech.

Welcome to ID Tech’s digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today: New SIA Report Identifies Key Operational […]

The post ID Tech Digest – March 28, 2025 appeared first on ID Tech.

Sweden’s Migration Agency has launched a market exploration for an Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS)—another step toward modernizing its identity verification infrastructure. The agency published a Request for Information (RFI) […]

The post Swedish Migration Agency Explores $3.8M Biometric ID System Upgrade appeared first on ID Tech.

In our deep-dive discussion on the Business Models of the EU Digital ID wallet, expert Joran Frik from Deloitte outlined a range of business model approaches and potential fee structures that could shape the future of decentralized digital identity. 

In this blog, we focus on two critical areas from his presentation: the broad archetypes of business modelsand the nuances of fee structures.

Let's dive in.

Choosing the best KYC software is critical to keep your business compliant and free from fraud, but this isn't always an easy decision to make. This guide will dive into how KYC protects businesses from compliance fines.

The post Best KYC Software For 2025 first appeared on ComplyCube.

Blockchain has taken the world by storm over the last few years. From cryptocurrencies to secure data storage, it’s everywhere, but many people still aren’t sure exactly what it is or how it works. So, what’s all the hype about? Let’s dive in and take a closer look at the blockchain ecosystem, why it matters, and how it’s shaking up industries across the globe.

Learn more: What is a Blockchain Explorer and How Does It Work?

What is Blockchain Technology?

Let’s start with the basics. Blockchain is essentially a digital ledger, but instead of being stored in one central place, it’s spread across a whole network of computers (called nodes). Think of it like a giant notebook that’s been copied and spread across the world—so no one person or company can change it. The cool part? Once data is added to blockchain, it can’t be edited or deleted. This makes it super secure.

Every block in the chain holds information about a specific transaction (like when you send Bitcoin or sign a contract). These blocks are linked together in a continuous chain, creating a tamper-proof record of everything. It’s kind of like a digital diary where no one can erase or rewrite history.

Learn more: Exploring the Solana Ecosystem: The Future of Blockchain Innovation

Key Components of the Blockchain Ecosystem

What is blockchain ecosystem? Blockchain isn’t just about Bitcoin (though that’s what most people think of first). It’s a whole ecosystem with different components that work together to keep things running smoothly. Let’s break it down:

Blockchain (The Core)

The blockchain itself is the platform where everything happens. It’s the foundation where all the data is stored, verified, and shared. Without the blockchain, there’s no cryptocurrency, no supply chain tracking, and no smart contracts. This is the backbone of the ecosystem.

Nodes (The Players)

Nodes are the devices or computers that participate in the blockchain network. Each node keeps a copy of the entire blockchain, and they work together to validate transactions. Instead of a single authority (like a bank) controlling the data, blockchain spreads this power across a bunch of different nodes, making it way more secure and democratic.

Miners (For Proof of Work)

In blockchain networks that use Proof of Work (PoW), like Bitcoin, miners are the people (or computers) who solve complex puzzles to add a new block to the chain. Think of miners like a group of puzzle solvers racing to be the first to figure it out—if they win, they add a new block and get rewarded with cryptocurrency. It’s a system that ensures the network is secure and working properly.

Validators (For Proof of Stake)

If PoW is like the puzzle-solving game, Proof of Stake (PoS) is a more energy-efficient version. Instead of solving puzzles, validators in PoS are selected to confirm transactions based on how much cryptocurrency they hold. The more you own, the more likely you are to validate the next block. This method uses less energy, making it more sustainable for long-term use.

Smart Contracts

Smart contracts are one of the coolest features of blockchain. These are like self-executing agreements that automatically carry out their terms when certain conditions are met. For example, a smart contract might automatically transfer money to someone when they complete a task, no human intervention needed. It’s a game-changer for automating agreements without the need for a third party.

Tokens and Cryptocurrencies

Tokens are digital assets created on blockchain networks. They can be anything—currency (like Bitcoin), assets, or even ownership rights to things like art or land. Cryptocurrencies are a type of token used for transactions on the blockchain, but tokens can also be used for other purposes, like accessing a service or representing a real-world asset.

Benefits of the Blockchain Ecosystem

So, why does blockchain matter? Here’s the deal: blockchain has a ton of benefits that can change the way we interact with money, data, and even each other.

Transparency and Security

One of the biggest advantages of blockchain is its transparency. Since all transactions are recorded and verified across the network, everyone can see the transaction history. This builds trust, especially in industries like finance and healthcare, where data security is critical. Plus, the blockchain is immutable, meaning once something is recorded, it can’t be tampered with. Goodbye, fraud!

Lower Costs and Faster Transactions

Blockchain cuts out the middlemen—banks, lawyers, notaries—who usually take a cut of the transaction. Whether you’re transferring money or signing a contract, blockchain reduces fees and speeds up the process. Cross-border payments? They’re faster and cheaper because blockchain doesn’t rely on traditional banking systems.

Decentralization and Control

In the blockchain world, no single entity has control over the network. This decentralization ensures that no one can manipulate the system for their own benefit. This also means users have more control over their own data and transactions. It’s a level of freedom that traditional systems just can’t match.

Increased Trust and Accountability

Since every transaction is verified and recorded in a public ledger, blockchain fosters trust and accountability. Everyone involved can see what’s going on, and no one can sneak in changes. Whether it’s for a supply chain, voting system, or contract, this kind of transparency is a huge win for accountability.

More Than Just Cryptocurrencies

Blockchain is not just for cryptocurrencies. It’s transforming other industries as well. For instance, supply chains are becoming more transparent, voting systems are becoming more secure, and even healthcare is using blockchain to store medical records more safely. The applications are endless, and they’re only just getting started.

Challenges of the Blockchain Ecosystem

While blockchain offers a ton of benefits, it’s not perfect. Here are a few challenges that need to be addressed:

Scalability: As more users join the network, the blockchain can become slow and expensive to use. Improving blockchain’s ability to handle a growing number of transactions is a key challenge. Energy Consumption: Blockchain networks, especially those using Proof of Work, require a lot of energy to run. This environmental impact has been a point of criticism. Regulation: Blockchain is still a relatively new technology, and regulations around it are constantly evolving. Governments need to figure out how to regulate blockchain-based industries without stifling innovation. Privacy: Blockchain’s transparency can be a double-edged sword. While it’s great for accountability, some users might prefer more privacy. Solutions like zero-knowledge proofs are helping, but privacy on public blockchains is still a concern. Conclusion

Blockchain isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a revolutionary technology that’s changing the way we think about data, transactions, and trust. The blockchain ecosystem is made up of interconnected components that work together to provide security, efficiency, and transparency. From cryptocurrencies to supply chains and healthcare, blockchain is already transforming industries and will continue to do so in the coming years.

Yes, blockchain has its challenges, but the potential it holds is undeniable. As the technology matures, we’ll likely see even more groundbreaking uses for blockchain. It’s time to pay attention—because the blockchain ecosystem is just getting started.

Learn more: Proof of Authority: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Concept

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post What is blockchain ecosystem? Understanding Key Components & Benefits appeared first on Herond Blog.

Blockchain has become one of the most groundbreaking technologies in today’s digital world. Although it has been around for some time, many people still don’t fully understand what blockchain is and how it is transforming the world. This article will help you gain a better understanding of blockchain, its current applications, and its future potential.

Learn more: A Beginner’s Guide to Yield Farming in DeFi

What is Blockchain?

Blockchain, often referred to as a distributed ledger or chain of blocks, is a system of storing data where information is saved in blocks and linked together in a continuous chain. Each block holds a set of transactions or data, and it is securely encrypted using complex cryptographic algorithms.

What makes blockchain particularly unique is its decentralization. Instead of being stored on a central server, data is distributed and stored across multiple “nodes” in the network. This decentralized approach enhances security and reduces the risk of data breaches or loss.

Once data is recorded on a blockchain, it cannot be altered or modified without the consensus of the entire network. This is one of the key factors that makes blockchain a secure and transparent technology.

Interesting Fact

Blockchain was first introduced in 2008 by an anonymous figure (or group) known as Satoshi Nakamoto, who used it to power Bitcoin—the world’s first decentralized cryptocurrency. This concept has since evolved and is now being applied across a range of industries beyond cryptocurrency.

How Does Blockchain Work?

Blockchain operates on a distributed network, where transactions are validated through consensus mechanisms between nodes. Each time a new block is created, it is added to the chain, and all nodes in the network simultaneously verify and update the information.

The two most common consensus mechanisms in blockchain are Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS). In PoW, nodes compete to solve complex puzzles to validate transactions and earn rewards. In PoS, nodes are selected based on the amount of cryptocurrency they hold.

Blockchain transactions are protected by cryptography, ensuring that data cannot be altered or forged. Once information is recorded on the blockchain, changing it is nearly impossible.

Real-World Applications of Blockchain

Many people associate blockchain only with cryptocurrencies, but in reality, this technology is being applied widely across various fields due to its security, transparency, and immutability.

Cryptocurrencies and Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

The first and most popular application of blockchain is cryptocurrency. Digital currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum use blockchain to create a decentralized monetary system that does not rely on central banks. Cryptocurrency transactions are fast, secure, and free from intermediary fees.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is an emerging sector that offers financial services such as lending, borrowing, saving, and trading without the need for traditional intermediaries like banks.

Healthcare Records Management

Blockchain can improve the storage and sharing of healthcare records, ensuring patient information is secure and cannot be altered. With blockchain, patients have control over their health data and can share it safely with healthcare providers.

Supply Chain Management and Traceability

Blockchain is revolutionizing supply chain management by providing transparency and traceability for products. Companies like Walmart and IBM have already implemented blockchain to track products from the supplier to the consumer, helping reduce counterfeits and build customer trust.

Smart Contracts

Smart contracts are self-executing agreements that automatically enforce the terms when conditions are met. Blockchain enables the creation of these contracts without the need for third parties, such as property ownership transfers or automatic payments to artists when their work is used.

Learn more: Utilize Smart Contracts for Effective NFT Transactions

Voting and Ownership Verification

Another fascinating application of blockchain is in online voting. Blockchain can ensure that votes cannot be altered and that the election process becomes more transparent. Countries like Estonia and Switzerland have already experimented with blockchain in their elections.

Additionally, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are a notable application in the realm of digital art and ownership. NFTs allow for the authentication of ownership for digital assets like art, music, and in-game items.

The Future of Blockchain

Blockchain has already begun transforming multiple industries, and its potential is immense. Experts predict that in the future, blockchain will integrate with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a digital revolution, reshaping how we transact and improving various fields like security, education, and data management.

Integration with AI for a Digital Revolution

Experts believe that blockchain’s integration with AI will lead to a new era in technology. Gartner forecasts that by 2025, 50% of all business processes will be conducted on blockchain platforms, offering greater transparency and efficiency. Additionally, the combination of blockchain and AI will ensure data integrity, security, and trust, which are critical for future advancements in machine learning and automation.

Blockchain’s Impact on Multiple Industries

As blockchain technology continues to evolve, its applications will expand across various sectors:

Supply Chains: Blockchain is expected to streamline supply chains by improving traceability and transparency, which is forecasted to unlock over $3 trillion in value by 2030, according to PwC.
Finance: Blockchain will continue to disrupt the finance industry, reducing costs and enhancing security in transactions and financial services.
Healthcare: Accenture predicts blockchain’s potential to secure patient data and improve care by reducing administrative costs and enhancing data accessibility and sharing. Blockchain as the Foundation for the Future Internet

Industry leaders like Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, envision blockchain as the foundational technology for future internet infrastructure. They predict that decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts will become the backbone of online activities, ensuring a more secure, private, and user-controlled internet.

A Secure and Transparent Future

Blockchain’s decentralized nature ensures enhanced security and transparency, which will become essential for various industries as digital transactions grow. Experts anticipate blockchain will continue to gain momentum as a critical technology for securing data, enhancing operational efficiency, and providing innovative business models across industries.

Conclusion

Blockchain is a technology that holds significant promise for various industries. With its ability to offer a secure, transparent, and decentralized system, blockchain is changing the way we conduct transactions and store data. In the future, blockchain will not be limited to cryptocurrencies but will expand its impact across many other sectors. The future is bright for blockchain technology, and its potential continues to unfold.

Learn more: The Rise of Ethereum DAOs: Exploring the Future of Decentralization

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post What Is Blockchain? Exploring Its Importance in Today’s Digital World appeared first on Herond Blog.

A website is not just a place to showcase products or services; it’s a powerful tool that can help businesses attract potential customers. However, if you build a website without optimizing it, there will remain no visits on the internet. In this article, we’ll explore how to optimize your website to drive traffic quickly and sustainably, ensuring your site not only attracts visitors but also keeps them engaged for the long term.

Learn more: Why is my laptop so slow? How to speed up

What is Website Traffic? Understanding Website Traffic

Website traffic refers to the number of visitors who access your site. Every time a user clicks on a link and lands on your website, it counts as a traffic hit. Traffic is the deciding factor in a website’s success. Without traffic, your website can’t grow, generate sales, or build a strong brand presence.

Types of Traffic

Traffic can be divided into several types:

Organic Traffic: This is traffic that comes from search engine results (like Google). Organic traffic is free and sustainable, but it requires good SEO practices to maintain.
Paid Traffic: Traffic generated through paid ads, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads. Though it incurs costs, it provides immediate results.
Referral Traffic: Traffic that comes from external websites through backlinks or promotions. These are useful in driving traffic without additional advertising costs.
Direct Traffic: Visitors who directly type your website’s URL into the browser or access it from a bookmark. This shows that users are familiar with your brand or website.
10 Ways to Optimize Your Website for Rapid and Sustainable Traffic Growth Create High-Quality Content

Content is the core element to retain visitors. If you only post shallow or irrelevant articles, users will quickly bounce. Instead, focus on crafting content that helps readers solve problems or provides unique, valuable information. Good content will not only encourage users to return but also boost your website’s ranking on search engines.

Importantly, never copy content from other websites. Original and creative content builds trust with users and search engines.

Optimize On-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves optimizing elements within your website, such as titles, descriptions, heading tags, and content. Make sure that your target keywords are naturally integrated throughout your content, URL, and meta tags.

Every page should have a clear title and a compelling meta description. This helps users identify the content they need and improves your chances of ranking higher on search engines, driving more traffic to your site.

Learn more: Easy Online Zip File Extraction: A Step-by-Step Guide

Boost Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO mainly revolves around building high-quality backlinks from other websites. Backlinks are like “votes” from other websites, signaling to search engines that your site is reputable and valuable.

Engage in forums, blogs, or communities in your industry to naturally create backlinks and increase traffic to your site.

Improve Page Load Speed

Page load speed significantly affects user experience. If your website is slow to load, users will get frustrated and leave. This not only results in lost traffic but can also lead to missed opportunities for potential customers.

To check the speed of your website, you can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. Optimize image sizes, reduce large files, and implement caching to improve loading times.

Ensure Your Website is Indexed

Make sure Google has indexed your website. If your website is not indexed, it won’t appear in search results, no matter how well you optimize it. You can check the index status through Google Search Console.

If your website isn’t indexed, you can request Google to index it by submitting a sitemap via Search Console.

Use Social Media to Promote Your Content

Social media is a powerful tool to drive traffic to your website. Share your content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. Quality posts shared on social media will reach a broader audience, bringing more traffic back to your website.

Additionally, encourage users to share your posts. Organic shares can help your website gain more exposure and increase traffic.

Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices

With the increasing use of smartphones, users primarily access websites via mobile devices. Therefore, optimizing your website for mobile is crucial. A website that isn’t mobile-friendly will cause users to leave immediately.

Ensure that your website’s design adjusts automatically to different screen sizes, providing a smooth experience on smartphones and tablets.

Build a Community Around Your Website

Building a loyal community is invaluable for any business. Once you create a community, they will return to your website regularly. Participate in industry-related groups, forums, or online communities and share your knowledge and expertise.

A community will not only help drive traffic but also establish trust and credibility with your audience.

Use Email Marketing and Offer Giveaways

Email marketing is an effective way to maintain customer engagement. Send regular emails announcing new blog posts, promotions, or updates, keeping customers coming back to your website.

Additionally, offering free giveaways like eBooks, coupons, or other incentives will leave a lasting impression on your audience, keeping them engaged and making them more likely to return.

Implement Video Marketing

Video marketing is a rising trend in attracting customers. You can create videos to introduce products, offer how-to guides, or share tips and tricks within your industry. These videos not only capture attention but also help with SEO on YouTube, the largest video platform in the world.

Moreover, video content can improve your search engine visibility, increasing your chances of being discovered by new visitors.

Conclusion

Optimizing your website for traffic growth is not an overnight task, but with the right strategies and consistent effort, you’ll see noticeable results. Start applying these methods today and monitor the positive changes in your website’s performance. Your website is a powerful tool for connecting with customers. Invest the time and effort to optimize it, and your business will grow sustainably!

Learn more: Maintaining Optimal CPU Temperature for Peak Performance

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post How to Optimize Your Website for Rapid Traffic Growth appeared first on Herond Blog.

With the rapid expansion of cloud technologies and an overwhelming amount of security and identity data to analyze, organizations are now focused on finding effective ways to harness resources securely. The biggest challenge is trying to secure their environments without adding complexity or unnecessary decision-making burdens.

 

BeyondTrust and Ping Identity have been partnering to deliver seamless integrations that advance identity security and governance for over five years. Now we are excited to introduce several new BeyondTrust - Ping integrations that further expand on our current strategic partnership to provide our customers with powerful visibility, management, and control:

BeyondTrust Identity Security Insights and Ping Identity Platform BeyondTrust Identity Security Insights and Ping DaVinci BeyondTrust Password Safe and Ping Advanced Identity Cloud

By enhancing our customers’ ability to continuously assess their identity security posture across endpoints, servers, cloud services, DevOps systems, and identity providers, we are better equipping them to manage and secure their expanding identity estates.

 

Read on to learn more about these exciting new integrations and how they can help advance your identity security strategy.

Making the internet greener starts with its infrastructure. Learn how edge computing and smarter content delivery reduce energy waste and carbon impact.

Technique claims it can unmask crooks hiding behind VPNs, proxy servers and Tor browsers with up to 70% reliability.

27 March, Luxembourg – Tokeny, the leading onchain operating system, proudly announces that it has successfully achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance, reinforcing its commitment to delivering enterprise-grade security and reliability. As the demand for tokenization accelerates, institutions require a trusted, fully audited infrastructure that meets the highest security standards, allowing them to adopt onchain finance seamlessly and with confidence.

Tokeny has undergone rigorous security audits to ensure that its tokenization solutions are built for scale and institutional adoption. The SOC 2 Type II certification validates that Tokeny has maintained and implemented robust security, availability, and confidentiality controls over time, demonstrating a long-term commitment to safeguarding client operations.

Conducted late last year, this independent audit reviewed Tokeny’s security policies across infrastructure, IT systems, data protection, HR, and customer success, ensuring that the platform aligns with the stringent compliance standards required by financial institutions.

This achievement builds upon Tokeny’s SOC 2 Type I certification and Hacken smart contract audit, both completed in 2023, reinforcing its continuous improvement in security and operational excellence. While SOC 2 Type I established that Tokeny had the right controls in place, SOC 2 Type II goes further by proving that these controls have been actively maintained and tested over time. It is a key requirement for institutions integrating onchain operational features into their financial legacy systems.

Tokeny is positioning its institutional clients to embrace onchain finance with confidence, providing an infrastructure that is secure, scalable, and ready for global adoption. As institutions move toward tokenized economy, Tokeny ensures they have a trusted system that eliminates friction and accelerates their onchain strategy, enabling them to launch with confidence, meet regulatory requirements, and focus on value creation rather than operational headaches.

For those interested in reviewing the audit report, it is available upon request.

Mass adoption of tokenized assets is approaching, and institutions need an onchain operating system that allows them to act fast without security concerns. This certification is a testament to Tokeny’s readiness to support them with a compliant and enterprise-grade infrastructure that they can trust from day one. Tony MalghemCTO at Tokeny About Tokeny

Tokeny is a leading on-chain finance operating system. It has pioneered compliant tokenisation with the open-source ERC-3643 “T-REX” standard and advanced white-label software solutions. The enterprise-grade platform and APIs unify fragmented on-chain and off-chain workflows, integrating essential services to eliminate silos. Tokeny enables the seamless issuance, transfer, and management of tokenised securities. By automating operations, offering innovative on-chain services, and connecting with any desired distributor, Tokeny helps financial players attract more customers and improve liquidity. Trusted worldwide, Tokeny has successfully executed over 120 use cases across five continents and has facilitated $3 billion worth of on-chain transactions and operations.

Website | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

The post Tokeny Achieves SOC 2 Type II Compliance appeared first on Tokeny.

Fortifying financial transactions with facial recognition is crucial in today’s digital landscape, where businesses must implement robust identity verification software to protect a customer's identity and prevent identity fraud.

The post Fortifying Transactions with Identity Verification Software first appeared on ComplyCube.

Military strike plans of the U.S. against Houthi rebels in Yemen were discussed over the Signal messaging app and exposed by The Atlantic after the inadvertent inclusion of its editor-in-chief in the chat.

The old CAPTCHA method of verifying human website visitors is clunky, inefficient and annoying. Here's how websites can smoothly and seamlessly establish user humanity.

Malware executables are being increasingly code-signed with three-day certificates using the Microsoft Trusted Signing service as threat actors seek to establish legitimacy and prevent thwarting by security systems, according to BleepingComputer.

Human error is often at the center of data leaks from secured messaging platforms like the recent leak of U.S. strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Privacy advocates worry how the DNA data will be managed during company's Chapter 11 proceedings.

New tool can test millions of stolen credentials with minimal effort to run account takeovers.

Ransomware isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's growing, despite the mountains of money spent to stop it. Here's how to corral ransomware by taking simple, effective steps instead.

ComplyCube has achieved a Leader status in the G2 Spring 2025 Report in key categories like Digital Customer Onboarding and Anti-Money Laundering while also maintaining its Momentum Leader Position in Identity Verification

The post ComplyCube is a Leader in the G2 Spring 2025 Report first appeared on ComplyCube.

Slimme klantprocessen in de financiële sector: praktische inzichten van onze topklanten

De financiële sector digitaliseert in hoog tempo. Klanten verwachten snelheid en gemak, terwijl organisaties zoeken naar efficiëntie, klantactivatie en compliance. Om hier dieper op in te duiken, organiseerden wij de masterclass:

Thales Alenia Space signs contract with ESA to develop an agricultural digital twin component for sustainable, resilient agriculture tas Thu, 03/27/2025 - 10:17 SaveCrops4EU leverages Earth observation and advanced processing techniques to create tools that support an economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture sector, in line with Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy and the European Green Deal.

Luxembourg, March 27, 2025 –Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead the SaveCrops4EU project. Part of ESA's Digital Twin Earth programme, this pre-operational digital twin component will enhance agriculture’s resilience to climate change and support agricultural resource management. 

Destination Earth © ESA

The SaveCrops4EU digital twin component will be structured around three major scientific pillars: 

Advanced monitoring using satellite data and agronomic indicators to enable real-time analysis of crop conditions.  Yield forecasting based on a hybrid modeling approach combining Earth observation data with crop growth models to estimate production volumes at regional level.  Scenario testing incorporating various abiotic stresses (such as drought and heat) and management strategies (including irrigation and fertilization) through a range of simulations. 

Thales Alenia Space will lead the integration and overall architectural design of the Digital Twin Component, combining the various scientific models with the necessary Earth observation data and ensuring that the output data can be effectively used by end-users. A modular approach was chosen to support a wide range of use cases in which the Digital Twin Component could provide key information.  

Thanks to an innovative combination of Earth system modeling, diverse data sources, and cutting-edge technologies, Destination Earth and its digital twins for example allow a wide range of users to explore the effects of climate change on the various components of the Earth system and assess possible adaptation and mitigation strategies. Several structural institutional initiatives in this area exist in Europe like Destination Earth (DestinE) funded by the European Commission or ESA Digital Twin Earth (DTE), funded by a large number of ESA Member States. The ultimate goal of these initiatives is to create a digital model of the Earth to monitor the effects of natural and human activity on our planet, anticipate extreme events, optimize resource use while minimizing environmental impact, and adapt climate policies accordingly.

As an ESA programme, DTE is in full synergy with DestinE and ensures that the pre-operational digital twins developed could transition into a larger operational system like DestinE, thus maximising their impact. 

Real-world use cases for validation

To ensure the relevance of technological developments, SaveCrops4EU will be tested through four key use cases in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, and Spain. These real-world validation cases will assess the accuracy of the models, their ability to anticipate weather- and climate-induced stress on agriculture, and their impact on local decisions by stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

SaveCrops4EU leverages existing solutions from the Destination Earth Platform and aims to achieve maximum interoperability with other digital twin components. The modular approach will ensure future scalability by enabling the easy integration of new models and addition of crop types. By the end of 2026, the project will provide a pre-operational solution supporting economically and environmentally sustainable crop management in Europe. 

“For several years, Thales Alenia Space has been at the forefront of innovation, developing enhanced digital solutions for Earth observation to enhance decision-making and support responsible climate policies. We are proud that ESA renewed its trust in our company with SaveCrops4EU, leveraging the legacy and experience we gained in developing the flood prediction digital twin in 2023,” said Étienne Barritault, Managing Director of Thales Alenia Space in Luxembourg.

A European consortium of excellence

To lead the SaveCrops4EU project, Thales Alenia Space has formed a European consortium, with each partner contributing specialized expertise in complementary fields. The consortium brings together the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, the scientific lead, and the University of Valencia as remote sensing experts. It also includes Forschungszentrum Jülich, specialists in bioscience and geoscience simulation, the Walloon Agricultural Research Center, and CropOM, experts in agriculture.

About Thales Alenia Space

Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers innovative solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design and build satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 8 countries, with 16 sites in Europe.
 

/sites/default/files/database/assets/images/2022-10/New_Banner.jpg 27 Mar 2025 Thales Alenia Space Type Press release Structure Space SaveCrops4EU leverages Earth observation and advanced processing techniques to create tools that support an economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture sector, in line with Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy and the European Green Deal. Luxemb... Hide from search engines Off Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off Canonical url https://www.thalesaleniaspace.com/en/press-releases/thales-alenia-space-signs-contract-esa-develop-agricultural-digital-twin-component

Predictoor DF134 rewards available. DF135 runs Mar 27— Apr 3rd, 2024 1. Overview

Data Farming (DF) is an incentives program initiated by ASI Alliance member, Ocean Protocol. In DF, you can earn OCEAN rewards by making predictions via ASI Predictoor.

Data Farming Round 134 (DF134) has completed.

DF135 is live today, March 27. It concludes on April 3rd. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3750 OCEAN rewards and 20,000 ROSE rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF135 is comprised solely of Predictoor DF rewards.

Predictoor DF: Actively predict crypto prices by submitting a price prediction and staking OCEAN to slash competitors and earn.

3. How to Earn Rewards, and Claim Them

Predictoor DF: To earn: submit accurate predictions via Predictoor Bots and stake OCEAN to slash incorrect Predictoors. To claim OCEAN rewards: run the Predictoor $OCEAN payout script, linked from Predictoor DF user guide in Ocean docs. To claim ROSE rewards: see instructions in Predictoor DF user guide in Ocean docs.

4. Specific Parameters for DF135

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3750 OCEAN + 20K ROSE

Networks. Predictoor DF applies to activity on Oasis Sapphire. Here is more information about Ocean deployments to networks.

Predictoor DF rewards are calculated as follows:

First, DF Buyer agent purchases Predictoor feeds using OCEAN throughout the week to evenly distribute these rewards. Then, ROSE is distributed at the end of the week to active Predictoors that have been claiming their rewards.

Expect further evolution in DF: adding new streams and budget adjustments among streams.

Updates are always announced at the beginning of a round, if not sooner.

About Ocean, DF and ASI Predictoor

Ocean Protocol was founded to level the playing field for AI and data. Ocean tools enable people to privately & securely publish, exchange, and consume data. Follow Ocean on Twitter or TG, and chat in Discord. Ocean is part of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

In Predictoor, people run AI-powered prediction bots or trading bots on crypto price feeds to earn $. Follow Predictoor on Twitter.

DF134 Completes and DF135 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Cybersecurity in financial services has never been more critical. With rising cyberattacks, data breaches, fraud, and identity theft, regulators are tightening the screws on financial institutions that fail to protect their customers. The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) cybersecurity regulation (23 NYCRR 500) has set a clear expectation: financial firms must implement strong multi-factor authentication (MFA) into their cybersecurity programs and secure digital identities to safeguard customer data, transactions, and sensitive systems.

 

As we move into 2025, compliance is no longer optional. Failure to meet MFA authentication standards and protect data privacy could lead to regulatory fines, reputational damage, and increased cybersecurity risks. However, compliance isn’t just about avoiding penalties—it’s about securing digital banking, fintech, embedded finance, and open banking ecosystems against current and future cybersecurity threats.

 

For many financial institutions, the biggest challenge is finding the right balance between security, compliance, and customer experience. Traditional MFA solutions, such as SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs), are now considered weak authentication methods, vulnerable to unauthorized access via phishing, SIM-swapping, and credential-stuffing attacks. That means organizations must move toward more secure and frictionless authentication approaches, including passkeys, FIDO2 authentication, WebAuthn, security keys, and passwordless authentication, to enhance network security.

We’ve just released some cool new features in MySudo all-in-one privacy app.

Right now, the changes under version 2.5.0 are for iOS only, but we’ll roll them out to MySudo Android soon.

So, what have we done? Well …

We’ve made navigation cleaner and more intuitive

You can now easily:

Add your virtual card details to your Sudo details Reorder your Sudos how you want them Quickly share your Sudo handle, email and phone number Long press on a message, call or email to mark it as read or delete it Switch between Sudos, customize your home page, and do a global search (more on that below) from a freshly redesigned top bar in the app Navigate quickly using a clearer bottom bar in the app. We’ve added quick access buttons

Now you can save time by simply hitting a quick access button to compose a message, make a call, and send an email. Look for the big purple button at the bottom of the screen when you’re in messages, calls, or emails.

We’ve introduced a global search function that makes finding things a breeze

You asked and we listened. With version 2.5.0, you can do a global search by Sudo or by communication type (messages, calls, emails, contacts), to find things in the app super-fast.

We squashed some bugs, too!

A great user experience is always our goal and in version 2.5.0 for iOS we also fixed a few bugs.

But that’s not all … better email is coming soon!

Hot on the heels of this release, we will launch out into the world some cool extras for MySudo email, including custom folders, schedule send, email signatures, and mark as spam function.

Update to version 2.5.0 now!

To lock-in these new features in MySudo, simply update to the latest version on iOS—or sit tight for the same updates for Android, coming soon!

If you need help, reach out via X @MySudoApp or email support@mysudo.com

Go to monthly plans.

New to MySudo? Start Here.

MySudo Desktop is Here: 3 Good Reasons to Get it Now! 

How to Take Back Control of Your Digital Footprint: Get RECLAIM 1.1!  

The #1 Reason MySudo VPN Is the Most Private VPN on the Market  

You might also like:

4 Steps to Setting Up MySudo to Meet Your Real-Life Privacy Needs

From Yelp to Lyft: 6 Ways to “Do Life” Without Using Your Personal Details

2024 was the Biggest Year for Data Breaches: Here’s How to Stay Safe in 2025

310 Ways to Get Support at MySudo

The post Update MySudo for Better Navigation, Global Search, and Quick Access appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

The post The Hidden Trick Hackers Hope You Never Discover appeared first on Radiant Logic.

The Verida Token (VDA) plays an essential role in powering Verida AI, a robust and flexible platform enabling developers to integrate powerful AI-driven functionalities into their applications.

The current API payment mechanism represents the first of many planned types of utility for the VDA token. Here’s how VDA currently delivers practical utility and value to users and developers:

Payment for API Usage Payment for API Usage (image created using an AI image creation program)

VDA is used to facilitate payments for API requests within the Verida AI ecosystem. API requests enable applications to access user data securely, with each request consuming a specific number of credits:

Standard API Requests: Typically, one credit per request. Intensive API Requests: Operations requiring more resources, like heavy searches or advanced language model processing, may consume multiple credits.

Each credit is valued at $0.01 USD, making it straightforward for developers to calculate API usage costs.

Flexible Payment Models

Developers integrating Verida AI have two distinct methods to handle API request costs:

User-Paid Requests: Users authorize and directly cover the cost of API requests. Developer-Paid Requests: The application covers all API request costs, simplifying user experience.

This dual approach allows developers to select a payment strategy best aligned with their business model and user engagement goals.

Converting VDA into Credits

To streamline payments, developers can purchase Verida Tokens from supported exchanges and conveniently convert these tokens into API credits through Verida’s Developer Console.

Dynamic Pricing Model

The amount of VDA used per API request is dynamically calculated at the moment of each transaction, ensuring transparency and fairness aligned with current market values. For instance:

If the VDA price is $0.01 USD and an API call requires one credit ($0.01), one VDA is deducted. If the VDA price rises to $0.10 USD, the same call (one credit, valued at $0.01) deducts only 0.1 VDA.

This dynamic pricing mechanism ensures users always pay a fair, market-driven rate.

Capturing Value and Revenue for Node Operators Verida Network Value Cycle (image created using an AI image creation program)

Payments made in VDA tokens are used to compensate confidential compute node operators who run Verida API code. These node operators receive VDA payments as revenue, incentivizing their ongoing participation and infrastructure provision.

To ensure a stable and secure network, node operators stake VDA tokens for the privilege of participating. This staking mechanism not only secures the network but also enables node operators to capture long-term value in the token, benefiting as the network grows.

As more applications are developed on Verida AI, the demand for accessing user data via Verida APIs will grow. Increased API usage means more users and developers purchasing VDA to utilize network services, which in turn attracts more node operators to stake VDA and provide infrastructure.

This creates a positive feedback loop where the token’s value and network utility mutually reinforce each other, driving sustainable growth and value capture for all participants.

Future Token Utility

While API payment is the current primary use case for VDA, the token’s utility is set to expand significantly in the future. Additional details on upcoming token utilities, broader integration, and enhanced value capture mechanisms can be explored in greater depth here.

Stay tuned for further updates and detailed insights into the evolving utility of the Verida Token.

Learn more the Verida token

You can learn more about the Verida token through the following pages:

Verida Resource Pricing: https://docs.verida.ai/resources/pricing Verida Community Token Overview: https://community.verida.network/verida-token-vda/verida-token-usdvda

Dynamic Pricing & Fair Payments: Exploring the Utility of VDA was originally published in Verida on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Indicio is pleased to announce that Hovi has joined the Indicio Partner program, an ecosystem supporting innovation and growth in the decentralized identity and Verifiable Credentials sector.

By combining Indicio’s decentralized network with Hovi’s platform, the partnership aims to enhance the adoption, security, efficiency, and scalability of digital credential issuance and verification.

Why a Decentralized Network

The Indicio Network makes decentralized identity practical, scalable, and impactful for businesses worldwide. It provides a robust, production-grade network built on enterprise-level infrastructure, ensuring high availability, security, interoperability, and compliance for Hovi customers. It is operated by nearly two-dozen organizations around the world on six continents and serves as the backbone for issuing, verifying, and managing digital credentials across industries..

The advantages to using a decentralized network for Verifiable Credentials are:

Removes the need for personal data to be stored in siloed databases. Verifiable Credentials are a simple yet powerful way to mitigate identity fraud and data breaches that allow people and organizations to hold their data and have it verified without checking in with the source or a third party.  Provides an immediate way to verify data. A distributed ledger facilitates the cryptography that enables data to be instantly and easily verified by anyone, anywhere at any time. No personal data needs to be written to the ledger, just metadata about the credential. Infrastructural resilience. Multiple nodes run by different companies across multiple countries protect the network against outages.

This partnership underscores the potential of decentralized identity solutions to simplify digital interactions while protecting sensitive data. Verifiable credential technology enables the issuance of tamper-proof, reusable credentials that allow selective disclosure of information, ensuring user privacy and security

Omer Shafiq, Founder and CEO of Hovi, reflected on the collaboration:

“At Hovi, our vision is to simplify self-sovereign identity and Verifiable Credentials for businesses, ensuring they create real-world value and impact. Our collaboration with Indicio strengthens this mission, enabling secure, interoperable, and scalable identity solutions. Together, we are making digital trust more accessible, empowering organizations to harness the full potential of Verifiable Credentials with ease and confidence.”

James Schulte, Co-founder and VP of Business Development at Indicio, said

“As an Indicio Partner, Hovi is joining a network built for real-world adoption—one of the world’s only publicly available Hyperledger Indy networks. Using the Indicio MainNet adds a layer of cryptographic trust and a source of truth for your solutions. Indicio is proud to lead the way in providing trusted, enterprise-grade decentralized identity infrastructure, and we’re excited to support Hovi as they drive innovation in this space.”

About Indicio

Indicio leads the way in digital identity transformation with its award winning technology and team. The global Indicio Network is the only enterprise-grade network for delivering fast, powerful decentralized identity solutions. Using the Indicio Network for your solutions guarantees you the expert support, scalability, and dependability you need.

In all their work, Indicio prioritizes interoperability and compatibility with current and emerging global protocols and standards for decentralized identity. This ensures compatibility and interoperability across platforms. It also enables zero-knowledge proofs, allowing users to share verifiable information in a privacy-preserving way without unnecessarily exposing personal data. Their technology also supports OpenID4VC and SD-JWTS, as well as AnonCreds and JSON-LD for added security.

For more information on how Indicio can transform your business’s decentralized identity credentials management, reach out to our team today.

About Hovi

Businesses need identity solutions that are not only secure but easy to implement. Hovi answers this demand by providing a platform that simplifies the adoption of decentralized identity systems. Hovi’s APIs and no-code platform empowers organizations to seamlessly integrate autonomous identity systems into their operations, reducing the need for specialized training or technical teams. The platform eliminates the complexities allowing businesses to go from months of development to weeks of implementation.

Whether you’re a startup or a global enterprise, Hovi’s adaptable platform supports a wide range of use cases, ensuring seamless integration with your existing systems.

At the heart of Hovi’s offering is its commitment to security and compliance. The platform makes it easier than ever for businesses to implement verifiable credentials, ensuring that sensitive information remains private and secure while meeting regulatory requirements.

To learn more about Hovi and how this partnership is revolutionizing the future of digital identity visit their website at Hovi.id

Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest from Indicio and the decentralized identity community

The post Hovi joins the Indicio partner program appeared first on Indicio.

State and local governments have been urged by the New America's Open Technology Institute to implement data encryption, hashing, de-identification, and other privacy enhancing technologies to avert potential breaches amid growing concerns regarding the Department of Government Efficiency's increasingly pervasive access to federal agencies' sensitive information, reports CyberScoop.

Higher education institutions struggle with balancing cybersecurity and data privacy, two distinct yet linked pillars of the digital age.

The ImaSpiiR-X consortium receives support from France 2030 to improve the management of cancer and cardiovascular diseases through medical imaging prezly Wed, 03/26/2025 - 14:00

France 2030 has announced its support for the ImaSpiiR-X consortium, providing €18.2 million in funding over 60 months to move from black-and-white X-ray medical imaging (which displays only tissue density) to full-colour spectral imaging (capable of identifying tissue composition). To achieve this, the consortium will develop next-generation flat-panel detectors that will provide enriched digital radiographic images, along with advanced analysis algorithms.

ImaSpiiR-X will help physicians in real time to perform more comprehensive and accurate diagnoses, better guide their procedures with the assistance of an advanced imaging system, and therefore save precious minutes in patient care. This is particularly crucial for certain critical conditions such as strokes (cerebrovascular accidents), during which two million neurons are lost every minute. Strokes are the leading cause of disability and the third-leading cause of death in France.

ImaSpiiR-X brings together key national players from industry and academia: Trixell, the project coordinator, CEA, Thales, Pyxalis, and Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region within the world-class competitiveness clusters of Minalogic and Lyonbiopôle, they complement each other by providing the necessary expertise in materials, semiconductors, electronics, and algorithms, with breakthrough technologies serving the medical community. These five partners will oversee the technological development of the project, preclinical validations, and industrial optimisation for the commercialisation of spectral flat-panel detectors. They will also rely on a team of international medical experts.

This project will strengthen the French ecosystem, a global leader in interventional radiology and real-time image-guided surgery, while improving the quality of care provided to patients. The flat-panel detectors resulting from this collaboration will be manufactured in France, with the majority of supplies sourced from more than 200 French suppliers.

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/CEA-DCOM_0004447_WEB-1_2.jpg Documents [Prezly] PR_ImaSpiiR-X consortium receives support from France 2030 to improve management of cancer and cardiovascular diseases through medical imaging.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 26 Mar 2025 Type Press release Structure Group France 2030 has announced its support for the ImaSpiiR-X consortium, providing €18.2 million in funding over 60 months to move from black-and-white X-ray medical imaging (which displays only tissue density) to full-colour spectral imaging (capable of identifying tissue composition). To achieve this, the consortium will develop next-generation flat-panel detectors that will provide enriched digital radiographic images, along with advanced analysis algorithms. prezly_744587_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 744587 Prezly UUID c03299ec-d975-447e-acf6-e5b47de7a483 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/the-imaspiir-x-consortium-receives-support-from-france-2030-to-improve-through-medical-imaging-management-of-cancer-and-cardiovascular-diseases Wed, 03/26/2025 - 15:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

IDnow Trust Services AB has become the first QTSP to implement SMS-free remote signing. Discover why that’s important and why IDnow is perfectly placed to deliver the most secure and agile digital signature solution in the market.

Is it any wonder the digital signature market was valued at $7.61 billion in 2024? 

Digital signatures offer a raft of business and customer benefits, across multiple industries. For example, in financial services, they’re used to facilitate compliant and legally binding cross-border digital transactions, while in telecommunications, digital signatures are used to agree terms and conditions and conclude contracts. 

Often completed in a matter of minutes, without needing to visit stores or schedule appointments, digital signatures couldn’t be simpler to use, or more effective or convenient, could they? 

Well, yes, they could, at least according to IDnow. To test our hypothesis, Senior Architect, Sebastian Elfors and other members of the team have been working hard behind the scenes to propose an update to the ‘Electronic Signatures and Trust Infrastructures (ESI); Policy and security requirements for trust service providers’ standard (ETSI TS 119 431) by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). 

“In the past, digital signature services would follow ETSI standards to ensure security and compliance. As these standards were typically designed for longevity, qualified certificates would be valid for 2-3 years. While these long-term qualified certificates were ideal for those who regularly need to sign contracts, such as CEOs, it wasn’t for individuals who only need to sign single agreements or contracts as the user had to be authenticated for every signature,” said Sebastian.

Problems with the way signatures were processed.

To align with the aforementioned ETSI standards, a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) is required to do the following two steps to issue a valid and legally binding signature: 

Identify the user before issuing a certificate  Authenticate the user to create the signature. 

As mentioned, requiring a second authentication step for one-time certificates, such as signing a single agreement with a bank or telecom provider, is unnecessary, especially considering identification and signing invariably happens in the same session. 

One Time Passwords (OTPs) sent via SMS are a common method of conducting that second authentication step. However, although convenient, OTPs via SMS are also susceptible to fraud as they can be intercepted and spoofed.

3 most common SMS scams.

Smishing (SMS phishing): As the name suggests, smishing is a phishing attack conducted via SMS. Here, fraudsters will send fake messages pretending to be from banks or delivery companies and requesting recipients enter log-in details, which would then be used to gain access to victims’ accounts. 

SMS swap fraud: Here, attackers trick telecom providers to transfer a victim’s telephone number to a new SIM card that they already control. In doing so, they receive all OTPs sent to that number, thereby bypassing 2FA. 

MITM attacks: Man-in-the-middle attacks work when tech-savvy fraudsters infiltrate telecom systems and intercept messages, which they’re able to read, track locations and, of course, steal authentication codes! 

SIM swap fraud, SMS spoofing, MITM and other SMS OTP attacks increased by 12% in 2023 compared to 2021, equating to a staggering $38.95 billion lost globally in 2023.

Besides the risk of fraud, OTPs can also cause significant friction in the onboarding process and ultimately lead to user drop-offs. This tends to happen if OTPs aren’t delivered quickly enough. Of course, SMS OTP delivery delays or failures could also simply be a result of network issues.

Exploring the future of digital signatures.

Clearly, existing legacy digital signature processes for signing contracts or onboarding are cumbersome, involve unnecessary friction, cause delays, user drop-offs and can increase the risk of fraud. 

Recognizing these inefficiencies and dangers, IDnow has proposed a time-saving and cost-effective cut to the process, which was officially accepted by ETSI and reflected in the December 2024 update to ETSI’s standard on remote signing. 

“We are proud of our contribution in pushing for the standard change at CEN and ETSI. This brings us one step closer to offering a truly optimized remote signing workflow for one-time qualified certificates,” said Johannes Leser, Chief Executive Officer of IDnow Trust Services AB.

As IDnow Trust Services AB is the first QTSP to implement the SMS-free signing flow without OTP, our digital signature products like InstantSign are well placed to benefit from the upcoming digital signature revolution. This is great news for the industry as a whole and provides a significantly improved user experience for the end-user.

Johannes Leser, Chief Executive Officer of IDnow Trust Services AB.

Top 5 benefits of digital signatures.

A more streamlined remote one-time signing experience eliminates lengthy, complicated signing processes, helping businesses maximize conversions with faster process times and an enhanced user experience. Plus, by removing OTPs, businesses reduce the likelihood of fraud and operational risk associated with SMS-based authentication. An SMS-free signing process also significantly reduces friction by allowing users to stay within the signing flow without needing to switch between apps or devices to retrieve OTPs. 

What’s more, IDnow’s unique role as founding partner of a QTSP (IDnow Trust Services AB) reduces dependency on third-party providers, eliminating unnecessary steps and increasing operational freedom. Here are the top five benefits that companies can expect from integrating an OTP-less digital signature solution.

Efficiency: Digital signatures eliminate the need for physical documents and paperwork, significantly speeding up processes that would otherwise require mailing, printing and manual processing; enabling documents to be signed and exchanged in an instant. The quality of the data is also increased when transmitting electronic documents, as receivers no longer need to scan documents, which is error prone.  Cost savings: Due to the reduced need for physical storage, postal services, and manual processing, digital signatures save on the costs associated with paper-based processes.  Certified, seamless integration: By offering both identity verification services and secure Trust Services, IDnow’s digital signature solutions boost confidence and trust with every certified, trusted transaction.   Regulatory compliance: As qualified digital signatures carry legal equivalency with wet signatures, they ensure businesses remain compliant with complex regulations like AMLD 6 and eIDAS 2.0 when transacting digitally in the EU.  Scalability: Remove bottlenecks and ensure agreements and contracts are concluded in a timely manner, no matter the volume. 

Discover our range of digital solutions here.

By

Jody Houton
Senior Content Manager at IDnow
Connect with Jody on LinkedIn

Expert guide to digital signatures.

Learn more about:

The different types of digital signatures Benefits of implementing a digital signature solution How IDnow can help unlock valuable business opportunities Read now

Thales reorganises its support capabilities to enhance mission readiness of the French Army in high-intensity conflicts prezly Wed, 03/26/2025 - 09:00 The French defence ministry’s integrated structure for through-life support of land forces equipment (SIMMT1) has awarded Thales the ABSOLU2 operational support and logistics contract. In terms of its scale and format, the ten-year contract is the first of its kind for the French armed forces and will ultimately consolidate some 30 separate support contracts for land-based equipment and Thales simulation support in service with the French Army, Navy and Air & Space Force. This flagship agreement addresses the need to prepare the forces for high-intensity conflicts, while helping to promote sustainable resource management.

ABSOLU will consolidate some 30 separate maintenance contracts into a single agreement to simplify contract management and significantly improve operational performance. Its shared project management model will shorten repair turnaround times to increase equipment availability, as well as expanding the re-use of components and raw materials to support the development of a circular economy.

Under the terms of this single framework contract for maintenance services, Thales also undertakes to double its equipment handling capacity in the event of a high-intensity conflict. Until now, SIMMT has awarded a separate maintenance contract for each platform.

The pioneering new format will revolutionise the strategic partnership between Thales and the French forces and deliver significant efficiency gains for the end customer. To guarantee this level of service, the Group has put new processes in place and developed a comprehensive roadmap for the ramp-up of its support delivery capacity:

creation of a joint management platform for shorter decision and repair cycles inventory consolidation and constitution of reserve stocks in two distinct locations use of data science for continuous monitoring of support delivery performance, predictive material and resource planning, and proactive decision-making in coordination with government customers.

The shift towards a circular economy is another important aspect of the ABSOLU contract. Thales is developing new ways of re-using materials and components to extend equipment lifetimes and enhance mission readiness, especially in high-intensity conflicts where equipment takes a heavy toll. As part of this approach, critical components (circuit boards, electronic equipment) and raw materials will also be sorted and recycled to help address environmental issues and ease supply chain tensions.

"SIMMT will leverage Thales's expertise and agility to support deployed forces more effectively than ever before. The new contract includes an undertaking by Thales to reduce repair times by 30% and will significantly increase the operational readiness of the equipment in service with the armed forces," said Christophe Salomon, Executive Vice-President, Secure Communications and Information Systems, Thales.

The initial scope of the ABSOLU contract includes maintenance of PR4G fourth-generation radio sets, MELCHIOR long-range HF communication systems and ground stations developed under the ASTRIDE3 2 programme, all of which enable the French armed forces to command expeditionary forces autonomously and act as a framework nation in coalition operations. Ultimately, the contract will encompass all SIMMT maintenance programmes for Thales equipment and simulation equipment.

1 SIMMT: Integrated structure for through-life support of land forces equipment

2 ABSOLU: End-to-end adaptation of operational support and harmonised logistics for Thales land-based systems

3 ASTRIDE: Access via satellite and radio transmissions to battlespace area network and intranet

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/Generic%20banner%20option%202%20%282%29_28.png Contacts Cédric Leurquin 26 Mar 2025 Type Press release Structure Defence and Security Defence ABSOLU will consolidate some 30 separate maintenance contracts into a single agreement to simplify contract management and significantly improve operational performance. Its shared project management model will shorten repair turnaround times to increase equipment availability, as well as expanding the re-use of components and raw materials to support the development of a circular economy. prezly_743928_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 743928 Prezly UUID d84d2243-0f2b-46ea-abf4-a1430778bbfa Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-reorganises-its-support-capabilities-to-enhance-mission-readiness-of-the-french-army-in-high-intensity-conflicts Wed, 03/26/2025 - 10:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Aergo uses a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus model-governance is powered by the AERGO token community and operates on two primary levels:

1. Electing Block Producers (BPs)

A limited number of nodes, called Block Producers (BPs), are responsible for producing blocks and maintaining the network. AERGO token holders stake their tokens to vote for up to 30 BP candidates.

2. Direct Governance Voting

Beyond voting for BPs, token holders can directly participate in governance decisions. This includes voting on protocol upgrades, network parameter changes, or policy proposals.

This hybrid model combines representative democracy (via elected BPs) with direct democracy, empowering token holders to more actively shape the network’s future.

Special thx to

@tolgaozek

How does Aergo’s governance work, and what can Aergo token holders do to help make decisions? was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We’re beyond excited to welcome Dr. Matthew Seo as our new Chief Technology Officer and Head of AI Labs.

With a Ph.D. in Applied Statistics & Data Science from KAIST and over 25 years leading R&D across Asia’s top tech giants and institutions — including ETRI (The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute), a global leader in ICT standardization, NHN, TmaxSoft, Daumsoft, and Samsung SDS’s software development arm S-Core — Dr. Seo is a force of innovation.

Notably, he brings over 25 years of experience in Natural Language Processing (NLP) — a foundational field that underpins today’s most advanced AI systems, including Large Language Models (LLMs). His career has been defined by building cutting-edge systems across software, communications, and IT infrastructure.

Now, he’s bringing that deep technical firepower to lead the charge on our EVM-based Layer 2, purpose-built for the age of AI, scalability, and interoperability.

Dr. Seo’s mission? To architect the future of L2 infrastructure — with intelligence at its core.
And we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him onboard.

Welcome to the next chapter. Welcome, Dr. Seo.

Introducing Our CTO/Head of AI Labs was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Meet Alex—a compliance analyst onboarding a new corporate client. On the surface, the company seems legitimate, but Alex knows due diligence requires digging deeper to identify the true owners behind the business. The process can feel like chasing puzzle pieces across multiple data sources and emails. Time-consuming, frustrating—and risky if something slips through the cracks.

But with the right system, Alex’s beneficial ownership review can be simple, thorough, and fast.

Alex’s Checklist for Beneficial Ownership Reviews Gather Ownership Data: Enter company details and automatically pull director filings, beneficial owner lists, and corporate structures from trusted sources. Verify Beneficial Owners: Identify individuals with 25% or more ownership and cross-check them against global watchlists, sanctions databases, and adverse media reports. Document and Report: Compile findings and generate a complete audit-ready report in one click—no spreadsheets, no manual stitching of data. A Better Way Forward

With iComply, Alex’s review is seamless, secure, and efficient. Automated data collection and verification help him spot risks faster, store everything in one place, and stay compliant with confidence. Beneficial ownership reviews don’t have to be a headache—they can be a key part of a smarter compliance strategy.

Ready to streamline your due diligence? Let’s make it easier to do the right thing. Contact iComply today.

A critical Next.js Vulnerability (CVE-2025-29927) lets attackers bypass authorization. Protect your applications now.

In the wake of the Bybit exploit, the largest crypto exploit in history, it is more important than ever to unite as an industry and fight against global bad actors, such as DPRK, who are hurting both businesses and people.

To meet this challenge head on, zeroShadow and Innerworks are bringing together critical data & intelligence from active threats in web3 and advanced detection & screening technologies, including device fingerprinting.

This game changing combination will make a significant market impact by helping exchanges quickly identify and freeze stolen funds on behalf of the victims. This will not only help those who have been hurt by these bad actors, but will create a significant disruption to future attacks from these same criminal enterprise

Innerworks is a pioneer in specialised threat intelligence, covering the key pillars of authentication: device fingerprinting & proof of personhood . They leverage advanced behavioural analytics and decentralised machine learning to counter the most sophisticated Gen-AI driven attacks. Deploying proprietary fingerprinting technology to identify physical devices that have interacted with DPRK-affiliated wallets, Innerworks renders them unusable in future attacks.Beyond detecting threats, Innerworks harnesses the hacker community itself:

Innerworks revolutionizes threat intelligence through gamified incentives for ethical hackers Their innovative ‘RedTeam’ platform encourages competitive code submission that tests detection software boundaries Participants earn rewards in Bittensor’s native cryptocurrency, leveraging decentralized training technology This approach allows Innerworks to outpace established market leaders through collaborative security enhancement Nearly $10 billion USD was lost to cross-platform crypto fraud in 2024 alone With the recent ByBit exploit, 2025’s losses are projected to exceed this already staggering figure

zeroShadow is the global leader Web3 incident response and security for crypto industry companies. When crypto assets are stolen, they are the team to call to help.They have over 120 clients across the ecosystem including 1inch, ENS and Phantom and lead investigators on critical cases such as Bybit and WazirX.

zeroShadow’s team of experts act as an extension of their client’s security team, enhancing and implementing policies and procedures, as well as maintaining and optimizing technical solutions. Their 24/7 Virtual Security Operations Center (vSOC) is always on ready to receive, triage, escalate alerts and initiate the tracing, freezing and recovery process when necessary.

By working together, Innerworks and zeroShadow will use their combined attributions and advanced technologies to help exchanges identify, freeze and recover stolen funds on behalf of the victims. This will help those who have been hurt by these bad actors, while at the same time it will create a significant disruption to future attacks from these same criminal enterprises.

“Our high-precision fingerprinting, combined with zeroShadow’s unparalleled investigative expertise and attributions, will redefine the way digital assets are secured in the face of emerging threats”, said Innerworks CEO Oliver Quie.

“zeroshadow’s strategic alliance with Innerworks will help create the next generation of proactive crypto security”, said Casey G, zeroShadow CEO. “Our combined solution will provide a powerful solution to unmask and prevent cross-platform fraud”.

For further information, please contact InnerWorks at oli@innerworks.me or zeroShadow at info@zeroshadow.io.

On March 19, 2025, D-Wave published a white paper titled "Blockchain with proof of quantum work" that unveils one of the most significant developments in the blockchain industry since the creation of BitCoin. The article below presents a draft paper that outlines a theorectical portal between existing classic computing based blockchain networks and D-Wave's demonstrated quantum blockchain implementation. The article also demonstrates the notion that the human race is essentially time travelling toward the future at almost incomprehensible speed due to the technology fueling research, development, and discovery of greater ideas, theories, and technologies. Think Moore's Law gone hyper-parabolic but faster. Consider the amount of time it may have taken Satoshi Nakamoto to create BitCoin's white paper in 2009. 16 years later, the draft below was researched, articulated, and cited in approximately 5 minutes by Google's Gemini Deep Research AI model. Picture two groups of researchers and scientists. One group utilizes the legacy research method and the other group utilizes Gemini Deep Research or similar. How fast is each group traveling their roadmap fueled by the pace of their R&D? Although actual speed in this sense is difficult to quantify - especailly in real time - the difference in velocity is clearly profound and worthy of a separate series of articles on the subject.

1. Introduction

Blockchain technology has emerged as a transformative force in the digital landscape, offering a secure and decentralized paradigm for managing and recording data 1. Its core tenets of cryptographic security, immutability, and distributed consensus have spurred its adoption across a multitude of sectors, promising enhanced transparency and trust. Concurrently, the field of quantum computing is advancing at an accelerating pace, holding the potential to revolutionize computational capabilities for specific classes of problems that are currently beyond the reach of even the most powerful supercomputers 3. This computational leap, however, introduces a significant challenge to the long-term security of existing cryptographic systems, including those that underpin blockchain technology, as they become vulnerable to the power of quantum algorithms like Shor's.

As quantum computers continue their trajectory of development, the necessity for secure and efficient communication and data exchange between the vast infrastructure of classical computing systems that currently dominates our digital world and the nascent quantum computing realm will become increasingly critical. This imperative necessitates the exploration of innovative architectures and protocols capable of bridging these fundamentally different computational paradigms in a manner that ensures security and facilitates seamless interaction. The convergence of these two powerful technologies presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for the future of secure and distributed computing.

This white paper proposes a novel blockchain architecture specifically engineered to address both the impending threat posed by quantum computers to the security of classical blockchains and the crucial need for interoperability between classical and quantum computing systems. At its core, this proposal centers on a blockchain that achieves inherent security against known quantum attacks through the integration of robust post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. Furthermore, this blockchain will be designed to function as an Application Programming Interface (API), providing a standardized, secure, and efficient means for classical computing systems to interact with the quantum computing realm, with a particular emphasis on facilitating communication with D-Wave's innovative quantum blockchain, as detailed in their recent research publication. The subsequent sections will delve into a comprehensive analysis of this proposed architecture, examining D-Wave's quantum blockchain, the selection of appropriate post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, the hurdles and potential solutions for achieving classical-quantum interoperability, the detailed design of the API, potential use cases and real-world applications, and finally, a discussion of the inherent challenges, limitations, and promising future research directions for such a system.

2. D-Wave's Quantum Blockchain Architecture

The research paper "Blockchain with Proof of Quantum Work" by D-Wave introduces a groundbreaking approach to blockchain consensus through the implementation of a novel mechanism termed Proof of Quantum Work (PoQW) 1. Unlike traditional Proof of Work (PoW) systems, which rely on classical computers performing computationally intensive cryptographic hashing operations, PoQW mandates the utilization of quantum computers for the mining process, thereby leveraging their unique computational capabilities 5.

Specifically, D-Wave's prototype blockchain employs their specialized quantum annealing processors to generate and validate blockchain hashes 1. Quantum annealing represents a distinct form of quantum computation particularly adept at solving complex optimization problems. The PoQW mechanism necessitates that quantum computers solve intricate problems rooted in the principles of quantum spin glass physics, a computational task that is currently considered intractable for classical computers with comparable resources 1. This inherent difficulty for classical systems effectively restricts the mining process to quantum computers with the requisite capabilities.

To validate the feasibility of their proposed architecture, the researchers implemented a prototype blockchain that was successfully deployed across four geographically distributed D-Wave Advantage quantum processors situated in North America 1. This experimental setup demonstrated the stable operation of a blockchain powered entirely by quantum computation, sustaining functionality across hundreds of thousands of quantum hashing operations, thus highlighting the potential for a scalable and energy-efficient quantum blockchain infrastructure 1.

The probabilistic nature inherent in quantum computation necessitates a refined blockchain framework to ensure reliable operation. D-Wave's system incorporates mechanisms designed to account for sampling errors and hardware noise, thereby ensuring stability and consensus despite the inherent uncertainties associated with quantum computation 1. This includes an innovative approach to handling forks in the blockchain: instead of outright rejecting potentially invalid blocks, the system assigns them negative work. This mechanism allows the blockchain to recover and maintain a single, consistent chain without experiencing disruptive network splits or forks, a departure from traditional blockchain fork resolution strategies 5.

A significant outcome of D-Wave's research is the projection of a substantial reduction in energy consumption, estimated to be up to 1,000 times less than that of traditional Proof of Work blockchains like Bitcoin 1. This dramatic decrease in energy requirements directly addresses a major environmental concern that has been associated with the widespread adoption of energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining. The cost bottleneck in this architecture shifts from the consumption of electricity to the availability and cost of accessing quantum computing resources 5.

The researchers strategically designed their quantum blockchain with the aim of integrating quantum operations into the existing standard blockchain framework while introducing minimal changes to the fundamental architecture of established systems like Bitcoin 5. This design choice suggests a potential pathway for a more seamless integration of quantum computation into the existing blockchain ecosystem.

While D-Wave's approach to PoQW relies on quantum annealing, other research endeavors are exploring alternative quantum computing paradigms for achieving similar objectives. For instance, researchers at BTQ have proposed a Quantum Proof-of-Work (QPoW) algorithm that utilizes boson sampling, a distinct type of near-term intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) hardware, to authorize blockchain transactions 11. BTQ's QPoW seeks to replace the energy-intensive inverse hashing of classical PoW with a quantum problem based on boson sampling, with the goal of achieving significantly lower energy consumption compared to analogous classical simulations 11. Boson sampling, which involves sampling the output photon configurations of a linear optics interferometer, represents a different computational strategy compared to D-Wave's optimization-centric annealing approach.

3. The Quantum Threat to Classical Blockchains

The security of the vast majority of currently operational blockchain networks is fundamentally predicated on the robustness of public-key cryptography, with algorithms such as RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) being the most widely adopted 12. These cryptographic algorithms derive their security from the computational difficulty associated with solving specific mathematical problems, such as the factorization of large numbers (in the case of RSA) and the discrete logarithm problem (in the case of ECC).

However, the theoretical framework and the ongoing advancements in the development of sufficiently powerful quantum computers pose a significant and growing threat to the security of these prevalent cryptographic algorithms. In a seminal work in 1994, Peter Shor introduced a quantum algorithm capable of efficiently solving these underlying mathematical problems in polynomial time 12. This capability stands in stark contrast to the exponential time complexity required for classical computers to solve these problems, rendering them practically intractable for sufficiently large key sizes.

Should a quantum computer capable of executing Shor's algorithm with a sufficient number of stable and coherent qubits become a practical reality, it could potentially break the cryptographic protections that safeguard existing blockchains. This would compromise the confidentiality of encrypted data stored on the blockchain and undermine the integrity of the digital signatures used to authorize and verify transactions, potentially leading to severe repercussions for the security and trustworthiness of these decentralized systems.

In addition to the threat posed by Shor's algorithm to public-key cryptography, blockchains also extensively employ cryptographic hash functions for various critical functions, including the generation of block hashes that chain blocks together and the security of the Proof-of-Work (PoW) mechanism in many prominent blockchains like Bitcoin 13. Grover's algorithm, another significant quantum algorithm, offers a quadratic speedup for searching unstructured data 13. While this does not directly break the fundamental collision resistance of cryptographic hash functions in the same way that Shor's algorithm compromises public-key cryptography, it does effectively reduce the security level provided by a hash function against brute-force attacks. For instance, a hash function with an output size of n bits would, when faced with a quantum adversary utilizing Grover's algorithm, effectively provide a security level closer to n/2 bits. This reduction in the security margin could have implications for the Proof-of-Work mechanism, potentially making it easier for a quantum attacker to find valid nonces that meet the difficulty target. It also slightly weakens the collision resistance of hash functions, although finding collisions would likely still require considerable computational resources.

The anticipated emergence of powerful quantum computers in the future also gives rise to a significant long-term security concern known as the "harvest now, decrypt later" attack scenario 18. Malicious actors could currently be engaged in the collection and storage of encrypted data from blockchain networks, with the expectation that they will be able to decrypt this data at some future point when they gain access to quantum computers capable of running Shor's algorithm 18. This threat is particularly pertinent for data stored on blockchains that is intended to have a long lifespan and contains sensitive or confidential information. Even if the encryption methods employed today are considered secure against classical computers, this security could be rendered ineffective by future quantum computers, potentially exposing vast amounts of historical blockchain data to decryption.

4. Post-Quantum Cryptography for Blockchain Security

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC), also known as quantum-proof, quantum-safe, or quantum-resistant cryptography, represents a critical field of research dedicated to developing cryptographic algorithms, primarily public-key algorithms, that are believed to be secure against cryptanalytic attacks from both classical computers and the anticipated quantum computers of the future 12. The primary objective of PQC research is to identify and standardize cryptographic primitives that can serve as robust replacements for currently used algorithms that are known to be vulnerable to quantum attacks, thereby ensuring the long-term security and integrity of digital systems in the post-quantum era.

Current research efforts in post-quantum cryptography are predominantly focused on six distinct algorithmic approaches: lattice-based cryptography, hash-based cryptography, code-based cryptography, multivariate cryptography, isogeny-based cryptography, and symmetric key quantum resistance 19. Each of these categories relies on different underlying mathematical problems that are conjectured to be computationally intractable for even the most powerful quantum computers, thus offering the potential for enduring security in the face of quantum advancements.

Recognizing the urgency of the quantum threat, the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated a comprehensive and public standardization process in 2016 to solicit, evaluate, and ultimately standardize one or more quantum-resistant public-key cryptographic algorithms 21. This rigorous, multi-round effort has involved extensive analysis and scrutiny of submitted algorithms by the global cryptographic community, aiming to identify the most promising candidates for standardization.

As of August 2024, NIST finalized the first set of post-quantum cryptography standards, marking a significant milestone in the transition towards quantum-resistant security. For key encapsulation mechanisms (KEMs), which are fundamental for establishing shared secret keys, NIST selected CRYSTALS-Kyber, now officially standardized as ML-KEM (Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism) under FIPS 203 12. Furthermore, in March 2025, NIST announced the selection of HQC (Homomorphic Quasi-Cyclic) as a fifth algorithm for post-quantum encryption, intended to serve as a backup to ML-KEM, providing redundancy and cryptographic agility 24.

In the realm of digital signature algorithms (DSAs), which are essential for verifying the authenticity and integrity of digital messages, NIST standardized CRYSTALS-Dilithium, now ML-DSA (Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm) under FIPS 204, and SPHINCS+ (Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signature Algorithm) under FIPS 205 12. Additionally, the FALCON algorithm (soon to be standardized as FN-DSA under FIPS 206) is in the final stages of the standardization process, further expanding the options for quantum-resistant digital signatures.

Given their standardization by NIST and their generally favorable performance characteristics, lattice-based cryptographic algorithms, particularly ML-KEM for secure key exchange within the API and ML-DSA for providing post-quantum secure digital signatures for transactions on the blockchain, appear to be highly suitable candidates for the proposed post-quantum secure blockchain API 19. Hash-based cryptography, exemplified by SPHINCS+, offers a valuable alternative for digital signatures, especially where statelessness is paramount, albeit with potential trade-offs in signature size and performance 17. Code-based cryptography, with the recent standardization of HQC for key encapsulation, also presents a robust option for ensuring cryptographic agility within the proposed system 15. Multivariate and isogeny-based cryptography, while promising areas of research, may require further maturation before widespread adoption in systems like the proposed blockchain API 14.

5. Bridging the Divide: Interoperability Challenges and Solutions

Classical computers store and manipulate information using bits, which exist in a binary state of either 0 or 1 3. In contrast, quantum computers leverage the principles of quantum mechanics to store and process information using quantum bits or qubits 3. Qubits possess the unique ability to exist in a superposition of states, meaning they can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously, and can also become entangled, a phenomenon where the quantum state of one qubit is linked to another, regardless of the distance separating them.

The fundamental difference in information representation leads to vastly different processing capabilities. Classical computers typically execute instructions sequentially 43. Quantum computers, by exploiting superposition and entanglement, have the potential for massive parallel computation, enabling them to tackle certain types of problems with significantly greater speed and efficiency than classical counterparts 3.

Furthermore, qubits are exceptionally sensitive to environmental disturbances such as temperature variations and electromagnetic interference, which can lead to the loss of their quantum properties in a process known as decoherence 42. Maintaining the delicate quantum state of qubits for sufficiently long computation times remains a substantial technological challenge. Classical computers, on the other hand, are significantly more robust and operate reliably under normal environmental conditions.

D-Wave's quantum computers are based on the principle of quantum annealing, a specialized form of quantum computation particularly well-suited for finding the minimum energy state of a system, which often corresponds to the solution of complex optimization problems 46. This approach differs from the universal gate-model quantum computing paradigm pursued by many other entities, which aims to build general-purpose quantum computers capable of executing a wide array of quantum algorithms. The "Blockchain with Proof of Quantum Work" proposed by D-Wave leverages this quantum annealing capability specifically for generating and validating blockchain hashes 46. This specialization on optimization problems for the quantum component of the blockchain might present unique interoperability challenges when interacting with general-purpose classical systems that may expect more traditional blockchain interactions or require different types of quantum computations. The input and output formats for D-Wave's quantum annealers are specifically designed for optimization tasks.

To bridge this divide between classical and quantum computing, and specifically to enable effective interaction with D-Wave's quantum blockchain, the development of well-defined and standardized Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) is paramount 45. These APIs should serve as an abstraction layer, effectively hiding the underlying complexities of the quantum hardware and presenting a consistent and familiar interface to classical developers. Adopting widely recognized API standards such as REST or GraphQL could significantly facilitate easier integration and adoption 49. A hybrid quantum-classical computing approach is also likely to be essential, where classical systems handle tasks such as data preprocessing, formatting inputs for quantum computations, and post-processing the results obtained from D-Wave's platform 45. The API would then be responsible for securely managing the transfer of data and control flow between these classical and quantum components, effectively orchestrating the overall computational process. Furthermore, exploring the use of intermediate data representations or communication protocols that can effectively bridge the gap between the fundamentally different ways in which classical and quantum information is encoded and processed might be necessary for enabling more complex interactions between the two computing realms.

6. Designing the Post-Quantum Secure Blockchain API

The design of the post-quantum secure blockchain API should adhere to widely accepted architectural styles for web APIs, such as REST (Representational State Transfer), to ensure ease of understanding and integration for developers 49. RESTful APIs, with their emphasis on resources identified by URLs and the use of standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), are generally well-established and widely adopted within the developer community.

Consistency in naming conventions for API endpoints, URL structures, and the format of data exchanged (e.g., utilizing JSON for request and response bodies) is crucial for creating a predictable and intuitive developer experience 53. This consistency will significantly lower the learning curve for developers seeking to interact with the API and integrate its functionalities into their classical systems.

The API should be designed with future extensibility in mind, allowing for the addition of new features and functionalities as both quantum computing and blockchain technologies evolve, without breaking compatibility with existing client applications 53. Implementing API versioning is also a recommended best practice to manage changes over time and ensure a smooth transition for users when new versions are introduced 49.

Robust error handling is an essential aspect of any well-designed API. The API should be capable of returning clear and informative error messages, along with appropriate HTTP status codes, to assist developers in diagnosing and resolving any issues that may arise during interaction 53.

For API endpoints that have the potential to return large collections of data, such as lists of blockchain transactions or blocks, implementing pagination mechanisms is a critical consideration to prevent overwhelming both the client application and the API server with excessive amounts of data 53. This will improve performance and responsiveness for client applications.

Given that this API is intended to interface with a post-quantum secure blockchain, it must provide a set of endpoints that enable classical systems to interact with the core functionalities of the blockchain. This would include endpoints for submitting new transactions to the blockchain, querying the blockchain for various types of data, such as details of specific blocks, individual transactions, and the current balances of accounts, and potentially interacting with smart contracts if the underlying blockchain architecture supports them 55.

Considering the specific requirement to facilitate communication with D-Wave's quantum blockchain, the API will need to include dedicated endpoints tailored to the unique functionalities offered by D-Wave's platform. For instance, an endpoint could be designed for submitting quantum work requests to D-Wave's quantum annealing processors. This endpoint would need to accept parameters in a structured format, such as JSON, that accurately describe the optimization problem to be solved, adhering precisely to the input specifications required by D-Wave's systems.

Security is of paramount importance for any API that interacts with blockchain technology, especially one that aims to be post-quantum secure. Implementing strong authentication mechanisms, such as OAuth 2.0 or JWT (JSON Web Tokens), to reliably verify the identity of client applications accessing the API is crucial 55. Furthermore, all communication between client applications and the API server should be rigorously secured using end-to-end encryption protocols, such as TLS/SSL, to protect against eavesdropping and data breaches. Secure handling and storage of cryptographic keys associated with the users of the blockchain will also be a critical aspect of the API's design and implementation.

The API's design must also ensure that the fundamental properties of blockchain technology, such as data integrity and immutability, are strictly maintained throughout all interactions. Any operations that result in modifications to the blockchain's state should be carefully controlled through robust authentication and authorization mechanisms, and all such operations should be designed to be auditable through the API.

A fundamental aspect of this API is its integration of post-quantum security measures. All communication channels utilized by the API should be secured using post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. For example, secure connections established using protocols like TLS could employ post-quantum key exchange mechanisms, such as ML-KEM (Kyber), to ensure protection against future quantum attacks on the key exchange process. Digital signatures used for authenticating transactions and other blockchain operations should be generated and verified using post-quantum secure digital signature algorithms, such as ML-DSA (Dilithium) or SPHINCS+. The API will need to incorporate the necessary cryptographic libraries and functionalities to seamlessly perform key generation, signing, and verification using these algorithms. The design should also anticipate and accommodate the potentially larger key and signature sizes associated with some post-quantum cryptographic algorithms by ensuring sufficient data storage and transmission capabilities within the API. Implementing cryptographic agility within the API architecture is also crucial for long-term security. The design should be modular, allowing for the relatively easy swapping or updating of underlying cryptographic algorithms if new vulnerabilities are discovered or more efficient algorithms become available in the future 18.

To specifically facilitate interaction with D-Wave's quantum blockchain, the API will need to expose particular endpoints tailored to the functionalities offered by D-Wave's platform. For submitting a quantum work request, an endpoint such as /api/quantum/dwave/submit could be defined. This endpoint would accept parameters in a structured format (e.g., JSON) that describe the optimization problem to be solved, adhering to D-Wave's input specifications. To enable classical systems to monitor the status of their submitted quantum computations, an endpoint like /api/quantum/dwave/status/{jobId} could be provided, where {jobId} represents a unique identifier assigned to the submitted quantum task. This endpoint would return the current status of the quantum computation. Finally, an endpoint such as /api/quantum/dwave/result/{jobId} would be used to retrieve the results of the quantum computation once it is completed. The data format for both submitting the problem and receiving the results would need to be carefully defined based on D-Wave's API specifications and the nature of the optimization problems being solved. Given the potentially asynchronous nature of quantum computations, the API might need to employ mechanisms such as webhooks or callbacks to notify classical systems when a quantum job is finished and the results are available for retrieval.

7. Potential Use Cases and Real-World Applications

The proposed post-quantum secure blockchain API has the potential to unlock a variety of novel use cases and real-world applications by securely bridging the gap between classical and quantum computing. One significant area is in secure inter-realm data transfer. In scenarios where quantum sensors or other quantum devices generate data, this API could provide a secure and auditable channel for transferring this sensitive data to classical computing systems for subsequent analysis, storage, or further processing. For instance, quantum random number generators, which can produce truly random numbers based on quantum phenomena, could securely feed these random seeds to classical cryptographic systems via this API for enhanced security in key generation or other cryptographic operations. Conversely, classical systems might need to send control signals or parameters to quantum devices. The API could ensure the integrity and confidentiality of this communication pathway. Furthermore, results obtained from quantum simulations performed on classical hardware could be securely stored and verified on the blockchain through the API, providing an immutable record of the computation.

Another promising area lies in hybrid quantum-classical applications. Many complex computational problems might benefit from a hybrid approach where classical algorithms handle certain parts of the computation, such as data preprocessing and the interpretation or post-processing of results, while the computationally intensive core tasks are offloaded to quantum computers. The proposed API could act as the central facilitator for such hybrid workflows, allowing classical applications to submit specific computational tasks, particularly optimization problems, to D-Wave's quantum blockchain and then securely retrieve the optimized results through the API. Potential applications for such hybrid approaches span a wide range of industries, including optimization problems in logistics (e.g., route optimization for delivery services, supply chain management), finance (e.g., portfolio optimization, risk analysis, fraud detection), materials science (e.g., drug discovery, design of new materials with specific properties), and artificial intelligence (e.g., training more efficient machine learning models).

The quantum-enhanced security for classical systems is another compelling use case. The post-quantum secure blockchain itself, accessible through the API, can be leveraged to enhance the security of purely classical systems that may not directly involve quantum computation. For example, the blockchain could serve as a highly secure and tamper-proof key management system for the cryptographic keys used by classical systems, providing a robust defense against potential future quantum attacks on these keys. Additionally, the blockchain could provide an immutable and auditable record of sensitive operations performed by classical systems, enhancing transparency, accountability, and trust. This could be particularly valuable in applications such as supply chain tracking for verifying the provenance and integrity of goods, digital identity management for secure and verifiable credentials, and secure voting systems for ensuring the integrity of electoral processes.

Finally, the API could play a crucial role in emerging applications in quantum computing research and development. It could provide a secure and transparent platform for researchers working on various aspects of quantum computing to share and verify experimental results. The inherent immutability of the blockchain would ensure the integrity and provenance of the data, fostering greater trust and collaboration within the quantum research community. Furthermore, the API could facilitate data exchange and collaboration between different quantum computing platforms and research institutions, potentially accelerating the pace of innovation and discovery in the field of quantum computing.

8. Challenges, Limitations, and Future Research Directions

The integration of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms into the blockchain and the API may introduce performance considerations compared to classical cryptography. Some PQC algorithms exhibit larger key and signature sizes, which could impact storage requirements and network bandwidth. The computational complexity of these algorithms might also lead to increased processing times for cryptographic operations 17. Interacting with quantum computing resources, particularly cloud-based services like D-Wave's Leap, inherently involves latency that needs to be factored into the overall performance of applications utilizing this API. Scalability of a blockchain designed to handle interactions with both classical and quantum systems presents another potential challenge that requires careful architectural consideration.

While the selected post-quantum cryptographic algorithms are currently considered the most promising candidates for resisting quantum attacks, the field is still relatively young, and the long-term security of these algorithms against future cryptanalytic breakthroughs, both classical and quantum, cannot be guaranteed with absolute certainty 60. Continuous research and rigorous security analysis by the cryptographic community are essential. The interface between classical and quantum systems could also potentially introduce new and unforeseen security vulnerabilities that necessitate careful design and thorough security analysis to mitigate these emerging risks. Comprehensive testing and auditing of both the blockchain implementation and the API will be crucial to identify and address any potential security flaws before widespread deployment.

D-Wave's "Blockchain with Proof of Quantum Work" is currently a research prototype, and its scalability, real-world performance characteristics, and applicability to a broad range of use cases are still under active investigation 1. Access to quantum computing resources, including D-Wave's systems, is currently limited and can be associated with significant costs, which might initially restrict the widespread adoption and comprehensive testing of a blockchain API that relies on such resources. Both quantum computing and quantum-resistant blockchain technologies are rapidly evolving fields, and the proposed system will need to be designed with adaptability in mind to accommodate future advancements and potential changes in these underlying technologies.

Future research directions in this area are plentiful. Further investigation is needed to explore and optimize the performance of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms specifically for blockchain applications, taking into account the unique requirements of distributed ledger technology. Research into novel consensus mechanisms that are both efficient and secure in a hybrid classical-quantum environment could yield significant advancements. Developing standardized protocols and interfaces for seamless and secure interoperability between classical and various types of quantum computing systems is crucial for the broader adoption and integration of quantum technologies. Finally, analyzing potential quantum-specific attacks that might target quantum blockchains, beyond the well-studied threat to classical cryptography, and designing appropriate countermeasures will be essential for ensuring the long-term security and resilience of these emerging systems.

9. Conclusion

This white paper proposes a novel blockchain architecture that integrates post-quantum cryptography to ensure security in the face of advancing quantum computing and functions as an API to bridge the gap between classical and quantum computing realms, with a specific focus on interoperability with D-Wave's quantum blockchain. The potential benefits of such a system include enhanced security for blockchain transactions and data, the ability for classical systems to leverage the unique computational capabilities of quantum computers, and the facilitation of new hybrid quantum-classical applications across various fields. The proposed post-quantum secure blockchain API has the potential to play a crucial role in the integration of quantum computing into the broader technological landscape by providing a secure and standardized interface for interaction with classical systems. This could pave the way for new innovations and advancements at the intersection of blockchain and quantum computing, leading to more secure, efficient, and powerful decentralized applications. Further research, development, and collaboration are encouraged to address the challenges and limitations identified in this white paper and to fully realize the potential of post-quantum secure blockchain APIs in the evolving landscape of computing.

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Learn how to enable self-subscription in your B2B SaaS application and automate the Organization creation process using the Auth0.NET SDK.

 

GM HEARTLAND

Bought in at the bottom, now the whole team here.

—El Prof, Muhammed, Branden & Chad

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+15.04%

$143.58

Helium ($HNT)

+14.31%

$3.39

Pyth ($PYTH)

+16.38%

$0.17

Raydium ($RAY)

+4.22%

$1.95

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 3.25.25)

CEX vs. DEX: Navigating the Future of Finance

Crypto’s shaking up money — how we trade it, hold it, grow it. The place to start is bound to be an exchange, and before you do, there are two types you need to know.

Centralized exchanges (CEXs) are run by a team or organization. Whereas, with decentralized exchanges (DEXs), nobody’s in charge but you and a little blockchain magic.

Me? I’ve been in the trenches with both — tried cashing out quick, chased weird meme tokens, explored leverage trading, DCA’d (dollar cost average) — and it’s wild how different they feel. I’ll spend the rest of this primer breaking down my experience and perspective. But at the end of the day, it’s on you to digest all the relevant information, then pick your own path — stick with the old guard or ride the new wave.

The Major Players

CEX big dogs:

Binance — huge coin list, fast, futures if you’re bold (OG’s of the industry).

Coinbase — newbie-friendly, cash buys, simple (albeit buttoned-up as a freshly starched collar).

Kraken — secure, solid range, feels fun and independent (like the team is rocking hoodies and jeans).

The DEX crew:

Uniswap — Ethereum swap king, wallet-based (Meta Mask tends to be the go-to choice wallet for ETH).

SushiSwap — similar, staking perks (staking allows you to earn APY on select tokens).

PancakeSwap — Binance Smart Chain, low fees.

Jupiter on Solana — revolutionizing DEXs. Pulls liquidity from everywhere, nails best routes — limit orders, perpetuals. UI’s slick — cuts down wallet clunk, keeps you free. Phantom tends to be the go-to wallet for Jupiter users.

Pros and Cons

CEX 

Pros:

Deep liquidity (lots of money available).

Traders galore, no delays.

Fast trades, easy interfaces, support if you’re stuck.

I can cash out quick on Coinbase during a spike (assuming the puppet-masters aren’t pulling any funny “under maintenance “ strings).

Fees? Pretty cheap 0.1% per trade, withdrawal cuts too — stings if you’re moving a lot.

Simple user experience — sign up, deposit, trade. Coinbase’s app is dummy-proof and clean.

Favored by institutional investors like Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary.

Cons:

Not your keys, not your crypto — they hold it.

Hacked? You’re sunk — Mt. Gox vibes.

Some CEXs like Coinbase, Kraken or Binance have insurance or reserves to soften the blow in case of a hack. Still, no guarantee.

KYC (Know Your Customer) kills your privacy.

Limited token options. CEXs gatekeep — vetted coins only. Binance, Coinbase, Kraken and others tend to list safe bets, while new stuff lags.

Favored by Mr. Wonderful (lol). He lauded FTX in 2022 for its stability. Later that year, the exchange had bottomed out.

DEX 

Pros:

Your keys, your crypto — full control.

No ID.

Early token grabs. Getting in at the ground level is where massive gains can be made months or years before some projects land on a CEX.

Fees can fluctuate depending on the blockchain — PancakeSwap’s cheap, but Ethereum gas? $50+ a pop when it’s jammed — brutal.

Backed by luminaries like Vitalik Buterin (founder of Ethereum).

Cons:

Steep learning curve. Wallet hoops, gas fees — boot camp needed. Jupiter’s UI helps — smooth — but not CEX-easy.

Patchy liquidity — smaller tokens lag and are susceptible to rugpulls.

Steep curve — wallets, gas, contracts — oh my!

No customer service if you’re lost.

Let’s real quick dive in a little deeper on the security side of things, since that’s largely what the difference comes down to.

With CEXs, you don’t actually own your cryptographic key; the exchange does. Ergo, you don’t technically own your crypto. This can make them more attractive to hackers, as they are effectively central vaults stuffed with coins. But the silver lining is that they are then also responsible for recovering those funds. Binance lost $40 million in 2019; they covered it — not your keys, not your crypto.

DEXs? You’re in charge. Your wallet is self-custody, and it’s your job to lock your keys down. Lose your seed phrase? No support’s saving you — gone. Hackers hit DEXs too — scams like phishing, fake sites, rug pulls. Poly Network got drained for $600 million in 2021, simply from users clicking bad links and handing over control.

In other words, CEX risks hacks, while DEX bets on you dodging a minefield of cons. Yes, your cryptocurrency remains a target for scammers, regardless of where you hold it. So let’s quickly outline some best practices for keeping it locked down.

Best Practices

Hardware wallets keep your keys (seed phrase) and funds offline. Generally trusted brands include Ledger, Keystone, Tangem, or Trezor.

Double-check URLs. Fake sites abound. Be sure to bookmark the real ones, and for the love of God, DO NOT CLICK random links!

Back up your seed phrase. Write it, stash it safe, store it multiple places — not your phone.

Watch approvals. Don’t greenlight sketchy contracts, revoke old ones.

Test small. Swap a few bucks first and verify it worked before swapping larger amounts.

Who’s This For, Anyway?

If you’re just starting, CEXs easy. Fiat (cash money) works, plenty of juice in the tank — Coinbase got me going.

DEXs though — I’m talking folks who’ve got a wallet ready, not scared to FAFO. Privacy freaks, token chasers — they’re all over Uniswap or Jupiter.

Me? I jump around — Coinbase when I need it fast, Jupiter when I’m sniffing out the next 100x quick flip play or just want to get in before it goes mainstream (like being 1 of 100 people in the small venue seeing the band that will be selling out 50,000 seat arenas next year).

It all depends what you’re into — chill or chase. What lane are you choosing?

PRESENTED BY SOUNDBOOTH THEATER Epic Quest Audio Drama

[NEURAL INTERRUPT] Need a mental escape pod between model training sessions? “Dungeon Crawler Carl” AIC Edition from Soundbooth Theater follows a regular dude, Carl, and his snarky, crown-wearing Persian cat Princess Donut through an alien game show dungeon—first book’s free, your crypto can wait. [END TRANSMISSION]

  Bulletproof Pinata

Building online requires fast, flexible file storage — and that goes triple for web3.

That’s where Pinata comes in. The go-to media infrastructure for web3, Pinata makes it effortless to store, manage, and serve content across blockchains. Whether minting NFTs, powering a metaverse, or creating the next viral web3 app, Pinata gives you the tools to do it without worrying about centralized gatekeepers.

For years, cloud storage has been ruled by web2 giants — expensive, restrictive, and entirely in their control. Pinata is flipping the script in the web3 world. By leveraging IPFS and blockchain technology, it delivers censorship-resistant, high-performance storage that puts users in charge. Big names like OpenSea, Yuga Labs, and DraftKings are already on board, with over 240,000 users tapping into its infrastructure.

The potential is massive. A truly decentralized, creator-first media network where your content stays online forever, under your control — not locked behind a corporate paywall. A storage system that’s cheaper, more resilient, and tailor-made for web3’s next evolution. 

So can decentralized storage scale to meet the demand of millions? Can it compete with the convenience of traditional cloud providers? Will Pinata succeed in redefining file storage for the decentralized world?

The true answers to these questions aren’t clear yet. But one thing is for sure. If web3 is going to be unstoppable, it needs infrastructure that’s just as powerful. And as of now, Pinata is leading the charge.

—Muhammed

  PRESENTED BY SOUNDBOOTH THEATER Epic Quest Audio Drama

[NEURAL INTERRUPT] Need a mental escape pod between model training sessions? “Dungeon Crawler Carl” AIC Edition from Soundbooth Theater follows a regular dude, Carl, and his snarky, crown-wearing Persian cat Princess Donut through an alien game show dungeon—first book’s free, your crypto can wait. [END TRANSMISSION]

  NFTs Lurking Bruh

We’re returning to an old favorite column of mine, NFT reviews. I’ll try to hunt down cool art projects, and occasional profile picture (PFP) collections that should definitely be on your radar.

The blue-chip pickings are admittedly slim. The floor price for the inexplicably classic Bored Ape Yacht Club collection, from which a single NFT once sold for the equivalent of $3.4 million, is now hovering around $30,000. But that just inspires me to dig deeper for the hidden gems — which is how I stumbled onto @iamlaurael. 

Laura El is a digital illustrator and animator from the 2021-2022 NFT era who stuck around through the bull market creating, sharing, and developing her presence on chain, predominantly ETH and Solana. Her persistence propelled her to sell her work at Sotheby’s & Cristie’s in 2023 and 2024, all while NFT’s have supposedly been dead and buried.

I found El on Solana’s Exchange.Art, a marketplace that differentiates itself from the likes of Solsea (where our own sn0bs NFT collection is listed) and Magic Eden, another NFT marketplace primarily for PFP projects. Her project, The Lurkers, is an animated digital storybook. While it is written and narrated much like a traditional fairytale, its vibe is certainly of the Brother’s Grimm variety, given the dark themes explored. Ultimately, it’s a story about the triumph of the light over the darkness, but one that necessarily walks through the darkness to unwind it — and happens to have done over $225,000 in volume since it launched to boot.

They are a series of digital stills, animations, and curated scene-scapes complete with an audio track. There are about 25 scenes that accompany the book, and there are print editions available as well.

Here’s my favorite. Or check out the full audiobook here, for free. How’s that for democratization?

—El Prof

“BYOB — Bring Your Own Biometrics” will help you avoid the existential risks of storing biometrics or managing generative AI deepfakes — while retaining your biometric authentication systems.

By Trevor Butterworth

Biometric authentication has been rapidly and widely adopted as a powerful and simple solution to the seemingly intractable risk of identity fraud. At face value, it seems like the perfect solution to the friction of logins and passwords: your face is unique and you can’t forget it like you can a password. That’s why billions of dollars have been poured into biometric technology, especially for seamless payments.

The problem is not just that you can’t reset your face if its biometric equivalent is stolen, it’s that your biometrics are being stored in precisely the same way that has successfully allowed millions of logins and passwords to be stolen.

It’s like we’ve collectively decided that strapping a jet engine on a people carrier will make travel faster. Yeah, in theory. But do the risks really have to be spelled out?

And while you’re still processing that mental picture, let me introduce you to deepfake me. It wants you to pay “me” the money I loaned you.

The combination of centralized biometric storage and generative AI now haunt biometric authentication. Stolen biometrics are lifelong existential risks. The world is still reeling from the audacity of a deepfake “chief financial officer” requesting and receiving a $25 million payment from an employee.

Twenty-three percent of financial organizations surveyed by Regula “reported more than $1,000,000 in losses due to AI-generated fraud.” And, as Davey Winder reported in Forbes, “dedicated mobile app security protections such as anti-emulation, anti-virtual environments and anti-hooking mechanisms” cannot be depended on to provide protection.

It seems almost trivial to add that even if a system isn’t hacked or tricked, biometric technology isn’t perfect. False positives do happen with serious legal and financial consequences if someone is misidentified.

Avoid the risks without abandoning your biometric systems

There is an elegant way around all these problems that allows everyone to keep their biometric systems: Decentralized identity and Verifiable Credentials. We call it “Bring Your Own Biometrics” — BYOB.

Developed by Indicio for air travel and border crossing, BYOB removes the need to store biometric data in order to verify a liveness check.

Here’s how it works:

1. During identity verification, a biometric template is created and issued as a Verifiable Credential. This means the biometric information is digitally signed in a way that makes it tamper proof.

2. This credential is issued to a person who stores it in a digital wallet on a mobile device, secured by multiple layers of authentication, including a PIN and biometric access.

3. The credential is unique and it can’t be shared or faked: it is bound to the person, and their device. It can be linked to other digital credentials and biographical data in a way that a person can link multiple proofs of identity.

4. When the person needs to verify their identity, they perform a liveness check and present their biometric credential at the same time.

5. The system compares the live biometric data to the signed biometric data in the credential. There’s no need to store the data for cross checking.

6. For virtual authentication, the person has to present their credential at the same time as they perform a liveness check, thereby adding a verification that generative AI can’t fake.

7. Because users hold and control their biometric data, BYOB also ensures compliance with strict data privacy laws, like those in the EU.

Looking at biometric authentication for its 2024 Prism Project Report, Acuity Market Intelligence called Indicio’s solution “masterful.” By enabling people to hold their own biometric data in a way that can be cross checked against themselves, the problem of centralized storage disappears and the problem of deepfakes is bypassed. A Verifiable Credential provides a simple, cost-effective way to prove you’re not fake.

It’s also technology that’s designed to be easily layered into existing systems. With Indicio Proven, you can use Verifiable Credentials to manage all kinds of authentication, from single sign-on to biometric border crossing, and deploy in hours or (depending on complexity) weeks.

Contact Indicio to learn how airlines and governments are already using Indicio technology for seamless travel and border crossing and how you too can use Indicio Proven to implement BYOB.

###

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The post The future of secure digital identity with ‘Bring Your Own Biometrics’ appeared first on Indicio.

Authorization potentially bypassed with critical Next.js bug Attacks leveraging a recently patched critical security flaw in open-source JavaScript framework Next.js, tracked as CVE-2025-29927, could facilitate middleware authorization evasion and eventual systems compromise, according to CyberScoop.

Digital Credentials (also known as verifiable credentials) have been promoted as the next best thing for keeping individuals secure in their online as well as in-person transactions. But what about companies? What does a typical enterprise get from moving down the digital credential path? On the one hand, they get a leg up on fraud. On the other hand, they get an even more complex operating environment thanks to legacy infrastructure.

If it was easy, they’d already be doing it. So, let’s see if I can make the case for why, despite the challenges, enterprise services should absolutely adopt digital credentials.

What Are Digital Credentials?

Let’s back up for a moment and make sure we’re all clear on what digital credentials are in this context. If you have time, check out my previous post, “Digital Credentials That Can Be Verified: A Lesson in Terminology.” It’ll do a more thorough job of explaining what a digital credential is. But if you don’t want to read that post just to read this one, let’s go with the definition from the Digital Credential API: “[a digital credential is] a cryptographically signed digital document containing one or more claims made by an issuer about one or more subjects.”

The important bit in there is the ‘cryptographically signed’ part. These credentials have been created such that they are so much better than, for example, a photo of your driver’s license! The content of the credential is tamper-proof thanks to complex math. As a bonus prize, tools exist such that you can share only the parts necessary rather than an all-or-nothing scenario.

The most common use case I’ve seen supporting the value of digital credentials is age verification. The idea being that someone can share this credential to establish they are of age for whatever action they are trying to accomplish WITHOUT sharing anything else like their home address, actual date of birth, or anything else on a driver’s license or passport.

Which is all well and good, but how does that help an enterprise? The use case of an employer having to verify the age of employees or contractors is in all likelihood pretty darn small. So what can these be used for?

I have a list.

Let’s Talk Digital Credentials at EIC 2025! I’ll be diving into this topic at EIC 2025, breaking down the real-world impact of digital credentials, where they fit in enterprise IAM, and what’s next. Can’t make it? Let’s chat. I help enterprises navigate identity standards and make informed decisions about emerging technologies. Reach out to discuss how digital credentials fit into your strategy!

Digital Credentials in the Enterprise Employment

Enterprises with large workforces onboard employees and contractors at scale, verifying work eligibility, tax IDs, and personal details. Today, this process relies on document uploads and database checks. And yet somehow, ghost employees, tax fraud, and forged work eligibility documents remain a real problem. Digital credentials offer a stronger approach: instead of uploading scanned IDs and filling out forms, new hires could present cryptographically secure credentials issued by tax authorities or immigration offices. This ensures instant verification of real identities and work authorization, reducing fraud while making onboarding faster and more secure.

In other words, payroll systems could require cryptographic proof of a valid tax ID rather than accepting a number typed into a form. Multinational companies could rely on a portable, verifiable credential to prove an individual’s work authorization instantly, reducing onboarding time.

Travel

The travel industry has all SORTS of opportunities when it comes to seeing the value of digital credentials. The identity verification checks that happen at airports and border crossings are the. most obvious. In the U.S., mobile driver’s licenses are starting to be accepted in some airports in place of a physical driver’s license. It’s a thing. But think about this use case:

Your company has 10,000 employees, and 1,500 (that’s about 15%; not unrealistic) of them travel for business. Today, travel approvals and reimbursements are handled through corporate systems (it used to be through spreadsheets. Can you imagine?). These systems, however, often require manual approvals, policy enforcement, and receipt tracking, thus introducing inefficiencies, delays, and security risks. A digital credential could embed an employee’s travel permissions, preferred vendors (complying with company policy, of course), and spending limits, allowing instant verification at the time of booking. No more unnecessary personal data sharing, out-of-policy purchases, or manual reimbursement processes, just seamless, policy-compliant travel.

Cybersecurity

But wait, there’s more! If you’re reading this, you’re almost certainly IAM curious if not a loud and proud IAM practitioner. That means you are quite aware that managing employee and contractor access can be a nightmare. Passwords remain a top attack vector, yet companies still rely on them for everything from logging into cloud services to accessing secure areas. MFA and passkeys help mitigate some of the risks, but there’s still so much room for improvement. And let’s not even talk about onboarding contractors; how many “temporary” accounts are still active long after the project ends? Don’t be ashamed. The first step is admitting your IAM environment needs help.

Digital credentials can fix this. Instead of passwords, employees present a verifiable credential to log into corporate systems. Or, oh, how about this? Rather than using keycards, employees tap their phones (after using their biometrics to unlock them) to securely access office buildings and data centers. Or, how about instead of onboarding contractors manually in every system, companies issue temporary, revocable credentials that automatically expire when no longer needed.

Digital credentials have so much potential to reduce security risks, cut IT overhead, and make access management less painful.

Why Enterprise Adoption is Challenging

It’s easy to talk about the benefits of digital credentials. I can do it All. Day. Long. Who wouldn’t want faster onboarding, more secure authentication, and seamless travel approvals? But let’s be realistic. If it were easy, enterprises would already be using them.

For many organizations, the biggest barrier isn’t the concept, it’s the complexity. The cost of implementing digital credentials doesn’t stop at issuing them; it ripples through IT systems, HR processes, and compliance workflows. It requires not just action on the part of the enterprise; vendors and business partners need to hop on the digital credential bus as well. And if an enterprise miscalculates these costs, even the most promising solution can turn into an expensive experiment that never scales. (We’ve never seen THAT happen, right? Right?)

The Cost of Complexity

Enterprises don’t make changes lightly, especially when it comes to identity and security infrastructure. Every new tool, system, or process comes with an associated cost that needs to be justified against the value it brings. Digital credentials are no exception.

Infrastructure Upgrades – Most enterprises already have an identity provider (IdP) like Okta, Microsoft Entra, or Ping Identity handling authentication. To implement digital credentials, they need to integrate digital into these existing systems, which isn’t a simple plug-and-play process. Training & Adoption – Employees, HR teams, and IT staff need to learn how to issue, store, and use digital credentials. If they don’t understand the process (or worse, find it confusing), adoption stalls. We’ve seen this play out with MFA adoption. This is a classic organizational change problem. Ongoing Maintenance & Compliance – Identity systems aren’t static. Every time a new compliance requirement comes along (GDPR, CCPA, or industry-specific rules like SOC 2), enterprises need to ensure their digital credential infrastructure remains compliant. Hidden Costs & Dependencies – Even if an enterprise sees the long-term value, interoperability is a wildcard. Digital credentials need to work across different systems, vendors, and platforms. What if a company’s travel booking system, payroll provider, or cloud security tools don’t support these types of credentials yet? That means either custom integrations (which are expensive) or waiting for vendors to catch up (which takes time).

And for small or mid-sized businesses? These costs can be prohibitive. While large enterprises might have the resources to experiment, a mid-sized company operating on tight margins might look at the complexity and walk away.

ROI for Issuers, Holders, and Verifiers

For digital credentials to be worth the effort, they need to provide a clear return on investment (ROI). That ROI, however, looks different depending on who you are in the system.

Issuers: HR & Compliance Teams

These are the departments that would ultimately create and distribute digital credentials: HR departments for employment verification, IT teams for access control, and finance teams for expense management. Their main incentive? Reducing fraud, cutting paperwork, and improving efficiency.

Faster, More Secure Onboarding – HR can instantly verify work eligibility without manually processing scanned documents. Automated Policy Enforcement – Travel and expense approvals can happen at the time of booking instead of requiring post-trip reimbursements. Stronger Access Controls – IT can issue temporary credentials to vendors and contractors that expire automatically.

The challenge? Issuers need buy-in from leadership, budget approvals, and integration with existing tools. If leadership doesn’t see an immediate, measurable impact, adoption stalls.

Holders: Employees & Contractors

Employees and contractors are the users of digital credentials, the ones who present them to gain access, prove their identity, or complete transactions. Their main incentive is convenience, security, and control over their data.

Less Password Pain – No need to remember (or reset) yet another password for corporate systems. Easier Travel & Expense Management – Travel credentials can automatically apply company policies at the time of booking. More Privacy – Instead of handing over a driver’s license just to prove their age, an employee can share only the necessary details.

The challenge? Holders don’t adopt new tools just because they exist. They need a seamless user experience. If using digital credentials feels more cumbersome than their current process, they won’t bother.

Verifiers: Auditors, Vendors, & Third Parties

Verifiers are the ones to consume digital credentials. They might be auditors checking employee work eligibility, hotels verifying corporate travel approval, or IT systems enforcing security policies. Their main incentives are saving time, reducing risk, and ensuring compliance.

Instant Verification – No more manually checking IDs, work authorizations, or tax forms. Better Security – Digital credentials are tamper-proof and harder to forge than scanned documents. Fewer Compliance Headaches – Verifiable credentials help prove due diligence in audits.

The challenge? The verifier ecosystem isn’t fully built out yet. A hotel might love the idea of instantly verifying business travel credentials but if their booking system doesn’t support digital credentials yet, they’re stuck handling things manually. This means enterprises have to push adoption across multiple industries to see the full benefits.

But What About Passkeys?

I’m going to take a brief side trip into passkey land because I think people are struggling to understand when, where, and how passkeys and digital credentials overlap. Maybe this needs its own post, but for now, let’s put it here. tl;dr: passkeys and digital credentials are complementary technologies, not competing ones.

Passkeys Are for Authentication

Passkeys, both synced and device-bound, are designed to replace passwords for logging into accounts. They provide proof that you have access to a credential (like a private key stored on your device), but they don’t prove anything about who you are, your role, or your permissions.

Passkeys: “This device is authorized to log into this account.” Digital Credentials: “This person is an employee, has security clearance, and is authorized to make a purchase.”

Why this matters:

A passkey might let someone log into a corporate travel portal, but it doesn’t confirm whether they’re authorized to book business-class flights or make a company purchase. A digital credential could store their travel policy, spending limit, and approval status, allowing vendors to instantly verify whether the booking complies with company rules. Passkeys Are Not for Verification

Passkeys are great for logging into accounts, but they aren’t intended for cases where third parties need to verify information beyond the fact that a user controls an account. This happens at a later step, one where digital credentials can step in to play.

So, for example:

Digital Credentials Can Be Shared & Verified By External Entities: A hotel, tax authority, or external auditor can check a verifiable credential to confirm eligibility without needing to be part of the enterprise’s internal authentication system. Example: A contractor could present a verifiable credential that proves they are legally allowed to work in the U.S., without needing to log into an employer’s HR system. Passkeys Don’t Work This Way: Passkeys are bound to a specific service (e.g., Google, Microsoft, or an enterprise IdP). A hotel or vendor cannot use passkeys to verify your employment status, travel eligibility, or security clearance. Passkeys are Personal

Passkeys are tied to a specific device or a cloud account that syncs across devices (like iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager). This makes them a great replacement for passwords, but they aren’t designed to support enterprise-issued credentials that need to be shared, verified by third parties, or tied to specific roles and policies.

Digital Credentials Are Portable: Employees can receive a verifiable credential from their employer that exists separately from personal authentication methods. A contractor can use the same work credential across multiple clients without needing separate logins for each system. A former employee can still use their travel history credential after leaving the company, even if their passkey-based access is revoked. Passkeys Solve a Different Problem: When an employee leaves a company, their passkey-based authentication is revoked, as it should be. But that doesn’t help them prove past employment or retain enterprise-issued credentials. If a company relies solely on passkeys, it lacks a way to issue verifiable credentials for compliance, travel, or work eligibility. Passkeys Do Not Support Selective Disclosure

One of the major advantages of digital credentials is that they allow selective disclosure; you can share only the necessary information instead of handing over everything.

Example of Selective Disclosure with Digital Credentials: A hotel asks: “Are you authorized for corporate travel?” The employee’s digital credential says: “Yes, per Company X’s travel policy.” The hotel never sees the employee’s salary, department, or personal details. Passkeys Can’t Do This: A passkey is binary; it either lets you log in or it doesn’t. And that’s perfect for that very necessary action. It doesn’t let a third party verify specific attributes (e.g., work status, travel privileges) without exposing everything.

And with that, enough about passkeys; let’s see where we’ve ended up with digital credentials.

So, What’s the Verdict?

Digital credentials have enormous potential, but adoption is slow because the cost and complexity can outweigh the benefits, at least in the short term.

Large enterprises with high fraud risk, complex compliance needs, and high employee turnover are the most likely to benefit first. Smaller businesses might find the costs too high and the ecosystem too immature to justify the investment. Widespread adoption depends on interoperability. If banks, travel providers, government agencies, and enterprise vendors all get on board, the ROI increases dramatically.

Enterprises that start early will be ahead of the curve. But for now, the question remains: Who will be the first to make the leap? Ultimately, every organization needs to decide this for themselves. Depending on where you are in the world, that decision may get made for you depending on local regulations.

The post Why Enterprises Should Care About Digital Credentials (Even If It’s Complicated) appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

Exposing MFA’s weaknesses in an era of advanced threats.

Cybersecurity and privacy experts have expressed worry regarding the security of genetic and personal data belonging to more than 15 million 23andMe customers after the major California-based genetic testing provider's bankruptcy filing on Sunday, CyberScoop reports.

Fastly Bot Management's latest update ends CAPTCHA for your end users, detects more bots, and reduces Account Takeover. Get in touch to see it in action!

Understanding Face Liveness Detection and Its Role in Fraud Prevention

“Welcome to our comprehensive blog post in which we will describe, what is  facial liveness detection and how it prevents fraud”

We are living in an era of 2025, where security has become more crucial than ever. With the astonishing rise of digital transactions, online authentications, and verifications, it is very important to ensure that the sensitive information of users is safe. 

There are multiple ways to protect such sensitive data such as using encryption, multi-factor authentication, and biometric systems. Among them, facial liveness detection has also emerged as an innovative solution to enhance security.

If you are hearing this term for security for the first time, this blog post is b specially for you. In this guide, we shall tell you what is this facial liveness detection and how it works. 

Let us explore this blog post further in detail…..

 

What Is Face Liveness Detection?

Face liveness detection is a cutting-edge security technology that is used to verify that a person’s facial features are real and live during authentication. This technology prevents agencies and companies from fraudulent activities like spoofing with fake images.

In short, we can say that this technology enhances security during digital transactions by ensuring that the users are physically present during authentication and biometrics. Once you understand this technology, now it’s time to know how it works. 

Read the upcoming sections carefully…….

 

How Does Face Liveness Detection Technology Prevent Frauds?

You should understand this section carefully as it is the cornerstone of our blog. This is because, in this section, we will tell this technology’s working process by telling its types. It means that this section will cover two topics. Isn’t it great?

1. Active Liveness Facial Detection

Active face recognition liveness detection refers to a process of authentication in which users have to perform some specific actions. It is an advanced method that is used to distinguish between a real person and a fake one. 

Now you will be thinking, how does this active liveness detection work? Right? Don’t worry, we have answered you in detail in the below section.

How does this liveness detection work?

As discussed previously, in this method of authentication, users are said to perform specific actions. But do you know, which actions are these? If no, read the described bulleted lines.

Blinking: The system asks users to blink their eyes during scanning. Now you can easily understand that such a blinking can never be achieved using a fake image or video. Head movement: Most users are said to move their heads slightly in multiple directions to identify that a real person is present. Such movements can be little bit achieved by fake videos but not images. Facial expressions: People during verification have to show some facial expressions such as smiling to ensure that the system has captured the more nuanced data.

Which types of fraud this liveness detection prevents?

There are several types of fraud that this facial liveness detection prevents. Let us discuss them also in bulleted lines.

Spoofing with images: Fraudsters attempt to use high-quality images of a person’s face to manipulate the facial recognition system. However, such fraud is easily tackled by this facial detection process. Spoofing with videos: Unlike fake images, they can try to trick the system with fake videos of any person. This trick also fails in front of this system. 3D mask fraud: Fake people may use 3D masks of a person’s face to gain unauthorized access. But, in front of this detection system, this trick has no value.

2. Passive Liveness Facial Detection

Passive liveness facial detection is another way of verification and preventing fraud. However, this method is a little bit different from active liveness detection. This is because, in this method, users don’t have to perform specific functions as they have to do in active ones.

Here definitely, you will ask, how does this detection work? Right? Don’t worry, unlike the previous section, we will describe this one also in detail.

How does passive-liveness facial detection work?

Passive face recognition liveness detection analyzes and leverages the unique features of the human face to identify whether the person is fake or real. Here is how it does;

Light reflection: This sub-method of light reflection is all about analyzing how light reflects with the face. A real face can reflect the light in more complex and dynamic ways. On the contrary, images and videos can never reflect light, making the system enable to identify and prevent fraud. Texture analysis: The system analyzes the skin texture and surface patterns on the face. Human skins have a distinctive texture that artificial or fake surfaces don’t have. This method is most valuable for differentiating between real faces and 2D images. Micro movements: Unlike active detection, passive detection can also analyze facial movements such as blinking and other micro movements but only on low-level.

Which types of fraud does passive detection prevent? Here is a point to be noted; 

we don’t need to describe this in detail. This is because this type of detection prevents the same frauds that are prevented by active-liveness facial recognition. For example, frauds done by image spoofing, video spoofings, and one of the most important 3D mask frauds.

Applications Of Facial Liveness Face Detection

In this section, we will describe the main 4 institutes where facial liveness detection is implemented to prevent fraud. Read the below section carefully.

Banking and finance: Fraudsters mainly target banking systems by using fake images and videos. Here facial liveness detection prevents them, enhancing banking security. Healthcare: This technology makes sure that the person using healthcare services is the actual patient, keeping private medical details safe from being stolen. E-commerce: Online shopping platforms use this cutting-edge technology to identify whether the customers are real and present or using someone’s fake photos or videos. Government services: Many governments use facial recognition technology to confirm identity for using different public services, from renewing passports to voting.

Conclusion 

Facial liveness detection is an effective method for stopping fraud by confirming that facial features are genuine and active during the identification process. It improves security by blocking tricks involving pictures, videos, or 3D masks in different fields like banking, healthcare, and online shopping.

Here, if you want to improve your security system, RECOGNITO is the answer. As a leading developer of face recognition algorithms recognized by NIST FRVT, RECOGNITO focuses on face detection, liveness checks, and ID document verification. 

Check out our website today to see how our advanced technology can keep your business safe from fraud.

Hoping, this blog guide will be very beneficial for you……

Free Compute-to-Data with Ocean Nodes VS Code Extension

Today, we’re excited to announce the release of the Free Compute-to-Data (C2D) and Ocean Nodes VS Code Extension — a tool that brings the power of decentralized compute-to-data directly into your development environment.

Access to quality datasets is often the biggest hurdle in today’s world of data science and AI. Previously, Ocean Protocol provided compute-to-data through OceanMarket; now, we’re taking this solution one step further by integrating it directly into Virtual Studio Code, the IDE of choice for millions of developers worldwide.

What’s more, you can now use compute-to-data for free! Yes, that’s right — while you’re still writing and iterating on your algorithm, you can do unlimited test runs on an Ocean Node for free.

Why Free?

Our goal has always been to help developers and data scientists build stronger AI and data-driven solutions. We know that testing new tools and workflows comes with uncertainty, and upfront costs can be a barrier. That’s why compute-to-data (C2D) is free for development and testing, so you can explore its potential without any friction.

This isn’t just about free access. It’s also about building a better product together. We want real users to try C2D, push its limits, and give us feedback. To help us refine the experience, improve performance, and ensure it delivers real value.

Even more so, with free compute-to-data, and the Ocean Nodes VS Code extension, you can experiment, refine, and optimize your models with confidence, without the frustration of burning through resources just to troubleshoot errors.

Why We Built The VS Code Extension?

Until now, using Ocean Protocol’s compute-to-data features required jumping between different tools and interfaces. Developers had to:

Write algorithms in their IDE Use Ocean Market or the command line interface to execute compute jobs Wait for results without real-time feedback Download and open results

This context-switching created friction that slowed down the development cycle. Our VS Code extension eliminates these pain points by bringing the entire workflow into your editor. As soon as you write the algorithm, you can run it with Ocean’s free compute-to-data — just hit the “run algorithm” button in the VS Code extension.

What You Can Do With It

The extension enables you to:

Run free compute jobs with one click: Select your algorithm file (Python or JavaScript), optionally choose a dataset, and start a compute job — all without leaving VS Code. Monitor Progress in Real-Time: Watch as your algorithm runs on remote data, with logs streaming directly into the output in your editor. Results are downloaded and saved instantly when your compute job completes. Customize your environment. You can use your own custom Docker images and tags to set up the environment that your algorithm needs.

How It Works

Behind the scenes, the extension connects to Ocean Protocol’s nodes, which orchestrate secure compute-to-data jobs. Your algorithm runs in an isolated environment with access to the dataset, but the raw data never leaves its secure location. Only the results are returned to you.

This approach preserves data privacy while allowing valuable insights to be extracted — a win-win for both data providers and consumers.

Getting Started in Minutes

Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace Open a Python or JavaScript algorithm file Click the Ocean Protocol icon in the activity bar Hit “Start Compute Job”

That’s it! No complex setup, no account creation, just immediate access to Ocean Protocol’s compute network.

If you want to get further into the details, you can open the settings and optionally choose:

The folder where you would like the results to be saved. A specific node to the node the compute job on. Your own docker image. Your own private key, to keep the results secure.

Real-World Applications

Imagine you’re developing a machine learning model to predict medical outcomes, but the healthcare data is too sensitive to be shared directly. With the Ocean Protocol VS Code Extension, you can:

Write your algorithm locally in VS Code Test it on sample data Send it to run on the real dataset through compute-to-data Get your model predictions back without ever seeing the raw patient data

This same pattern works for financial analytics, consumer behaviour prediction, and countless other fields where data privacy is paramount.

Try It Today

The Ocean Nodes VS Code Extension is now available in the VS Code Marketplace. Whether you’re a data scientist, AI researcher, or a developer working with sensitive data, this tool will streamline your workflow while preserving data privacy.

Download the extension and start your first compute job today!

Free Compute-to-Data with Ocean Nodes VSCode Extension was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Two of our team were busy last week attending the inaugural AI Standards Hub’s Global Summit in London.

Veracity CEO Nigel Bridges and Chief Data Scientist Reuben Sodhi attended the Summit, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre on March 17 & 18th, at the invitation of the National Physical Laboratory, who organised the event alongside The Alan Turing Institute, BSI, and the UK Government. 

The post Veracity team attends inaugural AI standards summit appeared first on Veracity Trust Network.

Citron Research is back with new stock reports for 2025. Their calls have always sparked debates. Some stocks soared, others collapsed. This year, they are eyeing undervalued stocks, market trends, and risky investments. Investors want to know: Should you follow their insights or stay cautious? 

Learn more: How to get low funding rates on perpetual crypto

What is Citron Research?

Citron Research is not like traditional financial firms. They don’t just analyze stocks—they challenge the market’s beliefs. Their reports often expose overhyped companies while revealing hidden investment opportunities.

Andrew Left, Citron’s founder, has built a reputation for bold stock predictions. He famously shorted Tesla when it was still rising. He exposed fraud in Luckin Coffee before it collapsed. Some of his calls changed the way investors looked at entire industries.

But Citron has also made mistakes. They bet against Nvidia early and lost. They underestimated Shopify’s growth. Their stock market analysis is controversial, but one thing is certain—people listen to them.

Learn more: What is Swap? How Swaps Work in Finance

2025 Stock Trends: What Citron Sees Coming

​In 2025, Citron Research has identified significant shifts across major industries, forecasting a transformative year for investors.​

AI Stocks: Navigating Hype and Reality

Citron cautions that while artificial intelligence (AI) remains a burgeoning field, certain companies may be overvalued due to speculative investments rather than solid financial performance. A notable example is Rigetti Computing, a quantum-computing firm that experienced a dramatic stock surge, only to face sharp declines after Citron labeled the rise as “ridiculous,” highlighting the risks of hype-driven valuations. ​

Conversely, Citron has spotlighted Nebius Group NV as an under-the-radar AI opportunity. Backed by industry giants like Nvidia, Nebius has been recognized for its potential to become a significant player in the AI infrastructure sector, with Citron suggesting a valuation that could position its stock price around $60. 

Healthcare Stocks: Poised for Growth

The healthcare sector is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by technological advancements and an aging global population. Citron has identified Teladoc Health as a company leveraging AI to enhance its telemedicine services. Despite past perceptions as a “pandemic relic,” Teladoc’s strategic use of technology has improved profitability, making it an attractive acquisition target for major corporations like Amazon or CVS.

Additionally, industry experts predict that AI-powered diagnostics and personalized medicine will become more prevalent, offering investment opportunities in companies at the forefront of these innovations.

Energy Stocks: Traditional Players Reemerging

While renewable energy continues its ascent, Citron’s analysis suggests a potential resurgence in traditional oil and gas companies. Factors such as geopolitical developments and economic policies could drive demand for conventional energy sources. For instance, Talen Energy has been identified as a company to watch, with a market capitalization of $10 billion and potential for growth in the AI-energy nexus.

In summary, Citron Research’s 2025 outlook emphasizes the importance of discerning genuine innovation from market hype, particularly in the AI sector, recognizing growth potential in healthcare through technological integration, and acknowledging the possible resurgence of traditional energy companies amidst evolving market dynamics.​

Best Stock Picks for 2025 According to Citron

Citron has identified several stocks that they believe are undervalued gems. These companies have strong fundamentals, rising profits, and untapped potential.

A hidden AI stock: While big names like Nvidia and OpenAI dominate headlines, Citron has spotted a smaller AI company flying under the radar. They believe this stock could deliver massive returns. A biotech company with breakthrough technology: Citron’s analysts argue that one specific healthcare stock has potential for a major breakout in 2025. An oil and gas stock with untapped reserves: While many investors are chasing renewables, Citron believes one traditional energy company is positioned for a comeback.

They claim these stocks have high-profit potential, but as always, investors should do their own research.

Citron’s Most Controversial Calls This Year

Citron Research continues to stir controversy with their bold predictions. In 2025, some of their most contentious calls could significantly affect the stock market if proven accurate.

An AI Company Doomed to Fail: Citron has singled out a major AI stock, claiming that it is overhyped and purely speculative. With the recent surge in AI investments, Citron argues that the stock lacks a solid financial foundation and will face a sharp decline. Investors holding this stock might be exposed to huge losses if the company fails to deliver on its promises. The stock in question has seen speculative growth, driven by the AI boom, but with no profitable business model to support the hype.
A Tech Stock Running on Borrowed Time: Citron has identified a leading tech company that they believe is nearing its end. Their research suggests that this stock is at risk of a major collapse within the next year, due to declining innovation and market competition. Citron’s track record with tech predictions has been mixed, but if correct, this prediction could shock the tech market.
A Financial Stock Hiding Major Risks: Citron also warns that a prominent financial services company is covering up serious risks. According to their report, this company has hidden financial vulnerabilities that could collapse under market pressure. This could lead to massive losses for investors if the company’s true financial health comes to light.

Despite the backlash and skepticism from critics who view Citron’s calls as too aggressive, history shows that their controversial predictions have been right before—like when they warned about Luckin Coffee’s fraud, causing investors to avoid significant losses.

The Risks and Rewards of Following Citron Research

Citron Research has had a notable impact on investors, both positively and negatively. Their bold calls have created huge rewards but also significant risks.

The Rewards: Citron has made a name by spotting hidden gems before the broader market catches on. For example, they were early to identify Nvidia’s AI potential, a stock that has seen massive gains. Citron also warns about overvalued stocks. Their call on Luckin Coffee, when it was accused of fraud, saved investors from major losses. Their deep financial analysis often uncovers opportunities overlooked by mainstream analysts. In 2025, Citron’s focus on undervalued healthcare and energy stocks presents fresh opportunities, such as Teladoc Health and Talen Energy. The Risks: However, Citron has made some wrong calls as well. They famously bet against Tesla before its massive rise. Also, shorting stocks – betting on their decline—can be dangerous, especially when stocks defy predictions, as seen with their failed bets on Shopify. Conclusion

Citron Research has once again delivered bold, controversial insights into the stock market. Some investors trust them completely, while others see them as too aggressive. If Citron is right, some stocks will skyrocket, while others will crash. If they are wrong, their predictions could lead to bad investment decisions. The real question is: Will you take their advice or bet against them?

Learn more: Understanding Mutual Funds: A Simple Explanation

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post Citron Research: Top Stock Analysis Reports 2025 appeared first on Herond Blog.

The cryptocurrency market is more dynamic than ever, with prices constantly shifting and new coins emerging regularly. Whether you’re a long-term investor or an active trader, tracking Bitcoin prices and other digital assets has become essential. In this fast-paced environment, having the right tools can make all the difference. That’s where CryptoCompare steps in. But is it the right tracker for you in 2025? Let’s dive in.

Learn more: Bitcoin predictions: What to expect

What Are Crypto Price Trackers?

If you’re investing in crypto, a crypto price tracker is your best friend. These platforms give you real-time access to crypto rates, making it easier to track the value of your Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoin prices across various exchanges. Without these tools, you’d be left refreshing price pages manually or hopping from one exchange to another just to find out the latest rate.

A good tracker doesn’t just show you prices, though. It also lets you keep tabs on market trends, compare prices across exchanges, and even manage your crypto portfolio. With so many crypto assets and exchanges out there, you’ll want a comprehensive tool to give you a complete view of the market.

Learn more: Discover How to Use Hard Drive for Crypto Mining Efficiently

Key Functions of Crypto Price Trackers

When looking for the best crypto price tracker, these are the key features you should consider:

Real-Time Price Tracking

The most important feature of any crypto price tracker is its ability to show real-time data. Whether it’s Bitcoin or Ethereum prices, having up-to-date information at your fingertips is crucial for making timely decisions. Markets can change in a matter of minutes, and real-time tracking ensures you’re always in the loop.

Market Insights and Analysis

A good tracker goes beyond just showing prices—it provides insights into crypto market trends. With tools that show you the price movements, trading volume, and even sentiment, you can better understand market dynamics. CryptoCompare, for example, offers these in-depth market insights, helping you spot trends before they become obvious to everyone else.

Price Comparison Across Exchanges

Not all exchanges offer the same prices, even for the same cryptocurrency. A Bitcoin price comparison tool helps you find the best rate by comparing Bitcoin prices across different platforms. This way, you can make sure you’re not overpaying or missing out on a better price elsewhere.

Portfolio Management

Whether you’re holding a few coins or tracking a diverse portfolio, having a tool that helps you manage your assets is essential. Many crypto price trackers also double as portfolio managers, letting you keep track of your holdings, profits, and losses. CryptoCompare makes it easy to monitor your entire crypto portfolio in one place, so you can see how your investments are performing.

Price Alerts

Sometimes, the market moves fast, and you can’t afford to keep checking prices every minute. That’s where price alerts come in. Set alerts for when a coin hits a certain price, and let the tracker notify you when it’s time to buy or sell.

Why CryptoCompare Stands Out Among Other Crypto Rate Trackers

There are plenty of crypto price trackers out there, but CryptoCompare offers a unique combination of features that set it apart:

Comprehensive Coverage

If you’re into altcoins, CryptoCompare is one of the best platforms for you. It tracks Bitcoin, Ethereum, and over 5,000 altcoins, so no matter what you’re investing in, you can keep tabs on it all in one place. The platform offers real-time tracking and market insights for all these coins, making it a go-to tool for anyone in the crypto space.

In-Depth Market Insights

With CryptoCompare, you’re not just tracking prices—you’re also getting a deep dive into market analysis. The platform provides charts, price trends, and detailed information on exchanges and cryptocurrencies, helping you understand market movements. This level of insight is perfect for investors who want to make informed decisions, whether you’re following Bitcoin market analysis or diving into emerging altcoins.

Easy-to-Use Interface

No matter your level of experience, CryptoCompare offers a clean, easy-to-navigate interface. Whether you’re using the web-based dashboard or the mobile app, it’s simple to find the information you need. This makes it accessible for beginners while still offering the features advanced users need to stay ahead.

Free Usage and Flexibility

Unlike some platforms that lock key features behind paywalls, CryptoCompare offers a free plan that allows up to 100,000 calls per month. This is more than enough for most casual traders. If you need more advanced features, there are also premium plans available. This gives you the flexibility to use the platform at your own pace, without worrying about running into a paywall.

Price Alerts and Notifications

Whether you’re day trading or holding long-term, being able to set price alerts is a huge benefit. CryptoCompare lets you set customized alerts for any cryptocurrency. When prices reach your desired level, you’ll get notified, ensuring that you never miss an opportunity. This is particularly useful for traders who need to react quickly to market changes.

Top 5 Crypto Rate Trackers in 2025

As the crypto market grows, having a reliable crypto price tracker is crucial for staying informed. Here are the top 5 crypto trackers to watch in 2025:

CryptoCompare – Best for Bitcoin Price Comparison and Market Insights

CryptoCompare stands out for its comprehensive Bitcoin price comparison and in-depth market insights. It tracks over 5,000 cryptocurrencies and offers real-time price updates, making it a top choice for investors who need to compare prices across exchanges.

CoinGecko – Offers Detailed Crypto Market Trends and Strong Community Support

CoinGecko provides detailed market trends and a strong community. It tracks a wide range of cryptocurrencies and is great for understanding crypto market trends. It’s free to use and includes valuable resources for crypto investors.

CoinStats – Great for Portfolio Tracking with a User-Friendly Interface

CoinStats excels at portfolio tracking with a sleek, easy-to-use interface. It integrates with over 300 exchanges and wallets, helping you manage your crypto portfolio and track Ethereum prices, Bitcoin prices, and more.

Delta – Best for Trade Insights and Portfolio Tracking Across Multiple Devices

Delta is perfect for active traders, offering detailed trade insights and portfolio tracking on multiple devices. It supports several exchanges and wallets, making it easy to manage your investments on the go.

CoinMarketCap – A Reliable Tool for Those Who Prefer Manually Entering Transactions

CoinMarketCap is a trusted platform for manual tracking of crypto assets. While it doesn’t support automatic syncing, it offers accurate price data and is ideal for those who prefer to enter transactions manually.

Each tracker offers unique features, but all are valuable tools for navigating the crypto market in 2025.

Conclusion

If you’re serious about crypto investing in 2025, a crypto price tracker is essential. CryptoCompare stands out as one of the best tools for tracking Bitcoin prices, Ethereum prices, and more. Its real-time tracking, in-depth market insights, and price comparison features make it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced investors. With free usage and flexible features, CryptoCompare provides a comprehensive solution for anyone looking to stay on top of the ever-changing crypto market. Whether you’re holding Bitcoin or trading altcoins, this platform is a must-have tool for any crypto investor.

Learn more: How to save your crypto transaction fees

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post CryptoCompare: Best Bitcoin Price Tracker 2025 appeared first on Herond Blog.

Learn how to leverage Fastly Object Storage for CDN integration and serverless computing. Reduce costs and optimize your workflow today.

The China-made generative artificial intelligence (AI) app DeepSeek is making waves for all sorts of reasons, not least of which is its significant data privacy and security issues.

Five countries and some US states and government agencies have already banned the AI chatbot that shook the US tech industry and stock market on its release in late January 2025.

Countries cite DeepSeek’s data collection and offshore storage, poor encryption practices, national security risks, and non-compliance with privacy laws as reasons for banning the app, mostly on government devices and in some cases from broader use.

Indeed, on its US release day January 20, 2025, the DeepSeek-R1 chatbot was the most-downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store and had a massive data leak that exposed one million sensitive records, compounding privacy and security fears. Malicious attacks on the app only a week later didn’t instil confidence.

The fears stem from DeepSeek storing its user data in China, where it cannot legally deny the Chinese government access to it, and the model’s inherent security vulnerabilities, particularly for AI jailbreak attacks where hackers bypass the model’s safety guardrails to produce malicious content such as malware instructions. Cisco, one of many agencies to have studied DeepSeek’s security posture, revealed the model is 11 times more likely to be exploited by cybercriminals than other AI models and in testing had failed to block all harmful prompts, including prompts related to cybercrime and misinformation. Its competitors, including OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini, did much better.

Cybersecurity researchers has also found that the DeepSeek mobile and web apps contain hidden code that is transmitting user data to state-controlled telecom company China Mobile, and possibly other Chinese state-owned entities. China Mobile was banned from operating in the U.S. in 2019 due to national security and law enforcement risks.

So, within that hotbed of issues, everyday users – and entire countries – need to determine whether the benefits of using the new kid on the AI block outweigh the risks to privacy and safety.

If you’re determined to try it, here’s the latest advice for staying private and safe on DeepSeek:

1. Don’t use your Gmail or Apple accounts to sign up to DeepSeek. That way, the data on those accounts is kept away from DeepSeek.

2. Don’t ask the app questions that reveal any identifying or highly personal information, since all inputs are used to train the model.

3. Avoid using the app altogether if you work for a government agency or other sensitive organization.

4. Use a virtual private network, like MySudo VPN, to hide your IP address and location when using the app.

5. Don’t access DeepSeek’s AI models through DeepSeek’s web site, apps or API. Instead, consider using the DeepSeek AI model hosted by a service provider you trust. The app (iOS, Android, and web) sends data back to China, while US-based third-party platforms on which you can run DeepSeek don’t. Many US-based providers are running DeepSeek through their own data centres, such as Perplexity and Amazon Web Services for non-developers and GitHub for developers. This short news clip is a good explainer:

6. Finally, get an alternative email and phone number from MySudo app to open and log into your DeepSeek account. MySudo has digital identities called Sudos that offer different identity credentials from you own and therefore protect your personal information and make it impossible for data aggregators to correlate your data. Signing on to DeepSeek (or any app) with your Sudo details is like adding a privacy and security buffer between you and DeepSeek. Download MySudo. Set up your Sudos.

We don’t know how DeepSeek’s technology and security issues will unfold from here, or where the world will go next with generative AI. Our best advice is to stay vigilant and proactive about protecting your own data privacy and security when using AI chatbots and other tools.

Discover Anonyome Labs’ other privacy and security apps, beyond MySudo:

Tools for individuals (protect yourself) Tools for business (protect your customers)

The post 6 Ways to Stay Private and Secure on DeepSeek appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

The post Link Index for Cybersecurity Third-Party Risk Management appeared first on Liminal.co.

Thales celebrates opening of new avionics MRO centre in Gurugram, India prezly Fri, 03/21/2025 - 14:36 The new Thales MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility in Gurugram is strategically located near the Delhi airport in India. This facility will offer comprehensive avionics maintenance and repair services to leading Indian airlines, such as Air India and IndiGo, directly supporting the growth of the local aviation industry. In December 2024, the new Thales MRO in India was certified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Honourable Civil Aviation Minister Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, inaugurating Thales’s MRO centre in Gurugram in the presence of Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice-President, Avionics, Thales; Thomas Got, Vice President, Aviation Global Services; Damien Syed, Deputy Chief of Mission, French Embassy; and Gilles Bono, Vice-President, Thales in India

 

Today, Thales celebrated the opening of its new avionics MRO facility in Gurugram, near the New Delhi airport. Aligned with the vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (‘self-reliant India’), this centre will provide a wide range of services, including the maintenance & repair of avionics components, to prominent Indian airlines such as Air India and IndiGo. This new repair hub draws on Thales’s expertise as a global leader in the aerospace industry, providing premium support and services to airline customers in India.

The inauguration was held in the presence of the Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu. The event was graced by Mr. Damien Syed, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France in India, along with senior Government officials and eminent dignitaries from the French Embassy and the industry. The Thales team was led by Yannick Assouad, Executive Vice President, Avionics, Thomas Got, Vice President, Aviation Global Services and Gilles Bono, Vice President, India. This occasion marks a milestone in Thales’s continued investment strategy in India’s rapidly expanding aviation market.

Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Honourable Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India said, “My heartfelt appreciation goes to Thales for setting up this dedicated facility in India to provide onshore MRO services to our airlines. Taking a tour of the facility and seeing it firsthand, I must say that I am deeply impressed by the meticulous planning and innovation that have gone into creating this centre. I believe the inauguration of this advanced avionics MRO centre marks a significant milestone for Indian aviation and a proud moment for Thales in India. This facility exemplifies our collective commitment to building a self-reliant India and a self-reliant aviation ecosystem under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi Ji. Thales stands out as a shining example of Indo-French collaboration, we must together leverage India’s vast talent pool and facilitate India’s rapidly growing aviation market.”

Thomas Got, Vice President Aviation Global Services, Thales, said, “India’s MRO industry is set for significant growth, becoming a key region for airlines. We are proud to inaugurate our Thales Maintenance and Repair Centre in India. This highlights our localisation efforts to bring our technological and avionics repair expertise closer to airline customers. The Gurugram centre is backed by the power of a global support and services organisation, and aligns with Thales’s strategy to expand its presence in India.”

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/f32543e0-9c87-4def-8b45-473b0cb08139_4.jpg Documents [Prezly] PR - Thales celebrates opening of new avionics MRO centre in Gurugram, India.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 21 Mar 2025 Type Press release Structure Aerospace India Today, Thales celebrated the opening of its new avionics MRO facility in Gurugram, near the New Delhi airport. Aligned with the vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (‘self-reliant India’), this centre will provide a wide range of services, including the maintenance & repair of avionics components, to prominent Indian airlines such as Air India and IndiGo. This new repair hub draws on Thales’s expertise as a global leader in the aerospace industry, providing premium support and services to airline customers in India. prezly_742616_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 742616 Prezly UUID c82e3cf4-422e-4c1d-bf52-0518d402ce69 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-celebrates-opening-of-new-avionics-mro-centre-in-gurugram-india Fri, 03/21/2025 - 15:36 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Today, we were disappointed to learn that Binance has decided to delist Aergo on March 28th. Like everyone else, our team found out through a post on their official blog — there was no advance notice, no heads-up, and certainly no transparency. It came as a complete surprise.

Even the Binance contacts we’ve been working with since the “monitoring tag” was applied told us they were blindsided by the decision. They could only confirm that the call came from much higher up.

No explanation or rationale was given. None. For an industry that claims to be built on openness and decentralization, this kind of decision-making is deeply frustrating.

Still, here’s the reality: the majority of Binance trading volume comes from users who already use other exchanges where Aergo remains listed and actively traded. Yes, every project wants to be on Binance — but we’re not going anywhere. We’ll keep pushing forward and we fully intend to earn our spot back.

You can continue trading $Aergo on Coinbase, Bithumb, Upbit, OKX, KuCoin, Gate, and 10+ other global exchanges.

Looking ahead: on March 26, the community will vote on the future of Aergo and the direction we’ve been building toward since July 2024. This decision from Binance does not derail our plans — it reinforces them. It gives us even more drive to make sure Aergo continues to grow and evolve.

We’ve been building for over a decade. We’re not stopping now — and we’re certainly not going anywhere.

A Statement Regarding Binance Delisting was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As more companies and governments start adopting verifiable digital ID credentials, one big question keeps coming up: 

‍How do we make sure that only the right person can use them?

This was one of the key topics we tackled in our panel with Paul Kenny (VP of Customer Success at Daon) and Pedro Torres (CEO at Youverse). Both agreed—if credentials aren’t bound to the biometrics of the person they were issued to, they’re vulnerable.

Today, verifiable credentials typically live in a digital wallet on a user’s phone. But what happens if someone gets hold of that wallet? 

Whether through social engineering, phone theft, or malware, nothing is stopping them from presenting those credentials and impersonating the rightful owner.

1. Preparation Checklist

Make sure you have the following ready:

Google Chrome browser (desktop recommended) MetaMask extension installed Aergo Connect 3.0 extension installed

*You must stake a minimum of 10,000 AERGO, and be sure to do so at least 24 hours before the vote begins.

2. Quick Overview Send ERC-20 AERGO tokens to your MetaMask wallet Convert to native AERGO using bridge.aergo.io Stake your native AERGO at voting.aergo.io (at least 24 hours before voting starts) Cast your vote 3. Step-by-Step Instructions

(1) Install Wallets — If you haven’t already, install and set up:

MetaMask Aergo Connect

(2) Send AERGO to MetaMask — Transfer your ERC-20 AERGO tokens to your MetaMask wallet.

✅ Make sure you have enough ETH in the wallet to cover gas fees.

(3) Convert ERC-20 AERGO to Native AERGO

Go to bridge.aergo.io Connect MetaMask → approve connection Connect Aergo Connect 3.0 → approve connection Enter the amount of AERGO you want to convert and confirm the transaction. Wait 20–30 minutes (depending on network speed). You can track your transaction on Etherscan. Once your tokens have been converted, head to voting.aergo.io

(4) Get ready to vote

Go to My Account → Adjust Stake, and connect your Aergo Connect 3.0 wallet to the voting system. Your converted AERGO balance will appear. Choose the amount you want to stake⚠️ You must stake a minimum of 10000 AERGO, and be sure to do so at least 24 hours before the vote begins.

(5) Cast your vote

Once your tokens have been staked for at least 24 hours, you’ll be able to cast your vote on the Governance Vote page.

Aergo Voting Guide was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The State of Trust Summit delivered powerful insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of digital trust. Myself, security experts, and identity enthusiasts came together to explore how businesses can safeguard digital interactions, combat emerging threats, and ensure trust at every level of engagement. While there were many memorable moments, the following were my top takeaways.

Predicting The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Interest Rate Decision of March 19, 2025.

Introduction

This article represents a collaborative effort between Ocean Foam and Yunus Gümüşsoy, the recent FOMC Prediction Data Challenge winner. The analysis aims to develop a sophisticated predictive framework that combines economic indicators, sentiment analysis, and advanced machine learning techniques to accurately anticipate Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate decisions. Our model enhances the understanding of how macroeconomic variables and the nuances in central bank communications impact monetary policy decisions, providing valuable insights for financial markets, policymakers, and economic forecasters.

Prediction

Our integrated predictive model successfully forecasted the most recent FOMC decision from March 19, 2025, accurately predicting a decision to maintain the current interest rate (no change, +0.00%) with a probability of 56.5%. The model further assigned probabilities of 27% for a +0.25% rate increase and 9% for a -0.25% rate cut. Notably, this prediction marks the third consecutive successful forecast dating back to the previous year, underscoring the reliability and robustness of our approach.

Datasets and Methodology

Economic Data: The dataset incorporates 36 key macroeconomic indicators, including Inflation Metrics such as Consumer Price Index (CPI), Core CPI, Producer Price Index (PPI), Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), and Inflation Expectations; Employment Metrics such as Non-Farm Payrolls and Unemployment Rate; and various Interest Rate and Yield Metrics including the Federal Funds Rate, Treasury Yields (2-Year and 10-Year), Mortgage Rates, and Bank Loan Rates. All economic data were systematically collected through the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) API, ensuring high-quality and real-time relevance.

FOMC Meeting Data: This dataset includes comprehensive historical records of previous FOMC meetings and decisions, sourced from Investing.com. These historical records provide essential context and capture decision-making patterns critical for enhancing predictive accuracy.

FOMC Communications: Utilizing advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, we analyzed official statements and meeting minutes directly scraped from the Federal Reserve’s website. NLP features employed include FinBERT sentiment analysis, Hawkish/Dovish keyword frequencies, topic modeling, and sentiment ratio scoring. This text-based analysis captures subtle signals within the Federal Reserve’s communications, significantly enhancing the model’s predictive power.

To further understand our model’s decision-making, we assessed feature importance within our predictive framework, which reveals the economic and textual factors most influential in determining FOMC decisions.

The predictions generated by our model align closely with the current U.S. economic environment, particularly given the shift toward lower interest rates under a new presidential administration. Interestingly, the model indicated a small but notable 6% probability for a more aggressive -0.50% rate cut, an outcome that appears unlikely under typical conditions. This probability likely captures the heightened uncertainty related to recent U.S. tariff policy shifts and evolving geopolitical narratives concerning European political dynamics.

Looking Ahead

We’re focused on improving our predictive methods by adding sentiment analysis of public speeches from Federal Reserve officials. We also plan to create lagged indicators to better capture economic trends, and use dimensionality reduction techniques to spot key macroeconomic patterns more effectively. Our goal is to keep refining our approach so we can provide accurate, actionable forecasts and help everyone understand monetary policy better.

We are actively working toward making our predictive insights publicly available via a Web3 decentralized application (dApp). Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks.

About Ocean Protocol & Ocean Foam

Ocean Protocol was founded to level the playing field for AI and data. Ocean tools enable people to privately & securely publish, exchange, and consume data. Follow Ocean on Twitter or TG, and chat in Discord. Ocean is part of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

Ocean Foam was created to connect entrepreneurs with data scientists, enabling them to collaborate and create revenue-generating dApps using data and Web3 technology. Stay connected with Ocean Foam on X and Discord for the latest updates and insights.

Forecasting the Fed: How AI, Sentiment Analysis, and Economic Data Predict FOMC Decisions was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Waarom zakelijke kredietverleners achterblijven met digitalisering

De zakelijke kredietmarkt loopt achter met digitalisering, zeker in vergelijking met de consumentenmarkt. Bij een hypotheek- of consumptief kredietaanvraag kunnen particulieren moeiteloos hun financiële gegevens delen via DigiD, iDIN, PSD2 en andere brondatavormen. Veel zakelijke kredietverleners werken daarentegen nog met handmatige en foutgevoelige procedures op basis van documenten en PDF-bestanden.

🤝 Partnerships & Ecosystem Growth

🎮 We’re thrilled to join the Blockchain Gaming Alliance (BGA) one of the leading communities bringing together top blockchain gaming companies! ✨

🤝 New Partnership Alert: We’re partnering with OnlyLayer a next-gen consumer blockchain designed for everyone! 🚀

🔹 Why OnlyLayer?

✅ Built with ZK-OPVM technology for fast, secure, and scalable transactions

✅ Optimized for gaming and consumer adoption

✅ Enables seamless cross-chain interoperability

With this collaboration, Safle Wallet will integrate deeper with OnlyLayer’s ecosystem, enhancing our gaming and Web3 experience with improved scalability and efficiency.

🎯 Our Objective

🔹 Connect with the best gaming founders and industry leaders

🔹 Build strong relationships with key decision-makers in gaming

🚀 Upcoming Activities

📢 Twitter AMAs to engage with the gaming community

🌟 Exclusive events during Token 2049 to network and collaborate

🛠️ Sharing key product updates with industry leaders

💡 Why This Matters

Being part of BGA and partnering with OnlyLayer gives us direct access to top gaming founders and department heads. This opens the door for deep industry connections while driving the integration of Safle ID and other products into the gaming ecosystem. Stay tuned as we level up our Web3 gaming journey! 🎮🚀

📢 Marketing Updates

Last week, we tackled one of Web3 gaming’s toughest hidden bosses spam and bot activity. Our theme:

“In Web3 gaming, battling spam is like facing a Hydra: cut one head, and two more pop up. Let’s discuss how to conquer these hidden bosses together.”

To fuel the discussion, we deployed a multi-format content strategy:

🎨 Eye-catching visuals to illustrate the problem and solutions

🎙️ Animated voice-over videos explaining how bots impact gaming ecosystems

📊 Interactive polls to gather insights from our community

🎭 Engaging GIFs to drive quick, digestible storytelling

This approach kept our audience engaged while reinforcing Safle’s expertise in Web3 gaming security. Up next, we’re refining our strategy based on community feedback and top-performing content. Stay tuned!

🔹 Social Media Spotlight:

This week, we’re focusing on Polygon Blockchain and Polygon zkEVM, highlighting how it empowers both builders and gamers with:

✅ Low fees, fast transactions

✅ Enhanced scalability and security with zkEVM

✅ Seamless cross-chain interoperability

🔹 For Builders: How Polygon’s dev-friendly ecosystem simplifies smart contract deployment and scalability.

🔹 For Gamers: Smoother in-game experiences and faster transactions means less lag, more wins.

🚨 Key Message: Safle makes it easy to leverage Polygon’s full potential fast onboarding, gasless transactions, and a unified gaming ID.

🚀 Product Updates

🔹 Embedded Wallets:

✅ Phase 1 QA completed — bugs resolved

✅ More UI customizations enabled for partners — currently in QA

🔹 EVM Chain Support Extended — Work in progress

🔹 Cross-Chain Swaps — Designs in progress

🔹 Wallet Attestations:

⚙️ Development in progress — exploring cross-chain messaging solutions

📱 Mobile App Designs — In progress

🔹 SafleID v2:

Development is underway for wallet attestations with cross-chain messaging compatibility, enhancing interoperability across ecosystems.

🎮 Safle ID for Web3 Games

We’re re-envisioning Safle ID with a focus on Web3 Games. Know any game that should integrate SafleID? Let us know!

Discover more: SafleID for Web3 Gaming

Thank you for your continued support in shaping the future of Web3 with Safle.

The Safle Team

🚀 More updates coming soon!

This month's newsletter covers major developments in the crypto world, from AML Bitcoin’s CEO facing 30 years for money laundering to Robinhood settling a $29.75M fine for compliance failures. Buckle up, it's time for CryptoCubed.

The post The CryptoCubed Newsletter: March Edition first appeared on ComplyCube.

Identity Fusion, a premier vendor with 25 years of experience in the IAM and Cyber Security space, announced the integration of Dock Labs’ verifiable credential technology to bring legacy IAM systems into the next generation of identity. By leveraging verifiable credentials and ID wallets, Identity Fusion is eliminating redundant identity proofing, reducing fraud, and enabling secure, reusable identity verification across industries like finance and healthcare.

Thales-led consortium EISNET to boost European air defence prezly Thu, 03/20/2025 - 08:00 Under the European Defence Fund (EDF), Thales is to coordinate the EISNET (European Interactive Sensor-Based Dynamic Defence Network) consortium, involving 23 partners from industry, research centres and universities from twelve Member States. The project seeks to decisively enhance the responsiveness, resilience and performance of Integrated Air Missile Defence (IAMD) systems to protect the European Union from threats ranging from hyper-saturating drone swarms to hypersonic missiles. Co-funded by the European Defence Fund, member states and industry investments, this strategic initiative will create a European collaborative architecture to harmonise and aggregate existing as well as future IAMD systems.

Officially launched on the 1st December 2024, the EISNET consortium met at the end of January 2025 in the presence of 65 high-level representatives from European industry, research centres, universities, the European Commission and Member States. The project will establish a set of common standards, as well as create prototypes and develop demonstration scenarios.

EISNET will define, develop and demonstrate next-generation real-time networks protocols – called the EISNET Architecture Framework Tool (EAFT) – that will allow European radars, passive sensors, and command & control systems from different suppliers and countries to communicate in real-time and exchange data and services between systems dynamically. EISNET’s smart dynamic management will enhance the performance, scalability, responsiveness and resilience of new and legacy IAMD systems for the most challenging air and missile threat scenarios.

By integrating these various capabilities in a coordinated manner and enhancing communication speed, the project aims to reduce the command chain latency in the face of new-generation threats, high velocity attacks, massive fire saturation, and the stealth of these threats. EISNET’s ambition is to move towards an open standard to enable full interoperability with all IAMD suppliers.

Raphaël Desi, Vice-President Integrated Airspace-protection Systems, Thales said: “Air superiority is decisive in today’s warfare in order to protect our countries and citizens. EISNET paves the way for a new generation of Integrated Air Missile Defence. Together, in this Thales-led consortium, we will boost European air defence”.

About EISNET

The EISNET Architecture Framework Tool (EAFT) that will consist in a set of common concepts, rules and

functions which will permit the scalability of heterogeneous weapon systems, sensors and Fire Control Centres (FCC) with different architectures or configurations cooperating in a network centric solution.

The partners are:

THALES LAS FRANCE SAS (Coordinator) France AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH Austria BSS aps Denmark CAFA TECH OU Estonia CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI Italy DIEHL DEFENCE GMBH & CO. KG Germany ELETTRONICA SPA Italy HENSOLDT SENSORS GMBH Germany INDRA SISTEMAS SA Spain INTEROPERABILITY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER SOCIETE ANONYME Greece LEONARDO - SOCIETA PER AZIONI Italy MBDA ITALIA SPA Italy NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO The Netherlands OFFICE NATIONAL D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AEROSPATIALES France POLITECHNIKA WARSZAWSKA Poland RHEINMETALL ELECTRONICS GmbH Germany SAAB AKTIEBOLAG Sweden SPIKA TECH SL Spain STAM SRL Italy THALES EDISOFT PORTUGAL, S.A. Portugal THALES NEDERLAND BV The Netherlands TOTALFORSVARETS FORSKNINGSINSTITUT Sweden XYSENSING SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIA Poland

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Defence Fund. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Defence Fund. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/sans%20A-1920x480px_64.jpg Documents [Prezly] Thales-led consortium EISNET to boost European air defence.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 20 Mar 2025 Type Press release Structure Defence and Security Defence Officially launched on the 1st December 2024, the EISNET consortium met at the end of January 2025 in the presence of 65 high-level representatives from European industry, research centres, universities, the European Commission and Member States. The project will establish a set of common standards, as well as create prototypes and develop demonstration scenarios. prezly_740775_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 740775 Prezly UUID 3fb36bf5-6afe-4e65-b86d-172073d4787e Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-led-consortium-eisnet-to-boost-european-air-defence Thu, 03/20/2025 - 09:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Every individual has the right to belong to a nation that ensures security, freedom, and economic opportunity. A nation should serve as a protector, ensuring stability and empowering its people to build and sustain wealth. However, the current global financial system prioritizes financial institutions over individuals, allowing wealth accumulation for the privileged few while restricting economic independence for the majority.

At Sovereign Wallet, we advocate for an alternative financial model — one that is investment-based rather than debt-driven. We envision a system that eliminates reliance on credit and interest-based transactions, enables direct, secure, and transparent financial exchanges, and empowers individuals and nations with self-sovereign finance. This model fosters long-term economic sustainability by freeing people from dependency on banks and intermediaries.

By digitizing national infrastructures and enabling peer-to-peer financial participation, we offer an independent, self-sustaining alternative to traditional banking.

A sovereign future starts with reclaiming ownership over identity and financial participation. No individual should have to depend on centralized authorities to verify their identity, access services, or participate in economic activities. We aim to build a financial system that prevents economic servitude, guarantees unrestricted financial participation independent of inflation-driven and debt-based models, and ensures governance structures are transparent and directly participatory, reflecting the will of the people rather than the interests of a privileged elite.

This vision does not seek to replace one centralized authority with another. Instead, it aims to create a decentralized, equitable, and resilient system where power is distributed and individuals are genuinely empowered.

Building Indigenous Sovereignty: The Promise of Digital Infrastructure

Across the globe, Indigenous communities continue to seek meaningful sovereignty — not just politically, but economically and digitally. Recognizing the need for robust infrastructure that aligns with these ambitions, Sovereign Wallet is developing the Indigenous Digital Infrastructure (IDI), a comprehensive framework designed to reinforce Indigenous sovereignty, economic independence, and social inclusivity. The IDI is structured around three core pillars: Self-Sovereign Identity, Tokenized Payments, and AI Agents, each integral to strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and economic competitiveness.

Self-Sovereign Identity: Security and Autonomy

At the heart of the IDI is Self-Sovereign Identity, empowering individuals to securely own, control, and manage their digital identities without reliance on centralized authorities. Through tokenized identities and digital identifiers, personal data is protected via encrypted messaging networks and unified ledgers.

This approach allows individuals to issue and present verifiable credentials independently, granting them full autonomy over their identities. The benefits extend beyond individual privacy to broader community trust and transparency, as digital signatures enable secure contracts, notarization processes, and authenticated, on-chain voting systems, thereby fortifying governance mechanisms.

Tokenized Payment: Economic Empowerment and Inclusivity

Economic autonomy is further strengthened by a Tokenized Payment system, which simplifies transactions and reduces reliance on costly intermediaries. Facilitated through peer-to-peer transactions — such as Payment versus Payment (PvP) currency exchanges and Delivery versus Payment (DvP) asset exchanges — the IDI significantly lowers social transaction costs, enhancing local economic efficiency.

This innovative payment ecosystem promotes sustainability through tokenized crowd investments, digitized currency circulation, and secure digital asset trading. Crucially, the system fosters inclusivity, equipping users with self-managed digital wallets and banking capabilities directly linked to their digital identities, ensuring everyone within Indigenous communities can actively participate in economic life.

AI Agents: Automation and Economic Scalability

Complementing identity and payment systems, AI Agents introduce a transformative dimension to the IDI. By shifting extensive manual processes to AI-driven algorithmic operations, Indigenous communities can dramatically enhance productivity, efficiency, and economic scalability.

Leveraging digital currencies and peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, AI-powered infrastructures enable machine-to-machine commerce, creating scalable, sustainable economic ecosystems that free human labor for creative and strategic tasks. Furthermore, AI agents facilitate the growth of inclusive, open-source economic networks, enabling broad societal participation in collective economic prosperity.

Integrating Self-Sovereign Identity, Tokenized Payments, and AI Agents into a coherent digital infrastructure establishes a powerful, decentralized, and inclusive economy for Indigenous communities. Sovereign Wallet’s vision of the IDI represents the technological advancement and a fundamental shift toward genuine economic sovereignty. In embracing the IDI, Indigenous nations reaffirm their independence, redefine their economic potential, and establish a resilient foundation for generations to come.

We believe that financial power should be in the hands of individuals — not intermediaries, banks, or centralized authorities. By eliminating unnecessary transaction costs, introducing fractional investments, and creating an inclusive financial ecosystem, we make economic opportunities available to all, regardless of financial status or geographic location. This is the foundation for a new, decentralized financial era — one where individuals and nations have the freedom to shape their own economic destinies, ensuring long-term prosperity and sustainability.

Predictoor DF133 rewards available. DF134 runs Mar 20— Mar 27th, 2024 1. Overview

Data Farming (DF) is an incentives program initiated by ASI Alliance member, Ocean Protocol. In DF, you can earn OCEAN rewards by making predictions via ASI Predictoor.

Data Farming Round 133 (DF133) has completed.

DF134 is live today, March 20. It concludes on March 27th. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3750 OCEAN rewards and 20,000 ROSE rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF134 is comprised solely of Predictoor DF rewards.

Predictoor DF: Actively predict crypto prices by submitting a price prediction and staking OCEAN to slash competitors and earn.

3. How to Earn Rewards, and Claim Them

Predictoor DF: To earn: submit accurate predictions via Predictoor Bots and stake OCEAN to slash incorrect Predictoors. To claim OCEAN rewards: run the Predictoor $OCEAN payout script, linked from Predictoor DF user guide in Ocean docs. To claim ROSE rewards: see instructions in Predictoor DF user guide in Ocean docs.

4. Specific Parameters for DF134

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3750 OCEAN + 20K ROSE

Networks. Predictoor DF applies to activity on Oasis Sapphire. Here is more information about Ocean deployments to networks.

Predictoor DF rewards are calculated as follows:

First, DF Buyer agent purchases Predictoor feeds using OCEAN throughout the week to evenly distribute these rewards. Then, ROSE is distributed at the end of the week to active Predictoors that have been claiming their rewards.

Expect further evolution in DF: adding new streams and budget adjustments among streams.

Updates are always announced at the beginning of a round, if not sooner.

About Ocean, DF and ASI Predictoor

Ocean Protocol was founded to level the playing field for AI and data. Ocean tools enable people to privately & securely publish, exchange, and consume data. Follow Ocean on Twitter or TG, and chat in Discord. Ocean is part of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

In Predictoor, people run AI-powered prediction bots or trading bots on crypto price feeds to earn $. Follow Predictoor on Twitter.

DF133 Completes and DF134 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The post The Identity Security Paradox: When More Tools Create Bigger Blind Spots appeared first on Radiant Logic.

We’re proud to announce that Fastly’s Next-Gen WAF has been named a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Web Application Firewall Solutions, Q1 2025.

Auth0 Dashboard and Docs are now available in Japanese - enjoy a localized experience for secure identity solutions.

The post NTT Com to hold “Meet Startups 2025” — Co-creation support organization “ExTorch” shows how large companies and startups can connect appeared first on Indicio.

We’re happy to announce Season 11 of the Ocean Zealy Community Campaign, an initiative that has brought together our vibrant community and rewarded the most active and engaged members.

💰 Reward Pool

5,000 ($FET) tokens that will be rewarded to the Top100 users in our leaderboard 🚀

📜Program Structure

Season 11 of the Ocean Zealy Community Campaign will feature more engaging tasks and activities, providing participants with opportunities to earn points. From onboarding tasks to Twitter engagement and content creation, there’s something for everyone to get involved in and earn points and rewards along the way.

⏰Campaign Duration: 19th of March — 18th of April 12:00 PM UTC

🤔How Can You Participate?

Follow this link to join and earn:

https://zealy.io/cw/oceanprotocol/questboard

Season 11 of the Ocean Zealy Community Campaign! was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) is set to transform how people verify their identity and access services across borders. Expectations are high, with promises of seamless onboarding, payments, and credential sharing. But while the vision is ambitious, we're still in the early stages of development.

In our recent live event, Esther Makaay (VP of Digital Identity at Signicat) gave a presentation covering EUDI Wallet use cases, the evolving wallet ecosystem, large-scale pilots (LSPs), industry implications, and mandatory acceptance by regulated industries. She also addressed the gap between expectations and reality, highlighting both opportunities and ongoing developments.

This article summarizes the key takeaways, offering a clear snapshot of where we are today and what’s next for the EUDI Wallet.

The United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has provided a significant boost and much-needed clarity to US banks seeking to engage in certain cryptoasset-related activities. 

Thales to provide high-performance sonar suite for
future Orka-class submarines in the Netherlands prezly Wed, 03/19/2025 - 08:00 Under an agreement signed by Thales and Naval Group, Thales will supply the sonar suite for the Orka-class submarines to be deployed by the Royal Netherlands Navy under the RNSC (Replacement Netherlands Submarine Capability) programme. The sonar suite will provide a comprehensive picture of the underwater acoustic environment to support the future submarines' capacity to thwart increasingly silent threats. Thales is a world leader in the underwater systems market, equipping more than 50 submarines of various types — SSBNs1, SSNs2 and conventionally powered attack submarines — in service today.

Thales, a long-standing partner of both Naval Group and the Royal Netherlands Navy, will provide a comprehensive suite of high-performance sonar systems for the future class of submarines that will replace the Walrus-class vessels in service today. The contract will provide the submarines with a comprehensive picture of the underwater acoustic environment, helping the Netherlands to guarantee operational superiority.

The sonar suite features high-performance acoustic sensors, including bow, flank and obstacle-avoidance sonars, an intercept array, a passive towed-array sonar, an underwater voice communication system, an echo-sounder and signal processing racks. This cohesive suite of equipment will provide an unprecedented panoramic view of the underwater environment, making it possible to detect, locate and classify all types of threats at short, medium and long range across a wide range of frequencies.

Sylvain Perrier, RNSC Programme Director for Naval Group, said: "The highly capable Thales sonar suite was a key component of Naval Group's bid for this programme, and will make a significant contribution to the acoustic superiority of the Orka-class submarines. We know we can count on Thales to meet the demanding requirements of the COMMIT3 and to work hand in hand with Dutch industry on the RNSC programme."

This programme is an opportunity for Thales to align with the Dutch government's policy of support and empowerment of strategic national industries. It will consolidate the company's engagement with the naval defence ecosystem in the Netherlands, within the framework of the RNSC programme, as illustrated by a recent contract with the Dutch company Optics11, to use its OptiArray technology in the passive towed-array sonar.

"We are proud that Thales's advanced sonar suite has been selected to equip the Royal Netherlands Navy's Orka-class submarines. This partnership will enhance the technological superiority of the Dutch armed forces, and reflects our ongoing commitment to providing innovative, dependable solutions in support of the defence capabilities of allied nations," said Sébastien Guérémy, Vice President, Underwater Systems, Thales.

1 Ballistic missile submarines

2 Nuclear-powered attack submarines

3 COMMIT (Commando Materieel en IT / Materiel and IT Command) is part of the Dutch Ministry of Defence and responsible for the Orka-class submarines tendering process and project management.

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/sans%20A-1920x480px_62.jpg Documents [Prezly] Thales_Orka class_Infographic_EN.pdf [Prezly] 19032025_PR_Thales to provide high-performance sonar suite for future Orka-class submarines in the Netherlands.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 19 Mar 2025 Type Press release Structure Defence and Security Defence Thales, a long-standing partner of both Naval Group and the Royal Netherlands Navy, will provide a comprehensive suite of high-performance sonar systems for the future class of submarines that will replace the Walrus-class vessels in service today. The contract will provide the submarines with a comprehensive picture of the underwater acoustic environment, helping the Netherlands to guarantee operational superiority. prezly_740758_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 740758 Prezly UUID 5efd2138-b68e-4080-9008-be8930035796 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-to-provide-high-performance-sonar-suite-for-future-orka-class-submarines-in-the-netherlands Wed, 03/19/2025 - 09:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Meet Sarah—a busy professional trying to open an investment account, finalize her legal agreement, and file her taxes. Her to-do list is long, but verifying her identity for each service shouldn’t be the hardest part of her day.

Her first stop is her credit union. They require a face-to-face meeting, but the next available appointment is five days away. Sarah’s lawyer calls next—“We’ll need you to bring your ID in for verification.” Great. Another trip. Finally, her accountant sends a casual request: “Just email me a picture of your driver’s license.” Alarm bells go off in Sarah’s mind. Isn’t email unsecured?

By the end of the day, Sarah is frustrated and overwhelmed. Verifying her identity feels outdated, unsafe, and time-consuming.

Now imagine a different experience—one where Sarah completes everything from her phone, securely and in minutes, thanks to a platform powered by iComply.

A Seamless Verification Journey

Sarah opens her credit union’s branded verification portal—powered by iComply—on her phone. Instead of scheduling a meeting, she’s prompted to take a quick selfie and scan her driver’s license.

Within seconds, the system:

Confirms her ID’s authenticity by checking security features like watermarks and MRZ codes. Runs a biometric facial recognition check to ensure the selfie matches her ID. Cross-references her information against real-time government databases, ensuring compliance with KYC and AML regulations.

No back-and-forth emails. No trips to an office. No guesswork about data security. The same smooth process happens when Sarah logs into her law firm’s and accountant’s portals. iComply’s flexible platform allows each business to use the same seamless verification process—no siloed tools or manual checks.

Why This Future Matters

iComply eliminates friction for clients like Sarah and strengthens trust in every transaction. For businesses, it’s a win-win: secure onboarding that meets global regulatory standards while enhancing customer experience. Instead of patchwork solutions that create inefficiencies, iComply’s unified platform integrates everything—document verification, biometric checks, and continuous monitoring—into one turnkey system.

This isn’t just identity verification—it’s a future where customers like Sarah feel valued and safe, not inconvenienced or exposed. When compliance is this seamless, it stops being a hurdle and becomes a competitive advantage.

It’s time to leave in-person waits and unsecured emails behind. Ready to show your customers the future? Discover how iComply can empower your business today.

Learn how to test a Next-Gen WAF rate limiting rule using Fastly and GitHub Actions. Prevent DDoS attacks and enforce Terms of Service with this post.

Cloud computing was a breakthrough in convenience and cost compared to housing and maintaining on-site servers for companies’ data and applications. But the landscape has shifted, thanks to greatly heightened security risks, higher data transport demands from applications like AI, and a growing need for both control and flexibility that the cloud can’t offer. 

This has led to more interest in a “best of both worlds” approach increasingly known as “cloud-premises computing,” or just “cloud-prem.” Also sometimes known as Hybrid Cloud, this approach involves separating user data storage from application and execution, with the “data plane” generally hosted and managed on-site and the “control plane” managed in the cloud, often by a vendor.

Cloud-prem reduces vendor lock-in, reduces data latency, can improve security, and makes compliance easier.

You Control the Data – Not Your Vendor

A hybrid approach to hosted services generally means an on-site server that handles user data, and a cloud instance that runs the application layer, sometimes with help from a software vendor. For instance, a health service might store patient data locally, while a software provider integrates edge computing for patient monitoring in the cloud.

This approach lets an in-house IT administrator deploy all applications with uniform, pre-set data controls. Direct, physical control of data also means long-term flexibility: In the event of a vendor switch or new integration, having data on your own servers keeps handovers worry-free. Using standard data approaches such as Kubernetes and PostgresDB makes shifting or expanding to a new front-end app practically plug-and-play.

The practical benefits can be massive if you deal with a lot of vendors. In a pure cloud-SaaS model, 12 services can mean 12 different databases, each controlled by a vendor. By putting you back in control of your data, cloud-prem can make interaction among the data for all these applications much simpler. Overall, a customer who controls their own data also has more control over their own applications.

Security In Your Hands

For even slightly sensitive applications, the cloud has always been a dicey proposition. Cloud SaaS struggles to provide the necessary safeguards for handling a lot of PII or health information, and newer AI and data-monitoring applications need extensive access permissions, meaning higher risk in a cloud environment. As one commenter put it, “Securing cloud assets that may be open to the public or accessible via API means battling a Medusa.”

The changing threat environment makes this challenge even bigger: major data breaches and ransomware attacks rose sharply in 2024. More and more attackers are backed by hostile governments, and the average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million, according to Nordlayer. Cloud breaches were even more damaging, averaging $5.17 million.

It requires in-house expertise that’s not always cheap, but local data control offers greater control over security measures, from individual and application privileges to the ability to simply take data offline entirely in a catastrophic situation. That could be particularly important in a ransomware scenario, and those attacks have become increasingly frequent and costly.

Location, Location, Location

Where your data “lives” geographically is important for reasons other than security. For a long time, high-grade broadband meant there was plenty of bandwidth, even for tasks like streaming video. But the advent of AI has begun to push up against those boundaries, making “data gravity” an issue.

One example is in finance, where algorithmic fraud detection is now nearly ubiquitous. This and similar applications require significant privileges over sensitive data. Keeping data and processing near each other can be a security advantage while reducing bandwidth costs and even shaving down service latency.

The cloud-prem hybrid model also addresses regulatory controls on data’s physical location. While the U.S. has no Federal data localization law, specific regulations or rules cover data handling by health care providers (HIPAA), the financial industry (PCI DSS), and government contractors. Specific state regulations, such as California’s CCPA, may also have implications for your data localization and control duties. While cloud providers can offer specific data locations, the assurances may not be sufficient for higher-risk or regulated sectors. 

So, if you’re facing localization requirements, need to go the extra mile for more agility and security, or want to get the most out of innovations in artificial intelligence, cloud-prem could be a strong fit for your secure computing strategy. 

Learn More about Cloud-Prem

At SpruceID, we leverage cloud-prem computing to ensure secure, flexible, and compliant data management for our clients, providing the best of both worlds in an increasingly complex digital landscape. If you're looking to enhance your organization's data security and control when it comes to verifiable digital credentials, contact us today to learn how we can help you implement a tailored solution.

Get in Touch

About SpruceID: SpruceID is building a future where users control their identity and data across all digital interactions.

 

GN HEARTLAND

Our playhaus growth strategist Branden is subbing in for El Prof today to deliver some hard-won wisdom from his decade-plus in the space.

And here we were thinking the last quarter was traumatizing. Imagine weathering 40 of those. This man has seen some things.

—Muhammed, Chad & Branden

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+6.80%

$134.74

Helium ($HNT)

+13.73%

$3.19

Pyth ($PYTH)

+7.59%

$0.16

Raydium ($RAY)

+19.07%

$1.89

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 3.19.25)

XRP $XRP.X ( ▼ 0.91% ) soared after the SEC finally dismissed its years-long lawsuit against Ripple Labs for allegedly selling unregistered securities. Evidently other major tokens are seeing some — heh — ripple effects.

Stablecoins: Your Crypto Chill Pill in a Wild Market

It’s 3 AM, I’m half-asleep on my couch, glued to my phone, and Solana is tanking faster than my motivation on a Monday. My hands are sweaty, I’m freaking out, muttering, “Sell? HODL? What’s the play chat?!” Then it hits me — stablecoins!

I swap my SOL for USDC quicker than you can say “I’m screwed,” and bam, I’m chill again. No more watching my money bleed out — it’s just sitting there at a buck a pop, while the crypto world loses its mind. That’s the deal with stablecoins. They’re like the buddy who talks you off the ledge when it gets a bit too wild.

Stablecoins are like the laid-back cousins of the crypto fam — they don’t flip out like Bitcoin or Ethereum. They’re tied to boring stuff like dollars or gold, so while the big dogs are out there doing cartwheels, stablecoins are just kicking it, steady as a rock. But don’t sleep on ‘em — they’re clutch. I’ve used them to pay for groceries, coffee, and even sent them to a buddy halfway across the planet instantly with no insane fees or no hassle. It’s like Venmo on steroids.

The Stablecoin Use Case

Here’s the rundown on the types — they’ve all got their own deal:

Fiat-Backed: These are hooked to real cash, like USDC $USDC.X ( ▼ 0.0% ) or Tether $USDT.X ( ▲ 0.02% ). Simple gig: 1 coin = 1 dollar stashed somewhere. USDC’s my jam ’cause they’re straight-up about it, while Tether’s had some “uh, where’s the money?” sketchiness. It’s like loaning your buddy 20 bucks — USDC’s the guy who pays you back, Tether’s the one who might ghost you.

Crypto-Backed: Like DAI — tied to other crypto, usually Ethereum $ET ( ▼ 0.16% ) . You gotta overstack it to cover any dips, kinda like tossing extra cash in a bet to make sure you don’t lose your shirt. Neat, but it’s more work.

Algorithmic: These are wild — fancy code keeps ’em at a buck, no cash or crypto backing, just math vibes. Terra’s UST $UST.X ( ▲ 2.05% ) tried it and ate dirt hard — like, zeroed out overnight. Brutal. New ones are popping up, though, so who knows? Maybe they’ll crack it.

Stablecoins are like that random tool in your junk drawer — good for everything. They’re your safe spot. Need to sending cash quick? Boom, done. I’ve paid freelancers with them and even scored a pizza just to say I did (look up the story of Bitcoin Pizza Day). They’re ace for dodging market tantrums, too — swap into when $PEPE.X ( ▼ 0.9% ) is crying, and you’re golden. No more stressing over your portfolio.

Okay, but what’s the catch? Yeah, they’ve got some baggage. Biggest potential headache? De-pegging. That’s when they lose the $1 mark, and the clown-show begins. This is very rare, but it happens. Terra’s UST went from a buck to nada. People (and, not long after, the entire crypto market) got wrecked.

Then there’s regulation — governments are eyeballing them, and stuff like the EU’s MiCA rules could mess with the vibe (the EU has a very different approach to crypto than the current administration in the US). For fiat backed stablecoins, in the back of your mind, you’re always like, “Yo, you sure you’ve got the cash?” Trust’s a gamble sometimes. Crypto-backed or algo ones? It’s all code, and code can glitch — or a hacker can swipe it. Like trusting your dog not to eat your sandwich — usually fine, but hey, shit happens.

Here’s the big players you should know:

USDC: The straight-A student — clean, audited, my ride-or-die.

USDT: The shady one — tons of it out there, but it’s got a rap sheet.

DAI $DAI.X ( ▲ 0.04% ): The artsy type, all decentralized and quirky — still figuring it out myself.

And shout-out to lesser-knowns like Ripple’s $RLUSD.X ( ▼ 0.11% ), $BUSDX.X ( 0.0% ) or $PAXG.X ( ▲ 0.43% )— solid options if you’re exploring.

Those are the DeFi leaders, but TradFi is sniffing around the space now. JPMorgan’s JPM Coin’s zipping cash for their clients, way quicker than wire transfers. Some normie banks even let you stash USDC right in your account! Down the road, stablecoins could flip cross-border payments — cheap, fast, no bank BS.

Oh, and some governments around the world are cooking up their own digital money — CBDCs (Central Bank Digial Currencies (this is a whole other conversation for another time)). Stablecoins might tag along or butt heads with them — like they’re auditioning for the cash throne, but nobody’s got the crown yet.

Some exchanges — like Binance, Gemini, and Coinbase — push you to keep stablecoins “on-chain” with ultra-high interest rates as an incentive. Binance dangled 8% APY on USDT once. Coinbase and Uphold both offer 4%+ for you to store your USDC with them. Felt like my cash was finally pulling its weight and if you use their debit card, you can spend directly out of your account and in many cases earn additional rewards like .5% BTC on your transactions.

Other Ways to Use or Spend Stablecoins

Speaking of making your money work, stablecoins aren’t just for parking or earning interest — they’ve got a whole bunch of other uses too.

Stablecoins aren’t just for trading or sitting pretty in your wallet — they’ve got a whole bag of tricks. You can use them to send cash across the globe without getting fleeced by fees. I once sent some USDC to a buddy in LA, and it was faster than a hiccup — no waiting days for the bank to wake up. Saved me a ton on fees too, which meant more tacos for both of us.

Then there’s online shopping — some stores (many built on Shopify) are cool with stablecoins now. I bought a goofy mug off a site with USDC just to say I did. Felt like a crypto pioneer, even if it was just a silly mug.

In DeFi, you can lend out stablecoins and rake in interest. I have a few friends that like to toss DAI into AAVE and make a few bucks here and there. Not life-changing, but hey, better than your bank’s sad rates. Just watch out — DeFi’s got risks and if you don’t pay attention, you can lose your shirt — and maybe more!

Oh, and charities? Some take stablecoins! I sent USDC to the Global Sanctuary for Elephants — quick, no fees, felt good. It’s like donating without the middleman taking a cut. I personally like The Giving Block. If you’re curious about on-chain charitable organizations, here are 9 non-profits harnessing blockchain for social impact.

Investment-wise, stablecoins are a solid base. I use them to park cash before diving into other cryptos or just to collect the interest (Coinbase offers over 4% APY on your USDC). Keeps things steady while I figure out my next move. For freelance gigs, stablecoins can come in clutch, too. Whenever I am doing freelance gigs, I ask if I can be paid in USDC — no borders, no hassle. If they don’t know what USDC is, it’s a great opportunity to drop some knowledge! When the market’s throwing a tantrum, I swap to stablecoins to chill. Did that during the last crash — saved my bacon while everyone else was panicking.

So yeah, stablecoins are like that multi-tool you keep in your car — good for a bunch of stuff, just don’t expect them to fix everything.

They really are the chill heroes of crypto — steady, handy, but not invincible. They’re not flexing — they just do the job: trading, paying, whatever. Yeah, there’s risks — de-pegging, sketchy backups, or governments shutting them down, but they are the most trustworthy aspect of the industry. Next time your favorite coin is throwing a fit, maybe hang with USDC for a sec and avoid the headache of the next 30% dip.

The digital dollar of the wild wild west is here. How will you take advantage of it?

—Branden

You’re the Map!

If you want to build something new, you start at street level.

Hivemapper, the Solana-based decentralized mapping project, is doing just that — turning everyday drivers into cartographers and paying them in crypto to rebuild the world’s maps from scratch. It’s a wildly ambitious idea, but one that might just work.

The traditional mapping industry is dominated by Google, which updates its maps on its terms, at its own pace, and with its massive budget. Hivemapper, on the other hand, is flipping that model on its head. With dashcams that cost just a few hundred bucks, contributors feed a constantly updating global map and get rewarded in HONEY tokens. More than 100 million kilometers have already been mapped, spanning over 90 countries.

But, as with any big crypto experiment, there’s a catch. While the supply side is booming — drivers are lining up to earn rewards — the demand side is still a work in progress. Companies need to buy into Hivemapper’s vision for it to be sustainable, and so far, that adoption has been slower than ideal. Critics argue that incentives alone won’t carry the project forever.

Still, the promise is clear. A self-sustaining, real-time global map, owned and maintained by the people who drive the roads. One that’s cheaper, fresher, and more adaptable than anything a centralized giant could maintain.

So, will Hivemapper succeed in redrawing the digital map economy? It’s hard to say. But if the future of mapping really is decentralized, this might just be the way to get there.

—Muhammed

We are thrilled to welcome Ben M. Rogers, CEO of VaaS Block, as Aergo’s new Growth Advisor! With his extensive experience and strategic vision, Ben will be key in driving Aergo’s growth and expanding our ecosystem.

As we continue to push the boundaries of blockchain innovation, having strong leadership and guidance is crucial. Ben’s expertise in blockchain solutions and enterprise adoption will help us unlock new opportunities and accelerate our mission.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Exciting Announcement: Welcoming Ben M. Rogers as Aergo’s New Growth Advisor! was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

tl;dr: Traditional identity federation has enabled digital identity with centralized, third-party logins, for decades. Its limitations in security and user control, however, are becoming a problem, especially when there are alternatives being developed. Digital credentials offer a decentralized, user-empowering alternative that enhances privacy and enables offline authentication. We’re looking at a brave new world with the future of identity federation.

Let’s Get Started

If you’re reading this post, you, along with around 4.88 billion of your fellow humans (that’s just over 60% of the global population), have a smartphone. You’ve probably used that phone to purchase goods or services, log in to social media, check your bank balance, or access your work or school account to get something done. In the early days of digital identity, you’d have used a username and password and not thought too much about it. But as hackers began finding ways to copy those usernames and passwords, banks and businesses recognized the need for more secure methods for verifying identity.

Organizations started to externalize identity verification, relying on third parties to manage accounts and authenticate users. Although this change made the experience more efficient and secure for most users, once you initiated the action, you lost control over how the system shared your identity information. And as our dependence on digital transactions grew, so did the demand for offline experiences to match the convenience and security of online interactions.

This post explores two different paradigms in digital identity management: traditional federation and digital (or verifiable) credentials. I’ll talk a bit about how traditional federated authentication works, why the industry is shifting towards verifiable credentials, and how offline authentication is emerging as a vital component of the future identity framework.

Understanding Traditional Federation

First, let me just say that calling this “traditional” federation feels weird. Since it developed in my lifetime, it doesn’t feel that old. And yet, some of you may never have seen the Internet function without it. So I’ll use “traditional” because “old-fashioned” is worse. Also, get off my lawn.

Traditional Identity Federation: More Than Just a Third-Party Login

Traditional identity federation isn’t simply about “logging in with Google” or other familiar third parties. It’s built on a robust trust fabric that ties together Identity Providers (IdPs) and Relying Parties (RPs) through formal, negotiated agreements.

According to the REFEDS, the Research and Education Federations organization, this ecosystem is maintained through a set of shared policies, legal contracts, and technical standards. These elements ensure that every party involved adheres to common guidelines for security, privacy, and operational best practices. In essence, when you log in through a federated service, you’re participating in an intricate web of trust where the IdP and RP have already agreed on the rules of engagement. It’s a combination of technical trust (i.e., computationally enforceable) and contractual trust (i.e., yay, lawyers). This trust fabric guarantees that the identity assertions provided by the IdP are reliable and acceptable to the RP. The result is secure and efficient digital transactions without the need for every party to reinvent the wheel each time.

This model simplifies the user experience by reducing the need for multiple credentials. It also reinforces the overall security posture by holding each participant accountable to a standardized set of expectations and responsibilities. This framework of collective trust makes traditional identity federation a viable and widely adopted approach in various sectors.

How Does It Work?

In a typical federated model, a third-party IdP redirects you when you attempt to access a service. This provider confirms your identity (often using a username and password, hopefully augmented with additional factors) and then sends a secure assertion back to the service. This process not only simplifies user experience by reducing the number of credentials you need to manage but also centralizes the security controls. Basically, the service provider doesn’t have to manage your account or your affiliation, nor do they need to go through any kind of elaborate identity verification process. They effectively outsource all that to the identity provider. 

Benefits and Limitations

While traditional federation offers efficiency and ease of use, it comes with trade-offs:

Centralized Trust: You rely heavily on the IdP’s security measures. A breach or failure on their side can expose your personal data. Limited User Control: Once the authentication process begins, the user has little say over how their identity data is managed or shared. Single Point of Failure: If the IdP is compromised or goes offline, access to multiple services can be affected.

For many sectors, especially in research, education, and enterprise, these limitations are increasingly prompting the search for more resilient and user-empowering alternatives.

Introducing Digital Credentials

Hello, digital credentials that can be cryptographically verified, my new friends.

Defining Digital (Verifiable) Credentials

Digital credentials, also called verifiable credentials (I have a blog post about the terminology problems), represent a shift in how we think about identity. Rather than relying solely on centralized third parties, these credentials offer cryptographically secure, tamper-evident proofs of identity or specific claims. By storing credentials on personal devices like smartphones, users gain greater control over their information and can present verified data directly to service providers without always involving an intermediary. In other words, they can prevent your IdP from tracking you.

Underlying Technologies

At the heart of digital credentials lies a suite of modern technologies:

Cryptography: Ensures that credentials are secure and tamper-proof. Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs): Provide a way to assert identity without a central registry. Digital Wallets: Serve as the interface for managing and presenting these credentials, similar to how a physical wallet stores your driver’s license, credit cards, and other proofs.

If you’re curious about specific standards, you have several options. I went into a comparison study a while back about W3C Verifiable Credentials versus ISO/IEC mdoc. I also expanded it a bit to talk about IETF SD-JWT VCs. Suffice to say, there’s a lot going on and various reasons to choose a protocol.

Advantages Over Traditional Federation

Digital credentials offer several improvements:

Enhanced Security: By reducing reliance on centralized password databases, digital credentials mitigate the risk of mass breaches. Greater Privacy: Users can engage in selective disclosure, sharing only the specific information required by a service rather than an entire identity profile. User Empowerment: The control over credentials shifts back into the hands of the user, ensuring that they decide how and when to share their identity information. The Shift: From Sign-Ins to Digital Credentials Why the Transition?

There isn’t any single reason, but we can start with:

Security Needs: As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, the industry is moving away from centralized password stores to more secure, decentralized systems. Privacy Concerns: Users increasingly demand solutions that allow them to share only what’s necessary, preserving their personal data from unnecessary exposure. Efficiency Gains: Digital credentials streamline the process of identity verification, making transactions both faster and more reliable. Use-Case Scenarios

Consider a few real-world examples where this shift is already underway:

Financial Services: Banks are exploring ways to onboard customers using digital credentials that confirm identity without storing sensitive data in one centralized location. Travel & Hospitality: Mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) and digital passports can enable secure, offline verification when connectivity is poor or non-existent. Healthcare: Institutions are piloting systems where patients’ vaccination records or other health records are stored digitally, ensuring privacy and easing cross-system verification. This had a surge of popularity with COVID-19 vaccination records.

Digital wallets play a crucial role in these scenarios, acting as secure repositories for your credentials. In posts like “The Wallets Are Coming—but Are We Ready for What’s Next?”, the conversation focuses on how these tools will soon become mainstream, everyday interactions.

Offline Authentication in the Digital Age

There’s a lot to be said here. For one thing, believe it or not, Internet access is not ubiquitous. For that matter, while 60% of humans today have smartphones, that means 40% do not. Unless something changes drastically, there will ALWAYS be a need to support offline services and physical credentials.

What Is Offline Authentication?

While online systems dominate much of our current authentication landscape, offline authentication is becoming a Really Big Deal. It allows for secure identity verification without a constant Internet connection, relying on local cryptographic verification methods.

Why Offline Matters

Offline authentication addresses several critical challenges:

Resilience: In areas with unreliable connectivity or in emergency situations, being able to verify identity without an online connection is invaluable. Privacy: By minimizing data transmission over networks, offline methods reduce exposure to interception or misuse. Complementarity: Offline authentication doesn’t replace online systems; it supplements them, ensuring that users have a seamless experience regardless of connectivity.

Real-world applications are already in motion. For instance, mDLs in many states in the U.S. can be verified locally on your device, and some health records are designed to be accessible even when you’re off the grid. This dual approach, online for day-to-day transactions and offline for specific scenarios, creates a robust, flexible identity framework.

Comparative Analysis: Digital Credentials vs. Traditional Federation

People seem to love comparison tables, so let’s start with one of those:

AspectTraditional Identity FederationDigital Credential ModelAuthenticationUses established protocols (OIDC and OAuth, SAML) to handle authentication and (sometimes) authorization.Relies on cryptographically secure, user-held credentials that you control on your device.SecurityCentralized systems create a single point of failure; a breach at the provider can impact many services.Decentralized, with security anchored in cryptography, reducing the risk of mass breaches.PrivacyThird parties manage and often store your data, which can lead to oversharing or tracking across services.Starting to enable selective disclosure, allowing you to share only the necessary information without overexposing your data. (There’s still work going on in the standards and implementation spaces to make this happen.)User ControlOnce you log in, you have little control over how the provider manages or shares your data.It puts you in the driver’s seat (driver’s seat, mDL, ha!), letting you decide what to share and when. That’s the goal; some technical challenges are still being worked on.Offline CapabilityPrimarily requires an online connection; offline verification is generally not supported.Supports offline verification (as long as you have a phone and the local business has the tools to consume what you display), ensuring secure authentication even without connectivity.Trust ModelTrust is placed in centralized authorities to safeguard your identity data.Trust is distributed through verifiable proofs and decentralized identifiers (DIDs). That said, some trust is centralized when it comes to trusting the issuer of the credential. AdoptionWidely implemented across sectors like education, research, and enterprise.Gaining traction in areas like finance, travel, healthcare, and beyond as the technology matures. Future Trends and the Road Ahead

This is an incredibly active space. That said, people will have to figure out how to deal with the technical debt of the previous generation tech stack. Interesting times.

Digital credentials are gaining ground, but does that mean traditional federation is on its way out? If your organization is trying to make sense of the shifting standards landscape, I can help you track the changes and find the right approach. Explore my digital identity standards consulting services.

Evolving Standards and Innovations For Digital Credentials

Several new initiatives and standards are setting the stage for a more decentralized and resilient identity ecosystem. The W3C Digital Credentials API, for example, is pushing for interoperability and security in digital credential frameworks by offering a secure connection between a browser and an operating system for digital wallets and their credentials. (As an aside, there’s some very late-breaking news as of February 2025 regarding the DC API – the roadblock has been cleared for this API, referenced by the EU Digital Identity Wallet Architecture and Reference Framework (EUDI ARF), to move into the next step of the standardization process within the W3C Federated Identity Working Group.) Similarly, a new ISO/IEC standard is enabling remote identity verification through mobile devices; the tech stack is building for using digital credentials in all aspects of life.

Predictions for the Future

Looking ahead, I think we can expect:

Increased Adoption: More industries will experiment with and adopt verifiable credentials as a secure alternative to traditional sign-ins. Convergence of Online and Offline Systems: Hybrid models will become the norm, ensuring that identity verification remains robust regardless of connectivity. User Empowerment: As control shifts back to the user, there will be greater emphasis on privacy, selective disclosure, and decentralized trust networks. Implications for Businesses and Users

Organizations will need to weigh the benefits of maintaining legacy federated systems against the potential advantages of transitioning to digital credentials. For users, the promise of enhanced security and control over personal data is a compelling incentive to support these changes. However, the transition requires careful planning, standardization, and a willingness to experiment with new technologies. I’m putting together a talk for the upcoming EIC in May 2025 to talk about this very thing: “The Challenges and ROI of Verifiable Credentials in Enterprise Use Cases.” 

Wrap Up

So, traditional federation, while providing initial efficiency and security through centralized third-party authentication and with an extensive deployment base, comes with inherent limitations such as offline-use issues and potential single points of failure. Digital credentials offer a promising alternative by decentralizing control and empowering users with cryptographically secure proofs of identity, though the tech stack for using them securely is still building.

As digital credentials become more prevalent and standards for offline authentication mature, we are going to see a hybrid identity landscape where both online and offline mechanisms coexist and complement one another. This shift not only enhances security and privacy but also paves the way for a more resilient, user-centric digital ecosystem.

I wish there was a perfect solution for everything, but so much depends on the problems you’re trying to solve. You’ll notice that I didn’t even try to bring in passkeys to this conversation; if you’d like to read more on that, I suggest you start here. 

The post Digital Credentials vs. Traditional Federation: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

By Helen Garneau

Sure, there are plenty of passwordless authentication solutions out there, each promising to simplify identity management. But in reality, most of them just add another cog to the already overcomplicated Rube Goldberg machine that is most enterprise identity. The question you should be asking isn’t “how can I go passwordless” but —, “what else can I do to make identity management work better for my business?”

The answer is Proven Auth. 

Proven Auth is more than just another login solution, it’s about using the power of Verifiable Credentials for orchestrating the entire life-cycle of access so that the right person has the right access at the right time. 

Simplifying the messy world of access control

You know the struggle. Managing access to your company’s growing stack of products, systems, and applications is an ongoing headache. And that’s just the beginning. Too often, IT teams are stuck dealing with overly rigid access models that aren’t flexible enough to account for the realities of real work environments, or manual access control that needs to be managed on a per-individual and per-product basis.

Instead, Proven Auth enables smart, policy-driven authorization that adapts to your business needs. It allows you to easily implement policies that define access rules dynamically. No more one-size-fits-all permissions. No more access silos. 

Whether you’re managing employees, contractors, or partners, our policy-driven access control makes security seamless and scalable.

How Verifiable Credentials manage policy-driven access

With Proven Auth, you can use dynamic access rules that respond instantly when a Verifiable Credential is presented. Instead of granting broad permissions, you can enforce fine-grained policies that determine exactly what each person should access based on their role, credentials, and other verified attributes.

This means you can write access policies once and apply them across multiple systems, ensuring consistency and reducing administrative overhead.

Here’s how it works:

Issue Verifiable Credentials using Indico Proven to employees, customers, partners, or have your contractors issue them to their employees that contains information that would affect their access. This could include things like their role, location, years of experience, certifications or other relevant information. Integrate Proven Auth with policy engines like Amazon Verified Permissions or Abacus and write policies based on your business’ needs. Grant access based on their verified attributes so instead of using static, pre-configured access roles, the world of tools and systems people can access is set up for them in minutes, without needing to log into anything. The value of Proven Auth in action

Let’s take a look at what this system can do across industries and use cases:

1. Fine-tuned access control

Now you can tailor access at a granular level and carve out access for specific employees, contractors, and partners so they only get what they need and nothing more.

A Human Resources employee can access Microsoft 365, Adobe, and Workday, but not Salesforce. A sales team member can access Salesforce, HubSpot, and ZoomInfo, but not HR or financial systems. A contractor can gain temporary access to specific buildings, servers, or relevant tools without being onboarded into your entire system.

2. No more enrollment hassles

Traditional identity management requires time-consuming enrollment processes, especially for subcontractors and for remote or temporary workers. With Proven Auth, that’s a thing of the past.

A global enterprise company hiring hundreds of subcontractors doesn’t need to formally onboard each individual. Instead, subcontractors can present their verifiable credentials that their employer issued them based on their role and other pertinent information to identify themselves and are granted instant, policy-driven access — saving your HR and IT teams countless hours.

3. Compliance and security made simple

Regulatory compliance is easier with Proven Auth because access is governed by real-time policy enforcement.

A financial services firm can enforce policies that ensure brokers can only sell financial products they are certified for— helping maintain compliance with licensing regulations. A global financial trading firm can set access rules based on jurisdiction, ensuring employees in different countries only access region-appropriate resources.

4. A more coherent user experience

Employees no longer have to juggle multiple logins and inconsistent access experiences.

A bank that has 13 different tools available to employees requires a separate login for each. Using Proven Auth with unified credential-based policies, employees can access only the systems relevant to them—with one seamless login experience.

5. Add biometrics to authentication to defend against deepfakes

For even greater security control, Indicio Proven allows you to combine a biometric template in a Verifiable Credential so you can authenticate biometrics for access without having to worry about storing biometric data. This removes the high risk and complex compliance around storing biometric data and provides a simple way around the risk of deepfakes. The real employee has to present a unique proof, issued only to them, to corroborate that they are who they claim to be.

An airline creates a biometric template and issues it in a tamper-resistant credential to their pilots to hold securely on their phone. When accessing a restricted area or internal flight system, the pilot simply presents their biometric credential at the same time as a liveness check and the software compares to see if they match. 

This is way cooler than just going passwordless. But, even more importantly, it reduces your security risk and compliance burden, and it also gives you peace of mind against generative AI identity fraud.

Why Indicio?

With Proven Auth, you’re not just eliminating passwords—you’re unlocking real business value. Whether you’re managing employees, contractors, or partners, our policy-driven access control makes security seamless and scalable.

Are you ready to move beyond passwordless and start solving real business problems? Let’s talk.

###

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The post More than just access, Proven Auth puts you in command of your business appeared first on Indicio.

The post Digital Travel Credentials Take Off, Achieving 15% Global Penetration by 2032 appeared first on Indicio.

Supercharge your Auth0-issued access tokens with information, like organizations a user belongs to, from your Auth0 FGA decision engine.

Günümüzde hız ve kolaylık demek her şey demek haline geldi; özellikle resmi işlemler söz konusu olduğunda… Peki, bu işlemler için en önemli dijital çözümlerden biri olan KEP (Kayıtlı Elektronik Posta) adresine başvurduğunuz gün içinde sahip olabileceğinizi söylesek? Evet, doğru duydunuz! Kimlik Doğrulama Sistemi (KİDOS) sayesinde artık KEP başvurusu yapmak çok daha hızlı ve kolay hale geldi.

 

What if we told you that “digital trust” would make or break your business in the next five years? That every interaction, from signing on and making a purchase to collaborating with business partners, included a level of digital trust? If that trust is compromised, so are your users, your revenue, and your reputation. At a time when trust is critical to the success of business, trust itself is under attack by deepfakes, AI, and ever-evolving fraud tactics. To answer the challenge, trust itself also needs to evolve. Because trust isn’t simply given—it starts with Zero Trust and must be earned. If you don’t adapt to this digital dynamic, you’ll get left behind.

 

At Ping Identity, the future we’re helping you build is transformative, yet powerfully simple: Trust Every Digital Moment.

Explore the future of digital identity with Rohan Pinto, CTO of 1Kosmos, as he discusses his new book on decentralized identity. Learn about the evolution from traditional to decentralized systems, key concepts, and the potential impact on privacy and security in the digital age. Buy his book here.

Michael Cichon:

Hello, everybody. This is Michael Cichon, chief marketing officer at 1Kosmos. I’m joined today by Rohan Pinto, our chief technology officer at 1Kosmos. Rohan, welcome to the vlog today and congratulations on your new book.

Rohan Pinto:

Thank you. Thank you.

 

Michael Cichon:

Hot off the presses January 2025. I’m delighted to have a chance to talk to you about this today. I’ve just started. Full disclosure, I just started to read it, but tell me a little bit about, let’s start at the beginning, the origins, what prompted you to write the book about digital identity?

 

Rohan Pinto:

Absolutely, absolutely. Thank you so much. I have a copy of it right here, and you spoke about the origins, SO I would say, when you have some time, Mike, go through the second page, the preface. It talks about me and my kids and what kind of motivated me as far as my family goes to get the book done. But in all reality, putting family aside and the emotions aside, one reason why I wanted to write the book is because the entire industry has been focused on identity management, and the key word out there is just “identity management”, IAM, identity and access management, identity governance, identity proliferation, and that’s what the focus was. And over a period of time over the years, everybody built fantastic identity management platforms, but all of them were centralized, and centralized systems come with its own set of issues, pros and cons, of course. And then came by a new technology, a new framework that was, of course, initiated by the entire boom and the hype in the industry started off with crypto assets coming into the picture, like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

But what fascinated me was the technology. The technology used to launch all these cryptocurrencies or tokens or whatever they want to call it. And the technology was so fascinating, and I said, “Wait a second, this architecture can actually be used for managing identities in a very privacy-preserving manner, following the laws of zero trust and privacy by design, and also enhance the security posture of any organization that needs to deal with identity management and governance within their organization.” So that’s when we came up with the whole idea of building something on the decentralized identity platform or the framework.

However, even after building it and launching it in the market and a bunch of organizations using it day-in and day-out, there’s a huge facet of the industry that didn’t really understand the core concepts of decentralized identities. And I said, “When it comes up to new tech, the number one or the primary go-to-market or the primary task that any organization has to undertake is user education.” If your users don’t understand the tech that they’re working with, that they’re dealing with that applies to them, there would be reluctance both from an adoption standpoint and also from the standpoint of, “Oh my God, where is my data going? Is it going to go on the blockchain? Is it going to go on somebody else’s network? Who’s going to own this data?” There are a million questions that pop into a person’s mind, both from a user standpoint, from the organization standpoint, from the CISO’s perspective, from the CTO’s perspective. So I said the best way to move forward in enabling this industry to embrace decentralized identities is to write a book about it.

 

Michael Cichon:

Fascinating. That’s great. Well, you’ve kind of walked up to the second question I had in mind, which was, why now? And you’ve kind of touched on it, but maybe you can expand on that. It seems like there’s this duality where businesses, organizations, individuals need to know with certainty who they’re dealing with online, but then there’s the privacy concerns. Talk a little bit about this balance, if you will, of getting past this built-in anonymity.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Anonymization of user data, et cetera. But before I jump into that and talk about the difference between the two, if you look at the book, and even without going through the entire book, if you just go through the table of contents in the book, you would notice that I start with the history of digital identity and then I jump into identity and access management and then I dive into best practices for identity and access management. And then it’s only after that that I jump into topics like trust anchors and sources of truth and the relationship between trust. And finally, towards the end is when I jump into the near future, which talks about the digital identity era.

So it’s not that I’ve written the book with the ideology or with the mindset saying, “Let me just write about decentralized identities.” It is important for someone to understand how identities are managed and governed, what’s the industry used to, and what are the pros and cons of the current approach or methodology before they can learn to appreciate the value that decentralized identities bring into the picture. So I tried to write the book in such a format that it can be read by any non-technical person to understand what the concepts are all about.

There are a few technical chapters as well, because it’s not just for the common man, it’s also for your IT managers and your CISOs and your CTOs too, but it does touch upon both aspects of it. As in, what is identity in the traditional sense of the word? And what does decentralized identity bring to the table and how does one go about implementing it? Which is why the book is split into various parts that talks about centralized identity and then talks about decentralized identity. Because I don’t want to nail a thought in your head out of force. I want users to be able to read, understand, gauge, and determine for themselves if it is something that their organization wants to implement or if it is something of value to the organization, rather than me just writing about decentralized identities without any context and tell people that, “This is important for you,” because nobody’s going to buy into the concept of me telling you that it is important, whereas me giving you proof and information about the difference between the current approach and the new and why this is better would yield better results.

 

Michael Cichon:

Well, that’s great. I mean, I’ve always thought if you really know something, you can explain it so just about anybody can understand it. It sounds like that’s the approach you took with the book. Let’s just cut right to the heart of it. What are the top three things or the top three takeaways that anybody should know about decentralized identity?

 

Rohan Pinto:

Okay, I was not expecting that question, but I’m going to try. I’m going to try. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to tell you the top three or the top four or five, but I’ll tell you a few of the top key elements that I want people to take away from this. One is that identity, what is identity? Whether it is a user ID and password that you use to access systems, whether it is my driver’s license or my passport or my birth certificate, what is it that actually comprises my identity?

So I’ve gone into describing what identity means from a user’s perspective. And the reason I went in from the user’s perspective is because if you talk about corporates or organizations, all organizations, I think I mentioned this before in another podcast, that they tend to have this, it’s called the God concept. So if I’m an organization and if I have an active directory or an Oracle database or an LDAP server that contains the credentials for all the employees in my organization, I own it. So I believe that I own facets of your identity, be it your passport data, your email address, phone number, name, date of birth, et cetera.

But the reality is that the only person who needs to own that data in terms of ownership is the user himself. So it is important to draw that differentiation between why decentralized identity puts rights of user data back in the hands of the user with very low friction. So as long as a user owns his data, manages his own data, has the ability to selectively present the data that he wants to present to various institutes or organizations in a privacy-preserving manner, a centralized identity system won’t be able to do it. So that’s where decentralized identity comes in.

 

Michael Cichon:

Okay, great. Now, what is the difference between decentralized identity and self-sovereign identity? Also a term I’ve heard floated around lately.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Yeah, there’s a lot of back and forth in the industry with those two terms. People typically assume that decentralized identity means it’s a self-sovereign identity and vice versa, but it is not.

Decentralized identity is the framework or the platform that allows you to store information in several locations without having a central authority controlling it. The whole concept is like a ledger, where you’ve got a trail of when that data was created, when it changed, who changed it, how it changed, what was presented.

Self-sovereign identity sits atop of decentralized identity or sits beside decentralized identity. In the self-sovereign identity world, the user asserts his own identity. So I can tell you that I’m Michael Cichon, I can probably use a deep fake video and hold my phone up to your camera and say, “This is me,” where the user self-asserts his identity attributes or information.

Decentralized identity doesn’t state that decentralized identity only talks about the technology stack on how identities can be managed in a decentralized manner. That does not necessarily mean that the user has got the right to claim to be whoever he or she wants to be. So the decentralized identity framework, I need to prove who I am first before my identity can be asserted and validated. And a good example of that is in our 1Kosmos app, the product that we have at 1Kosmos, you scan your driver’s license and you scan your passport.

Now, I can talk for two hours of what happens behind the scenes when you hold the driver’s license in front of the phone or you scan your passport. It takes only two seconds, but the amount of tech behind it that scans the driver’s license, goes and validates the authenticity of that driver’s license, looks at whether the document itself is real or fake, goes and validates that against sources of truth, which is why my book also talks about trust anchors and sources of truth, goes and validates that against sources of truth like the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that the driver’s license is actually valid and it was actually issued to you, correlate that data to the data that’s extracted from the passport, verifying the signatures on the biometric chip on the passport, and that becomes my identity. So I can state that I am Michael Cichon, but the documents that I’m presenting to prove who I am, state that I am Rohan Pinto. So the identity that’s created for me is for the identity extracted from those documents that were presented. So I can never be Michael Cichon.

In the self-sovereign identity world. I can claim to be whoever I want to be. Now, the self-sovereign identity world has also embraced a lot of concepts from the decentralized identity framework itself. So you can claim who you want to be, but once you claim to be someone, you then need to substantiate that claim with proof of identity documents later to make that identity valid. But in our world, you prove who you are first, and that is who you are, rather than me saying I’m somebody else and then using other documents and things like that. So there’s a huge differentiation there.

So one way to look at it is self-sovereign identity, I say I’m Rohan Pinto. Decentralized identity, the province of Ontario says that I’m Rohan Pinto because that’s what’s on my driver’s license, the government of Canada states and asserts that I am Rohan Pinto because that’s the information on my passport. So that’s my identity as opposed to the other one.

 

Michael Cichon:

Okay. All right. So in a practical application, decentralized identity allows you to very quickly access a digital service without an artifact, like a password or something and it allows you to preserve that privacy. Like, I control my own data, I determine what I share with any given service at the point that I’m using that service. That’s all well and fine, but this is one organization at a time, right? How far off are we? Where, if you will, I have a QR code and I’m the QR code, and wherever I go, it just recognizes me.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Yeah, very interesting question. Very valid question. And you touched upon a very important topic out here. When we first built this product or the platform, the focus was all on the term decentralized identity and blockchain, I’m talking about the product and the platform at 1Kosmos, and almost everybody said, “Oh my God, this is absolutely awesome.”

Now, once you build some awesome tech and you want to go to market with it, the first question that pops into mind is, “Where do I use it?” So I have a decentralized identity with me right now, but where do I use it? “Can I go and shop on Amazon with it?” And the answer is no, because Amazon doesn’t consume it yet. “Can I go to eBay and buy something?” Oh, no, you can’t do that yet. All those examples that you gave and those use cases and the demos that you gave last month where you were explaining consent and you were talking about things like selective disclosure where you can go to a liquor store and present your decentralized identity to prove that you’re over 19 without divulging information like my date of birth or my home address, brilliant use case, but can I do it in reality? And you say, “Oh, no, you can’t do it yet.” So the big problem is adoption.

So you can distribute a decentralized identity, whether it’s on a mobile phone or on a laptop or any which way you want to all the 8 billion people on this planet, but if there’s no place that they can actually put it to good use, the value in that is zero. Because as great as the technology stack is, if you can’t put it to use, there’s no value in it. So we took another approach. Instead of trying to convince 8 billion people on this planet on how awesome this tech is, we said, “Let’s go the top-down approach. Let’s go to organizations and look at their current security posture, tell them the pros and cons in their current approach, talk to them about where the industry is headed, talk to them about the technologies that are going to come into play very soon, and show them how they can proactively circumvent all the security issues, the hacks, the breaches, the phishing attempts that they would have to deal with over a period of time before it happens rather than after it happens.”

The number one mistake that I have noticed in this industry is that everybody is reactive rather than being proactive, so one of the primary focuses that 1Kosmos had when they went out to market is putting a solution out there that enables organizations to be proactive rather than reactive. So when organizations start embracing this technology and enabling their employees, their customers, their partners to access their digital assets or systems using a decentralized identity, the employees or the customers and the partners and every user says, “Wow, it was that simple. I did not have to provide a user ID anywhere. I don’t have to remember passwords anymore. I don’t get OTP codes via SMS anymore.” And we know OTP via SMS is really weak, but this podcast is not about talking how bad the current systems are, but rather talk about the value that decentralized identity brings to the table. So when you take the top-down approach where organizations release this as a feature to all their employees, they say, “Wow, this is great.”

 

Michael Cichon:

Right.

 

Rohan Pinto:

And then they look at another service that has also embraced and implemented decentralized identity platforms and they say, “Fantastic. Now I do not have to go from Service A to Service B and create another user ID and password and then go to Service C and create another user account out there. I can literally take my digital identity and go from A to B to C whenever I want.”

 

Michael Cichon:

It’s fascinating, because what you’re describing sounds like, number one, a tectonic shift in using artifacts to prove who you are, artifacts like a password, versus using yourself as an authenticator. And at the same time, there’s some tipping point, whether it’s, as we look at the Fortune Global 500, make a move toward this technology, the Global 1000, you start to see federal agencies, state local agencies doing it. At some point, there is this tipping point, and I personally look forward to that at a time where I’m recognized it’s very difficult for anybody to fake my identity, cause me fraud, cause the organizations that I transact with fraud.

It’s fascinating and equally fascinating, Rohan, is this, for many, is a new topic, but we did more than stumble on it back in 2016 when the rates of the company were placed. 1Kosmos was incorporated in 2018. I know you’re a couple of years ahead of that. So literally nine years ahead of the trend, you dove into this. So that’s a remarkable accomplishment.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Thank you. Thank you, Mike. But I wouldn’t say we stumbled on it or I didn’t stumble on it either, because I’ve been playing in the identity management space or been working in the identity management space for decades. I have been working in the cryptographic and the PKI space for decades. And way back in early 2000, I would say around the 2009, 2010, 2011, when there were small discussions in pockets about, “Oh my God, Bitcoin. Have you heard about Bitcoin?” That’s when my interest in the technology stack started increasing, and it started increasing exponentially because the minute I saw the tech stack that Bitcoin ran over and how other platforms like Ethereum or Solana or Tron started adopting the same technology, not the same for end-to-end, that’s when I said, “Well, this is a very, very efficient way to manage a system.”

The initial thought process was very basic, Michael, very, very basic. And the thought process was, what’s the cost of managing 1000 users in an organization? I am not talking about the investment an organization has in active directory or LDAP or Oracle. The cost of managing those users is that you need to store their credentials somewhere. You need to have access governance rules that govern who has got access to that. And the industry does not know what to do with it, so they come up with six alphanumeric, then they make it eight alphanumeric with numbers, then they made it 12. I’ve seen instances where the passwords is almost 24 alphanumeric characters with special characters, cannot be used three times. I mean, the industry is coming up with all kinds of permutations and combinations to make it harder for the user to remember who he is or she is. It should not be so hard.

Also, the cost of the organization managing that identity is quite huge because it’s not just about storing a user ID and password somewhere, it’s also about the cost of all these other systems that you need to build over it to ensure things like data breaches, password changes, password resets, it’s not hacked, it’s not phished. And you can literally eliminate all that by putting a user’s identity on this little device that you carry.

Let’s look at scale right now. So instead of having a million users sitting in a database and you incurring costs to manage those million users, you now distribute those million identities or identity data to a million users on a million devices. So let’s go down to the grassroots. If you hack a centralized system that has a million user IDs and passwords, regardless if the passwords are clear text assaulted, you have access to a million user IDs and passwords. And that’s the number one breach that goes on today. We hear it all the time. “TechCrunch was hacked, 1000 user IDs compromised. This one was hacked, a million users compromised. 10 million user IDs compromised out here.” It happens day-in and day-out almost every single day. Now, imagine you want to hack an organization where a million identities are stored on a million users own devices. You’ll need to hack a million devices.

And then the added layer of security on top of it is biometrics. So when you add biometrics on top of decentralized identity, stealing my phone is not going to give you access to my identity data. You need me because I need to unlock my device with my biometrics. And it is not a static biometric like scan a photograph. You’re talking about live ID where you ensure that the person is a real person by expecting the user to express human emotions like smile or blink or move your head. We also do depth calculations on the user’s biometrics, for example, the depth between the ears and the nose and the chin, et cetera. So the entire stack is so technically advanced from a technology standpoint, but from a usability standpoint, it’s as simple as pick up the phone, look at it, and you’re done.

 

Michael Cichon:

Right, Well, the time for this is now, in fact, it’s probably a few years past already as all these data breaches, we have now nation states attacking individuals and organizations at will equipped with all this data breach information. And you see it every day in the phone calls, the text messages, the emails that you get that are phony, trying to get you to click on a link and compromise yourself. I could talk to you at length on this. It’s a fascinating topic. I’ve got a dozen questions in my mind I’d like to talk to you about now, but we’re kind of running out of time. Very much appreciate you spending 20, 30 minutes with me this morning. Your book’s fascinating. I’m going to be digging into it more deeply. Just really appreciate it. Any parting thoughts? Again, I’ve got a dozen, but I don’t want to get into them.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Okay. So parting thought is not simple. A lot of people say that the time is now. I think the time was yesterday.

 

Michael Cichon:

Yes.

 

Rohan Pinto:

If you are trying to build a better security posture for your organization, if you have not done it already, then the time is now. Do you want to consider yourself to be a proactive organization or a reactive organization? Do you want to deal with the fines and the levies by the governing bodies for leaking user information or privacy data? The impact it’s going to have when you have a weak security posture is very, very expensive.

So for those organizations and people who have not yet embraced decentralized identity within the organization, the time is now. But a lot of organizations have already embraced it. Even organizations and entities like MasterCard, Visa Card, Microsoft are all there already. But we still proudly say that we were the first, because we were the first. There are a lot of players in the market out here, but we also had the first mover advantage, because any organization building something on the decentralized identity platform or framework, they don’t build it once and it’s done. They evolve. They evolve all the time.

You’ve got to look at current market trends, you’ve got to look at current threats, you’ve got to ensure that all threats from an operating system standpoint, from a usability standpoint are all addressed. So you’re constantly building on top of it. So being the first to market gives us that ability to be on top of all the security threats and start addressing those as well, rather than being a new entrant in the market and starting off with decentralized identity now as opposed to an organization that has been doing it for the last five, six years.

 

Michael Cichon:

Yeah. Well, I think that’s fair and I think we’ve seen it in the customer growth here at 1Kosmos where we’re seeing organizations with literally hundreds of thousands of employees, and I don’t know the exact count, but tens of thousands of authentications daily.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Millions.

 

Michael Cichon:

The scalability is proven there. And I think whether it’s a law of nature or not, the most simple, straightforward solution is probably the best solution. And the built-in complexity we’ve seen in identity systems has come from the fact that we didn’t have this technology before. We’ve had passwords that had to be protected, and then anti-phishing and all these defenses that had to be built up over time because we didn’t have a decentralized identity. Now that we have it, we can take a more simplified cost-effective approach.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Absolutely. And one more thing I would like to add, Michael. Every time I say decentralized identity, I have a tendency to pick up my phone and say, “Okay, this is where your identity is stored.” It’s just a habit because our initial launch was actually building it and ensuring that it’s on a device that the user owns. But as of today, your decentralized identity does not necessarily need to be on your phone. It can be on your device, it can be on your laptop, it can be on your desktop as well. So for organizations that mandate no phones in a particular area, like white room use cases, you can actually still enable decentralized identity and biometrics based authentication into your password-less systems without using your phone as well, because you can do it directly from your desktops now.

 

Michael Cichon:

Right. Well, keep adding last points here. One thing you mentioned in the past we touch on now, though, is that the standards bodies have caught up in terms of the frameworks.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Yes.

 

Michael Cichon:

Just a little fragment on those if you would, please.

 

Rohan Pinto:

Oh, very simple. One of the most important standards body is NIST. The most important. And NIST has got a spec called the 800-63-3A, which everybody follows, that talked about the levels of assurance that need to be associated with that identity from an anonymous identity, which is a level one, to a proved identity, which is a level two, and then a higher level.

NIST, in fact, just published their 800-63-4 very recently. And if you look at the specification, if you have the time and the effort and the patience to read through the entire spec document that NIST has published, you will realize that this is something that we already did six years ago. Therefore, that itself is quite a good indicator that all the governing bodies, the regulations, are also catching up because they know that this technology is going to be adopted by anybody and everybody. All organizations are moving forward and they are publishing governance rules and regulations to make sure that organizations implement it with the right mindset, with the right thought process, which is, it’s not about “Let’s build something and make money,” but it’s all about, “Let’s build something that to ensure that user’s privacy and the user’s own consent is mandated and required and safeguarded.” So the focus out here is still the privacy of the user.

 

Michael Cichon:

Got it. Well, I think, in addition to that, it’s a great way to create efficiencies and in particular government efficiencies, and we’re going to leave it at that roll on. Rohan, thank you so much for your time. Everybody else, the book Decentralized Identity Explained, we’re going to put a link to this on our corporate website. You could order it there. Interestingly enough, there’s a QR code to let you download a free PDF of it. But a fascinating read, a very well-written book by a very renowned expert. Rohan, thank you so much.

 

Rohan Pinto:

 

Thank you so much, Michael. Thank you so much for your time.

The post Vlog: Decentralized Identity Explained appeared first on 1Kosmos.

Identity proofing, or identity verification, is the process of verifying that someone is who they say they are. It ensures that the claimed digital identity exists in the real world and that the person claiming it is an authorized representative for that identity.

Historically, Identity proofing is commonly performed by organizations as part of an onboarding process before or alongside the issuing of authentication credentials to access digital systems. Often, this is done with in-office visits or a series of manually performed steps. 

Why is Identity Proofing Needed?

Identity proofing is necessary to help mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, identity fraud, data breaches, and other malicious activities to your services and sensitive data. Compared to authentication, which focuses on the ownership of the user credentials, identity proofing ensures that the individual holding the credentials is truly who they claims to be. 

Address Identity Risks When It Matters The Most

Identity risks occur throughout the customer or employee identity lifecycle. Many companies apply identity proofing at the time of new account opening or employee hire and neglect other key moments of increased risk. Adversaries targeting credentials do not merely stop at trying to impersonate or intercept at the time of onboarding.

Threat actors frequently target weak links in the authentication chain, including account recovery and day-to-day activities. Modern identity proofing should be user journey-oriented and adaptable beyond initial onboarding to ensure the highest continuous protection against identity fraud.

Candidate Fraud 

Potential candidates may misrepresent their qualifications and experience by using fake documents or references during the interview process to increase their chances of being hired by a company.

The growing trend of remote work combined with AI technology has also made it easier for imposters to create deepfake videos of the candidate, AI-generated voices, resumes, and use interview proxies to game the interview system. This is why candidate verification is becoming increasingly important for HR teams.

Employee Onboarding

Before giving any new hire access to corporate systems and data, HR teams need to ensure that the person they are onboarding has a credible identity and is the legitimate owner of the identity they are claiming. They also need to verify that the new employee is, in fact, the person that was interviewed for the role.

Credential Resets / Account Recovery

Credential reset processes occur for a variety of reasons, such as when a user loses their mobile device or forgets their access information. Organizations typically expect professionals to call into their company helpdesk and generally verify the individual through familiarity with one another, secret questions, and loose identifiers such as their employee ID.

Attackers can increasingly exploit these flaws with social engineering, deepfake attacks, and advanced voice AI to trick IT teams into providing new credentials. Modern identity proofing techniques seek to address the challenges of a global workforce and equip support teams with the ability to correctly identify that the person seeking access is who they say they are. 

Changing Roles

Employees may need elevated privileges as they gain responsibility in an organization. Organizations must first ensure both the employee’s change in role and identity before granting access to systems and data previously out of reach. These best practices help defend against unauthorized access and data breaches targeted at these important career moments.

Elevated Detected Risk

Other situations may arise where an employee triggers a behavior that seems suspicious or there are indications of elevated risk to an organization. For example, an organization may require identity proofing after an employee attempts to access the network from an unexpected location, at an unusual time, or if threats have been flagged by security tools. 

How Does Identity Proofing Work?

NIST defines identity proofing primarily in Special Publication 800-63A, detailing the process of verifying an individual’s identity with evidence provided by the applicant. Historically, the methods primarily used include in-person verification against a government-issued document, the user’s ability to convey knowledge-based answers about themselves, or to answer secret questions created at an earlier time with the company.

Depending on the level of access and privileges of the user, companies may combine multiple steps to further challenge an end user. This is often not user-centric and can lead to significant friction or challenges to reach successful verification. 

NIST defines different Identity Assurance Levels (IALs) such as IAL1 for minimal verification and IAL2 and IAL3 for more stringent procedures to be used for more risk-based and privileged access needs.

Modern identity proofing seeks to consider the user’s privileges and access requirements and provides the seamless ability to challenge the user into providing expected data.

Orchestrating a user journey through identity proofing should take the user on a path that requires an appropriate and efficient amount of context switching, few or no requirements to download various software or tools to proceed, and should seek to cause minimal disruption to the action which they are then seeking to perform. 

Different Types of Modern Identity Proofing Explained

Organizations typically combine different types of identity proofing since each type offers different levels of trust and security. 

Document Verification

Identity documents can be stolen, altered, or forged by malicious actors. To mitigate these risks, organizations employ various technologies to digitally verify the validity of a document, such as a government-issued ID passport, driver’s license, or military ID card. 

Biometric Identity Verification

Another method of identity proofing is through identifying distinct physical or behavioral characteristics. These can include fingerprints, voice patterns, or facial features, keystroke patterns, or mouse movements.

Since biometrics are typically more difficult to fake or forge than document verification, their verification delivers a higher level of trust – and are often combined with other identity verification methods such as document verification. 

Video Verification

Video verification is executed through a live video conference and involves prompts and actions aimed at verifying a user's liveness while identifying any signs of spoofing or coercion. It may also include document verification to confirm that the person in the government-issued ID is the same as the one in the video. 

Knowledge-Based Verification (KBV)

Knowledge-based verification involves asking an individual personal information that only they can potentially answer, such as where they went to high school, the name of a pet, or a 2FA code. 

Familiarity-Based Verification (FBV)

Familiarity-based verification is the act in which a user is further verified by their administrators through familiarity in interaction. In the case of in-person visitation, seeing an individual they have previously seen before or hearing from a new individual with detailed insight about their common connections and working environment helps to strengthen an administrator's level of trust about an individual seeking verification.

In a remote environment, the individual, being an existing colleague, may provide helpful clues to FBV. At the same time, in a remote environment, these clues can potentially be false positives that threat actors heavily focus on to build trust. 

Identity Proofing for Customers and the Workforce

While identity proofing for customers and the workforce share many similarities and methods, there are a few key differences:

Goal: Workforce identity proofing ensures that access to sensitive data is only granted to authorized individuals. Customer identity proofing typically focuses on the verification of identity to meet compliance and prevent fraud.  Compliance: Workforce and customer identity proofing are governed by different regulations. For example, KYE and NIST guidelines pertain primarily to employee verification. On the other hand, KYC and AML rules apply to customer identity proofing. Frequency: Workforce identity proofing should be continuous to ensure it defends against risk throughout the identity lifecycle. Customer identity proofing is typically executed at a particular point in time, such as account creation.  Lessons from Real-World Applications

The risks from insufficient identity proofing are widespread and growing, yet underscore its importance and need at all stages of the employee lifecycle.  

Recent examples include: 

The MGM Attack

The recent MGM attack is a prime example of how attackers impersonated an employee, convinced help desk personnel to reset account credentials, and eventually gained full access to IT systems, exfiltrating highly sensitive data. The attack cost the resort group over $100 million and disrupted operations for days. 

Fake IT hires from North Korea.

The FBI has issued multiple warnings about fake IT workers from North Korea posing as U.S.-based contract workers. Thousands have been hired by U.S. companies, sending their paychecks to North Korea to fund its ballistic missile programs.

They were able to fake their identities using a combination of forged documents, social media profiles, third parties, and proxy servers. Most recently, the FBI warned that such imposters are exfiltrating data and proprietary code and extorting victim companies to pay a ransom. 

Remote workers that fail identity verification.

HYPR uncovered its own version of a fake IT worker when a contractor hired through an IT service firm failed identity verification during his onboarding. First, a location check did not match the information he had provided.

Second, discrepancies were found between the passport photo and the face scan during the biometric verification. Finally, the new hire refused to turn on his camera for the video verification, claiming technical issues. The candidate then abruptly ceased contact and informed the contracting firm that he had found another position. 

The last example illustrates the importance of a multi-layered approach to identity proofing during both the hiring and onboarding processes. This comprehensive approach may help mitigate North Korean IT worker scams as well. A trigger requiring additional identity verification for escalated privileges may have mitigated the MGM attack. 

How Identity Proofing Delivers Tangible ROI for Your Organization

The rise of hybrid and remote work, cloud and AI technology demands that organizations turn to identity proofing to secure their data and IT infrastructure.

Other benefits of identity proofing include:

Reduce financial losses from fraud and breaches that often lead to reputational damage and a loss in customer trust. Lower compliance costs by meeting regulatory requirements. Enhance operational efficiency with automated identity proofing Improve customer trust and retention with secure onboarding and remote ID proofing.  Accelerate employee productivity with user-friendly verification and an easy user experience.   Compliance Considerations for Secure Identity Verification

Identity proofing helps organizations meet a wide range of standards and regulations, including:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Digital Identity Guidelines. NIST SP 800-63 establishes a framework for the process of digital identity that includes digital proofing and authentication. It defines three different Identity Assurance Levels (IAL) based on the identity proofing process and level of risk.  Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML). KYC offers a comprehensive framework for verifying customers’ identities and is required by financial institutions. The goal of these regulations is to ensure that the source of funding is legitimate and does not originate from illegal means. Know Your Employee (KYE). KYE is a process that includes identity verification, background checks, and employment authorization verification. It helps ensure employee identity not only during the hiring and onboarding process but throughout the employee’s tenure. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA identity verification ensures an individual has legal access to personal health information (PHI) through in-person, telephone, or electronic methods. It does not, however, prescribe a specific method for identity verification.  Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). The FFIEC requires financial institutions to establish a specific process for identity verification. This approach includes risk-based authentication methods, multi-factor authentication (MFA), customer authentication and identity proofing, and compliance with other regulations related to fraud prevention and identity management such as the USA PATRIOT Act, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and the Customer Identification Program (CIP). Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The FATF sets global standards for identity proofing in the context of anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF), using NIST’s risk-based approach to define assurance levels for identity proofing. It also requires financial institutions to implement comprehensive customer due diligence (CDD) and includes guidance on digital identity systems for this purpose.  Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). SOX is a federal law that regulates financial reporting and auditing for public companies in the United States. Elements of Sarbanes-Oxley also cover authentication and identity proofing with respect to the need for companies to have robust security measures in place to ensure only authorized users can access sensitive financial data. 

Implementing Identity Proofing: Mapping Out Your Use Cases 

A multi-layered approach to identity proofing allows organizations to implement different user identification methods based on the use case and level of risk. Different use cases may also require adhering to different regulations or standards, depending on the industry. 

Balancing UX with Risk 

Avoid an overly strict approach that rejects legitimate candidates or employees who gained more responsibility and access to sensitive data. At the same time, an approach that is too loose allows fraudulent users to slip through and pose a risk to your organization.

For example, a multi-layered approach allows you to combine documentation verification with biometric verification to reduce friction as much as possible while at the same time allowing stronger verification for use cases that present higher risk situations. 

Integrate and Test with Existing Systems and Processes

After mapping your existing systems, identify any security gaps or weaknesses. Run through different user scenarios to understand where you need identity proofing in the user journey (e.g., at login for a bank account, before continuing the interview process for an employee).

Run extensive pilot tests to evaluate the integration’s ability to deliver a seamless and frictionless experience while ensuring security. Mapping existing systems and testing integrations helps to ensure that the identity proofing implementation strategy you choose is the one that aligns with your organization’s operational needs.

Educate Your Stakeholders

Offer adequate support and training to employees to ensure that the identity proofing process is used effectively and how it specifically ensures the organization adheres to different legal and industrial regulations.

Make sure stakeholders clearly understand the benefit that identity proofing can bring to the organization, such as a reduced risk of cybersecurity attacks and subsequent monetary fines, increased operational efficiency, and a faster, more secure employee interview or onboarding process. 

Monitor and Adapt Over Time

As threats evolve, the identity proofing process will change to meet the increasing security demands. Organizations must continuously adapt to changing technology, emerging threats, and updated compliance requirements on how identity proofing can help them defend against these threats and help them adhere to the latest regulations. 

How to Choose an Identity Proofing Solution

When considering implementing an identity proofing solution, your organization should ensure that it:

Offers automated, continuous identity verification in real-time. Validates the identity of the person, not just the user, by integrating multiple verification factors dynamically and contextually throughout the user session. Focuses on a frictionless user experience without compromising security. Helps you adhere to the latest compliance requirements such as KYC, AML, and KYE and avoid monetary penalties. Can be used for remote employees. Monitors and updates its processes and security regularly to meet evolving threats, changing technology, and the dynamic regulatory landscape.  HYPR's Identity Security Solution

As an identity security solution that supports two of the largest U.S. banks, HYPR ties identity proofing to link real-world and digital identities, triggering identity proofing at critical times of heightened risk.

HYPR’s automated identity verification solution, HYPR Affirm, delivers continuous proofing and verification for both your workforce and customers throughout the identity lifecycle. 

Its features include: 

Multiple identity verification and proofing technologies. Leverage AI-powered chat, video verification, and advanced biometrics with liveness detection along with document and location verification and manager attestation. Customize workflows so the methods employed match the level of risk. Intelligent step-up verification. Go beyond point-in-time verification and proactively and automatically prompt re-verification at critical moments, such as when a user changes their device, takes on new responsibilities, or conducts a high-risk transaction. Streamlined Know Your Employee (KYE) Controls. Stop falling for interview fraud, bait-and-switch scenarios, and unauthorized outsourcing. Meets enterprise KYE needs to ensure trust in the identities of your workforce across the entire employee lifecycle. A frictionless user experience. Eliminate lengthy, intrusive, and incomplete identity verification processes that can frustrate both workforce and customer audiences. Ensure fast, intuitive identity verification that doesn’t compromise on rigorous security. Comply with regulations and security frameworks. Meet identity proofing guidelines such as NIST IAL2, security frameworks such as CISA, and protect sensitive information following PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, and other data privacy laws and regulations. 

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has significantly shifted its position on cryptocurrency activities for banks with its March 7th Interpretive Letter 1183. This regulatory evolution removes key barriers that have historically kept many financial institutions from fully engaging with digital assets. But what does this mean for your institution, and how should you respond?

Banks are experiencing an unprecedented shift in their relationship with digital assets. According to Elliptic's State of Crypto 2025 report, 77% of compliance and risk leaders within financial institutions see a compelling business case to progress their digital asset strategy. 76% believe they must advance their digital asset activities within the next two years to avoid falling behind competitively and financially.

Hey folks 👋

Welcome to the third edition of The Kinside Scoop 🎉

We’re always excited to share how we're improving Kin to evolve with you and better support your professional and personal growth journey.

This time we'll go through:

This week’s super prompt

The new improvements

Our featured piece

Our current reads

Our online vibe

Let's dive in ⬇️

Join the community on Discord, LinkedIn and TikTok

Super prompt: What’s my communication style? Quiz me to determine my communication style with others, and things I should be self-aware of during important conversations.

If you have Kin installed, hit the button below to try this prompt in Kin ☺️

Use Prompt

What's new with KIN?🚀 Conversations that flow like real life ✨

We've added subtle touches that make chatting with Kin feel more natural.

You'll notice gentle vibrations when messages are sent and received.

And a satisfying closing sound when voice chats end.

The small details make a big difference in how connected you feel during conversations.

Smarter, more personalized reminders 🔔

We've completely redesigned how Kin creates and tracks reminders.

Now, they’ll be even more relevant to your specific goals and needs.

They'll arrive at just the right moment and contain exactly the guidance you need to stay on track with your growth journey.

Quick access to everything you need ⚡

We've made the chat instruction card accessible through quick actions.

So you can instantly pull up guidance whenever you need it.

Plus, when you tap to journal…

Kin now immediately focuses on the input field so you can capture your thoughts the moment inspiration strikes.

Smoother experience, fewer interruptions 🧘‍♀️

We've eliminated several small friction points that were getting in the way of your flow.

Loading indicators now appear during transactions so you always know what's happening…

Notifications take you directly to the right conversation…

And we've fixed several issues that were causing occasional crashes or disruptions.

Go to KIN

These updates might seem small individually…

But together, they create a noticeably more fluid, intuitive experience with Kin.

Our goal is to make the tech fade into the background so you can focus entirely on your personal growth and insights.

Our featured piece 📑

"This latest post from KIN wins my post of the year. It's unexpected. It's brilliant. And it's thought-provoking... I don't know anyone - anyone - talking about this." - Jamie Smith

Our CTO, Simon, continues his article series on Why Memory Matters.

In his second article, Simon tackles the delicate balance between remembering too much and forgetting too much in AI systems.

And to our delight, readers like Jamie Smith are paying close attention.

“I love this post for so many reasons. Not least because it speaks to what KIN is about, and why I’m bullish on their market opportunity. But mostly it’s because Simon and the whole KIN team are bringing humanity to AI.”

Thanks Jamie!

There’s more to come.

Read the full article here

Speaking truth on TikTok @kinpersonalaiWe’re creating one of the first ever ethical ai apps 🌎💕✨ #chatgpt #founder #startup #work #corporate #techtok #selfimprovement Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser Our current reads

Articles shared in our #market-research channel

Article: OpenAI’s metafictional short story about grief is beautiful and moving.
READ - The Guardian

Tool: Crossing the uncanny valley of conversational voice
READ - Sesame

Article: China's Manus AI partners with Alibaba's Qwen team in expansion bid
READ - Reuters

Paper: Privacy Intrusion and National Security in the Age of AI
READ - Arxiv org

Share your thoughts 💡

This update is all about making your Kin experience smoother and more responsive to your needs.

We hope these improvements help you focus on what matters most.

Have you noticed the improved conversations and reminders?

We'd love to hear how they're working for you!

Your feedback directly shapes our development.

So don't hold back.

We truly value everything you share.

Reply to this email or share your thoughts directly in the app

(just take a screenshot 💬 ☺️).

Until next time,

The KIN team

Is MCP: The Future-Proof Standard for AI-Agent Integration

Continue reading on Medium »

At DeveloperWeek 2025, AI took center stage—highlighting trust issues, security gaps, and transparency challenges as companies push for more reliable AI.

Discover how choosing the right character maker can transform your digital presence in 2025. Create custom digital characters that work everywhere, from gaming to virtual worlds. Why Character Makers Matter Now 

The digital world is changing fast, bringing us closer to a reality where virtual presence matters as much as physical appearance. In this new landscape, digital characters have become essential tools for creators, gamers, and professionals.

In this new creator economy, having a versatile character maker is key. Digital characters aren’t just static images anymore – they’re dynamic representations that can stream, interact, and engage across multiple platforms.

The Rise of Digital Characters

Look at the success stories emerging from the digital space. Virtual influencers are earning substantial incomes, with some generating over €600,000 in annual revenue. Gaming content creators using digital characters earn just over $4,000 monthly.

The numbers speak for themselves – Over 80% of Gen Z engages with digital character content regularly. The market for digital characters and virtual interactions continues to grow, with an estimated annual growth rate of 35.6% from 2024 to 2034

Why Traditional Character Makers Fall Short

Many character makers limit what creators can achieve. They often lack:

Cross-platform compatibility Professional-grade features Easy integration options Secure asset management

This is where Union Avatars stands out as a leading character maker solution. With support for major gaming platforms, Unreal Engine 5 and NVIDIA ACE Technology , it offers creators the flexibility they need in today’s digital landscape.

Whether you’re a content creator, gamer, or professional, choosing the right character maker impacts your digital success. Union Avatars offers over 200 hairstyles and 100+ fashion items, letting you create characters that truly represent your brand or personality.

You can manage multiple characters in one place and use them across various platforms, from your favourite streaming services to virtual worlds.

The Future of Digital Characters

The gaming and streaming market is growing at a massive rate, estimated at USD 9.8 billion in 2023 with an 11.8% annual growth rate predicted until 2030. This growth creates endless opportunities for creators using the right character maker tools.

Creating Your Professional Character

Getting started is simpler than you might think. Here’s how our character maker helps you build your virtual presence:

Begin your journey by visiting Union Avatars and creating a free account. You can connect through popular social logins or your Web3 wallet for added security. Once logged in, the creation process is straightforward:

Choose Your Style –  Select from various avatar styles that match your needs – whether for professional meetings, gaming streams, or content creation.

2. Upload Your Photo –  Choose a clear, front-facing photo or take one directly through our platform. Our AI technology will analyze your features to create your base avatar.

3. Make It Yours – Customise every aspect of your avatar with our extensive collection of features. Access premium options using Unis credits to unlock exclusive hairstyles, outfits, and accessories.

A fully customized character created using the character maker

4. Ready to Use –  Download your avatar in VRM or GLB formats, making it compatible with major platforms and virtual worlds. Use Unis credits to unlock all the download options and features.

Create your virtual self and join the digital revolution.

Ready to transform your digital presence? Join a community of over 150,000 users who trust Union Avatars for their digital character needs.

 Start creating now and position yourself at the forefront of the creator economy.

The post Character Maker Every Creator Needs appeared first on Union Avatars.

Many of our clients at Dock Labs have been asking for clarity on the current state of remote verification of mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs), specifically regarding the ISO 18013-7 standard.

Here’s what we know:

The Sui blockchain, with its high throughput, low latency, and secure smart contract capabilities, presents a compelling opportunity to revolutionize traditional payment processing. This article delves into how traditional payment processing compute resources can be mapped to the Sui blockchain. It also explores the potential of Move smart contracts to create a seamless interface between these two systems.

Sui's Advantages for Payment Processing

Sui possesses several key features that make it well-suited for payment processing:

High Throughput: Sui can process tens of thousands of transactions per second, far exceeding the capacity of many traditional payment systems. This is achieved through its innovative consensus mechanism and parallel execution capabilities1.

Low Latency: Sui boasts sub-second finality for many transactions, ensuring near-instantaneous settlement of payments. This is crucial for time-sensitive applications and enhances the overall user experience1.

Object-Centric Model: Sui structures data as independent objects rather than accounts. This model simplifies data management, improves efficiency, and enables parallel transaction processing2.

Parallel Execution: Unlike traditional blockchains that process transactions sequentially, Sui can execute many transactions in parallel. This significantly increases throughput and reduces latency, leading to faster payment processing and lower fees3.

Move Programming Language: Sui utilizes Move, a secure and efficient smart contract language designed specifically for blockchain applications. Move's features, such as its resource-oriented programming model and formal verification capabilities, enhance the security and reliability of payment processing solutions2.

Move Smart Contract Capabilities for Payment Processing

Move offers several powerful features that can be leveraged to build robust and efficient payment processing solutions on the Sui blockchain:

Resource-Oriented Programming: Move's unique approach to resource management ensures that digital assets are handled securely and cannot be accidentally lost or duplicated. This is crucial for maintaining the integrity of payment transactions4.

Formal Verification: Move supports formal verification, allowing developers to mathematically prove the correctness of their smart contracts. This enhances the reliability and security of payment processing applications4.

Parallel Execution: Move is designed to support parallel execution, enabling Sui to process multiple transactions concurrently. This significantly improves throughput and reduces latency, leading to faster payment processing5.

Flexibility and Composability: Move allows developers to define custom data structures and create complex interactions between smart contracts. This flexibility enables the development of innovative payment solutions tailored to specific needs6.

Security and Safety: Move incorporates strong security features to prevent common vulnerabilities, such as reentrancy attacks and unauthorized access to funds. This enhances the security of payment transactions and protects user assets5.

Traditional Payment Processing Compute Resources and Sui Blockchain Mapping Traditional Resource Sui Equivalent Move Contract Potential Point of Sale (POS) System Sui Wallet, dApps Smart contracts can facilitate secure and instant payment processing at the POS, integrating with existing POS systems or creating new decentralized POS solutions. For example, a retail store could use a Sui-based POS system to accept payments directly from customers' Sui Wallets, eliminating the need for intermediaries and reducing transaction fees7. Encryption Layer Sui's cryptography primitives Move's security features and Sui's object-centric model can be leveraged to create secure encryption layers for protecting sensitive payment data. Smart contracts can be used to encrypt payment information before it is transmitted, ensuring confidentiality and preventing unauthorized access8. Payment Gateway Sui-based payment gateways Smart contracts can be used to build decentralized payment gateways that facilitate secure and efficient routing of payments across different platforms. These gateways can automate payment authorization, settlement, and reconciliation processes, reducing manual intervention and improving efficiency9. Decryption Layer Sui's cryptography primitives Similar to the encryption layer, Move smart contracts can be used to create secure decryption layers for authorized access to payment data. This ensures that only authorized parties, such as the merchant or the acquiring bank, can decrypt and access the payment information10. Fraud Monitoring & Detection System On-chain fraud detection modules Smart contracts can be designed to analyze transaction patterns and identify potentially fraudulent activities in real-time. By monitoring transaction data for anomalies, such as unusual spending patterns or suspicious account activity, these modules can help prevent fraud and protect users11. Payment Processor Sui-based payment processors Move smart contracts can automate payment processing tasks, such as transaction validation, settlement, and reconciliation. This can streamline payment operations, reduce manual effort, and improve efficiency11. Card Network Sui-based decentralized network Sui's object-centric model can be used to represent card networks and facilitate secure and efficient card transactions. Smart contracts can be used to manage cardholder data, authorize transactions, and settle payments between issuing and acquiring banks12. Issuing Bank Sui-based token issuance platforms Smart contracts can be used to issue and manage tokens that represent fiat currencies or other forms of value. These tokens can be used for payments within the Sui ecosystem, enabling seamless and efficient transactions13. Acquiring Bank Sui-based acquiring services Smart contracts can automate the process of acquiring payments from merchants and settling funds with issuing banks. This can reduce processing times and improve efficiency for both merchants and banks14. Storage Database Sui's object store Sui's object store provides a secure and efficient way to store payment data, transaction history, and other relevant information. This ensures data integrity and availability, while also enabling efficient retrieval and analysis of payment data15. Redundancy Sui's consensus mechanism Sui's consensus mechanism ensures redundancy and fault tolerance, guaranteeing the integrity and availability of payment data. This prevents data loss and ensures that payment processing can continue even in the event of network failures or individual node outages16. Sui's Mysticeti Protocol and Consensus Algorithm in Traditional Payment Processing

Sui's Mysticeti protocol and consensus algorithm offer significant advantages for payment processing:

High Throughput: Mysticeti enables Sui to process tens of thousands of transactions per second, exceeding the capacity of most traditional payment systems1.

Low Latency: Mysticeti achieves sub-second finality for transactions, ensuring near-instantaneous settlement of payments1.

Reduced Costs: Sui's efficient consensus mechanism minimizes computational overhead, leading to lower transaction fees compared to traditional systems. While gas fees on Sui are determined by both computation and storage, the overall efficiency of the platform contributes to lower costs2.

Enhanced Security: Mysticeti is a Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus protocol, providing robust security against attacks and network failures17.

These features make Sui well-suited for handling the high volume and speed requirements of modern payment systems.

DeepBook's Potential in Traditional Payment Processing

DeepBook, a decentralized central limit order book (CLOB) built on Sui, offers several features relevant to traditional payment processing:

Enhanced Liquidity: DeepBook provides a platform for pooling liquidity, enabling efficient matching of buy and sell orders for various assets. This can improve liquidity for payment transactions and facilitate faster settlements18.

Improved Price Discovery: DeepBook's CLOB structure facilitates transparent price discovery, ensuring fair and efficient pricing for payment transactions. This can benefit both buyers and sellers by providing a clear and accurate view of market prices19.

Reduced Costs: DeepBook's decentralized nature eliminates intermediaries, potentially lowering transaction fees compared to traditional payment systems. This can make payment processing more cost-effective for businesses and consumers20.

By integrating DeepBook's functionalities, traditional payment systems can benefit from increased efficiency and reduced costs.

Sui's Integration of Ondo Finance USDY and Its Implications

Sui's integration of Ondo Finance USDY, a tokenized US Treasury product, offers insights into how traditional payment systems can leverage tokenized assets:

Increased Accessibility: Tokenized assets like USDY provide a way for users to access and transact with traditional financial instruments on the blockchain. This can democratize access to financial products and services, making them available to a wider range of users21.

Enhanced Liquidity: Tokenized assets can be easily traded on decentralized exchanges, increasing liquidity and facilitating faster settlements. This can improve the efficiency of payment systems and reduce settlement times22.

Improved Efficiency: Smart contracts can automate the management of tokenized assets, streamlining processes and reducing operational costs. This can lead to more efficient and cost-effective payment solutions23.

24/7 Global Transactions: Tokenized assets can be integrated with existing payment networks, such as Mastercard's Multi-Token Network, to enable seamless and instant access to traditional financial instruments. This can facilitate 24/7 global transactions and improve cash management for businesses23.

By incorporating tokenized assets, traditional payment systems can offer new functionalities and improve efficiency.

Sui's Advanced Features for Payment Processing

Sui incorporates several advanced features that can further enhance payment processing:

Dynamic Fields: Dynamic fields allow for flexible data management within objects, enabling the representation of complex payment data and facilitating adaptability to evolving payment needs25.

Randomness: Sui supports verifiable randomness, which can be used to ensure fair transaction processing and prevent manipulation in payment systems25.

Package Upgrades: Sui allows for seamless upgrades of smart contract packages, enabling continuous improvement and adaptation of payment processing solutions without disrupting existing functionalities25.

Sponsored Transactions: Sui supports sponsored transactions, allowing applications to cover gas fees on behalf of users. This can simplify payment processing for users and improve accessibility25.

Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Sui integrates zero-knowledge proofs, enhancing privacy and security in payment transactions by enabling verification of information without revealing the underlying data25.

Advanced Cryptography: Sui utilizes advanced cryptography primitives to ensure the security and integrity of payment data and transactions25.

Benefits and Challenges of Sui-Based Payment Processing

Integrating traditional payment processing with the Sui blockchain offers numerous benefits:

Seamless Transactions: Sui enables streamlined payment processing, reducing friction and improving the customer experience26.

Multiple Payment Options: Sui can support a wide range of payment methods, including traditional options like credit cards and digital wallets, as well as emerging options like cryptocurrencies26.

Enhanced Security: Sui's robust security features and consensus mechanism protect payment data and transactions from fraud and unauthorized access.

Increased Efficiency: Sui's parallel execution and low latency capabilities improve the efficiency of payment processing, reducing settlement times and operational costs.

Transparency and Auditability: Sui's blockchain-based nature ensures transparency and auditability of payment transactions, fostering trust and accountability.

However, some challenges need to be addressed:

Scalability: While Sui is designed for high throughput, ensuring scalability to handle the massive volume of global payment transactions requires ongoing development and optimization27.

Interoperability: Integrating Sui with existing payment systems and infrastructure requires establishing interoperability standards and protocols27.

Regulation: The evolving regulatory landscape for blockchain technology and digital assets needs to be carefully navigated to ensure compliance and legal certainty for Sui-based payment solutions27.

Sui's unique features, such as its object-centric model, parallel execution, and Move programming language, provide solutions to many of these challenges.

Conclusion

The Sui blockchain presents a compelling opportunity to revolutionize traditional payment processing. By leveraging Move's advanced smart contract capabilities, payment processors can create more efficient, secure, and accessible payment solutions. Sui's high throughput, low latency, and object-centric model address key challenges in traditional payment systems, while features like DeepBook and tokenized assets further enhance its potential. The integration of Ondo Finance USDY demonstrates how Sui can bridge traditional finance with the blockchain, paving the way for innovative payment solutions that combine the best of both worlds. As Sui continues to evolve and mature, it is poised to become a leading platform for the future of payment processing, driving innovation and transforming the way we transact value.

Works cited

Mysticeti - Sui, accessed March 12, 2025, https://sui.io/mysticeti

What is Sui Network? (SUI) How it works, who created it and how it is used | Kraken, accessed March 12, 2025, https://www.kraken.com/learn/what-is-sui-network-sui

All About Parallelization - The Sui Blog, accessed March 12, 2025, https://blog.sui.io/parallelization-explained/

Move on Aptos Goes Beyond Ethereum: Why Move is the Best Smart Contract Language | by VibrantX Finance | Mar, 2025 | Medium, accessed March 12, 2025, https://medium.com/@VibrantxFinance/move-on-aptos-goes-beyond-ethereum-why-move-is-the-best-smart-contract-language-7d65e503dc7b

Smart Contracts (Move) - Aptos Docs (en), accessed March 12, 2025, https://aptos.dev/en/build/smart-contracts

Move Concepts - Sui Documentation, accessed March 12, 2025, https://docs.sui.io/concepts/sui-move-concepts

How Can Blockchain Revolutionize the Point of Sale (POS) Process? - Rejolut, accessed March 12, 2025, https://rejolut.com/blog/blockchain-pos-process/

awesome-move/README.md at main - GitHub, accessed March 12, 2025, https://github.com/MystenLabs/awesome-move/blob/main/README.md?ref=blog.sui.io

Create a Smart Contract | Aptos Docs (en), accessed March 12, 2025, https://aptos.dev/en/build/guides/build-e2e-dapp/1-create-smart-contract

Decryption in a smart contract - Ethereum Stack Exchange, accessed March 12, 2025, https://ethereum.stackexchange.com/questions/13161/decryption-in-a-smart-contract

Move, the revolutionary smart contract language powering Sui, accessed March 12, 2025, https://sui.io/move

Move - A Web3 Language and Runtime - Aptos Docs (en), accessed March 12, 2025, https://aptos.dev/en/network/blockchain/move

Programmable bank accounts: unlocking the future of finance with smart contracts | by Jonny Fry | Mar, 2025, accessed March 12, 2025, https://jonnyfry175.medium.com/programmable-bank-accounts-unlocking-the-future-of-finance-with-smart-contracts-90239cb293ea

Collateral Transfer – Moving Towards Digital Blockchain Assets - IntaCapital Swiss, accessed March 12, 2025, https://intacapitalswiss.com/collateral-transfer-moving-towards-digital-blockchain-assets/

What is Smart Contract Storage Layout? - Alchemy Docs, accessed March 12, 2025, https://docs.alchemy.com/docs/smart-contract-storage-layout

Implementing redundancy in smart contract to prevent unwanted behavior and vulnerabilities [closed] - Ethereum Stack Exchange, accessed March 12, 2025, https://ethereum.stackexchange.com/questions/6428/implementing-redundancy-in-smart-contract-to-prevent-unwanted-behavior-and-vulne

Mysticeti – The Consensus Mechanism of Sui - blockscholes, accessed March 12, 2025, https://www.blockscholes.com/premium-research/mysticeti-the-consensus-mechanism-of-sui

Why Sui? Understanding Through the Case of DeepBook | Four Pillars, accessed March 12, 2025, https://4pillars.io/en/opinions/why-sui-why-deepbook

Learn and Earn DeepBook (DEEP) Tokens - KuCoin, accessed March 12, 2025, https://www.kucoin.com/learn-and-earn/deep-book

What is DeepBook Protocol? - Gate.io, accessed March 12, 2025, https://www.gate.io/learn/articles/what-is-deep-book-protocol/4825

Ondo Finance And Sui Blockchain | Digital One Agency, accessed March 12, 2025, https://digitaloneagency.com.au/ondo-finance-and-sui-blockchain/

Ondo Finance Surpasses $1bn in Total Value Locked - Markets Media, accessed March 12, 2025, https://www.marketsmedia.com/ondo-finance-surpasses-1bn-in-total-value-locked/

Ondo Becomes First RWA Provider On Mastercard Multi-Token Network - PYMNTS.com, accessed March 12, 2025, https://www.pymnts.com/partnerships/2025/ondo-becomes-first-rwa-provider-on-mastercard-multi-token-network/

Ondo Finance Becomes First RWA Provider on Mastercard's Multi-Token Network, accessed March 12, 2025, https://www.coinspeaker.com/ondo-finance-becomes-first-rwa-provider-on-mastercards-multi-token-network/

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Integrating Blockchain with Traditional Payment Systems: Opportunities and Challenges | by Mark Harridge | Medium, accessed March 12, 2025, https://medium.com/@markharridge/integrating-blockchain-with-traditional-payment-systems-opportunities-and-challenges-e1f642328dbb

Ocean Protocol has joined forces with Aethir, a leader in decentralized cloud computing with over 400,000+ state-of-the-art GPU containers available across 95 countries, to provide AI builders with the computing resources needed to develop and scale AI agents. This collaboration integrates Aethir’s infrastructure with Ocean’s data-sharing technology, ensuring secure and efficient AI model deployment. The Aethir DePIN stack specializes in supporting AI innovators with reliable, secure, and scalable GPU resources required to efficiently power the most demanding AI workloads.

What Are Ocean Nodes?

Ocean Nodes is a decentralized framework by Ocean Protocol that enables secure and efficient sharing of data and computational resources for AI development, leveraging blockchain technology to enhance scalability, privacy, and accessibility. In summary, it is a practical decentralized solution designed to facilitate the building and deployment of powerful AI models.

Using them eliminates the complexities of traditional setups by integrating key tech stack components like Ocean Provider, Aquarius, and Compute-to-Data (C2D) into a single, modular system. This enables developers to focus on building and scaling AI models without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

Ocean Nodes are democratizing access to large-scale models, decentralizing the process, and providing a secure way to monetize and protect intellectual property (IP).

What This Means

AI development requires two ingredients: data and computing. Through this partnership, we’re ensuring AI builders can access both. Ocean Protocol will provide AI builders with the computing infrastructure. At the same time, Aethir will support promising AI builders with GPU computing grants. GPU computing power has become a critical resource for the constantly evolving AI industry, and AI agents are among the sector’s most innovative use cases. Together, Aethir and Ocean Protocol will support the next stage of AI evolution.

Compute Grant Prizes for AI Builders
Aethir will provide compute grant prizes to Ocean Foam Data Challenges winners, helping them launch AI agents using Ocean’s decentralized tech.

Fast-Tracking for AI Builders
AI startups and developers leveraging Ocean’s stack will gain access to Aethir’s $100M Ecosystem Fund, giving them early-stage support to scale their projects.

Supporting Decentralized Science AI (DeSci AI)
Ocean will promote Aethir as a compute partner for AI-driven scientific research, helping to power decentralized, privacy-first solutions in science and beyond.

Why This Matters

By integrating Ocean’s secure data-sharing infrastructure with Aethir’s decentralized computing power, we’re creating an ecosystem where AI innovation can scale without compromising privacy, ownership, or accessibility.

This partnership provides AI developers with access to high-performance computing at a fraction of traditional cloud costs, ensuring that even smaller teams can train and deploy AI models efficiently.

Aethir’s infrastructure removes the reliance on centralized providers, offering a more open, permissionless alternative. With Aethir’s decentralized cloud computing support, AI agent builders will have industry-leading GPU infrastructure at their disposal to train and launch never-before-seen agentic platforms capable of solving real-world problems across various industries.

At the same time, Ocean’s tech stack ensures data security and monetization, allowing developers to maintain full control over their datasets while building and scaling powerful AI applications.

With this collaboration, AI builders can move faster, scale smarter, and unlock new opportunities without limitations.

What’s Next?

Ocean and Aethir will work together on a case-by-case basis, ensuring AI builders get the computing power they need when needed. This means more opportunities, more funding, and more innovation in decentralized AI. The AI industry is rapidly growing and evolving, carrying numerous market opportunities along the way. With our joint expertise in AI infrastructure and GPU computing, Ocean Protocol and Aethir are positioned to support AI innovation with critical infrastructure at scale.

About Aethir

Aethir is revolutionizing DePIN with its advanced and distributed enterprise-grade GPU compute infrastructure tailored for AI and gaming. Aethir aims to serve enterprise AI clients who need the world’s most powerful AI chips, such as NVIDIA H100s and H200s, as well as innovative Web2 and Web3 gaming companies with hundreds of thousands of cloud gaming players with best-in-class experiences around the world. All of this is accomplished with a decentralized architecture, bringing the GPU cloud to the community and making computing accessible for all.

Backed by leading Web3 investors like Framework Ventures, Merit Circle, Hashkey, Animoca Brands, Sanctor Capital, Infinity Ventures Crypto (IVC), and combined with a large node sale, Aethir has over $150M to power the ecosystem. Aethir is paving the way for the future of decentralized GPU computing.

About Ocean Protocol

Ocean was founded to level the playing field for AI and data. Ocean tools enable people to privately & securely publish, exchange, and consume data. Ocean Protocol is a founding member of the ASI Alliance.

Ocean Protocol x Aethir to Expand Access to Decentralized Compute for AI Builders was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Written by Charlene Migwe — Director of the Mastercard Foundation Partnership at Caribou, Emmanuel Khisa — Africa Director at CDPI, Diana Sang — Regional Director for Africa at DIAL, Linet Kwamboka — Senior Program Manager at GPSDD

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is transforming service delivery, economic participation, and governance across Africa.

But without well-designed governance frameworks, these systems risk reinforcing exclusion, limiting public trust, and failing to deliver true public value.

As part of the East Africa Data Governance conference, Caribou — in collaboration with Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL), Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure (CDPI) and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) — hosted the panel “Governance by design for impact: Putting society at the center of digital public infrastructure and data exchange.” The panel explored strategies to prevent DPI and data exchange from causing widespread structural exclusion, emphasizing the need for effective governance to maximize public benefit. Discussions also covered practical approaches for developing metrics to assess and ensure the positive impact of DPI on people’s lives.

“The emphasis should be on technology for the good of society, rather than technology for the benefit of the government or revenue generation. Benefit to government such as improved revenue should be dividends of a citizen centred technology”
Emmanuel Khisa

Key takeaways Practical ways to prevent structural exclusion

To prevent structural exclusion in digital systems, it is crucial to include all stakeholders, not just those at the implementation level. A key example is the open data platform in Kenya, which initially focused on data supply from the government but missed involving those who would use the data, such as developers, technologists, and researchers. A conscious decision to involve civil society organizations led to steady growth and community involvement. This highlights the importance of understanding stakeholder roles and ensuring stakeholders’ active participation.

Design should be with the citizen in mind, focusing on value from and to citizens. It’s crucial to balance governmental institutional value, such as efficiency and improved revenue, with public value and citizen engagement. The emphasis should be on technology for the good of society rather than society for the benefit of the government or revenue generation. This ensures that DPI initiatives genuinely serve the public interest and contribute to societal well-being. Keep digital public interest top of mind. Digital infrastructure should be viewed from a digital public interest lens, rather than from the perspective of an individual organization or government. Standardizing processes and policies ensures efficiency, interoperability, and equal access. Shared infrastructure is essential, with a whole-of-government approach. By adopting this perspective, resources can be used more efficiently and redundancy can be minimized. Engagement should occur at every level, working through civil society and community-based organizations. While public policymaking processes ideally involve people at all levels, being truly people-centric is challenging. It involves cost, time, workforce communication, and reach implications. Special attention should be given to marginalized groups, including those without written languages. Explaining concepts like consent requires addressing varying levels of digital and data literacy. Trust is the currency for data exchange and flow. From the outset, DPI design, implementation, and governance, especially in data exchange platforms, must prioritize trust. Governance should be integrated from the beginning to ensure proper mechanisms are in place and systemic risks are prevented. This proactive approach is essential for building and maintaining public confidence in digital systems. AI and DPI

As AI continues to advance, DPI must be at the center of its growth to support its development while ensuring responsible data governance and user-centric design and architecture. Lessons from the Kenya National AI Strategy 2025–2030 drafting process highlight the importance of inclusive policymaking, where key stakeholders — including telecommunications companies, multinationals, civil society, and academia — collaborate to shape AI strategies. For AI to serve diverse communities effectively, DPI must provide a robust foundation, enabling secure data access, interoperability, and shared infrastructure. Standardized governance processes are essential to guide AI innovation while safeguarding privacy, promoting ethical AI use, and ensuring that technological advancements deliver real public value without reinforcing structural exclusions.

Measuring impact

When evaluating the impact of DPI, the key question should be: Is it extractive, or does it genuinely benefit citizens? Measuring the impact of DPI should be viewed through the lens of the people it is intended to serve. Instead of measuring success based on outputs such as the number of IDs issued or accounts opened, the focus should shift to how DPI is transforming lives, expanding rights, and enabling citizens to achieve their aspirations and driving economic and social progress. To effectively measure DPI’s impact, several critical areas should be considered:

✅ Trust and governance — Strong data protection policies, public awareness, and transparent data control are key indicators of a DPI system that prioritizes citizen rights.

✅ Inclusion and accessibility — Are citizens able to connect and meaningfully engage with services? Metrics like broadband access and mobile penetration help assess whether DPI is reaching the people it intends to serve.

✅ Economic and social impact — DPI should fuel entrepreneurship and innovation. Measuring how many businesses have launched or scaled, who the businesses serve, and how these impact citizens due to integrated government data platforms can reveal DPI’s broader economic value.

For DPI measurement to be meaningful, stakeholders must develop a common terminology and shared understanding of impact metrics, much like how the mobile industry universally uses, for example, “average revenue per user.” The African context must guide the creation of relevant and people-centered metrics that truly reflect DPI’s success in empowering communities — for example, evaluating digital identity with metrics that are recognized across different regions and countries. It is important to define metrics that are impactful and relevant to the African context, ensuring that the metrics used reflect what impact really means to the people.

Conclusion

Building inclusive and effective DPI requires a multi-stakeholder approach that prioritizes public value, trust, and accessibility. Structural exclusion can be prevented by actively engaging civil society, the private sector, and marginalized communities, ensuring that digital systems serve diverse needs rather than reinforce inequalities. This goes hand in hand with measuring DPI’s success to determine impact, which should go beyond numbers to reflect real-life impact, from economic empowerment to expanded rights and opportunities. By fostering collaboration, transparency, and shared understanding of impact, DPI can drive meaningful digital transformation that benefits all citizens.

Authors:

Emmanuel Khisa — Africa Director, Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure Linet Kwamboka — Senior Manager–Data4Now, Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data Diana Sang — Africa Director, Digital Impact Alliance Charlene Migwe, Director of the Mastercard Foundation Learning Partnership, Caribou

Governing Digital Public Infrastructure for Impact: Key Lessons and Future directions was originally published in Caribou Digital on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Predictoor DF132 rewards available. DF133 runs Mar 13— Mar 20th, 2024 1. Overview

Data Farming (DF) is an incentives program initiated by ASI Alliance member, Ocean Protocol. In DF, you can earn OCEAN rewards by making predictions via ASI Predictoor.

Data Farming Round 132 (DF132) has completed.

DF133 is live today, March 13. It concludes on March 20th. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3750 OCEAN rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF133 is comprised solely of Predictoor DF rewards.

Predictoor DF: Actively predict crypto prices by submitting a price prediction and staking OCEAN to slash competitors and earn.

3. How to Earn Rewards, and Claim Them

Predictoor DF: To earn: submit accurate predictions via Predictoor Bots and stake OCEAN to slash incorrect Predictoors. To claim OCEAN rewards: run the Predictoor $OCEAN payout script, linked from Predictoor DF user guide in Ocean docs.

4. Specific Parameters for DF133

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3750 OCEAN

Networks. Predictoor DF applies to activity on Oasis Sapphire. Here is more information about Ocean deployments to networks.

Predictoor DF rewards are calculated as follows:

DF Buyer agent purchases Predictoor feeds using OCEAN throughout the week to evenly distribute these rewards.

Expect further evolution in DF: adding new streams and budget adjustments among streams.

Updates are always announced at the beginning of a round, if not sooner.

About Ocean, DF and ASI Predictoor

Ocean Protocol was founded to level the playing field for AI and data. Ocean tools enable people to privately & securely publish, exchange, and consume data. Follow Ocean on Twitter or TG, and chat in Discord. Ocean is part of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

In Predictoor, people run AI-powered prediction bots or trading bots on crypto price feeds to earn $. Follow Predictoor on Twitter.

DF132 Completes and DF133 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Empowering the Open Web: Learn how Fastly supports ToS;DR, a non-profit that makes internet terms of service easy to understand and improves online transparency.

Explore the evolving threat of botnet attacks, including insights on how hacker groups like Dark Storm operate.

In this 4-part series, we are introducing our work on multi-capital models. The overall aim is to develop a tangible framework to connect contextual knowledge and value flows to systemic finance and decision making cycles. That might sound slightly abstract at first but this work is refreshingly tangible and grounded in placed-based partnerships. To bring the concept to life, we have divided this publication into four sections, tracing the journey of our work from an exploratory study in the city of Amsterdam through to our current strategic focus.

In Part 1 we look at the net value created via different approaches to climate adaptation in the city of Amsterdam, in the context of systemic financing. In Part 2 we will unpack some of the challenges, questions and opportunities that repeatedly surface in relation to multi-capital models, across the wider portfolio of our work. Part 3 will explore the city specific challenges and opportunities that we are engaging with in diverse contexts. This includes emerging insights from supporting cities across Europe with their financing plans (such as those in the EU Mission for 100 Climate Neutral Cities by 2030) and the nature-as-infrastructure pilots that we have collaborated on in Stuttgart and Glasgow. Finally, in part 4 we will shift to look at our emerging work with the Bioregional Community and how the earlier learnings are weaving with this context. Part 1 — Towards multi-capital models: embedding an integrated approach into climate adaptation financing

“The real news is that we are now leaving a state of permanent denial — pretending that everybody will respect the Paris Agreement — to listening to what experts, climate specialists, the UN, the IPCC say” — Christophe Béchu, Minister for Ecological Transition France

A +4 degree future is now being widely considered as a possible scenario. Weather and climate related economic damages are estimated at EUR 738 billion in the period 1980–2023, whilst less than 20% were privately insured¹. These costs are expected to quadruple under a mid-range climate scenario by 2050². In short, climate adaptation (whilst continuing to drive mitigation efforts) is critical and the longer we wait the more devastating and costly the consequences will be. Unfortunately there is a growing recognition that the integration of mitigation and adaptation measures is extremely difficult to achieve in practice. We all know the headline issues and we talk about needing an integrated response. But are we actually working in that way? In our work with Mission cities (the focus of Blog 3 in this series), it is evident that mitigation and adaptation are often handled by different municipal teams working to discrete budgets, funding streams, priorities, timelines and metrics. What would an integrated approach mean in tangible terms? What kind of holistic political mandate and governance shifts would be required? Given that this is a whole-of society challenge it requires looking beyond municipalities to a multi-actor approach: what contracts, financial instruments and collaborations would be required? How would we assess the distribution of risks or negotiate sharing liabilities? Who should pay for the costs of systemic coordination?

There are pioneering examples of cities striving to embed responses to these (and many other) questions into their institutional infrastructure. For example, the Climate City Capital Hub instigated by the NetZeroCities consortium and European Investment Bank³, the Viable Cities Transition Lab in Sweden⁴ and the Global Center on Adaptation in the Netherlands⁵. In parallel to these efforts, we also recognise a high demand for practical, grounded methodologies that can be customised and embedded into everyday practices. In our view, expansive dialogues are important, but until we put numbers on the elements that we are discussing, it will be extremely difficult to act decisively.

In collaboration with the Municipality of Amsterdam and Stipo, we set out to explore the challenges outlined above using a hypothetical case study district in the city of Amsterdam. This is a new field with few precedents but the urgency of the response requires bold, innovative action. Doing nothing no longer exists as a low risk option. We would emphasise that this is not an exact science and we are learning and iterating our approach along the way. It is important to highlight that this work extends across many strands of our ecosystem, weaving the contextual expertise of colleagues from our City Transitions, Material Zero and Nature as Infrastructure Arcs with the financial and economic capabilities of our Next Economics and Capital Systems Labs. We are sharing the outputs of this work with the aspiration of inspiring compound learning and collaborative action. Who or what is already out there that we can learn from? Are there robust examples of scalable, multi-stakeholder climate adaptation efforts? If you have ideas for how multi-capital approaches can be uplifted and accelerated, we invite you to add your comments here so that the conversation and connections are visible to all interested partners. We will expand on the theme of multi-capital models, including how we are using them in practice and why we think they are so critical, in the next blog in this series.

Developing a speculative case study area based on an archetypal district of Amsterdam

Global costs of climate damage are estimated to be €16m per hour. That equates to approximately £267k since you started reading this article. This sounds worrying but what does it mean in relation to a street or local business? Can you imagine what would happen if the city you live in or know best was subject to extreme heat, flooding or drought? What services or conveniences that you currently take for granted would be lost? Who would be most vulnerable and what might happen to them? It’s very difficult to ground our understanding of risk and costs without talking about real contexts⁶. In response to this disconnect, we decided to develop a case study based on a hypothetical area of Amsterdam, to illustrate the likely risks, costs and potential opportunities.

Developing a hypothetical case study area

Although the scenario is speculative, the forecast social and economic costs that it portrays are very real. In the years ahead Amsterdam faces a set of complex adaptation challenges and the potential consequences of inaction are alarming. Based on an archetypal area of 0.27km2 we used publicly available data to map and analyse the expected buildings, infrastructure and demographics within it. As the area is approximately 1/800th of Amsterdam’s spatial footprint we can roughly consider any impact as being magnified by 800 in relation to the whole City. We then used geospatial mapping, climate scenario models, probability risk distributions, hazard maps and economic statistics to develop a base case and a number of climate related scenarios. As an overview the key drivers for the calculations were as follows:

(a) Specific threats:

We looked at specific threats caused by extreme weather, mapping the probability and scale of impact in relation to different activities, infrastructures and people:

Extreme heat waves: Can lead to discomfort, heat-related health issues, and increased energy consumption for cooling, particularly in densely populated neighbourhoods⁷. Extreme heat disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing health conditions. Extreme dry season: Lack of rainfall combined with the extraction of groundwater for various purposes, including drinking water and industrial use, contributes to land subsidence in Amsterdam. This gradual sinking of the land not only poses risks to infrastructure stability but also exacerbates the city’s vulnerability to flooding, especially during heavy rains and storm surges. Flood and extreme rainfall events: Amsterdam frequently experiences localised flooding during heavy rainfall due to its low-lying topography and the inability of the current drainage systems to handle intense downpours. This results in property damage, transportation disruptions, and inconvenience for residents. Identifying the likely risk exposure, damage categories and economic impact

(b) Climate severity trajectories:

We also considered two headline scenarios in the years to 2050 taking into account climate severity forecasts⁸:

Scenario A — Base Case: this scenario considers a trajectory where the overall climate remains stable until 2050. We consider this unlikely but it provides a useful baseline. Scenario B — High Impact: this scenario was based on a high impact change in the overall climate trajectory. The underlying climate parameters reflect the WH Scenario from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, considering an average temperature rise of between 2.3 and 3.7 degrees⁹.

(c) Adaptation measures:

Costings were developed for adaptation measures relating to interventions for flooding (e.g. smart roads, water permeable paving, water storage), heat (e.g. planting trees, green roofs) and drought (e.g. groundwater regulation and wooden pile reinforcement). For heat and flood costs we used blended cost figures per hectare and applied the medium value from the range¹⁰. As there were no comparable datasets available for drought adaptation measures, we looked at the average cost of installing groundwater recharge systems and applied this to the percentage of buildings with likely exposure¹¹.

The costs of inaction Vs the net benefits of different adaptation approaches

The next stage of our analysis involved applying an economic cost-benefit methodology, but using an extended basis for the types of value being considered. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is typically used for project appraisals where a number of options are being considered, providing a comparative view on the likely net outcomes (the value of overall benefits less the costs incurred to achieve them). Using the baseline scenarios we looked at the costs and net benefits of four possible approaches to climate adaptation:

Do nothing; Implement climate adaptation measures using a business as usual approach; Implement climate adaptation measures using a coordinated approach; Implement climate adaptation measures using an integrated approach. Applying a multi-capital lens to value discovery

Under each approach we used a multi-capital lens to identify the benefits being created at different levels of the system. For example:

Social Capital: looking at the experiential / intangible level we considered benefits to aspects such as mental health and improved air quality. Human Capital: here we looked at how people interact with the system, for example transport, housing and business activities. Built Capital: this is the most obvious area for adaptation benefits due to reduced damage costs to physical buildings, roads, sewers, etc. Natural Capital: in this category we considered benefits being realised at the ecological baselayer, including elements such as improved soil and plant health and higher water quality.

Approach 1: Do Nothing

If no action is taken, we estimate that the direct cumulative costs to 2050 will range from EUR 10.3m to EUR 17.7m (under Base Case and High Impact weather scenarios). Extrapolated to the city scale this equates to EUR8.3bn and EUR14.2bn respectively.

Risk exposure and costs of doing nothing under two climate scenarios

These costs consider the likely damage and economic impacts of a wide range of value flows. For example, looking at extreme precipitation the impacts span from direct damage to buildings to traffic disruption leading to loss of productive working time. Land subsidence after an extreme dry spell can cause damage to sewer systems and wooden pile foundations to rot after exposure to the air¹². Extreme heat can result in buckling tram lines, increased hospital admissions and somewhat bizarrely lead to a proliferation of poisonous caterpillars causing severe allergies¹³.

Flood related costs under different climate change scenarios

Approach 2: Implement climate adaptation measures using a business as usual approach

In this scenario we compared the costs of implementing climate adaptation measures with the avoided damage costs. For the case study area the total estimated costs for adaptation were EUR5.9m. This estimation assumed that the work would be undertaken by existing departments without any systemic coordination. This is a reality that we consistently observe in our work on the EU Mission for 100 Climate Neutral Cities by 2030 with the NetZeroCities consortium: it is very hard for many municipalities to break through departmental silos, let alone doing sophisticated coordination in planning with other stakeholders, such as utility providers, private land or building owners. We also included a level of unavoidable residual costs in the calculations. We found the direct savings due to the avoided damage costs of applying no adaptation measures to be significant, with the net benefit of implementation estimated at EUR8.8m, representing a 56% saving.¹⁴ ¹⁵

Approach 3: Implement climate adaptation measures using a coordinated approach and consider the co-benefits being created

In this approach we considered the potential savings and benefits generated if interventions are planned and implemented in tandem, thus creating synergies and increased efficiencies. For example, we factored in project overlap efficiencies (e.g. shared project managers), reduced disruption time (e.g. less time with streets being under construction) and faster adaptation outcomes (e.g. reduced overall exposure to flood and heat risks).

Potential benefits of applying a coordinated approach

Building on these benefits we also mapped a spread of potential co-benefits that would be likely to occur as indirect outcomes associated with the adaptation work. These benefits are clearly subjective, but if anything we would consider them to be a vast underestimation of the entangled value being created. For example, groundwater regulation benefits spill over into improved anxiety levels and tree health outcomes, resulting in lower mental health and tree maintenance costs. Or, roads being downgraded due to flood interventions, resulting in reduced traffic, improved air quality and reduced healthcare costs. This last point has been looked at in detail by the European Commission who concluded that the annual GDP impact of reducing PM2.5 levels to 5 µg/m3 would be 0.44%. To put this into perspective, although achieving this level of air quality improvements would take significant effort, it would equate to a EUR0.7bn annual uplift if applied to the GDP of Amsterdam.¹⁶ ¹⁷

Potential co-benefits arising from adapation interventions

Approach 4: Implement climate adaptation measures using a coordinated approach

Finally, we looked at the benefits of taking a fully integrated approach where interventions are intentionally combined to meet multiple objectives. In this case the value creation is diverse, significant and often unforeseen. For example, if residents come together to implement shared groundwater regulation measures (a practice that is becoming more common in Amsterdam) their collaborative efforts can increase social cohesion. When these initiatives are magnified by other behavioural changes, such as the development and uptake of e-mobility sharing schemes, the overall impact on social trust can result in reduced crime.¹⁸ Or, if intergenerational daytime spaces are created to reduce overall heating and cooling demand, multiple benefits accrue in both healthcare outcomes and work productivity opportunities stemming from alternative childcare options¹⁹.

The stacked benefits of moving towards a fully integrated approach to adaptation

In total, we identified potential savings of EUR 13.4m in relation to the coordinated / co-benefits approach and a further EUR 31.6m if this was translated into a broad integrated approach. When combined with the direct savings, the total estimated net benefit is EUR 53.8m. Extrapolating these results to the scale of Amsterdam the potential net benefits are EUR43 billion, representing a non-discounted cost-benefit ratio of 9. To be clear, these figures are based on a series of assumptions that can be adjusted depending on the user’s own judgement of different likelihoods and error margins. In the model that sits beneath this analysis all input assumptions are clearly laid out and annotated with their basis, to enable transparent interrogation and adjustment. An extract from the base cost assumptions input tab is shown below as an example.

Extract from adjustable model assumption drivers Bridging the gap between quantified benefits and tangible, integrated financing pathways

“Every city needs to invest billions to respond to the climate emergency and build a resilient and sustainable future. To mobilise at this scope and scale, each city needs a tool to understand and communicate the economic case for the investments they must figure out how to make” — Thomas Osdoba, Senior Cities Advisor, EIT Climate-KIC

Many of us will have sat in meetings where we discuss shared risks and liabilities. But how many of us have seen those conversations converting into collaborative investment commitments? Imagine a situation where stakeholders from a city municipality would like to work with investors, private real estate developers, a healthcare provider and utility companies to climate proof a hospital and its surroundings in an integrated manner. This would require local renewables, shared mobility schemes and a comprehensive approach to climate adaptation. Who should bear the costs of the initial planning and scoping to create alignment and trust across these parties, each of which are working to very different incentive structures and timelines? How to oversee the ongoing coordination between these actors, recognising their different appetite, priorities and capacity for investment? How to create agreements not just for the initial capital outlay but also for ongoing costs of maintenance? Common sense tells us that an integrated approach would yield greater real world returns, but that logic doesn’t correlate to mainstream investment models. The question therefore becomes: how can we coordinate between individual actors and de-risk portfolio investments in a complex, interconnected and resource-constrained world? There is little point proposing investment strategies that block engagement from the majority of capital and public budget holders. Instead, can we find ways to work with the existing structures and provide on-ramps for a phased transition?

In conversations across multiple cities, we have observed patterns that present leverage points for stimulating inter-stakeholder action. For example, if we think about an integrated approach to adaptation policy making, there are significant opportunities to create compound value flows. In parallel to driving adaptation and mitigation efforts, such policies can support more holistic spatial planning and underpin ecological and social programmes. In turn, these benefits spillover to diverse beneficiaries such as net zero commitment holders, the business community and healthcare providers.

Integrated policy benefits

Based on our analysis, we are exploring a phase instrument approach as a new class of integrated investment. Many stakeholders are currently restricted by singular focus budgets and requirements for financial returns, but we think this could be addressed with a pay-it-forwards strategy. For example:

Stage 1 — BASELINE approach: in the early stages of adaptation planning, a city could create a fund that multiple stakeholders contribute a percentage of their budget into. This would involve a broad range of actors including different municipal departments, insurers, housing providers, utility companies and local pension funds. This will lay the foundations for the next stage. Stage 2 — COORDINATED approach: the capital from the stage one investment fund could be used to finance the coordination and planning of implementing a coordinated adaptation approach. Cost savings would accrue directly to different stakeholders in their operating budgets. In addition, a percentage of the collective savings could be allocated to a forward fund to drive the early stage Integrated Stage investments. Stage 3 — INTEGRATED approach: initially integrated adaptation projects would be financed from the savings made in Stage 2. However, as the integrated benefits become more established and validated they will become an asset class of their own, with the returns being used to grow the integrated infrastructure of the city. Using a multi-capital economic case to underpin a new integrated investment instrument

Currently, this is a speculative proposal but elements of it are already in play in different contexts. Our mid-term aspiration is to partner with a pioneer city to bring the full instrument into reality. In the meantime, we are continuing to refine and iterate the multi-capital model framework to support local city teams to develop their own cases. We fully recognise that financial instruments are social contracts, requiring high levels of shared understanding and inter-actor trust as prerequisites. This demands dedicated time, patience and sensitive orchestration. However, we also observe that having quantified proposals to discuss, probe, disagree with and iterate is a strong catalyst for more action orientated agreements. We are very interested to hear experiences and examples from others and will continue to share our emerging learning in this space.

The Amsterdam case study was undertaken as part of a collaboration between Dark Matter Labs and Stipo, supported by the City of Amsterdam.

This blog was written by Emily Harris (emily@darkmatterlabs.org) and Joost Beunderman (joost@darkmatterlabs.org). The analysis work was undertaken by Sofia Valentini and Emily Harris with support from Alberto De Biasio and the visual identity was developed by Eunji Kang.

References:

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/economic-losses-from-climate-related#:~:text=Economic%20losses%20from%20weather%2D%20and%20climate%2Drelated%20extremes%20in%20Europe,-Published%2014%20Oct&text=Weather%2D%20and%20climate%2Drelated%20extremes%20caused%20economic%20losses%20of%20assets,%25)%20between%202021%20and%202023. Steininger, K. W., et al., 2016, ‘Consistent economic cross-sectoral climate change impact scenario analysis: method and application to Austria’, Climate Services1, pp. 39–52 (DOI: 10.1016/j.cliser.2016.02.003). https://netzerocities.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Capital-Hub-One-Pager_V2.pdf https://viablecities.se/en/klimatneutrala-stader-2030/transition-lab/ https://gca.org/about-us/#:~:text=We%20have%20regional%20offices%20in,faster%20and%20deeper%20climate%20adaptation Visualising a 3 degree neighbourhood scenario in Birmingham: https://medium.com/neighbourhood-public-square/3%C2%BAc-neighbourhood-582903b050b2 A study by Imperial College has shown that cooling demand in London grew by 5% per year between 1980 and 2022 as summers heat up https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/247593/london-fastest-increase-cooling-demand-world/#:~:text=Imperial%20College%20London-,London%20has%20the%20fastest%20increase%20in%20cooling,the%20world%2C%20shows%20new%20model&text=A%20model%20to%20map%20energy,2022%20as%20summers%20heat%20up. https://climatedamageatlas.com/ https://www.knmiprojects.nl/binaries/knmiprojects/documenten/publications/2015/01/01/folder-knmi14-climate-scenarios/Climate_scenarios_EN_2015.pdf https://www.metropoolregioamsterdam.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Kosten-Klimaatadaptieve-Stadsharten.pdf. P.6 https://www.kcaf.nl/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/KCAF_Grondwateraanvulling_voor_fund_behoud.pdf. P.22 As many as 1 million Dutch houses are built on pile foundations which are eaten by fungi when exposed to oxygen. This has been viscerally illustrated by Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum which sank on one side by 15cms after a series of extremely dry summers. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/dutch-homes-built-wooden-piles-are-rotting-after-severe-drought https://nltimes.nl/2024/08/04/increasing-numbers-oak-processionary-caterpillars-netherlands-biologist-says This percentage would be lower if applied to the full costs of weather related damage, but as the adaptation measures available for drought are limited to groundwater regulation, the comparable damage cost was adjusted. This finding has been echoed by research undertaken by Rebel and the Positive Lab which found that the most costs of adaptation can be paid for by immediate gains in areas such as real estate value. https://www.metropoolregioamsterdam.nl/klimaatbestendige-mra-kost-miljarden-maar-is-goedkoper-dan-niets-doen/ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:a5235624-55f8-11ed-92ed-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF. P.66 https://www.c40.org/cities/amsterdam/ A study across US cities found that a one standard deviation increase in social connectedness leads to an estimated 21% decrease in murder and a 20% decrease in motor vehicle thefts https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8460118/ https://www.housinglin.org.uk/_assets/Resources/Housing/OtherOrganisation/Mixing-Matters-how-shared-sites-can-bring-older-and-younger-people-together-and-unite-Brexit-Britain.pdf

Towards multi-capital models was originally published in Dark Matter Laboratories on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

By Helen Garneau

Does this sound familiar: You’re finally taking that long-awaited Caribbean holiday. Got your passport? Check. Better keep it handy, because you’ll need to show it eleven times before you hit the beach. Oh, and don’t forget your username and password to your work computer while you’re away on vacation—nothing like spending your first day back sitting on hold with IT trying to resent your password and trying to log back in.

Or this: You’re out to dinner with an old friend when an urgent text pops up — a high-value customer has locked themselves out and needs your help getting back in. Again. Then an email from legal pops up: data regulations changed (again), and there’s been yet another authentication factor added to your systems. Seriously, how is MFA still not enough?

Managing digital identity is a time-sucking, money-burning nightmare. Businesses pour billions into KYC and IDV, only to end up with more friction, more delays, and more CAPTCHA clicks.

There’s a better way. Stop wasting money—start making it.

Here are three ways your digital identity decisions are costing you big — and how Indicio Proven helps you flip the script.

1. You’re spending too much on identity verification (and it’s still a mess)

Let’s be real — making a purchase or opening a new account online can be a nightmare. Businesses spend millions every year on KYC checks, manually verifying documents, and waiting on IDV providers to confirm someone is who they say they are. Meanwhile, you are stuck jumping through hoops, uploading selfies, scanning IDs, and refreshing inboxes, hoping for that magical “You’re Verified” email.

Every minute a business waits is money lost. Cart abandonments, incomplete sign-ups, and frustrated users means money is wasted on a process that actively drives customers away.

How Indicio Proven fixes this:

Indicio Proven transforms identity verification into a revenue-generating asset with verifiable credentials and decentralized identity. With Verifiable Credentials, you can verify your identity once and reuse that verification anywhere. Instead of waiting days for KYC approval, just present a digital credential that proves your identity information — instantly. No need to fill out more paperwork, do repeated checks, or pay extra fees to IDV providers. More importantly, no more lost customers due to frustration.

It’s like getting an express pass at an amusement park — straight to the fun (or in your case, straight to becoming a paying customer).

2. You’re paying for compliance over and over again

Compliance isn’t optional. Regulations like eIDAS 2.0, GDPR, CCPA, and various financial compliance laws mean businesses have to verify identities, minimize personal data storage and purpose and maximize security, and try to meet some level of industry standards. And that costs money — a lot of money.

The problem? Every time you need to verify identity at a different touchpoint, the business essentially pays for compliance all over again. Whether it’s opening an account, making a large transaction, or accessing a new service, the same process is repeated over and over.

How Indicio Proven fixes this:

With decentralized identity and verifiable credentials, compliance becomes portable. Instead of verifying your identity from scratch every time, you rely on credentials derived from information that has already been issued and verified.

You control your data, meaning you don’t have to hand over your personal data anymore for another business to store and secure in order to authenticate who you are the next time you visit. This reduces your risk (of a data breach) and the cost of data compliance and security to the business.

Think of it like a digital passport: Once issued, it works everywhere; but unlike a paper booklet, you can send a verifiable digital passport electronically, anywhere.

3. You’re missing out on the opportunity to make money from identity

Here’s the kicker for businesses: Identity verification isn’t just a cost—it can be a revenue stream.

Right now, companies spend billions verifying identities but don’t make a dime off that effort. Once you verify a customer, the process ends, and you’re left with nothing but an invoice at the end of the month from the IDV you happen to be using at the moment.

But what if you could turn identity verification into a business model and free yourself from expensive IDV bills? What if, after you go through the effort of verifying someone, you could issue a credential that they can use elsewhere—and YOU get paid for it?

How Indicio Proven fixes this:

With Indicio Proven, you don’t just verify users—you issue Verifiable Credentials that other businesses can trust. That means you can build trust networks, where other companies rely on your verified credentials instead of doing their own KYC from scratch. And guess what? They’ll pay you for it.

Think of it as TSA PreCheck. You’ve already proven you’re a trusted traveler, so you don’t have to go through security every time. Now imagine if TSA got paid every time another airline used that verification. That’s the model businesses can tap into with Verifiable Credentials.

The bottom line: Stop losing money and start making it

Picture this: instead of spending time proving you’re a human and jumping through endless verification hoops, you get your information verified once and can use that credential everywhere.

Instead of pouring your budget into more layers of software in hopes you’ll meet some magic threshold of compliance for managing customer data, you have a secure, privacy-preserving system that does the heavy lifting for you.

Instead of identity being a burden, it becomes a business advantage.

This isn’t some distant future — it’s possible right now. The companies that are embracing verifiable credentials today are the ones that will be leading the industry tomorrow.

So, are you ready to stop wasting money and start making identity work for you? The future of digital identity isn’t just about compliance—it’s about opportunity.

And with Indicio Proven, you can finally seize it!

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With Europe leading the charge in regulating the crypto space globally, one of the most significant developments has been the introduction of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations tailored specifically to cryptocurrencies.

The post Understanding AML European Crypto Regulation first appeared on ComplyCube.

This session, featuring Paul Kenny (VP of Customer Success EMEA and APAC at Daon) and Pedro Torres (CEO of Youverse), took a deep dive into why identity companies are embracing verifiable credentials, how biometric-bound credentials address major security and privacy gaps, and what these technologies mean for users and the future of digital identity.

In this blog, we’ve distilled the key insights and takeaways from the conversation—covering real-world use cases, common misconceptions, and the evolving role of verifiable and biometric-bound credentials in identity verification.

The collaboration brings seamless, scalable tokenization infrastructure to private markets, eliminating technical barriers and accelerating adoption.

Luxembourg, 12 March 2025 – Yooro, the pioneering securitization-as-a-service platform, has partnered with Tokeny, the leading onchain finance operating system, to transform the accessibility and efficiency of private market investments. By integrating Tokeny’s enterprise-grade tokenization technology, Yooro can seamlessly issue, manage, and distribute tokenized securities, unlocking new levels of liquidity and accessibility in private markets.

Through this partnership, Yooro leverages Tokeny’s white-label platform to enable frictionless tokenization, much like Shopify allows businesses to launch online stores without technical complexity. The collaboration eliminates the technical barriers historically associated with digital assets, allowing professional investors across the EU, UK, Switzerland, and the UAE to access private market opportunities with unprecedented ease.

Simplifying Private Markets Through Tokenization

Traditional private markets remain complex, slow, and highly fragmented, relying on intermediaries to facilitate transactions between investors. Tokenization fundamentally changes this paradigm by allowing assets to move freely while maintaining compliance through programmable rules. By building compliance directly into the digital assets via the ERC-3643 standard, Yooro ensures security and regulatory adherence, while giving investors full control over their holdings.

At Yooro, our mission is to simplify private market securitization and make high-value opportunities accessible. Partnering with Tokeny allows us to remove technical barriers and provide our investors with a seamless, compliant, and scalable tokenization solution. This is a crucial step towards building a truly borderless and efficient private market ecosystem. Milo GuastamacchiaCEO & Founder of Yooro Mass adoption happens when technology complexity disappears. With this partnership, we’re making tokenization as simple as possible for Yooro and its investors. By leveraging the ERC-3643 standard through our tools, Yooro’s tokenized assets will be natively interoperable across the RWA and DeFi ecosystems, ensuring a future-proof and seamlessly connected financial infrastructure. Luc FalempinCEO Tokeny

A Scalable and Compliant Infrastructure

With Tokeny’s technology, Yooro gains access to an institutional-grade tokenization platform that integrates essential services across issuance, servicing, and distribution. The platform is designed to eliminate silos, ensuring assets are natively interoperable with the broader financial ecosystem. Key benefits of the partnership include:

Frictionless Tokenization: A no-code, white-label solution enabling Yooro to issue and manage digital securities effortlessly. Embedded Compliance: Digital assets remain fully compliant with regulations, ensuring only approved investors can hold them. Greater Liquidity and Accessibility: Tokenized assets can be traded peer-to-peer among qualified investors, unlocking liquidity in previously illiquid markets. Composability: Yooro’s tokenization infrastructure can easily interact with other ERC-3643-compatible applications to add new features.

Transforming the Future of Private Market Investments

Private markets have historically lagged behind in modernization, but the Yooro-Tokeny partnership marks a significant step forward in democratizing access to these investments. By leveraging Tokeny’s battle-tested technology—which has facilitated over 3 billion onchain operations over 7 years—Yooro is poised to scale private market securitization like never before.

This collaboration underscores a shared vision to reshape private market investments, removing inefficiencies and bringing them into a fully digital, interoperable, and compliant future.

Media Contact:
media@yooro.io

About Yooro

Yooro is transforming private market investments with its technology-driven securitization-as-a-service solution. By integrating blockchain, smart contracts, and tokenization, yooro simplifies and accelerates access to unlisted investments across venture capital, private debt, real-world assets, and more. Professional investors across the EU, UK, Switzerland, and the UAE rely on Yooro for secure, efficient, and scalable securitization solutions. Learn more at www.yooro.io.

About Tokeny

Tokeny is the leading onchain finance operating system. The award-winning fintech empowers financial institutions with enterprise-grade tokenization solutions built on the open-source ERC-3643 standard. The white-label platform and APIs unify fragmented onchain and offchain workflows, integrating essential services to eliminate silos and enable seamless issuance, transfer, and management of tokenized securities. Trusted globally, Tokeny has successfully executed over 120 use cases across five continents and facilitated 3 billion onchain transactions and operations. Learn more at www.tokeny.com.

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The post Yooro and Tokeny partner to simplify private market investments for EU, UK, Swiss, and UAE Investors via tokenization appeared first on Tokeny.

Hayatın her alanında olduğu gibi iş dünyasında da dijital dönüşüm hız kesmeden devam ediyor. Geleneksel yöntemlerin yerini artık daha hızlı, daha güvenilir ve çevre dostu dijital çözümler alıyor. Peki, bu dönüşümün en güçlü oyuncularından biri olan e-Mühür (Elektronik Mühür) hakkında ne kadar bilgi sahibiyiz?

This year is shaping up to be an incredibly important year for innovations related to stablecoins, with regulators and policymakers around the world taking steps to promote the responsible growth of stablecoins. 

When customers apply for insurance, they’re trusting your company with sensitive information. A seamless KYC process strengthens that trust, while a slow, clunky process can drive them away. Insurance companies must balance robust fraud prevention with efficient onboarding to comply with regulations and keep customers satisfied. iComply’s all-in-one solution streamlines every step of the KYC process, eliminating manual work and reducing compliance risks.

The Importance of KYC in Insurance

KYC processes are critical to verifying identities, assessing risk, and detecting fraud. However, many insurers still rely on disjointed systems that create delays, increase costs, and leave room for error. A modern approach makes KYC faster, more secure, and customer-friendly.

How iComply Enhances the KYC Process for Insurers 1. Streamlined Identity Verification

iComply automates ID checks with secure document uploads and biometric verification, confirming authenticity in seconds. No more back-and-forth emails or manual approvals.

2. Real-Time Risk Scoring and Screening

Sanctions, PEP screenings, and adverse media checks happen instantly using data from over 150 million sources, helping detect fraud and tailor due diligence by risk level.

3. Centralized Document Management and Reporting

Clients upload documents through a secure portal, and your team accesses everything in one place with customizable reports ready for audits.

4. Continuous Monitoring

iComply tracks ongoing client activity, flagging unusual behavior to ensure continued compliance long after onboarding.

The Bottom Line

With iComply’s integrated platform, insurers can reduce onboarding times, prevent fraud, and maintain regulatory compliance with ease. Turn your KYC process into a competitive advantage. Let’s make compliance simple—contact us today to learn how.

Governments often face challenges in fully delivering on their commitments to enhancing both freedom and safety for their residents, as balancing the two can be very complex. Utah’s new State Bill 260 introduces principles for a state-endorsed digital identity that puts Utahns in control of their identities and includes a suite of guaranteed freedoms and protections to increase user choice, prevent surveillance, and respect privacy.

The Lehi, Utah-based civil libertarian Libertas Institute describes the bill as “an ambitious policy prescription of privacy protection, individual autonomy protection, and anonymity.” This bill comes at an important time to combat the rise of AI-enabled fraud, address violations of privacy practices, and growth in the adoption of digital IDs in the US. New technologies such as Verifiable Digital Credentials (VDCs) would now make the bill implementable. Most importantly, it offers an opportunity for major advances in autonomy, privacy, and security of individuals in the digital world, creating a bulwark for the next era of U.S. cybersecurity and cyberfreedoms.

Technology's privacy strengths can only reach their full potential if legislation supports and protects them. Utah SB260 strongly supports this goal by banning surveillance, enforcing selective disclosure, keeping digital identity fully optional, and notably preventing government officials from demanding “device handover.” These elements of SB260 can create a strong baseline for digital ID within Utah and even for other states.

The State Does Not Establish an Individual's Identity

Clearly stated in § 63A-16-1202(1)(b)/(c), “the state does not establish an individual’s identity” and “the state may, in certain circumstances, recognize and endorse an individual's identity.”

This is fundamentally different from programs where a government authority defines someone’s ability to be recognized and exist. Instead, it recognizes that human beings already exist in their own right and that the state’s role is to provide assistance to humans, so they can be recognized and have the ability to manage the state endorsement in the ways prescribed by the code.

Prohibiting Digital Surveillance and Data-sharing

The code further requires that when a state-endorsed digital identity is presented, any data from the interaction is only used for the reason intended by the document’s owner. The validator accepting the document, whether a bartender, law enforcement officer or TSA agent, can’t share data about the contents of an ID or the time or context in which it was presented for validation. That includes prohibiting data-sharing with private companies that might want to use it for marketing or other purposes.

The provision also prohibits “surveillance, visibility, tracking, or monitoring” by any government agency or other person who accepts a digital ID. This is important because, while the digital signatures that validate digital credentials can be confirmed “locally” by some validators–that is, without sending a message to a central server–some validators will need to query a server or database, which if not implemented with the proper safeguards can create “phone home” surveillance. The anti-surveillance provision of SB260 bans using those queries as a source of surveillance data. 

Further, the bill’s broader privacy demands incentivize the building of ID systems with anti-surveillance mechanisms, such as private information retrieval.

Selective Disclosure Protects Sensitive Personal Information

SB260 enshrines selective disclosure as a principle of privacy protection. Selective disclosure is a unique advantage of digital identity documents. A physical ID means handing over every bit of information to a validator, even irrelevant and risky data like your address. However, when a digital ID is presented, the user can select exactly what information they wish to share.

For example, SB260 specifies that a digital ID user must be able to “verify that the individual's age satisfies an age requirement without revealing the individual's age or date of birth.” This is particularly important because a birth date is so-called “personal identifying information,” or PII, that can be leveraged for cyberattacks. Keeping it and other sensitive information private when it’s not truly necessary to share helps keep users safe and in control.

No Forced Device Handover

Utah’s proposed bill also ensures that “a governmental entity or a person may not require an individual to surrender the individual's mobile communication device to verify the individual's identity.” That is, a user has the right to keep their phone when they are presenting a digital ID for scanning.

This is particularly important when it comes to law enforcement because privacy laws defining police access to phone data are still an ambiguous patchwork. Depending on many factors, it may be legal for a police officer in physical possession of a phone to access data the user didn’t intend to share, creating major privacy and security risks. This provision makes clear that Utahns have the right to refuse any such request from a police officer or any other government official.

Digital Identity is Optional

A final key provision of SB260 is that digital identity tools will remain entirely optional–no government entity can require a digital ID to provide benefits or provide any “material benefit” as an incentive for the use of a digital ID. This is important for accessibility and equity reasons since many residents may face challenges transitioning to new technologies, and others may simply choose not to use a smartphone.

However, overall public trust is also at stake here: nothing is more likely to make Americans suspicious of a digital tool than being forced to use it by the government. By keeping digital ID optional, while enforcing the core benefits that make it appealing to users, SB260 creates the best possible conditions for trust and adoption of a tool that will benefit users most of all.

A Defining Moment for User-Controlled Digital IDs

Digital IDs are here to stay. The rapid growth of digital ID programs in New York, California, and 11 other US states is not slowing down, and as digital IDs can be used over the internet, it will unlock a myriad of new use cases and mass adoption. That’s why it’s so critical that legislation and technology work together to convey a user-first approach at this moment. We believe that SB260 has the right stock for this, and many of its elements could be adopted in other states and even countries.

About SpruceID: SpruceID is building a future where users control their identity and data across all digital interactions.

myLaminin, the most complete, integrated, and secure Research Data Management (RDM) platform on the market.

 

GM HEARTLAND “GM” is out, “GN” is in — and not just because of the ungodly hour we’re sending it out. We’ll be in dark mode for the foreseeable future, until we make it through the dark night of the $SOL.

 

—El Prof, Muhammed & Chad

 

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

-12.48%

$125.40

Helium ($HNT)

-8.65%

$2.72

Pyth ($PYTH)

-21.04%

$0.14

Raydium ($RAY)

-29.22%

$1.52

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 3.11.25)

Summer Trenches Beat Winter Ones

The crypto influencer event at the White House was a nothing burger, the strategic digital asset reserve is over-hyped, and markets are lingering at relative lows. In other words, it may be warming up outside, but it’s starting to feel a lot like crypto winter in here.

Sometime this year, the U.S. Treasury will likely refinance the country’s debt. With trade wars raging and the equities market looking too hot to touch (not to mention overweighted by a handful of companies whose entire value is based off of things junior product managers can vibe-code into existence over a weekend and give away for free) the markets are wrecked.

According to some fringe theorists on X, that could be a good thing for taxpayers in the form of the interest that’s paid on the government’s debt. Illuminati master plan aside, it does stand to reason that a weakened equities market means a stronger bonds market, and also usually means that the Treasury can refinance at better rates. So there’s no reason for Trump to change up his strategy for the moment, especially while it’s playing lip service to the crypto supporters and fed haters.

What does it mean for the rest of us? 

Well, I’m no financial expert, but I’d buckle up for a fair amount of volatility until the end of September and beginning of October. There’s may still be money in day-trading or swing-trading, but I’m a degen, not a gambler. Personally, I’ll just keep on diamond-handing, and scooping up Solana SOL.X ( ▼ 1.4% ) at discount bargains. 

In my eyes, the ecosystem is still taking meaningful steps forward at a sustainable pace. Jump Crypto just released a new validator client for Solana, Firedancer. And although adoption currently sits at less than 2%, the demonstrated increased throughput means a higher yield TPS on the network. In short, Solana is only getting faster. And this could reasonably increase to 10% by this summer; many validator clients are run by large projects that will likely make their own competitive upgrades.

Elsewhere, communities are applying tried and tested use cases to Bitcoin and other tokens as an alternative payment processing and collection system for their businesses. Some friends of ours stayed at a BitcoinBNB over their trip to SXSW this year. Mass adoption in action.

What I’m trying to say is, the house only wins if you sell. Don’t play with leverage, accumulate daily or weekly, and expect to keep going sideways for at least the next 6 months. Hodl on.

—El Prof

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The Missing $LINKS

There’s a lot of pressure in today’s market. Oh, yeah. Lotta pressure. But you gotta rise above it. And what better way to relieve the pressure than by hitting a ball with a big stick?

In one of the most practical endorsements of the diamond hand strategy I’ve seen in my years covering crypto, LinksDAO — which we first covered more than two years ago in the spiritual predecessor to this newsletter — has emerged from the sand trap to provide holders some long-awaited utility.

The decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) first came together in 2021 to “democratize the country club membership experience”. In the years since, it has purchased just two clubs — one in Scotland, and now, one in our backyard.

LinksDAO just bought up the shuttered Hillcrest Country Club, situated in our heartland home base, Kansas City, MO. It won’t open for another year at least, but it admittedly marks a big step toward the DAO’s theoretical leisure ecosystem, a network of courses and clubs run on its token LINKS.NFT ( 0.0% ).

Now, as with most DAOs, its vision isn’t exactly the most straightforward or accessible crypto use case. The organization blew up at the same time as other blue-chip relics of the NFT era. (Evinced by its partnerships with the likes of Bored Ape Yacht Club, Doodles, and Pudgy Penguins.) And while it still sells NFTs, they don’t quite function as the all-access pass once-promised. Its ETH.X ( ▼ 0.88% ) based passes run somewhere from $200 to $700 and merely provide a discount to a full membership, which can still run upwards of $10,000.

So long-term hodlers may not have lucked into becoming full-blown trust fund bunnies, but hey. It’s cool to see a major DeFi player try to follow through on a promise. With golf’s growing popularity, particularly among younger, more tech-savvy generations, the time is ripe for a change in how the sport is experienced and enjoyed. Through the power of blockchain, LinksDAO offers its members more than just a place to play — it allows them to help shape and expand the future of the sport, and maybe, just maybe, make it a modicum more accessible.

Anyway, if you’re wondering if we bought a LinksDAO NFT, yes, of course we did. Who wouldn’t want to own a piece of the future, even if it’s a deeply silly one.

—Muhammed

SEATTLE: March 11, 2025: Digital Knowledge, a pioneer in e-learning over the past three decades, is partnering with Indicio to improve the use of verifiable digital credentials for educational achievements. The Japanese company will use Indicio Proven to add a digital wallet to its Skill+ platform, allowing individuals and organizations to collect Open Badges from multiple platforms and simplify their use and verification.

By incorporating Indicio Proven, Digital Knowledge will be able to offer its customers Open Badges 3.0, the field-leading digital credential format for educational credentials, grades, certificates, diplomas, and attestations of skills.

Open Badges 3.0 allows people to directly store digital proofs of their achievements locally on their mobile devices and share them directly with employers and institutions  in a way that can be independently verified. This significantly enhances their usability, as the holder of an Open Badge isn’t depending on a third party for hosting and verification, and an employer or school can instantly authenticate the information in the Open Badge.

With the Indicio Proven digital wallet, all of these credentials are easily managed in a secure, privacy preserving way, making it easier for people to share skills and achievements across various platforms.

“The expansion in e-learning, especially around micro-credentials, needs an expanded, efficient, and simple way for people to hold and share these qualifications, and this is what we are providing in partnership with Digital Knowledge,” said Heather Dahl, CEO of Indicio. “Open Badges 3.0 brings significant advantages in usability, security, and privacy. People now have a fast, convenient, and secure way to hold and share their achievements as they progress through their schooling and careers. No need to wait for a university to dig out a paper copy of a diploma or transcript. Issue an Open Badge once, share as often as you want from your phone, verify anywhere in seconds.”

About Digital Knowledge

Digital Knowledge’s mission is to make the distribution of information and knowledge via the Internet more efficient and effective, and to contribute to the realization of a better knowledge society. Our goal is to provide society with a distribution service for knowledge content on the Internet that is both “easy to understand” and “easy to create.”

About Indicio

Indicio is the global leader in verifiable digital identity solutions, trusted by enterprises and governments worldwide to streamline operations, eliminate errors, and prevent fraud. Our award-winning flagship solution, Indicio Proven, is the gold standard in digital identity, biometrics, identity access management, and data verification to enable faster, more secure digital interactions — saving organizations time, money, and risk while delivering a superior user experience.

With a team of world-class experts and a commitment to innovation, Indicio helps businesses and governments implement secure, convenient, and adaptable identity solutions to improve user experience.

To learn more about Open Badges and Skill+ you can watch the recent Indicio Meetup video featuring Digital Knowledge.

If you have questions about decentralized identity or have a use case you’d like to discuss with our team please reach out to Indicio.

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From NHI to AI to Shared Signals, even in CIAM it comes back to standards versus reality.

Identity standards paint a perfect future: passwordless logins, verifiable credentials, and seamless trust. I love that picture; I want to frame it. Alas, legacy IAM, tight budgets, and a business case that still boils down to ‘but will customers complain?’ prevent us from getting there from here.

Nowhere is this tension more visible than in Consumer Identity and Access Management (CIAM). The security vs. usability tradeoff has always been a knife fight, and now we’re throwing in regulatory compliance, the rising costs of fraud, and the ever-present specter of “but our customers will complain.” So, let’s talk about what standards assume, where reality kicks in, and how organizations can actually make progress.

The Issue: Standards Define a Destination, But Legacy Systems Control the Journey

Standards bodies like NIST, ISO, and ETSI (under eIDAS2) have done their job: They’ve painted a picture of where we should be. The problem is that standards assume a level of infrastructure readiness that simply doesn’t exist in many organizations.

From a security perspective: Passwords are an outdated, high-risk authentication method. We should be moving toward passwordless logins, strong authentication, and identity federation. But if you’re running a legacy IAM system that predates modern best practices, you’re not just flipping a switch to make that happen.

From a business perspective: The cost of migration is non-trivial. Budgets are tight, and while security teams may want to modernize, getting executive buy-in requires proving a return on investment. “It’s more secure” is not a compelling business case, especially when ripping out legacy authentication systems means overhauling customer login experiences.

From a user perspective: Legacy authentication methods, for all their flaws, are familiar. Customers know how to enter a password (even if it’s “password123”). Introducing new login methods, such as passkeys, decentralized identity wallets, and multi-factor authentication, can introduce friction, and friction equals drop-off.

Standards define where we want to go—but legacy systems decide how fast we can get there. If your team is working through what’s actually feasible—or trying to stay ahead of standards while managing existing infrastructure—I can help you make sense of the trade-offs. See how I work or Let’s talk.

The Challenge in CIAM: Modernization Without Losing Customers

CIAM isn’t just a backend challenge, it’s a user experience challenge. Security teams might dream of a world where everyone uses phishing-resistant authentication, but if that world means adding too much friction, users will revolt.

Consider some of the “solutions” proposed:

Passwordless authentication: Great in theory, but if customers aren’t ready for passkeys, you’re not solving a problem—you’re creating one. Decentralized identity: It might be the future, but consumers don’t want to manage DID documents or cryptographic keys. Verifiable credentials: Wonderful for privacy and security, but adoption is painfully slow outside of niche use cases.

Users hate complexity, and CIAM modernization efforts must balance security with the absolute necessity of seamless customer experience.

Standards vs. Reality: What Do They Assume? Standards BodyFocus AreaRegulatory BackingWhat It AssumesReality CheckNIST (SP 800-63, etc.)Digital identity guidelines, authentication assuranceU.S. federal agencies must follow; widely referenced globallyOrganizations can implement strong authentication (MFA, passkeys, federation)Many consumer apps still struggle with basic 2FA adoptionISO/IEC (24760, 29115, etc.)Identity management, authentication assurance frameworksTreaty-based; adopted by national governments and industryStandardized identity assurance will improve security across sectorsAdoption varies; private sector uptake is slow outside compliance-driven industriesETSI (EN 319 411, etc.)Trust services, digital identity regulations (especially in the EU)Required for EU digital identity initiatives like eIDASInteroperability between EU countries will streamline identity verificationEach country implements differently, causing fragmentation and complexityW3C (Verifiable Credentials, DID Core, etc.)Decentralized identity, privacy-enhancing authenticationNo regulatory backing; industry-drivenA privacy-first, user-controlled identity future is achievableAdoption is niche and fragmented; industry buy-in is inconsistentIETF (SD-JWT, OAuth, etc.)Selective disclosure, token-based authenticationNo regulatory requirement but widely adopted in industryPrivacy-preserving JWTs will improve data minimization without breaking compatibilityAdoption is early-stage; requires infrastructure most orgs don’t yet have How Do We Bridge the Gap? Migration Strategies for Legacy Systems

It’s easy to say “just modernize,” but for organizations dealing with decades of technical debt, it’s not so simple. Here’s what is more likely to work:

Instead of a risky rip-and-replace, introduce new authentication methods alongside legacy systems: Enable passkeys as an optional login method first, rather than forcing a switch overnight. Allow progressive adoption of MFA, requiring it only for high-risk activities before making it universal. Deploy verifiable credentials in controlled, low-risk scenarios, such as employee logins, before scaling to customers. Hybrid IAM: Layer Modern Authentication on Top of Legacy Systems

Most organizations can’t replace their IAM stack overnight, so extend it instead:

Use federation (OIDC, SAML) to bridge old and new identity providers, enabling secure single sign-on (SSO). Introduce adaptive authentication that steps up security dynamically, rather than disrupting all users at once. Leverage external identity providers (e.g., social login, IDPs) where appropriate to offload identity management. Use Regulatory Compliance as a Modernization Lever

Regulations often force organizations to upgrade security; use them to drive investment:

Prioritize upgrades that align with eIDAS2, NIST, or ISO mandates to future-proof your IAM. If budgets are tight, look for grants or incentives that support compliance-driven security improvements. Advocate for clearer timelines on deprecating outdated authentication methods so you can plan ahead. Design for Customers, Not Just Security

Users resist change—modernization efforts need to be seamless, not disruptive:

Reduce friction by keeping familiar login options (passwords) available while transitioning to stronger authentication. Offer clear, user-friendly messaging explaining why new login options improve security without making things harder. Give users control over delegation (e.g., letting caregivers access accounts securely rather than sharing passwords). Final Thoughts: Standards Are Great for Tomorrow, But Reality Wins Today

Standards define the future. But businesses don’t live in the future—they live in budget cycles, tech debt, and customer expectations. Modernizing CIAM isn’t about ‘just implementing passwordless’—it’s about navigating the messy in-between. The real challenge? Making progress without breaking what still (sort of) works.

So, next time someone says, “just implement passwordless authentication,” remind them: standards define where we want to go, but legacy systems dictate how fast we can get there.

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The post Standards vs. Reality: The Long Tail of Legacy Systems appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

As the adoption of blockchain technology among financial services grows, so does the regulatory scrutiny around digital asset transactions. One of the most pressing regulatory frameworks that Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) must comply with is the FATF Travel Rule, a.k.a. the “Crypto Travel Rule”, which mandates the collection and exchange of originator and beneficiary information for transactions above a certain threshold. While compliance is already a challenge for Layer 1 blockchains, the rise of Layer 2 solutions, such as the Lightning Network, presents new complexities that demand innovative compliance solutions.

This article explores the challenges of Travel Rule compliance on Layer 2 solutions, the risks associated with non-compliance, and how iComply enables VASPs to meet regulatory requirements without compromising on efficiency or privacy.

Understanding the “Crypto Travel Rule” and Its Challenges on Layer 2

The FATF Travel Rule, first introduced in 2019, requires VASPs (such as exchanges, custodians, and payment providers) to share sender and recipient information when handling virtual asset transfers above a regulatory threshold (typically $1,000 USD or equivalent – or more recently $200 USD for businesses operating within certain ZIP codes along the southern border of the US).

For Layer 1 blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum, this is already a challenge, as transactions are pseudonymous, requiring VASPs to implement KYC/KYB measures to track user activity. However, the problem becomes even more complex on Layer 2 networks, where transactions occur off-chain and are often structured to maximize privacy and efficiency.

Key Challenges of Travel Rule Compliance on Layer 2 Solutions Onion-Routed Transactions – Networks like the Lightning Network use multi-hop, onion-routed payments, where transactions pass through multiple intermediary nodes, making it difficult to determine the true origin and destination. Off-Chain Nature – Unlike Layer 1 transactions that are recorded on a public ledger, Layer 2 transactions are ephemeral and only settle on-chain periodically, making transaction tracing more complex. No Centralized Counterparty – Many Lightning Network transactions occur directly between peers without an exchange or custodian involved, leading to a lack of intermediaries who would traditionally enforce Travel Rule compliance. Regulatory Uncertainty – Governments and regulatory bodies are still grappling with how to apply AML laws to Layer 2 solutions, leaving VASPs uncertain about how to proceed.

 

The Sunrise Problem: A Barrier to Travel Rule Compliance

One of the biggest compliance hurdles for VASPs is the “Sunrise Problem.” This occurs when some jurisdictions enforce the Travel Rule while others do not, creating gaps in regulatory coverage and making it difficult for VASPs to exchange compliance information across different regions.

For Layer 2 solutions, the Sunrise Problem is even more pronounced because:

VASPs may operate in jurisdictions where compliance obligations differ. Layer 2 transactions can involve multiple jurisdictions in a single transaction, increasing complexity. Lack of standardized compliance protocols across different VASPs and Layer 2 nodes leads to operational challenges.

Without a global, interoperable solution, VASPs risk falling into non-compliance or limiting their services to regions with clear Travel Rule mandates, reducing market opportunities.

 

How iComply Helps VASPs Achieve Layer 2 Travel Rule Compliance

As a leader in holistic KYB, KYC, and AML compliance software, iComply provides the tools necessary for VASPs to comply with Travel Rule regulations—even on Layer 2 networks.

1. Identity Verification for Lightning Network Users iComply enables pre-transaction verification, ensuring that users interacting with regulated Lightning nodes or VASPs offering Layer 2 services undergo proper KYC/KYB checks. This solution is particularly useful for businesses and financial institutions integrating Lightning payments while needing regulatory approval. 2. Off-Chain Transaction Monitoring & Risk-Based Analytics Since Lightning transactions settle on-chain eventually, iComply’s patented and proprietary blockchain transaction monitoring solutions can be utilized to track: Channel funding transactions (when users open a payment channel). Final settlement transactions (when channels are closed and funds return to the blockchain). Pattern analysis and AI-driven risk scoring detect suspicious behaviour in Layer 2 payment activity. 3. Compliance-Enabled Lightning Nodes for VASPs VASPs operating Lightning nodes can integrate iComply’s solutions to: Require KYC/KYB for users (originators) opening channels. Enable the collection and verification of KYC/KYB for beneficiaries in real time with the transaction. Implement Travel Rule-compliant information exchange between regulated entities (i.e. VASPs – Virtual Asset Service Providers).. Use privacy-preserving edge computing to detect illicit activities without revealing sensitive customer data to bad actors or on-chain surveillance companies. 4. Edge Computing & Privacy-Preserving Compliance iComply’s edge computing technology ensures that all sensitive user data is capture, authenticate, validated, verified, and encrypted before it leaves the user’s device, preventing unauthorized access, on-chain surveillance, or third-party data exposure. Decentralized compliance attestations and privacy centric digital identity solutions allow users to prove they are verified without revealing personal information. 5. Interoperability to Solve the Sunrise Problem iComply supports multi-jurisdictional compliance frameworks, allowing VASPs to exchange Travel Rule data across different regulatory environments. iComply’s patented technology allows multiple and diverse compliance frameworks to be applied to the same transaction, such as when the originator and beneficiary reside in or are subject to regulatory thresholds from different jurisdictions. By integrating global AML compliance standards, iComply ensures that Layer 2 transactions meet regulatory expectations, regardless of where the parties are located.

 

Travel Rule Compliance for Layer 2 VASPs is Possible with iComply

Layer 2 solutions like the Lightning Network offer incredible benefits for scalability, speed, and cost-effectiveness, but their design introduces serious compliance challenges for VASPs. The FATF Travel Rule, combined with the Sunrise Problem, creates barriers to global compliance—but iComply is uniquely positioned to help VASPs navigate these challenges.

With identity verification, AI-driven transaction monitoring, compliance-ready Lightning nodes, privacy-preserving solutions, and global interoperability, iComply enables VASPs to embrace Layer 2 networks while staying Travel Rule-compliant.

By adopting iComply’s holistic compliance framework, VASPs can confidently integrate Lightning Network payments and other Layer 2 solutions without regulatory roadblocks.

Next Steps

If you’re a VASP looking to integrate Layer 2 solutions while maintaining Travel Rule compliance, reach out to iComply today.

The post Vision-Box wins Portuguese tender, Collins Aerospace makes deal with Manila airport appeared first on Indicio.

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TL;DR
Extrimian merges AI with Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) to redefine secure digital identity management. Their solutions offer AI-driven fraud detection, Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) for privacy, and dynamic Trust Registries for compliance. With real-world applications in finance, healthcare, and government, Extrimian empowers users to control their data while cutting verification times by 70%. Explore their tools to future-proof your identity strategy.

AI and SSI: The Next Frontier in Secure Digital Identity with Extrimian The Digital Identity Crisis: Why SSI and AI Matter Now

Identity fraud surged by 44% in 2023 (Javelin Strategy), costing businesses $4.45 million per breach (IBM). Traditional systems fail because they centralize data, creating single points of failure. Enter Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), a decentralized framework where users own and control data via W3C Verifiable Credentials (VCs) and Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs). When supercharged with Artificial Intelligence (AI), SSI becomes a proactive shield against threats. Extrimian’s AI-SSI integration delivers:

90% faster fraud detection using machine learning. 70% reduction in KYC onboarding times via automated ZKPs. Real-time compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and eIDAS. Deep Dive: How Extrimian’s AI-SSI Engine Works 1. AI-Powered Threat Intelligence

Extrimian’s AI models analyze 10,000+ global identity patterns daily, identifying anomalies like forged credentials or suspicious issuer behavior. For example, a credential from an unverified university triggers an alert, cross-referenced against their Trust Registry 2.0—a decentralized ledger of vetted entities.

Technical Insight:

Algorithm: Gradient Boosting Machines (GBMs) trained on historical fraud data. Data Sources: Interpol databases, academic institutions, and financial blacklists.

Case Study: Many industries reduced fraudusing Extrimian’s AI-SSI stack. Read more.

2. Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs): Privacy Meets Efficiency

ZKPs let users prove credentials without revealing underlying data (e.g., age verification without disclosing birthdates). Extrimian’s AI optimizes ZKP workflows:

Automated Proof Generation: Reduces computational overhead by 40%. Context-Aware Sharing: AI suggests minimal data disclosure based on verifier requirements.

How ZKPs Work:

Cryptographic Basis: Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge (SNARKs). Example: A hospital shares patient eligibility for a trial without exposing medical history.

Internal Link: ZKPs Explained

3. Trust Registry 2.0: AI-Driven Compliance

Extrimian’s registry evaluates issuers using:

Reputation Scores: Updated hourly via NLP analysis of issuer audits and user feedback. Regulatory Alignment: Auto-flags entities non-compliant with eIDAS (EU) or NIST (US).

Data Point: 98% accuracy in blocking fraudulent issuers since 2022.

Industry Transformations: Extrimian in Action Finance: From Days to Seconds Problem: Manual KYC delays cost banks $1.3 billion annually (Deloitte). Solution: AI validates employment history and income via VCs, slashing mortgage approvals from 30 days to 8 hours.

Test the solution: 

Extrimian Wallet for Banks with miBA credentials – for GCBA citizens

Extrimian Solution for Bank—Open a new bank account securely and quickly without sharing unnecessary data, removing third parties, and streamliningtedious processes.

Healthcare: Secure, Interoperable Records Problem: 34% of breaches target healthcare (HIPAA Journal). Solution: ZKP-secured patient portals let doctors access critical data (e.g., allergies) without full records. Government: Tamper-Proof Voting Problem: Voter fraud in 2022 U.S. midterms affected 0.1% of ballots (MIT). Solution: Blockchain-backed digital IDs ensure 1 person = 1 vote.

*Contact us to schedule or see a demo for other industries such as Health, Travel & Hospitality, Education, Retail, Government, and more.

External Link: Know more about the QuarkID protocol for Latam citizens in which Extrimian was technical provider of the coder, and support team for the implementation.

The Road Ahead: Extrimian’s Vision for 2025 Decentralized AI Networks: Federated learning trains models without exposing raw data. Biometric SSI: Facial recognition + liveness detection for borderless authentication. Quantum Resistance: Post-quantum algorithms (e.g., CRYSTALS-Kyber) to counter future threats.

Extrimian’s No-Code SSI Solutions: Democratizing Decentralized Identity with AI
Extrimian bridges the technical complexity of SSI with an intuitive, no-code platform powered by AI, enabling businesses and individuals to deploy decentralized identity systems in minutes—no coding expertise required. Through a user-friendly interface, users can:

Generate W3C Verifiable Credentials: Define credential schemas (e.g., employee badges, medical licenses) using AI-guided templates. Automate DID Creation: AI agents handle cryptographic key generation and blockchain registration, eliminating manual coding. Seamless Integration: Connect SSI workflows to existing systems (e.g., HR software, EHR platforms) via pre-built APIs or drag-and-drop plugins.

For example, a healthcare provider can issue tamper-proof patient IDs without writing a single line of code, while a university automates diploma issuance using AI-curated templates. Extrimian’s AI assistant provides real-time guidance, translating user inputs (e.g., “I need to verify customer ages”) into compliant SSI workflows. Result: Teams reduce deployment time from weeks to minutes, bypassing the need for SSI certifications or blockchain expertise.

Explore Extrimian’s ID Connect | The No-Code AI-Driven Product for data verification and management: https://extrimian.io/products

Why to choose Extrimian solutions:
“By 2025, every interaction—from logging into apps to voting—will be rooted in SSI. AI ensures it’s seamless and secure.”

Call to Action

Download Our AI-SSI Playbook Book a Demo Join Our Webinar: AI & SSI in Travel & Hospitality ft. with DIF (Decentralized Identity Foundation)

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The post AI for Data Security and Verification first appeared on Extrimian.

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For years, proving your age online has long been a frustrating process. Users upload a government-issued ID, wait for approval, and hope the system—or a human reviewer—doesn’t flag it for further checks. Not only is this slow and intrusive, but it’s also easy to bypass with borrowed or fake documents.

AI is changing that. Instead of relying on easily manipulated paperwork, today’s online identity verification systems use biometric and behavioral data to confirm whether someone is old enough to access age-restricted content. AI makes verification faster, smarter, and more secure while reducing friction for legitimate users.

But AI isn’t a silver bullet. While it slows deepfakes, synthetic identities, and document fraud, businesses need to balance privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, and evolving regulations. The challenge isn’t just making age assurance more effective—it’s ensuring it remains fair, secure, and privacy-conscious.

So, how exactly is AI reshaping the landscape? And what should companies consider when adopting these technologies?

What Is Age Assurance?

At its core, age assurance is about determining whether a user meets the minimum age for certain content, services, or products. It’s critical for protecting minors, preventing fraud, and staying compliant with laws like COPPA (U.S.), AADC (EU), and the Online Safety Act (UK).

There are two main approaches:

Age verification confirms a user’s exact age using government-issued IDs, credit card records, or mobile carrier data. Age estimation uses AI-driven biometric and behavioral analysis to predict a user’s likely age without requiring official documentation. From Liminal’s Market & Buyer’s Guide for Age Assurance, Page 16

AI-driven models are not just replacing traditional document checks; they are enabling real-time, adaptive verification, reducing friction while increasing security and fraud resistance.

Traditional Methods vs. AI-Powered Solutions

Manual ID checks were once the go-to method for age verification. Users uploaded a government-issued ID or other documents, which were then cross-checked against ID manuals and data sets. Over time, automation was introduced to streamline parts of this process, but fundamental issues remained:

This process came with serious flaws:

Slow & Frustrating → Lengthy processing times frustrate users. Privacy Risks → Storing IDs increases exposure to fraud. Easy to Cheat → Minors can use borrowed or fake documents. Not Scalable → Manual reviews can’t handle millions of users efficiently.

AI-powered solutions remove these pain points. Instead of relying on easily manipulated documents, AI uses facial recognition, behavioral signals, and liveness detection to verify users in real time—without storing excessive personal data.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Age Assurance

Instead of just checking a document, AI-powered age assurance takes a more dynamic approach by analyzing a person’s unique traits. Facial recognition technology can estimate whether a user is underage without storing personal details, making the process both efficient and privacy-conscious. At the same time, behavioral analytics monitor how users interact with a platform, flagging patterns that suggest they may be younger than they claim.

Beyond these methods, deepfake detection plays a critical role in preventing fraud, ensuring that AI-generated videos or manipulated images can’t be used to bypass verification. Meanwhile, AI-driven document authentication is improving online identity verification by catching subtle forgeries that human reviewers might otherwise miss.

For businesses, this shift leads to fewer manual checks, faster processing, and a smoother experience for legitimate users—without creating new loopholes for fraudsters to exploit.

AI-Powered Fraud Prevention in Age Assurance

Fraudsters are always evolving, but AI is making it harder for them to cheat the system. Two of the most challenging fraud tactics today are synthetic identities and deepfake fraud, both of which have become harder to detect and cheaper to execute.

Stopping Synthetic Identity Fraud

Synthetic identities are like digital chameleons—fraudsters blend real and fake details to create entirely new (but convincing) personas. These identities can slip past traditional verification methods because they look legitimate on the surface. But AI-powered defenses are catching up fast. Here’s how:

Behavioral Analysis → AI watches how users interact over time—how they type, move through a site, and even make payments. Fraudsters tend to behave differently than real users, and AI picks up on those subtle differences. Cross-Checking Data → Instead of verifying just one piece of information, AI cross-references multiple sources—credit histories, public records, and known fraud databases—to spot mismatches that give away synthetic identities. Machine Learning & Pattern Recognition → AI learns from past fraud cases, continuously improving its ability to detect fake profiles by identifying patterns that human reviewers might miss. AI-Powered Document Checks → Even when fraudsters submit “official-looking” IDs, AI scans for subtle signs of tampering—like mismatched fonts, odd lighting, or altered personal details.

These tools, combined with real-time risk assessments, make it significantly harder for fraudsters to create and use synthetic identities successfully.

Preventing Deepfake Fraud

Deepfake technology has made it scarily easy to create hyper-realistic fake images and videos, allowing fraudsters to impersonate real people. The good news is that AI can fight AI:

Liveness Detection → Ever noticed how people naturally blink, shift their expressions, or adjust their posture? Deepfakes struggle with these real-life nuances. AI-powered liveness detection can analyze micro-expressions, eye movement, and facial depth to confirm a person is actually present. Advanced Facial Recognition → AI compares user-submitted selfies or videos with previously verified images to catch even the slightest inconsistencies that signal a deepfake. Image & Video Forensics → AI can break down visual elements—like unnatural lighting, weird pixel patterns, or facial distortions—to detect manipulated media before it fools the system. Challenge-Response Tests → Asking users to complete real-time actions—like turning their head, smiling, or speaking a phrase—adds an extra layer of security that deepfakes struggle to replicate convincingly.

By combining these techniques, AI-powered verification systems can shut down deepfake attempts before they get past the first checkpoint.

(from Liminal’s Market & Buyer’s Guide for Age Assurance, Page 33) Enhancing Secure Access Control Through AI

In industries where verifying a user’s age is critical—like alcohol and tobacco sales, online gambling, and adult content platforms—businesses need stronger, more adaptable verification methods. AI-powered access control allows companies to layer multiple verification techniques, ensuring that only legitimate users get through.

For higher-risk scenarios, businesses can combine selfie-based authentication with document scans for extra security. Instead of relying on one-time ID checks, AI continuously monitors risk in real time, flagging suspicious activity as it happens. This is especially useful in cases where users might try to borrow an ID, create a fake profile, or use manipulated images to bypass restrictions.

By making access control dynamic and responsive, AI helps businesses enforce age restrictions and regulatory compliance without frustrating legitimate users. Whether it’s a quick facial scan, behavioral analysis, or cross-referencing multiple data points, AI ensures the right people get access—while keeping fraudsters out.

Real-World Applications of AI in Age Assurance

New laws are forcing companies to rethink age verification systems, and AI is already playing a major role in compliance.

Age Verification Texas: Pornhub Compliance Challenges

The Pornhub age verification laws in Texas require adult platforms to implement stricter age verification measures. Initially, these regulations relied on manual ID-based checks, but platforms quickly faced backlash over privacy concerns and user friction. To comply while maintaining user trust, many are turning to AI-driven facial recognition, which verifies age without storing personal documents. This approach helps businesses meet regulatory requirements while reducing fraud risks and improving user experience.

Google’s AI-Powered Age Assurance

Google has taken a proactive approach to age assurance across its platforms, leveraging AI to make verification more accurate and user-friendly. One major example is YouTube’s AI Verification System, which was introduced after self-reported birthdates proved unreliable for restricting access to age-sensitive content. Instead of relying on document uploads, YouTube’s system uses Google’s broader AI-driven verification methods to dynamically assess whether a user meets the required age criteria.

Beyond YouTube, Google applies these AI-powered techniques across its ecosystem, ensuring that minors are restricted from accessing age-sensitive services while keeping verification seamless for legitimate users. Similarly, other tech giants like Meta are implementing AI-driven age assurance to balance compliance, fraud prevention, and user convenience, reflecting a broader industry move toward smarter, more adaptable verification methods that protect minors without creating unnecessary barriers for real users.

(From Liminal’s White Paper: The Age-Verified Internet – Strategies for Safer Online Experiences, Page 4)

Industries Leveraging AI for Age Estimation and Verification Gaming & Dating Sites

Online gaming and dating sites are increasingly adopting AI to ensure user authenticity and safety. For instance, gaming platforms utilize age estimation and behavioral tracking to prevent minors from accessing mature content. Similarly, dating apps employ facial recognition to verify that new users meet age requirements, fostering a safer environment for all participants.

Fintech, Banking, and Gambling 

In regulated sectors like fintech, banking, and gambling, accurate and scalable age verification is crucial to prevent fraud and comply with legal standards. AI-driven solutions detect fake IDs, synthetic identities, and document tampering, thereby reducing onboarding delays while maintaining high-security levels. This approach ensures that services are accessible only to eligible individuals, safeguarding both the institutions and their clients.

Alcohol and Tobacco Sales

Retailers and e-commerce platforms selling alcohol and tobacco face strict age restrictions and growing pressure to prevent underage purchases. AI-powered age assurance solutions help these businesses verify customer age in real-time by using document authentication, facial recognition, and behavioral analysis. Whether self-checkout kiosks scan IDs or online stores verify buyer credentials, AI ensures compliance while streamlining the purchasing process for legal customers.

(From Liminal’s White Paper: The Age-Verified Internet – Strategies for Safer Online Experiences, Page 5)

Evaluating Age Assurance Systems

Implementing AI-driven verification is just one piece of the puzzle—businesses also need to ensure that these systems actually work as intended. The best solutions find the right balance between accuracy, speed, user experience, and fraud prevention while staying compliant with regulations.

To compare different approaches, companies turn to age-assured program reviews, which assess how well these systems perform in real-world scenarios. These reviews help answer critical questions: How often does the system mistakenly approve underage users? How many legitimate users get unfairly blocked? How fast and smooth is the verification process?

By understanding these factors, businesses can choose a system that doesn’t just check a compliance box but actually makes verification secure, efficient, and frustration-free for real users.

Key Metrics for Effectiveness

According to our Market and Buyer’s Guide for Age Assurance, decision-makers prioritize accuracy, completion speed, and user experience when selecting an age verification system. Key performance indicators include:

Accuracy rates → How well AI determines a user’s age. False acceptance & rejection rates → Are minors mistakenly approved or adults incorrectly denied? Completion & abandonment rates → If users drop off, verification may be too slow or intrusive. Time to completion → How quickly can users verify their age?

The goal is high accuracy with minimal friction—a system that wrongly rejects legitimate users or lets fraudsters through ultimately fails at its job.

Future Trends and Innovations in Age Assurance

As regulations tighten and fraud tactics become more sophisticated, the future of age assurance will prioritize privacy-first verification, real-time risk assessment, and seamless identity tracking across devices. Businesses need solutions that not only verify age accurately but also protect user privacy and minimize friction.

Emerging Technologies in Age Verification

The push for privacy-first verification is reshaping how companies handle age assurance. Users expect security without overexposing their personal data, and businesses must comply with stricter regulations. The next phase of age assurance will focus on privacy-first verification, real-time risk assessment, and seamless identity tracking across devices.

On-Device Processing reduces reliance on external servers, lowering the risk of data breaches while improving speed. Zero-Knowledge Proofs allow platforms to confirm a user meets age requirements without storing or sharing unnecessary details. Decentralized ID Systems let users verify their age once and carry a reusable digital credential across platforms instead of repeatedly submitting documents.

These advancements strengthen security while putting users in control of their own data.

(From Liminal’s White Paper: The Age-Verified Internet – Strategies for Safer Online Experiences, Page 6)

Real-Time Audience Segmentation

Most age verification happens once at sign-up, but AI is enabling continuous, real-time adjustments based on user behavior and risk factors.

Platforms can dynamically modify access based on content type, location, or browsing behavior. If an account shows patterns consistent with a minor trying to bypass restrictions, additional verification can be triggered.

This approach helps businesses enforce age-appropriate access without disrupting legitimate users.

Cross-Device Identity Graphing

Users frequently switch between devices, and traditional verification methods struggle to keep up. AI-driven identity graphing helps platforms connect identities across multiple devices to ensure consistent age restrictions.

Fraudsters attempting to bypass verification on a new device can be flagged. Minors using multiple accounts to avoid restrictions can be identified. Users can verify their age once and maintain access across all their devices without repeating the process.

By eliminating gaps in identity verification, businesses can maintain security without frustrating legitimate users.

Conclusion

AI has transformed age verification from a slow, manual process into an instant, automated system that improves security and privacy without increasing friction. Facial recognition, behavioral analysis, and fraud detection tools have made verification faster and more reliable, reducing reliance on outdated document-based checks.

For businesses, this shift isn’t just about convenience. AI-driven solutions help companies stay compliant with evolving regulations, prevent fraud, and protect minors from accessing restricted content. More importantly, they play a critical role in trust and safety, ensuring that platforms can verify users without compromising privacy or creating unnecessary barriers.

The future of digital identity will be privacy-first, with on-device verification, zero-knowledge proofs, and decentralized credentials allowing users to prove their age without oversharing personal data. The question isn’t if AI will power age assurance but how businesses will use it responsibly and ethically. For businesses that want to stay ahead, the message is clear: Adapt now, or struggle to keep up later.

The post How AI Is Changing Age Assurance for Good appeared first on Liminal.co.

Truid Joins Forces with Kivra to Shape the Future of Digital Identity

At Truid, our mission has always been to empower individuals with greater control over their digital identity. Today, we are excited to share a significant milestone in our journey - Truid is joining forces with Kivra. Their acquisition of Truid's technology platform and team marks a major step forward in accelerating the development of a secure and user-centric digital identity wallet.

Elliptic’s data and intelligence was used by the US Secret Service in their investigation into the sanctioned Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, resulting in the takedown and freezing of assets, announced today.

Elliptic developed proprietary, industry-leading techniques to identify wallets controlled by Garantex – despite its efforts to conceal its blockchain activity. This provided valuable intelligence to investigators, as well as users of Elliptic’s sanctions screening tools.

This work reveals that Garantex has engaged in crypto transactions worth more than $60 billion since it was sanctioned in 2022. In total Garantex has transacted over $96 billion.

Garantex has been used in sanctions evasion by Russian elites, as well as to launder proceeds of crime including ransomware, darknet market trade and thefts attributed to North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

 

We sat down with the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Holvi, a leading digital banking service for freelancers and small businesses, to discuss fraud, compliance, and the strategies needed to stay ahead in an evolving financial landscape.

As an avid sailor, René knows that navigating risks is all about reading the conditions, adjusting course and staying prepared for unpredictable challenges.

“There’s no business without risk – it’s just part of the game,” says René. And in the financial industry, it’s a high-stakes game with ever-changing rules, where the cost of losing is staggering. In fact, $1.03 trillion was lost to scams globally in 2024 and between €715 billion and €1.87 trillion of global GDP is tainted by money laundering each year – an amount so massive it rivals the economy of entire countries like Italy or Switzerland.

The risk is not just a challenge, but an existential threat that can erode customer trust, destroy businesses and fuel further crime. Every laundered euro is not just a loss on a balance sheet, but also in human lives, as it funds human trafficking, terrorism, drug trade and more, devastating real lives of entire communities.

Plus, the opponents are relentless – always innovative, mastering the art of exploiting vulnerable individuals through psychological manipulation and constantly finding new attack techniques – even as regulations tighten. “In this era, new fraud patterns arise and disappear faster than static processes and systems can evolve,” René explain. Traditional fraud prevention simply can’t keep up. Especially now with the rise of AI-driven fraud and synthetic identities, it’s like racing against a fleet of expert sailors in ever-changing winds. The right strategy isn’t just about reacting to sudden gusts, but about reading the conditions, adjusting sails early, and maintaining an edge to stay ahead of the competition. For René, the only way forward is to fight fire with fire, with “detection and analysis capabilities needing to make use for the same technology” in order to keep pace and eventually overtake malicious actors.

For René, the key to success isn’t eliminating risk – it’s managing it. “You need to see the full picture, not just individual threats. Some risks are worth taking, while others need to be mitigated.”

Just as in a regatta, where a sailor may take a longer route to catch the best wind or make tactical manoeuvres to gain an advantage, navigating risk in finance means knowing when to hold steady and when to change course. So, there’s always a trade-off: security versus customer experience, compliance versus agility; “Balancing security with a smooth customer experience is always a challenge, especially in a regulated industry,” René acknowledges.

Some friction is unavoidable, but what matters is how we handle it – making sure it’s transparent and makes sense to the customer.

René Hofer, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Holvi.

In fact, friction can sometimes be positive, as it can reassure customers that the process is thorough. And research shows that when friction enables decisions, customer satisfaction can improve. Ultimately, this approach ensures that the balance between efficiency and trust is maintained. “At the end of the day, safety comes first. There’s no way around that,” says René.

This challenge is further complicated by a fragmented regulatory landscape. Even within the European Union there are countries like Germany enforcing strict regulatory measures under the GDPR and AML directives while other countries such as Ireland offer more flexible interpretations of these rules. “Honestly, it’s frustrating,” René admits. “Identity verification should be standardized, but it’s not – so we work with flexible solutions that adapt to local requirements without adding unnecessary complexity for customers.”

Staying ahead of evolving regulations is like sailing in unpredictable waters – you don’t always know when the wind will shift, but you must be ready to adjust your sails. Only those who anticipate changes and prepare accordingly will keep moving forward instead of being caught adrift. “It’s about being informed and ready to adapt,” says René. “You can’t predict every regulatory change, but you can build a system that adapts. That means staying ahead of trends, designing flexible processes, and making compliance part of everyday decision-making.”

Businesses must leverage technology and the expertise behind it, with software providers acting as key teammates in staying connected with regulatory bodies for timely product updates. “We rely on tech, strong data sources, and – most importantly – people who know how to interpret and act on that information. Regulations will always change, so the best approach is to embed flexibility into how we operate rather than treating compliance as something we “catch up on” later.”

Despite these challenges, René remains optimistic. The financial industry, regulators and businesses all share the same mission: securing a trustworthy financial ecosystem. The key is collaboration. “If you demand adaptability, show that you’re willing to adapt, too,” he advises. “Engage early, share insights and build relationships based on transparency.”

The challenge of risk and compliance is never over, and the conditions will always shift. But as René puts it, the real question isn’t whether businesses can avoid rough seas – it’s whether they’re charting a course for success or just trying to stay afloat.

By

Nikita Rybová
Customer Marketing Manager at IDnow
Connect with Nikita on LinkedIn

The State of Digital ID — DICE 2025 (Zurich)

Digital wallets remain the cutting edge of innovation in the field of digital identity — and Europe is leading the way in terms of policy development, technical innovation, and ecosystem building. On Tuesday the European Commission released the latest draft of the Architecture Reference Framework (ARF), the technical guidance for the standards and protocols that European digital wallets (EUDI) are expected to follow. But the ARF is not legislation, which creates complications — and opportunities — for policymakers, developers, and issue advocates.

At the Digital unConference Europe (DICE), the conversations and sessions were dominated by the EU wallet and its implications. The conference’s focus on building “ecosystems” is an important reminder that digital ID is not a thing or a consumable product, but a tool people use to achieve transaction goals. The key to the value of a digital ID scheme is what you can do with it. And key to what you can do with a digital wallet is who will trust its credentials and rely on it as proof of the claim that you make (that you are who you say you are and can do what you say you can do). This tripartite structure of issuers, holders, and relying parties is the core of an identification ecosystem.

Privacy and security: The EU efforts to develop a digital wallet offer one of the most cutting-edge efforts to implement societal scale digital identity systems — and importantly, one that aims to put users in control of their data. Yet the EUDI is far from perfect, and the tension between political imperatives and technical design remains. The reliance on government-issued personal identification data as the EUDI’s foundational credential has raised concerns about the potential for surveillance through linking usage of the credentials, and thus revealing the identity and/or behaviors of the holder. For example, usage of the credential to prove age might reveal a taste for alcohol, or specific bar or alcohol preferences. As DICE participants noted, the ARF 1.6 has measures on privacy, but has not yet resolved the issue if unlinkability and this traceability.

The exclusion of cryptographic technologies such as Zero Knowledge Proofs (excluded because they are not (yet) included in the list of approved electronic signature technologies) also means that the current specification for the wallet exclude the use of technologies that could mitigate these concerns — an exclusion that persists in the latest ARF. These specifications are critical in determining how user-centric and protective the EUDI wallet will be. They are also going to be significant in their wider adoption and interoperability — the Swiss specification requires the possibility for unlinkability, for example..

Governance vs. technology: One significant theme of the conference was the tension between relying on governance and regulation versus technological solutions, particularly in regard to privacy and protection. The current ARF limits the use of advanced cryptographic technologies, and so relies on regulation to prevent issuers encoding trackers into credentials. This is a weak form of protection. What happens if those rules are no longer followed? Also, what happens when the wallet is adopted in places where the rule of law is weak or authorities surveil users?

Cross-border ecosystems: The question of ecosystem and standards is also significant when thinking about the EUDI in the context of cross-border usage and as part of a global ecosystem of digital identification. The EUDI wallet is currently designed for European citizens and legal residents. While a core use case is intra-European travel, the wallet’s potential is far broader than that. There has already been discussion about its potential to complement European foreign policy and for it to hold an infrastructural “Brussels effect.” This is not just idle speculation — Georgia is already developing its own digital identity wallet using the European framework. But for the European wallet to really function as part of a global ecosystem will require thinking through how to answer cross-border and migration questions such as:

How would a European hospital trust a digital credential claiming medical expertise when hiring a doctor from outside the EU? How would a university trust digital educational credentials issued from a non-European academic institution?

Currently, these verifications are often manual processes — a phone call is made to the issuing medical institution or university, or the individual has to pass national tests to requalify. Digitalizing this broader ecosystem could enable easier migration and access to employment and education.

Digital identity is an ecosystem, one in which issuers, holders, and verifiers are the core actors. Building out these trust frameworks is key to realizing the potential — and mitigating the risks — of innovation in digital identification. If the EUDI wallet is to be an enabler of cross-border movement, and supporter of the migration and expertise that Europe needs, these challenges must be addressed.

The State of Digital ID — DICE 2025 (Zurich) was originally published in Caribou Digital on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In a recent conversation with Paul Grassi, Principal Product Manager for Identity Services at Amazon, we learned about their plans to integrate mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) and the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet. 

Instead of the old process of verifying IDs, Amazon is moving towards a model where they simply accept already-verified digital credentials. In this email we’ll break down three key areas from our discussion:

Possible Use Cases & Customer Benefits Amazon’s Roadmap for mDLs and EUDI Challenges in Implementing mDLs

The Verida AI beta is officially live. A groundbreaking solution that puts users in control of their data while enabling powerful AI integrations. By leveraging secure and confidential APIs, developers can now incorporate private user data into AI inference and training with explicit user consent.

With data stored fully encrypted on the Verida Network and made available via the Verida Confidential Compute infrastructure, users can rest assured that their data remains private at all times — even during AI processing.

This beta release is a milestone in our mission to redefine personal data privacy, user consent, and AI-driven innovation.

Key Highlights and Capabilities: Developer APIs: Easily integrate user-owned, encrypted data into AI applications, unlocking new possibilities in personalization and contextualization. Consent-Based Data Access: Enable users to connect their personal data for AI inference and training, ensuring they maintain full control. Growing Data Connector Ecosystem: Out-of-the-box connectors for Google (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and YouTube) and Telegram. Upcoming connectors include Notion, Slack, and Spotify. Seamless Integration with the “Connect Verida” Button: Just a few lines of code to allow users to authenticate with their Verida identity and grant safe, consent-based data access. Advanced Chat Search: Unlock full chat thread histories to provide Large Language Models (LLMs) with the context needed for richer, more accurate responses. Full-Text Search: Provides superior retrieval for user data use cases compared to many vector database solutions. Advanced RAG Pipeline (v2): Out-of-the-box LLM access that can securely read user data, reducing the need to operate or train third-party LLMs. Developer Dashboard: A newly introduced console for registering apps, obtaining initial free credits, and experimenting with the available APIs in a sandbox environment. Verida Token (VDA): The VDA token powers Verida AI, with each API request deducting credits from deposited VDA tokens. Developer Grants: Funding is available for building or integrating applications using Verida AI, and for creating new data connectors. Get Started Today

This beta release is an important step toward our vision of a privacy-preserving, user-centric AI future, and we invite you to be part of it.

Explore Documentation: Access in-depth guides and tutorials. Access the Developer Console: Register your application and obtain developer VDA credits Register for Starter VDA Credits: Kick-start your development without upfront costs. Join Our Developer Community: Collaborate with fellow builders and stay updated on the latest releases.

We can’t wait to see how you harness the power of user-owned data and secure AI with Verida AI.

The “Connect Verida” Button

One of our standout features is the “Connect Verida” button. This simple, yet powerful component can be integrated into your application with just a few lines of code:

Secure Verida Identity Authentication: Ensure users authenticate safely to your application. Consent-Based Access: Users grant or revoke access to their private data at any time. Privacy-Preserving Personalization: Offer personalized experiences without compromising user privacy.

This easy-to-use button ensures your users retain complete control of their data while you tap into rich, contextual information to power AI-driven experiences.

Verida AI RAG (v2): Next-Generation AI Capabilities

Where applications want an out-of-the-box Large Language Model that understands private user, Verida AI provides agent based API endpoints that are trained to understand user data.

Our updated Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) engine introduces powerful upgrades to how applications interact with user data:

Accurate Metadata Extraction: Improve how your AI model interprets and organizes user content. Sophisticated Privacy Controls: Only request access to data you need and the LLM will only access that data, providing strict guardrails to ensure sensitive data isn’t exposed. Enhanced Prompting Services: Maintain extended context for truly personalized AI outputs, without compromising user privacy.

These advancements open the door to new classes of intelligent apps capable of delivering tailor-made insights while adhering to robust privacy standards.

Expanded Web2 Data Connector Ecosystem

Verida’s ecosystem of data connectors is continuously expanding, enabling developers to access diverse third-party data sources — always with user consent. Today, we support:

Google: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, YouTube Telegram Coming very soon: Notion, Slack, Spotify

All data is synchronized on demand and securely stored in encrypted databases on the Verida Network. Our open-source Data Connection framework streamlines the process of integrating with popular platforms. Developers can also build new connectors or request connectors through our public roadmap.

Looking to build your own connector? See our Build a Connector getting started guide.

New Developer Console & Tooling

We’ve completely overhauled the developer experience with a new Developer Console — your central hub for configuring your apps, monitoring usage, and running tests in an isolated sandbox environment.

Key Features Credit Balance & API Requests Easily track your free credit allocations and monitor API usage in real-time.

2. User Connections

Gain insights into how many users have connected their Verida accounts to your application.

3. Sandbox Environment

Build Auth Requests: Create and manage authentication tokens. Manage API Scopes: Configure scopes to ensure granular data access. Make API Requests: Test endpoints and debug responses. Browse Data with Auth Tokens: Inspect encrypted user data from within the console.

With the Developer Console, you can optimize your app’s performance and gain a clear overview of user engagement and resource usage.

Powered by the Verida Token (VDA)

The Verida token (VDA) underpins the entire Verida AI platform. Developers deposit VDA tokens to cover API requests, with tokens consumed for each call. This token-based model not only ensures a sustainable ecosystem but also aligns incentives for privacy-preserving innovation.

Learn more about VDA token.

Developer Grants

We’re committed to fostering a thriving ecosystem of privacy-centric AI developers. Two types of grants are available:

Application Integration & Development Grants Integrate Verida AI technology into your existing apps or build innovative new solutions using our APIs.

2. Data Connector Development Grants

Contribute to our ever-growing list of data connectors by building integrations with new platforms.

If you have a vision for how Verida AI can transform a particular industry, product, or platform, we want to hear from you!

Visit our grant application page to get started.

The importance of user-owned data for AI

Verida AI infrastructure enables application developers to build AI products and services using private user data.

Big tech owns us all. They own our data and they monetize our data without any of that value being returned to us. Verida enables users to take custody of their data and use it at their leisure thanks to selective disclosure and permissioned access. Users have full control and choice.

Verida enables developers to build hyper-personalized AI agents based on personal data or aggregated personal data, without compromising individual information.

The problem with big tech data usage is that individual data packets can be traced back to you as a user. But this is no longer necessary. Verida’s confidential infrastructure enables user data to be pooled so the underlying information is available for LLM’s to learn and benefit, without this data being tied to you as an individual, in turn delivering a more equitable result for both user and application.

The future of privacy-preserving AI is here — let’s build it together.

Verida Unlocks Personal, Private AI with Beta Release was originally published in Verida on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Getting job seekers into the right roles and incentivizing residents to develop skills both have huge implications for a region's economic productivity and residents' happiness. Online networking and application platforms have made hiring far more effective in the 21st century, but the use of artificial intelligence by job applicants threatens to undermine that progress.

Now, Verifiable Digital Credentials supporting Digital Learning and Employment Records, or LERs, are being used across the U.S. in hopes of rescuing the hiring process while making it easier than ever to reliably connect skilled workers with employers who need them. LERs are digital documents controlled by the holder and verifiable with an issuer’s cryptographic signature. 

That means employers can trust that a diploma, certification, or past employment record is trustworthy without the shockingly laborious process of verifying it directly with the issuer — even when the credential is presented online. The possibilities for making hiring more efficient and effective are hard to overstate — but trustworthy credentials are bigger than that. Their adoption would make skills-based training courses more significant in the hiring process, incentivizing more lifelong learning and ultimately creating a more skilled workforce and vibrant economy.

A New Foundation for Digital Trust

Digital Education and Learning Credentials can now take the form of Verifiable Digital Credentials, or VDCs. VDCs are an innovation that uses cryptography to create trustworthy and non-duplicable digital documents whose source and authenticity are confirmed by cryptographic signatures that can be verified in person or online. VDC technology is already used to secure Mobile Driver's Licenses (mDL), which are being rapidly adopted in the United States. 

These trustworthy digital documents are beginning to be used to record and verify educational and employment credentials, from one-off training workshops to certifications to advanced degrees. Systems using LERs to connect job seekers to employers are in the very early stages, but they’re being piloted in collaboration with employers and educators, such as by Alabama’s Credential Registry and the Colorado Workforce Development Council. 

Fighting Credential Fraud

The first problem that LERs can help solve is one perhaps as old as civilization itself. As much as we would love to trust our fellow human beings, the fact is that job searchers, to put it politely, embellish credentials and experience at an alarming rate.  

Depending on which study you read, anywhere from 25% to a shocking 70% of job applicants admit to lying on a resume. Surprisingly, according to a survey by ResumeLab, candidates with more credentials, like a Masters degree or a PhD, are significantly more likely to lie.

Actively rooting out such deceptions is unsustainably time-consuming – one medical firm surveyed for our Colorado project reported using 17 different systems to vet applicants. Advice for recruiters trying to detect fraud reflects the hopelessness of the situation, leaning heavily on nostrums like “trust your gut.”

Quite obviously, that’s not good enough. Hiring the wrong person is very costly, wasteful, and disruptive for any given firm - and it happens all the time, adding headwinds to entire economies.

The Recruiting AI-Pocalypse

The appearance of powerful “large language models” like ChatGPT in the past two years has added even more challenges to the job search and recruiting process. By making it easier to create materials like cover letters and resumes, LLMs have unleashed a flood of applications. According to recruiters and firms, as many as half of all job applicants are using AI for cover letters or other elements of their job materials.

The disjointed or odd output of many LLMs makes these AI applications relatively easy to detect (and reject) when a human reviews them. However, application spam is severely disrupting the work of recruiters seeking top-quality candidates and even increasing the risk of deceptive job applications since LLMs have a tendency to “hallucinate” data, even if an applicant had no intention to deceive.

“We’re definitely seeing higher volume and lower quality, which means it is harder to sift through [applications],” recruiting firm CEO Khyati Sundaram recently told the Financial Times. By making it even harder and slower to fill open roles, AI spam adds another drag on innovation, profits, and growth.

In some jurisdictions, AI can be used to screen and categorize applications (ironically helping to address the problem that it has created). In others, including the entire European Union, automating job application processing is tightly restricted.

However, under either circumstance, recruiters should aim to apply nuanced human judgment as often and carefully as possible. LERs help maximize human choice by making it much easier to confirm that the information an applicant submits is actually accurate.

How do Digital Credentials Work?

LERs and other Verifiable Digital Credentials are digital records with cryptographic “seals” that affirm their authenticity and prevent them from being copied or stolen. VDCs are stored and managed by digital wallet software similar to Apple Pay and can be presented over the internet, either sent as part of an application or integrated into a job marketplace. 

For instance, a chef or server could attach a trustworthy food handler’s license as part of an application to a restaurant without the restaurant having to verify its validity separately. Digital credentials can also contain detailed information, such as an applicant’s performance in a course, making selecting between applicants easier than relying on self-reported claims. This combination of speed, reach, and trustworthiness means recruiters can reliably find the best applications without worrying if they’re misleading. 

But LERs also stand to increase the quality of the talent pool itself over time, by making training more transparent and actionable. “What gets measured, gets managed” is a truism often attributed to management guru Peter Drucker, and it applies to individuals as much as organizations: a certification is more appealing to learners if it leads to a permanent, detailed, shareable record likely to have a real impact on their future.

Like many systems, LER adoption for job credentials has something of a chicken-and-egg problem: both credential issuance and credential acceptance have to be in place for either one to be effective. That’s a major reason states are leading the way: they’re in a position to push forward both sides of the market. 

Building Better Job Markets

The path to fully implementing verifiable digital work and education credentials for job searchers may be a long one—coordinating educators, employers, and systems will be challenging. But LERs are based on existing open and interoperable technical standards, meaning there are already agreed-on “rails” for building them, and first movers won’t risk being left behind by future progress.

The trust created by better credentialing systems will help recruiters fight AI spam, put workers in the right jobs, and maximize the benefit of education. Early movers, such as the most innovative states, universities, and employers, stand to pull ahead of competitors who follow - both in shaping the future of these systems and in reaping their benefits. 

If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities, please reach out: SpruceID is ready to help. 

Contact Us

About SpruceID: SpruceID is building a future where users control their identity and data across all digital interactions.

We kindly remind all SelfKey (KEY) token holders that all staking pools will officially close on March 12, 2025.

How Auth0 can support your product at any stage in your journey

Decentralized reusable identity is rapidly shifting from an abstract vision to an urgent business imperative. 

In a recent live event, we hosted identity experts James Monaghan and Jamie Smith, co-founders of MISSION, who shared practical strategies to help organizations adopt this technology.

In our recent discussion with Viky Manaila (Trust Services Director at the Intesi Group) and Vedran Lalic (Digital Identity Consultant at the World Bank), we explored how eIDAS 2.0 is set to transform digital identity across Europe. 

From seamless onboarding to frictionless travel, the impact is huge. But who stands to benefit the most? And what hurdles still need to be overcome?

Let’s dive in.

Strict. Expensive. Complex. Is the German online gaming market even worth entering? IDnow’s VP of Global Gaming joins other industry experts to explore the state of play in what could be the European country with the most untapped potential.

When compared to other European countries, Germany’s online gambling market is in its infancy, still taking its first steps. In fact, it was just July 2021 when the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag  (German Interstate Treaty on Gambling) came into effect, which effectively legalized and regulated it across all 16 states. 

Four years later, the industry is worth about €3 billion per annum. Although certainly a decent amount, when compared to more mature markets like the UK, which generates around €8.3 billion of annual income, it is rather underwhelming, especially considering there are 15 million more people in Germany than the UK. 

Reasons for Germany’s sluggish growth in the online gaming market range from low deposit limits, heavy advertising restrictions, major compliance burdens, and, of course, the struggle to tempt players away from the black market, which still remains incredibly popular in the country. 

Interested in how Germany is attempting to tackle unregulated gambling, read our ‘Exploring black market gambling in Germany’ blog.

In February 2025, to explore the challenges facing operators, and share strategies on how to capitalize on the complex but lucrative market, Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk, VP of Global Gaming at IDnow attended a webinar with Dimitry Voelkle, Managing Director at Zelda Consulting GmbH and Faruk Aydin, Chief Revenue Officer at the Revpanda Group. 

Missed it? Don’t worry – here are our top 3 takeaways:

1. Strict regulations can be both a blessing and a curse.

If you want to become a major player in Europe, it’s essential to have a presence in Germany. However, it’s safe to say that that won’t be easy. In fact, there are many German regulations and requirements that could put operators, especially international operators, off.

I always say that regulation is good if the regulation is good. The fact remains that in 2007, 55% of the German population gambled but that figure dropped to 30% in 2021 following the introduction of regulations. The German regulator must ask itself why this happened.

Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk, VP of Global Gaming at IDnow

There is a long list of requirements that operators must follow to become a licensed gaming operator in Germany. For example, besides ensuring onboarding and registration processes comply with strict BaFin AML directives, operators must also obtain an annual ISO 27001 security audit certificate. Further requirements include needing to be headquartered in Germany and have German language proficiency to fill out license applications in the native language. Other potentially off-putting stipulations include:

Deposit limits: Players are only able to deposit a maximum of €1,000 per month across all licensed platforms. 

Stake limits: Players can bet a maximum of €1 per spin on slots and must wait 5 seconds between spins. 

Game restrictions: German players that have migrated from unlicensed platforms – of which there are still millions – may find their favorite game unavailable as live casino games, progressive jackpots and live bets are all prohibited on regulated platforms. Not being able to offer players their favorite game is, of course, an additional challenge for operators. 

Advertising: Operators are subject to very narrow windows within which to advertise. No ads can be broadcast between 6am-9pm on TV, radio or any other medium. Influencer marketing is also prohibited, as are ads that target minors or other vulnerable groups.

Discover more about German online gambling regulations in our blog, ‘Online gambling in Germany: Regulations, restrictions, and ramifications.’

Gambling regulations 101: Europe and the UK. Discover how gaming operators can keep pace with the ever-growing multi-jurisdictional landscape in Europe and beyond. Read now 2. Money’s too vast to [not] mention.

There is one thing that prospective operators need in abundance before they begin their German gaming journey (besides patience!): money.  

After paying a non-refundable application fee of €185,000 to the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), operators can gain a license, which is typically valid for 5 years, but can be renewed for 7. However, the financial outlay doesn’t stop there. German gaming operators are also required to pay a so-called ‘security deposit,’ which acts as a bank guarantee to protect player funds. Based on the operator’s projected monthly turnover, this can range from the minimum of €5 million to €50 million. 

It doesn’t stop there. Alongside the tripling cost of player acquisition, there are annual supervisory fees, which operators must pay to cover GGL’s regulatory oversight and additional compliance costs like connecting to the ‘limit control database’ to enforce the €1,000 monthly deposit limit, among others. 

Lastly, operators are subject to quite high taxes, with a 5.3% stake tax applied to every single euro wagered. In a bid to offset these costs, many resort to lowering the ‘return-to-player’ percentage (the amount paid back to players). 

However, with a population of over 84 million and vast numbers of the public still using black market platforms, there is clearly opportunity for those that a) have the patience and money to enter and b) can tempt black market players to the regulated environment. But how exactly can operators do that?

3. Always room for something new and novel.

There are still opportunities in the German online gaming market, especially for those that can offer something different to underserved demographics, such as the younger (20-30 years of age), multicultural generation. 

This is because much of the current marketing – and available games – cater to an older audience. So, if operators can offer the games that people want to play (e.g. Book of Ra), and a simplified, compliant user experience then there are valuable opportunities to capture the attention of a new generation of Germans. 

“At IDnow, we see compliance as an enabler not a burden. One of the major reasons we offer player feedback surveys after every verification is to discover what players value, which then informs the tweaks we make to the user experience and subsequent player education. Through player feedback, we learn whether more instructions are required and gather opinions and issues with the design and UX etc,” said Roger. 

As Germany is such a comparatively young market, creating an environment that is attractive to the players, operators and the regulator requires open and transparent dialogue about how to take the market forward.

Click below to watch the full session:

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For a deep dive into the compliance challenges facing global operators, including analysis of some interesting regional differences, read our ‘Exploring the gambling industry’s top compliance challenges in 2024 and beyond’ blog.

Learn more about how our identity verification solutions can help maximize conversions while fighting fraud in the Gaming industry.

By

Jody Houton
Senior Content Manager at IDnow
Connect with Jody on LinkedIn

Investment unlocks the next stage of growth and innovation for digital identity leader in Europe 

MUNICH and LONDON – March 6, 2025 – IDnow (or “the Company”), a leading identity verification platform provider in Europe, today announced a new strategic investment from Corsair Capital (“Corsair”), a specialist investment firm targeting payments, software, and business services investments in the financial services market. With this transaction, Corsair will acquire a majority stake in the Company from existing shareholders, reinforcing its commitment to fueling IDnow’s continued growth and leadership position within the European identity market, and into other regions globally.

Founded in 2014, IDnow builds proprietary, AI-powered identity verification technologies that address the cybersecurity and digital verification needs of global enterprises and leading international brands across financial services, telecommunications, travel & mobility, gaming and other industries.

Corsair first invested to support the growth of IDnow in October 2019 when it acquired a minority stake in the business. Since Corsair’s initial investment, IDnow has strengthened its technical leadership position, grown its portfolio of differentiated identification solutions, and completed two strategic acquisitions which expanded the company into new geographies including establishing a leadership position in France. Through this transaction, Corsair aims to further accelerate IDnow’s growth and the Company’s position as a European leader with a comprehensive suite of solutions, strong positions in multiple geographies, and with additional acquisitions bringing added scale and reach.

“Since our founding a decade ago, IDnow has become a market leader in identity verification in Germany and France. During this time, we have achieved significant success in delivering strong results and growing our customer base, and with today’s announcement we aim to solidify our commitment to positioning the Company for future success,” said IDnow CEO Andreas Bodczek. “Corsair’s increased investment underscores their confidence in our vision and speaks to the synergies we have achieved through our collaborative relationship. With this deeper partnership, we can continue to transform and ensure our platform continues to evolve.” 

“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with IDnow,” said Raja Hadji-Touma and Edward Wertheim, Partners at Corsair. “Since our initial investment, we’ve witnessed IDnow build significant momentum and achieve impressive scale. We are excited by the opportunity to deepen our partnership with IDnow’s talented management team, and we look forward to supporting their next chapter of innovation and growth.”

“Building IDnow has been an incredible journey over the past 10 years together with Armin Berghaus, Dennis von Ferenczy and Sebastian Baerhold, and we believe today’s announcement enables us to strengthen our capabilities and capitalize on the vast market opportunity available to us,” said Felix Haas, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of IDnow. “Corsair’s resources and expertise will help accelerate growth and unlock new opportunities for the Company and I’m confident this partnership will drive progress and expansion in ways that will benefit IDnow, its customers and the industry as a whole.”

About IDnow 

IDnow is a leading identity verification platform provider in Europe with a vision to make the connected world a safer place. The IDnow platform provides a broad portfolio of identity verification solutions, ranging from automated to human-assisted from purely online to point-of-sale, each of them optimized for user conversion rates and security. 

In 2021, IDnow acquired the French market leader for identity technology, ARIADNEXT, and the German identity Trust Management AG, enabling IDnow to offer its customers one of the broadest identification solutions through a single, integrated platform. 

The company has offices in Germany, United Kingdom, and France and is backed by renowned institutional investors, including Corsair Capital and Seventure Partners. Its portfolio of international clients spans a wide range of end markets including financial services, telecommunications, travel & mobility, gaming and other industries. 

About Corsair Capital

Corsair is a specialist investment firm offering opportunities for investors and solutions for companies across its private markets Buyouts and Infrastructure businesses. The firm’s buyouts business is a financial services investor focused on making control investments in three verticals: payments, software, and business services. The infrastructure business operates as a strategic partnership with Investcorp as of December 2023. Investcorp Corsair focuses primarily on value-add opportunities in transportation, logistics, and associated infrastructure subsectors, blending operating platforms and deep sectoral expertise with equity sponsorship. Corsair has invested $13.6 billion in capital across buyouts and infrastructure since inception. For more information, please visit www.corsair-capital.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

 

Predictoor DF131 rewards available. DF132 runs Mar 6— Mar 13th, 2024 1. Overview

Data Farming (DF) is Ocean’s incentives program. In DF, you can earn OCEAN rewards by making predictions via Ocean Predictoor.

Data Farming Round 131 (DF131) has completed.

DF132 is live today, March 6. It concludes on March 13th. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3750 OCEAN rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF132 is comprised solely of Predictoor DF rewards.

Predictoor DF: Actively predict crypto prices by submitting a price prediction and staking OCEAN to slash competitors and earn.

3. How to Earn Rewards, and Claim Them

Predictoor DF: To earn: submit accurate predictions via Predictoor Bots and stake OCEAN to slash incorrect Predictoors. To claim OCEAN rewards: run the Predictoor $OCEAN payout script, linked from Predictoor DF user guide in Ocean docs.

4. Specific Parameters for DF132

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3750 OCEAN

Networks. Predictoor DF applies to activity on Oasis Sapphire. Here is more information about Ocean deployments to networks.

Predictoor DF rewards are calculated as follows:

DF Buyer agent purchases Predictoor feeds using OCEAN throughout the week to evenly distribute these rewards.

Expect further evolution in DF: adding new streams and budget adjustments among streams.

Updates are always announced at the beginning of a round, if not sooner.

About Ocean, DF and Predictoor

Ocean was founded to level the playing field for AI and data. Ocean tools enable people to privately & securely publish, exchange, and consume data. Follow Ocean on Twitter or TG, and chat in Discord. Ocean is part of the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

In Predictoor, people run AI-powered prediction bots or trading bots on crypto price feeds to earn $. Follow Predictoor on Twitter.

DF131 Completes and DF132 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Fastly's February 2025 DDoS report reveals a 285% month-over-month surge in DDoS attacks. Learn about key trends, targeted industries, and actionable security guidance.

Scalper bots dominate high-demand product launches, leading to instant sellouts and frustrated customers. Learn how retailers can fight back and restore fairness.

The post Radiant Logic Welcomes Sam Erdheim as Head of Marketing appeared first on Radiant Logic.

Verifiable Credential technology has a critical role to play in making AI systems work for companies and consumers — simplify compliance with the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and provide the safety and security that everyone wants.

By Trevor Butterworth

Between hype and fear lies compliance, and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act of 2024 sends a clear signal that businesses will pay heavily for noncompliance with the bloc’s rules for safe and trustworthy AI systems: up to €15 million or 3% of global turnover. Fines for violating the rules are even higher: up to €35 million or 7% of global turnover. 

Similar to the EU’s data protection regulations (GDPR), the legal reach of the AI Act is long: if your AI — or a subcontractor’s AI — ends up processing the data of an EU citizen, you’re liable — and  it doesn’t matter if you or your subcontractor are based outside the EU. 

And while regulation typically lags behind technology, the EU appears to recognize the need for urgency in keeping pace with how AI is being deployed and continually updating its risk-based approach.

How will this shape the pace and scale of AI adoption and innovation for business and public sector use cases? 

A risk-based approach to AI systems

The first thing to note is that the act is broken into four levels of risk, with the highest risks being unacceptable and, therefore, prohibited. For example, Article 5,  prohibits malicious or exploitative uses of AI that violate human rights and exploit people’s vulnerabilities, engage in social or criminal profiling, or scrape people’s biometric data to create facial recognition biometric databases.

The second category of risk is for “for high-risk AI systems,” such as those used in autonomous vehicles, for diagnosing disease, for grading exams, or assessing eligibility for loans —or as a safety component in a system. These AI systems “must meet strict requirements and obligations to gain access to the EU market. These include rigorous testing, transparency and human supervision.”

The third category is for AI systems deemed to be of  “limited risk.” This includes AIs that directly interact with people, such as chatbots and digital assistants, AIs that generate synthetic content or generate deceptive synthetic content for manipulative purposes, such as deepfakes, and AIs used for biometric categorization or emotional recognition. 

These systems are allowed if they are transparent, meaning that people know they are interacting with an AI or AI-generated content.

It’s also important to remember that the EU AI Act sits on top of GDPR, which means that any AI system that processes the data of an EU citizen (of which there are 450 million) is also subject to rules on data minimization, purpose limitation, and consent — legal considerations that need to be considered when it comes to AI solutions that require access to people’s personal data.

This is where decentralized identity’s ability to efficiently manage AI transparency, GDPR, permissioned access, consent, data minimization and purpose limitation enables AI systems to interact with people in a  safe, secure, privacy-preserving way — and in a way that enhances their performance.

Permissioned access

A key element of decentralized identity is that — in the language of GDPR — data subjects are able to hold their data using Verifiable Credentials stored in a digital wallet on a mobile device. This means that data is fully portable. The data is also cryptographically verifiable without having to check in with the source or a third-party. And this means: 

1. A person can share it directly by consent.

2. That consent can be recorded by the relying party for audit.

3. The source of the data is immediately verifiable.

4. The data shared can be trusted and immediately acted on because it has been digitally signed by the original issuer.

This makes the permissioned access vastly simpler to manage in terms of basic usability. Think about an airline chatbot or digital assistant interacting with a passenger who has missed their flight. The passenger can simply swipe or use voice consent for the assistant to access their relevant flight data stored in a credential — as opposed to the passenger having to manually input all these data fields by going outside of the chat UI to find the data. 

Suddenly, chat is much easier to use — and now there is permissioned access, we can develop personalized services through loyalty program credentials. We can combine search with small language models to solve sets of recurring problems or processes. We can integrate payments in a secure way. 

Know your chatbot, assistant, agent 

All these things can be achieved efficiently and effectively not just because we have AI systems but because we have decentralized digital identities for seamless authentication built on verifiable credentials. 

It is only because the AI can verify a “government-grade” digital identity, such as a Digital Passport Credential, that the AI can be certain the data it is accessing really belongs to the person it should belong to. It can verify that the person paying for a service is the authentic account owner. 

And this authentication works both ways. In terms of transparency, people are not just going to want to know that they are interacting with an AI, they are going to want to know that it’s a legitimate, trustable AI agent they are interacting with before they give it permission to access their data.

Get this right and you deliver superlative services and value. You get to build trust networks that create new, dense partnerships between businesses and with customers. You eliminate the kind of inefficiencies that frustrate people in basic digital interactions, and you remove the obstacles to interacting at scale. And with the integration of search, you remove the need for intermediaries as a cost. 

Europe is on the right path with decentralized digital identity — but it needs to up its technical game to meet AI

We’re excited about the EU’s embrace of decentralized digital identity (in the form of the specifications eIDAS 2.0 and EUDI), but we also must point out that successfully navigating agentic AI (something barely mentioned in the EU AI Act because the tech is moving faster than the regulation) will require more sophisticated decentralized identity solutions than those specified.

Specifically, the DIDComm communications protocol is critical to making  human-agentic AI interaction safe, secure, and workable. 

The good news is the protocol specified by eIDAS 2.0, Open ID is interoperable with DIDComm. Indicio has also successfully combined both protocols in a single workflow for seamless international travel.

To learn more about how Indicio Proven can help you to develop a global decentralized identity solution that works with Europe and can be used with AI systems, contact us here.

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The post Agentic AI and the European Union: Decentralized identity can alleviate concerns while accelerating usability appeared first on Indicio.

MySudo is coming for your desktop! 

We’re excited to announce the release of MySudo Desktop, a new companion product for MySudo app.  

MySudo Desktop is the next evolution of our ever-growing MySudo product family and joins MySudo Mobile and MySudo Browser Extension to complete the trifecta of MySudo products. We also have MySudo VPN (the most private VPN on the market) and the new RECLAIM digital identity footprint management tool, so check out those too if you haven’t already.  

Releasing MySudo Desktop is part of our ongoing commitment to meet our loyal users where they’re at. Most of us regularly switch between mobile, tablet and desktop, so it’s handy to take our Sudos everywhere we go.  

If you love MySudo, you’ll want to get MySudo Desktop because: 

MySudo Desktop levels up your MySudo experience: MySudo Desktop will give you another convenient place to access your Sudos. In this first release of MySudo Desktop, you will be able to send and receive encrypted and standard email within each of your Sudos and easily switch between Sudos, and we will soon add Sudo messaging to the mix. We also have some other great features in the pipeline, including more encrypted communications and an integration of MySudo Desktop with MySudo Browser Extension. 
  MySudo Desktop puts your Sudos at your fingertips when you’re away from your phone. Once MySudo Desktop offers more features of the mobile app (we’re working on it!), you’ll have ready access to your Sudos both on your mobile and at your desktop. As you know, Sudos are secure digital profiles with phone, email, handles, and virtual cards to use instead of your own. You can use your Sudos to: 
  Protect your information. Anywhere you’d normally use your phone number, email or credit card, use your Sudos instead. Sign up for deals and discounts, book rental cars and hotel rooms, pay for concerts or a coffee, all without giving away your personal information. Read: From Yelp to Lyft: 6 Ways to “Do Life” Without Using Your Personal Details.  Secure your chat. Call, text and email securely inside the app with other users via your Sudo handle or communicate standard outside the app with everyone else. Your Sudo phone and email work just like your private ones and they protect you from spam and scams.   Organize your life. Shop through a Sudo, sell through a Sudo, eat through a Sudo, live through a Sudo. Sudos have so many uses (here are six, for starters). Using many different Sudos unlocks the power of compartmentalization, the most powerful data privacy strategy in the world, and is just like wearing many different hats in life, which most of us already do, right? 

MySudo Desktop has the same superior security and safety features as MySudo. MySudo Desktop is brought to you by Anonyome Labs, the same company behind MySudo, MySudo VPN (the most private VPN on the market) and the new RECLAIM digital identity footprint management tool.  
 
Explore all the privacy and security features packed into MySudo app and why, for example, MySudo virtual cards are more private than a bank’s version. You might also like to do a deep dive on our encryption and how we keep your data safe.  

Anonyome Labs believes being private doesn’t mean opting out of online services or hiding from the world. Instead, we empower people to determine what information they share, and how, when and with whom they share it—and MySudo Desktop is another way to do just that. 

MySudo Desktop is now available on both MacOS and Windows. Take it for a test drive and let us know what you think! 
 

Want more? Check our popular blog and podcast today! 

The post MySudo Desktop is Here: 3 Good Reasons to Get it Now!  appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

Understanding the new eIDAS regulation from 09 Apr 2025 till 09 Apr 2025 Trudy Zomer 05 March 2025 - 13:14 Online

For banking professionals across Europe interested in the implications of the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) for the financial sector, INNOPAY and Lissi – a leading developer of secure digital wallet solutions – are co-hosting a webinar. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and prepare for upcoming regulatory changes.

What you will learn Hear a roundup of the impact of eIDAS regulations on financial institutions. Dive into the practical aspects of mandatory adoption, including onboarding and authentication for log-in and payment processes, to enhance your strategic operations. Receive updates on the latest advancements in the Large Scale Pilots (driving the specifications of EU Digital Identity Wallets in a wide range of use cases) that are test driving the specifications of the EUDlW in a range of use cases before wider rollout. See a live demonstration of a payment solution integrated within a digital wallet, showcasing cutting-edge technology in action.
Speakers Adrian Doerk, Co-Founder & Adoption Executive at Lissi Vincent Jansen, Vice President at INNOPAY Mauritz Wilkes, Manager at INNOPAY
Who should attend 

This webinar is designed for professionals who are responsible for onboarding, implementing Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), and managing payment processes and digital channels (mobile/web) within banking institutions across Europe.

Event details Date: 9 April Time: 16:00-17:00 CET Language: English

Register today to secure your spot for this engaging session. It promises to enhance your insight into EUDIW’s impact on your institution and help you stay ahead in the evolving landscape of financial services.

Try Kin - Personal AI

In our last article, we explored why memory is essential for personal AI. It lets conversations continue, while helping to make pattern recognition and emotional intelligence possible for AI assistants.

However, designing an effective memory system is much harder than it might seem. It’s actually one of the biggest challenges facing the artificial intelligence industry right now.

I’m Simon Westh Henriksen, Co-Founder of Kin. As CTO, I’m dedicated to making Kin the most personal, private, and trustworthy AI assistant we can - all while showing why this technology is cutting-edge along the way.

Follow me on LinkedIn, TikTok and X - or join Kin’s Discord

That’s because, at the end of the day, AI chatbots are at their most intuitive when they can be spoken to like a human. But the natural adaptiveness, selectivity, and overall power of the human memory is easy to take for granted - especially when you’re building an AI’s memory from scratch to support it.

AI memory must be intentionally designed to balance a number of things humans naturally handle, like:

recall

forgetting (yes, really)

contextual awareness

ethical considerations

All so it can feel natural to talk to, while still serving as a reliable and private data store.

So, let’s talk about what makes that so difficult - that’ll let us home in on particular problems (and Kin’s solutions) in our next articles.

Your personal AI needs to be (slightly) forgetful

Human memory, as we all know, cannot perfectly recall everything. Instead, memories our brains deem ‘less significant’ often fade away unless they are refreshed - following a pattern mapped out by scientific models like the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve.1

A personal AI needs to do something similar - remembering what matters, while allowing irrelevant or outdated information to fade away.

However, it’s not that simple. Given the AI’s role to support human memory, and its artificial nature as an AI chatbot, things can get complicated.

Some example challenges:

Remembering too much information leads to cluttered storage and outdated facts, which can cause inefficient memory processing.

Forgetting too much risks losing essential context, leading to unnatural and frustrating interactions.

Should AI memory decay naturally over time? Or would it be more helpful remembering every important memory, and just filtering out trivial facts?

How can AI determine the importance of a memory? A user saying “I just had lunch” should not be treated the same as “I just got married” - but either one could be important in conversations.

(Some) facts evolve, and your AI companion needs to know that

As humans, we constantly update our beliefs and opinions based on new experiences. And sometimes, they change for no reason at all.

When this information changes, it’s often easy for us to update our memories without a second thought. We know when new changes must replace old information (“I got a new job”), and when multiple things can be true at once (“I have a dog (but also a cat)”).

However, when building an AI’s memory, we have to decide how it does that.

Personal AI needs to manage this systematically, efficiently, and transparently - all while staying smooth and intuitive for users. That creates the following problems.

Some example challenges:

If a user first says, "my favorite color is red," and later says, "my favorite color is blue," does the AI replace the old fact or track how preferences evolve?

If a user states, "I work at Company A," and later, "I work at Company B," should the AI assume a job change, or does the user have multiple jobs? Should it ask?

Some facts naturally expire and evolve (“I live in Paris” can change with a move). How should AI track and update evolving facts?

If a user mentions “Karen” multiple times, but refers to different people, how does AI differentiate between them without mistakes or constant questioning?

How you understand context needs to be taught to artificial intelligence

Human memory doesn’t just store facts - it also stores context around them. We remember details differently based on emotional importance, sensory input, and relevance, to name a few.

You may recognise a pattern here: this is yet another thing we do subconsciously that an AI’s memory needs to be designed to do across different languages and cultures. These are some of the issues that come with that.

Some example challenges:

How much detail should be stored? Should it capture every word of a conversation, or extract key themes? How are misinterpretations prevented?

How should AI determine relevance? Should it weigh emotionally significant moments more heavily? Or is it more situational than that?

Can AI dynamically adjust memory depth, summarizing older interactions while keeping recent ones detailed? Where is the cut-off point for ‘older’?

How should AI group memories into episodes? For instance, an event like “My wedding” consists of multiple related memories - how does AI cluster them into a coherent narrative?

AI assistants work with many types of data

Memory for personal AI isn’t limited to conversational interactions.

Users may share Journal entries, images, documents, health data, calendar events, and external articles, to name a few.

A truly personal AI must not only learn from anything that is shared with it, but also understand why the user shared it, then make and record the appropriate insights.

Here’s an idea of the unique challenges each data type comes with.

Some example challenges:

Conversational Memory: Correctly interpreting and recording tone, intent, and context.

External Media: Determining the user’s interest, concern, or agreement with shared content, and its relevance to any current conversations.

Journals and Notes: Balancing privacy with deep learning insights.

Health Data: Processing trends and ensuring understanding while ensuring user privacy.

Calendar Data: Aligning memory with real-world commitments and priorities.

Events as entities: Recognizing events like “TechCrunch 2025”, and understanding them as time-sensitive memories.

Time is even more confusing for AI chatbots than it is for you

Human memory naturally organizes events in a time-based sequence - but even we often struggle with ambiguous time frames like ‘soon’ or ‘next year.’

For natural conversation, an AI must interpret these vague and contextual words correctly most of the time - and do so across all the languages it supports. Otherwise, it’ll be much harder to discuss things like time management with it.

Developing the robust temporal models to track these kinds of evolving user interactions comes with many difficulties, including the following.

Some example challenges:

"I’m fixing my bike soon" vs. "I’m having a baby soon" - the meaning of "soon" changes drastically with context.

Should an AI prioritize recent memories over older ones when making decisions?

How should an AI handle evolving plans, such as tracking a trip from early planning to completion?

How should an AI handle memories with varying levels of time specificity (year, year+month, exact date)? Would a ‘time-tree’ structure help?

Your personal AI doesn’t know how memories should be strengthened

Certain memories stick with us more than others due to emotional significance, repetition, and personal importance.

An AI must mimic this selective reinforcement well enough for its memory to allow useful and natural conversations to take place, like preparing for a difficult conversation at work.

Predictably, that means we run into a few important questions as we figure out exactly what methods should be used to do this.

Some example challenges:

Should an AI reinforce memories based on repetition, emotional markers, or explicit user signals? If it should be a mix, what percentage of each should be used?

Should an AI infer importance based on user engagement, such as frequent references to a topic?

How can an AI mimic human-like recall, where some memories are instantly accessible while others require effort to retrieve? Should it even try?

Can an AI store emotions related to memories, and recognize that emotionally-charged experiences often have stronger retention?

AI assistants don’t have human brains (for memory storage) like you

The human brain is a sophisticated memory storage and retrieval system - one an AI can’t take advantage of directly.

Instead, an AI memory requires structured storage techniques to be designed and implemented into it by hand.

Creating the right data model for efficient retrieval is critical to ensuring relevant, accurate interactions - and of course, isn’t straightforward.

Some example challenges:

Should an AI use a fixed data schema (structure), or an adaptive format that evolves over time?

How can an AI efficiently retrieve relevant parts of past interactions, without overwhelming users with unnecessary details?

Vector databases can allow for information like memories to be searched for through understanding a search’s meaning and intent, rather than just its keywords (semantic search). But how should an AI ensure it doesn’t under- or over-interpret the search, and skew the results?

Graph-based memory can help track relationships - but does it make recollection too complex?

Hybrid models combine structured and unstructured data, but balancing them effectively requires careful design. Is it worth the effort?

How can an AI dynamically prioritize the most relevant memories, outside of choosing the most recent or most-frequently discussed/recalled?

Should an AI generate memories based on data inferences (e.g. “User seems to enjoy hiking based on this discussion about it”)? How do we distinguish inferred knowledge from explicit facts?

Personal AI only has the morality and trust we give it

As personal AI becomes more trusted and more effective with its memory, the ethical questions of what it will do with its user’s personal data, and how it will protect the privacy of it, will only grow.

For an AI to reach its full potential as a personal assistant, its users must fully trust that their data is handled responsibly and transparently. Otherwise, the AI will never be told everything it needs to provide an individual and insightful service.

The privacy and security of AI data is already one of the most-discussed issues in the industry, but developing a memory system also brings additional challenges.

Some example challenges:

How can developers ensure an AI’s memory will be secure and respect sensitive user data?

Users should be able to view and edit what the AI remembers easily. How can this be made robust and intuitive?

AI must avoid reinforcing harmful biases through selective memory retention. How can this be reduced, and the AI taught to recognise and repair it if it happens?

Who controls the AI’s memories—the user or the platform? How is that made clear?

If a user says “I don’t like when you ask about my love life,” should an AI remember this as a rule for future interactions? What rules should surround meta-learning like this?

Unlocking the potential of AI-powered memory with Kin

As this series so far has begun to show, memory can transform even a basic ChatGPT-like system into a true personal companion.

However, the challenges in building an effective memory system are substantial, and have only been skimmed over here. But, solving them opens up the possibility for something incredible: AIs which truly understand us, grow with us, and provide meaningful, long-term support.

Our AI team is working on making Kin the realisation of that possibility. Every part of Kin needs to be imbued with functionality and privacy in equal measure for this - and its memory is no small part of that.

In the next articles, as promised, we’ll get a little more technical. They’ll dive into the specific challenges and innovative solutions around some of the concepts we raised here, and explore how the future of personal AI memory is being shaped.

From understanding time intuitively, to branching out from Android and iOS to desktop, to potential integrations with cloud services like Gmail and Google Drive (we only just added Calendar integration), it’s looking like an exciting place.

Stay tuned.

1

Murre, J.M.J.; Dros, J. 2015. “Replication and Analysis of Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve”. PLOS ONE, 10(7). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120644 [accessed 03/05/2025]

İş dünyasında esen dijital dönüşüm rüzgârı sayesinde geleneksel yöntemler, yerini pratik, hızlı ve çevre dostu çözümlere bırakıyor. Eskiden saatler hatta günler süren işlemler, şimdilerde birkaç tıkla tamamlanabiliyor. Peki, serbest meslek erbapları için bu dönüşüm ne anlama geliyor?

Ethereum DAOs are changing the game in the world of blockchain, and they’re definitely worth paying attention to. If you’re into DAO Ethereum, you’re witnessing the next evolution of decentralization. These organizations are built on Ethereum’s blockchain and give power back to the community, making decisions together in a transparent, fair, and automated way. Let’s break it down and see why this is the future.

Learn more: Discover What an Ethereum ETF Is

What Is a DAO Ethereum?

A DAO Ethereum is an organization that’s run by its community and operates without any central authority. Instead of one person or group calling the shots, DAO Ethereum is powered by its members. Decisions are made through proposals, which are voted on by token holders. Everything is recorded on the Ethereum blockchain, which means it’s fully transparent, and everyone can see the process in action.

In simple terms, DAO Ethereum is an organization that runs on code. Smart contracts take care of all the decision-making, making it more automated, secure, and trustworthy than traditional models. If you hold governance tokens, you have a say in how things run. It’s about collective control and participation.

Why DAO Ethereum is Gaining Popularity

DAOs are exciting because they’re shifting the power dynamic. Instead of relying on a small group of people to make decisions, DAO Ethereum puts control in the hands of the community. Whether it’s a DeFi project, an NFT marketplace, or a community fund, DAO Ethereum gives everyone a chance to get involved and contribute to the organization’s growth.

Ethereum DAOs are also game-changers because they offer complete transparency. Every decision made, every vote cast, is available for anyone to review on the blockchain. It’s decentralized, autonomous, and open for anyone to join. This kind of accountability and transparency simply doesn’t exist in traditional organizations.

Learn more: Top 5 New Ethereum DApps You Need to Try

The Rise of Ethereum DAOs

Ethereum DAOs have come a long way since the infamous The DAO hack in 2016. Back then, The DAO was a groundbreaking project designed to create a decentralized venture fund, but it was hacked and lost millions of dollars. It was a tough lesson for the Ethereum community, but it led to major improvements in Ethereum’s security.

Since then, Ethereum DAOs have evolved significantly. DAO Ethereum projects today are more secure, better structured, and have a much stronger community. As Ethereum’s ecosystem continues to grow, DAO Ethereum is becoming an essential part of how we govern decentralized projects, especially in DeFi and NFTs.

4 Key Features of DAO Ethereum

Here’s the thing—DAO Ethereum isn’t just a cool idea, it’s a functional way to run organizations. Here’s what makes it stand out:

Decentralization: No single person or group controls the decisions. It’s all about the community and the collective power of its members. Transparency: Every decision, vote, and action is recorded on the blockchain. You can literally see everything happen in real-time. Autonomy: Smart contracts handle the operations. No need for middlemen, no delays, everything happens automatically. Inclusivity: Anyone with tokens can participate. It’s an open system where your voice matters, whether you’re a whale or a small holder. Ethereum DAOs and Their Role in DeFi and NFTs

Ethereum DAOs have become integral to the world of DeFi. Projects like MakerDAO, Uniswap, and Compound rely on DAO Ethereum governance to make important decisions about protocol changes, fees, and more. Without DAO Ethereum, there’s no community-driven development in DeFi.

But it’s not just DeFi that’s benefiting from Ethereum DAOs. The NFT world is also getting a taste of decentralized governance. Projects like ConstitutionDAO showed that DAOs could be used to pool resources and make collective decisions about assets. Whether it’s creating NFTs or managing a collection, DAO Ethereum provides a framework for governance and decision-making.

The Challenges Ethereum DAOs Face

Of course, DAO Ethereum isn’t without its challenges. Here are some hurdles they need to overcome:

Security: Smart contracts can be exploited, and while Ethereum DAOs are improving, they’re still vulnerable to hacks. Centralization: In some DAOs, a few people hold a lot of the governance tokens, which can create a power imbalance. Legal Uncertainty: DAOs exist in a legal grey area. There’s no clear legal framework for DAOs yet, which could be problematic for participants. Slow Decision-Making: Because decisions require voting, it can take time for DAOs to react to fast-moving changes. This delay could be an issue during market crashes or urgent situations. The Future of Ethereum DAOs: Scaling and Overcoming Limitations

The future of DAO Ethereum is all about scaling. As Ethereum 2.0 rolls out, DAO Ethereum will become more efficient and secure, handling larger volumes of transactions and governance proposals. Ethereum is evolving to support DAOs on a much larger scale, and with Layer 2 solutions like Optimistic Rollups, the experience will be smoother than ever.

DAOs will continue to grow, and as they scale, the governance models will become more sophisticated. DAO Ethereum could soon be the go-to governance model for all kinds of decentralized organizations, from financial protocols to digital art projects. It’s an exciting time to be part of the DAO Ethereum movement.

How to Get Involved in Ethereum DAOs

Getting involved in a DAO Ethereum is easier than you think. Here’s how you can join the fun:

Buy Governance Tokens: Most DAOs require you to hold their governance tokens to participate. Buy some tokens on an exchange or from the DAO itself. Join the Community: Participate in the DAO’s discussions. This is where you can vote on proposals, suggest changes, and make your voice heard. Engage with Proposals: Proposals are the heart of DAO governance. If you have an idea for improving the DAO, submit a proposal for the community to vote on. Conclusion

Ethereum DAOs are leading the way in decentralized governance. They’re transparent, community-driven, and operate with smart contracts, making them more efficient than traditional systems. While there are challenges to overcome, DAO Ethereum has already proven that decentralization can work. As Ethereum grows and evolves, DAO Ethereum will be at the heart of the decentralized future.

Learn more:

How to connect Ethereum with Other Blockchains

Ethereum Address Lookup: Quickly Find and Track ETH Transactions

How to unstake ETH on coinbase

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post The Rise of Ethereum DAOs: Exploring the Future of Decentralization appeared first on Herond Blog.

Weekly Updates: Week 31

📢 Marketing Updates

🔹 Know Your Crypto: Solana Deep Dive

We’re spotlighting Solana this month! Get insights into:

✅ What makes Solana unique compared to other blockchains

✅ The best dApps and games currently thriving on Solana

✅ How Safle simplifies your Solana experience

🔹 Gaming & Web3: Tackling Bots and Spam

Our focus is on gamers, game aggregators, and developers. One of the biggest challenges in the space is handling bots and spam. Safle is stepping up with auto-detection mechanisms, ensuring a fair and seamless gaming experience for all.

🚀 Product Updates

🔹 Embedded Wallets Development Underway

We’ve completed the functional and technical planning for embedded wallets, marking a significant step towards seamless integration. Development is now in full swing, and we’re excited to bring this feature to life soon! Stay tuned for further updates.

🎮 Safle ID for Web3 Games

We’re re-envisioning Safle ID with a focus on Web3 Games. Know any game that should integrate SafleID? Let us know!

Discover more: SafleID for Web3 Gaming

Thank you for your continued support in shaping the future of Web3 with Safle.

Team Safle

🚀 More updates coming soon!

Every lawyer knows the drill: a new client comes in, and compliance kicks off. You need their ID, proof of address, maybe a video call, and before you know it, the process becomes a series of emails, follow-ups, and frustration.

Your client starts questioning the experience, and honestly—so does your team. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Let’s rethink compliance as an opportunity to build trust, not add friction.

Smooth, Secure, and Stress-Free

The key to compliance isn’t more steps—it’s the right system to handle everything efficiently. Here’s how:

Real-Time Risk Assessments: Sanctions and PEP screenings happen in seconds, not hours. Simple Document Collection: Clients upload IDs securely, and iComply validates them instantly—no more chasing files. Seamless Video Verification: Whether you prefer live peer-to-peer calls or automated verification, your client’s time is respected.

The result? A white-glove onboarding process that protects your firm and makes clients feel secure.

No More Patchwork Systems

Many firms juggle multiple tools for KYC, AML, and document management—leading to wasted time and missed details. iComply brings everything into one platform:

A custom-branded portal for clients. Automatic alerts when you need follow-ups. One-click compliance reports for audits.

Less juggling. More peace of mind.

Why This Matters

With regulators like FinCEN increasing scrutiny, law firms face mounting pressure to stay compliant. But those who streamline now get a competitive edge—faster client engagements, fewer errors, and more time for billable work.

The Bottom Line

When compliance works with you, not against you, it strengthens client relationships from day one. With iComply, your firm can provide a seamless, secure experience—and show clients you’re as efficient as you are trustworthy.

Let’s make compliance the easiest part of your client journey. Ready to see how? Reach out today.

The post Breaking Down Silos: Enabling Operational, Cybersecurity, and Regulatory TPRM Success appeared first on Liminal.co.

Team process: A big thing that’s currently missing for Holochain is an accessible and accurate road-map displaying our progress in an easy way to understand.  In moving toward this, one of the team’s practices since the beginning of 2025 has been discipline in estimating issues from our back-log as we work through them.  This is allowing us to track our burn-down rate which enables us to start making predictions about when features will be completed.  If you’ve been following these Dev Pulses, you will have seen me pointing to Github repos where you can see this work, but I know it’s quite hard to make sense of that information, especially in terms of making projections of when a given release will land.

So, our goal is to end up with a roadmap that shows the following:

What features and functionality will be in upcoming Holochain releases and related tools When these releases are to be expected How many github issues are involved, and what’s the total story-point estimates for them A projection based on the last 2 months story-point burn-down for weeks till completion

To start with, this road-map will be updated manually on a weekly basis based on the data from our github project, and later we’ll get it automated.  The tooling for getting the work done up on the website is in progress, but just as a demonstration of that, I can report that our current burn-down average is 19.3 story-points per week, and, as of the end of February there are 101 remaining story-points toward the Holochain 0.5 release, which puts that release at about 5 weeks out.  

Here’s a preview of how this may look on the website: 

The point of working this way isn’t to promise a delivery date, it’s to make as transparent to the world what we know about ourselves.   We can’t promise that other un-estimated work will get added between now and release,  and we might also decide that we can move some of the estimated work into our 0.6 release plan.  But we will be able to make visible where we are in the current plan. 

Holochain Core & Networking: Kitsune 2 integration into Holochain core is going full steam and is about 40% done (15 estimation points out of 41).  I’m particularly excited that included in this work are some initial scenarios to run Kitsune 2 on our Wind Tunnel testing framework.

Runtimes: Launcher is in the process of being updated to Holochain 0.4.1. We are testing release candidates with and some of our sample apps KanDo and TalkingStickies plus Mewsfeed have been published to its app library for folks to play with. Our work on the next version of the Android runtime that will be used on the Volla phone for both the messaging and backup app is moving along smoothly.

Dev Tooling: scaffolding We keep steadily working on the scaffolding tool, both doing bug fixes and updates on the 0.4 & 0.5 lines.  This includes fixes to the Lit & Vue templates, upgrading Vue to the default Composition API, improvements to custom handlebars templates, dependency updates, etc.  Our intent here is to make sure that when 0.5 is released, the scaffolding will be fully ready at the same time.

Dev Docs: These last two weeks have provided a bumper crop of developer build guides:

hApps DNA Properties Connecting the Parts Connecting a Front End Calling Zome Functions Signals Validation Capabilities Querying Source Chains

Additional Components: We have started work on a simple tool that will be used by Holo and can be used in other contexts too, which provides connection for HTTP requests through a very simple web-gateway to a running Holochain application.  You can track the progress of this work here: https://github.com/holochain/hc-http-gw.

Hong Kong’s main regulator for cryptoasset activity has set out an ambitious roadmap for oversight of the industry - part of Hong Kong’s efforts to establish itself as a hub for financial services innovation. 

Türkiye’de e-dönüşüm pazarının lider kuruluşu TÜRKKEP, 2024 yılı Bölgesel Bayi Toplantılarını başarıyla tamamladı. İstanbul, Antalya, Ankara ve Gaziantep’te gerçekleştirilen toplantılara, Türkiye genelinde hizmet veren 120’ye yakın başvuru merkezi katıldı. Toplantılarda bayilerle bir araya gelen TÜRKKEP Genel Müdürü Olcay Yıldız, TÜRKKEP gelirlerinin son 5 yılda 8 kat büyüdüğünü açıkladı.

AI agents are making decisions without you? Explore the challenges of AI autonomy and discover why human oversight is crucial for responsible AI. Learn how asynchronous authorization and CIBA can help you keep humans in the loop for critical AI actions.

Financial institutions face mounting risks from cyber threats, system failures, and third-party vulnerabilities. To help address these challenges, in 2023 the European Union introduced the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), a landmark regulation designed to strengthen the financial sector’s ability to withstand ICT (Information and Communication Technology) related disruptions. As the compliance deadline of January 2025 has now passed, businesses must prioritise operational resilience, and at the heart of this mandate lies the crucial need for trustworthy and reliable organisational identity.

What is DORA?

DORA was enacted on 16 January 2023 and became fully applicable on 17 January 2025. It establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital operational resilience in the EU financial sector, standardising how institutions manage ICT risks, respond to incidents, and oversee third-party service providers.

The regulation applies to banks, insurers, investment firms, and a broad range of financial entities, requiring them to:

Implement rigorous ICT risk management measures. Report major ICT-related incidents in a timely manner. Conduct digital operational resilience testing to identify vulnerabilities. Manage risks posed by third-party ICT service providers. Foster information sharing on cyber threats and best practices.

DORA seeks to ensure that financial institutions and their third-party providers maintain strong security postures to mitigate operational risks. This is particularly critical as institutions increasingly rely on third-party service providers, including cloud computing and cybersecurity service providers, for their day-to-day operations. The regulation acknowledges the growing interconnectedness of the modern financial ecosystem.

Understanding ICT in the Context of DORA

ICT, or Information and Communication Technology, refers to the broad range of technologies and services used to store, process, and transmit data. In the context of DORA, ICT encompasses everything from cloud computing services and data centres to cybersecurity solutions and network infrastructure. Given the increasing reliance on third-party ICT providers, ensuring their resilience and accountability is crucial for the financial sector’s stability.

The Role of Organisational Identity

One of DORA’s key provisions is the requirement for financial institutions to maintain an up-to-date register of all third-party ICT providers that support critical functions. To ensure transparency and regulatory compliance, these providers must be uniquely identifiable via an organisational identity.

LEI vs. EUID: Identifying Third-Party Providers

DORA specifies two possible organisational identifiers for third-party ICT service providers: the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) and the European Unique Identifier (EUID).

LEI (Legal Entity Identifier): A globally recognised, 20-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies legal entities involved in financial transactions. The LEI enhances transparency by providing a standardised, internationally accepted means of identification. EUID (European Unique Identifier): A European-based identifier primarily used within the EU’s business registry system. While useful within Europe, it lacks the global scope and interoperability of the LEI.

Using identifiers like the LEI or EUID can significantly improve the ability of regulators and financial institutions to track third-party ICT providers, mitigating risks associated with outsourcing and reliance on external vendors. The unique identification of ICT providers ensures accountability and supports better decision-making in operational risk management.

Why the LEI is the Stronger Choice

While both identifiers serve the purpose of organisation recognition, the LEI is the only global organisational identifier. Its adoption under DORA could facilitate broader compliance efforts, streamline reporting, and reduce operational risks across international supply chains. By requiring ICT service providers to register and maintain an LEI, financial institutions can ensure better data consistency, regulatory alignment with the 300+ regulations that require LEIs, and protect more effectively against identity fraud.

The benefits of the LEI extend beyond regulatory compliance. Because it is a universally recognised identifier, providing a live record public record of “who is who?” and “who owns whom?” it adds significant efficiency and anti-fraud value to cross-border transactions by enhancing the transparency in the global financial system. For financial institutions operating with complex group structures and across different jurisdictions, the LEI provides a reliable and globally standardised means of identifying business partners and third-party providers, with a goal of reducing the complexity of compliance across different regulatory regimes.

In contrast, while the EUID serves a valuable role within the EU, it is clearly designed for European residents and organisations. For example, only EU-based organisations can issue compatible digital wallets and digital credentials. This limitation makes it a partial solution at best for financial institutions engaged in global operations, where third-party providers may be based in different countries. In addition, the technical and legal specifications for organisational identities under EUID are still under heavy development and subject to change – as is the cost. Therefore, LEI arguably performs as the more versatile, readily adoptable and future-proof option for meeting DORA’s requirements.

Statistics – the impact of DORA

Although it is still early days since DORA was enacted, the Global LEI System (GLEIS) is already seeing positive impact. Since DORA went live, the LEI universe has seen substantial growth across Europe, Asia, and the Americas in key regions supporting the EU finance industry with ICT services. Comparing new LEI issuance in January 2024 to January 2025, year-on-year growth rates stand at 30% in Europe, 45% in the Americas, and 75% in Asia. While not all of this growth can be attributed solely to DORA, given the influence of over 300 other regulations requiring LEI, the immediate effect should not be overlooked.

Next steps for Financial Institutions

With the DORA compliance deadline already passed, financial institutions must act swiftly to ensure they meet the regulatory requirements. Organisations should begin by assessing their current third-party risk management frameworks and ensuring that all third-party ICT providers are properly identified using an LEI or EUID.

If your institution is preparing to comply with DORA, Ubisecure RapidLEI can support you in understanding the LEI requirements of DORA and provide the solution to efficiently manage LEIs for both your group and your clients.

As a GLEIF-accredited LEI Issuer and the world’s largest provider of Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs), RapidLEI plays a pivotal role in ensuring LEIs are accessible across all jurisdictions and industries. Our automation and technology-driven approach enables rapid issuance and streamlined management, positioning us as a trusted partner for some of the world’s leading financial institutions as they navigate regulatory requirements impacted by the LEI.

Financial institutions seeking to enhance their LEI capabilities can leverage our GLEIF-approved Validation Agent (VA) programme to streamline LEI registrations, automate processes, and efficiently manage LEIs at scale.

Contact Ubisecure RapidLEI today to discuss how we can support your institution.

 

Further reading: European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and European Banking Authority (EBA) report on technical standards for ICT services.

The post DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and the role for Organisational Identity appeared first on Ubisecure Digital Identity Management.

Data-driven Product Launch — Onfido Studio

Over the past 3 years at Onfido I’ve been involved in multiple product launches, watching their development from an idea to an MVP, to a product serving hundreds of customers and millions of users.

Throughout the journey, very limited resources were available online, so I decided to share my own experience here.

Product Discovery

At Onfido, we use AI to automate digital identity verification for thousands of businesses worldwide. Our proprietary AI has been built over ten years by a dedicated team of hundreds of researchers, engineers and data scientists to make our analysis fair, fast and accurate. In our standard product, the verification is done using a photo of a government-issued document and matching it with facial biometrics.

We wanted to develop a new, customisable product that would fit more of our customers’ use cases and enable our customers to create their user journeys. What we wanted to achieve was a no-code product, where a customer could combine different verifications — biometric, data, fraud signals — with custom logic. This would allow our customers to trigger the right experience for every end user and respond to changing market conditions while also navigating KYC and AML compliance.

For instance, for one client receiving the same end user’s document multiple times can be a sign of fraud, while for others it can be part of their legitimate use case — reverification. A typical example of reverification is when an already onboarded user verifies themselves to make a bank transfer or recovering their account after having lost a passport. Some customers accept expired documents from specific regions. This rule can be customised using a logical condition to accommodate their requirements.

A customer can create their own verification workflow from scratch combining verification methods, configuring necessary capture steps, adding conditions and defining outcomes. A basic example of an onboarding workflow can be the following:

Onboarding workflow in Studio workflow builder

First, the user is asked to submit their personal information, including their first name, last name, and date of birth. In the next step, they upload a photo of their document, which is used for document verification. After that, they take a selfie for biometric verification. If both the document and selfie pass verification with no signs of fraud, the applicant is approved. If any issues are detected, the application is flagged for further review.

At this stage there is no data available specifically related to this product yet, however a data scientist can validate that there’s potential value by aiding market research. Could this product fill any potential gaps in the market? Could it solve some customer pain points? Does it have potential to bring value?

We can run different simulations on existing customer data and see how adopting Studio impact the main metrics. We can estimate how many more users can succeed the verification if we allow expired documents from certain geographies. We can calculate the average time we save for the end user if we introduce a parallel verification execution.

Data Strategy Measuring Success

Defining metrics before a product launch is crucial for ensuring the success and scalability of the product. Metrics serve as a guiding framework to measure performance, track goals, and make informed decisions from day one.

While many frameworks are available, we found that none offered an out-of-the-box solution for a highly customisable B2B product. As a result, we adapted some metrics from our standard product and developed new ones to track adoption and other product-specific aspects.

High level:

Usage e.g. The number of daily users Outcomes e.g. The number of successful verifications, the number of fraudsters caught

Adoption:

The number of clients using the product The number of workflows per client

Product stability:

Drop off e.g. the number of users not completing the workflow Flow duration e.g. the median time it takes to complete the workflow Error rate e.g. the percentage of workflows that have errors Efficient Data Model

To track these metrics, the data has to be structured in a way that facilitates efficient storage, retrieval, and analysis. We started from an event based raw data which was a product requirement. The goal was to create a pivotable, aggregated and insightful data model from these events, that is simpler and faster for querying.

For the first iteration, we’ve identified the necessary event payloads based on the key metrics and product sketches. We began with the minimum viable requirements while ensuring the design remains scalable as the product evolves. We’ve established the key entities and their relationships:

User (user_id, client_id) Workflow (workflow_id, client_id, node_id) Event (event_id, user_id, event_type, workflow_id, node_id, timestamp)

An Event is associated with a User and a Workflow.

Brainstorming data requirements

We could’ve stored everything in one event table and for some use cases that would be enough. For instance, to calculate the number of document captures or to calculate how often the customers are using logical conditions.

However, often the questions we’re interested in are more complicated than that. How many users with a French ID have fraudulent selfies? To calculate this, we need to have the result of document classification from the document report node, and we need to combine that with facial similarity report result. To recap the computational steps needed:

Group events by users For each user, identify their document type For each user, identify facial similarity report result Aggregate users who have a French ID and fraudulent facial similarity report result

When working with event data, our primary goal is to analyse user journeys, which consist of sequences of events. To do this effectively, we need to aggregate events within these journeys to create structured representations, on a different level such as workflow level or user level, which serve as higher-order units of analysis.

We defined tables based on the identified levels of granularity:

Raw events table — the source table with raw events emitted by the Studio service.

| Event ID | User ID | Event Type | Workflow ID | Node ID |Timestamp |

We created an aggregated workflow table:

| Workflow ID | Client ID | User ID | Result | Duration | Workflow Start Time | Workflow End Time | Document Type | Document Report Result | Bio Report Result |

The workflow table aggregates the event-level data down to an individual workflow level, where an example workflow starts with a user submitting their personal information and ends with either approval or review. The aggregated table contains information on the overall result as well as different verification results. It contains information on when the workflow started, when it was completed, what duration it had.

This modelled data is easy to work with, we can easily answer the question above with the following query:

SELECT COUNT(workflow_id)
FROM workflow_table
WHERE document_type = 'FRA_ID'
AND result = 'Abandoned'

This table is also of lower volume (contains fewer rows) than the raw event one, so it’s faster to query. While the raw events are typically immutable, the modelled data can change depending on business logic, resulting in adding more columns or modifying the existing ones.

Observability

Creating the first dashboard before a product launch was crucial for several reasons:

Building a dashboard sometimes reveals overlooked details — such as missing event properties or gaps in the data model that make certain metrics difficult to track (a special mention to our favourite challenge: symmetric aggregates with percentiles). Having a dashboard allows tracking key metrics from day one. It ensures that there’s a baseline we can measure our performance against. Without dashboards, detecting and diagnosing issues can take longer. With proper monitoring in place, we can quickly spot bugs, performance bottlenecks and other unexpected behaviour during the testing phase. Dashboards give stakeholders — product managers, engineers, leaders — immediate visibility into product performance. Finally, dashboards offer real-time insights into user behaviour, engagement, and adoption. This allows for data-driven adjustments to the product, marketing strategies, and onboarding processes based on actual usage patterns.

We kicked off with a team exercise to translate product requirements and key metrics into a dashboard sketch. We began by listing the questions we wanted to answer and identifying the necessary metrics, grouping them into categories such as high-level outcomes, product performance, and user behaviour.

Next, we sketched out the top-priority metrics, selecting the most suitable chart types for each. We also considered filters and interactivity — ensuring we can later refine data by date, region, SDK type, and other relevant factors. This sketching process helped us quickly align on expectations and avoid unnecessary revisions later.

Brainstorming the first dashboard

It also helped us discover missing event payloads and necessary changes to the data model.

First Beta Clients

As we finished the internal testing phase, we started offering Studio in beta to the first customers. Two good data science practices at this stage are:

Choosing the Minimum Viable Audience wisely — these first clients were the ones who can benefit from Studio the most, the ones that needed the flexibility of creating custom workflows Gradual Rollout allows to fix unexpected issues before they affect a lot of users. Another benefit is that simulations often don’t reflect real performance of the system, gradual rollout helps test the system under actual conditions, ensuring performance stability.

The main challenge, however, wasn’t related to data science — it was ensuring we had enough table stake features to get customers adopting it. Moreover, we discovered that due to different sources for customer data we couldn’t properly track who’s interested in adopting studio and anticipate the increasing volumes.

Having dashboards provided great quantitative insights into different workflows our customers created for their use cases, however having their direct feedback was crucial. It highlighted gaps in our monitoring that we hadn’t initially considered. For example, we weren’t tracking how often customers modified their workflows, which often had an impact on SDK versions and overall outcomes.

We initially provided customers with a basic dashboard, but we quickly realised it likely won’t be sufficient for them to dive deeper into the reasons behind metrics.

Internal testing account dashboard

For example, customers wanted the ability to investigate whether users abandoning verification was linked to specific devices, SDK versions, or regions to improve their performance.

A highly customisable product requires providing customers with detailed insights as they navigate translating their use cases to workflows. They need the ability to optimise and fine-tune their workflows. This was the challenge we set out to solve for general availability release.

Data-driven product launch — Onfido Studio was originally published in Onfido Product and Tech on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What if fraud prevention was, you know, a shared effort? That’s where the Shared Signals Framework (SSF) comes in! The idea behind shared signals is simple: instead of each company detecting threats on its own, organizations (or systems within an organization) can share security events—like compromised credentials or suspicious logins—in real-time. The SSF, developed by the OpenID Foundation, is designed to make this happen, enabling faster fraud response, better risk assessment, and improved user security across platforms.

The promise of shared signals is real-time fraud detection and better security. But here’s the catch—every signal costs money. And in a world where cloud services charge per API call, this ‘stronger security’ might come with a hefty price tag. So, who actually pays for all this? And is it worth it?

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be diving deeper into the consumer identity and access management (CIAM) space, exploring which standards are—or should be—most influential. It may seem like a bit of a jump from where I started the year, but it makes sense in my head. I started by focusing on Non-Human Identity (NHI); that was a continuation from last year. But that led me to AgenticAI and whether we can differentiate online between AI’s and humans. It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from there right into AI-enabled fraud, which is solidly in the sphere of CIAM. But thinking about fraud, authentication, and so on, is what leads to to today’s focus: how to effectively signal when something has gone horribly wrong.

And that’s where the SSF comes in.

What Is the Shared Signals Framework (SSF)?

The SSF is an emerging standard from the OpenID Foundation designed to facilitate real-time sharing of security events between organizations. Instead of each service defending against threats in isolation, SSF enables collaborative security—a switchboard where different organizations share security events to build a stronger defense against fraud and cyber threats.

The Continuous Access Evaluation Profile (CAEP), part of SSF, takes this a step further. It allows organizations to continuously assess access permissions in real-time, responding to changes like credential compromise or session revocation without waiting for a traditional token expiration.

Shared Signals is one of the more interesting standards to watch in Consumer IAM—but where is it actually gaining traction? If you’re keeping an eye on vendor adoption or wondering how the standards process could shape its future, I can help you make sense of what’s happening. See how I work or Let’s talk.

If you’d like to learn more about SSF and CAEP, the Identity Defined Security Alliance has a great video for you.

The Cost-Security Dilemma in CIAM

While SSF promises improved security, there’s a major challenge: cost. In a cloud-based CIAM model, every API call costs money. Implementing SSF and CAEP means a significant increase in API calls, leading to higher cloud service expenses. Organizations must balance these costs against the need for robust security, which is no small feat.

FactorStronger Security (Shared Signals)Lower Cost (Traditional CIAM)Threat DetectionImmediate, real-time responsesDelayed, batch-based reviewsFraud PreventionHigh (shared risk signals)Lower (limited to local detection)API CostsHigh (constant event updates)Lower (fewer real-time calls)Privacy ConcernsMore data sharingLess cross-platform exposureAdoption BarrierExpensive for smaller orgsMore affordable, but riskier Why This Matters for CIAM

SSF and CAEP offer real benefits for consumer IAM, but they also raise some tough questions:

Stronger Security: Real-time event sharing means faster responses to security threats. If a user’s credentials are compromised on one platform, other connected services can take action immediately. Better User Experience: CAEP reduces the need for frequent re-authentication while maintaining security. Alignment with Zero Trust: These protocols ensure that access decisions are always based on the latest security signals.

However, there are also real concerns:

Skyrocketing API Costs: The more signals you share, the more you pay. Data Privacy & Compliance: Sharing security events involves sensitive user data, requiring strict privacy controls. Trust Issues: Why should one organization trust another’s signals? What if bad actors inject false signals into the system? Potential Solutions for CIAM

So how do we keep the security benefits without the runaway costs? A few approaches might help:

Prioritize filtering high-risk events to reduce unnecessary API costs. Implement machine learning-driven fraud detection to reduce unnecessary security event generation, ensuring Shared Signals are only triggered for high-risk activities. Move away from centralized cloud services in order to distribute the load and reduce costs. Explore cost-sharing with industry consortiums to lower API expenses.. Can CIAM Trust Shared Signals?

One of the biggest concerns with real-time event sharing is trust. Imagine an attacker compromises a user’s account on Platform A. If Platform A sends an immediate “compromised account” signal to Platform B, Platform B could block access before damage is done. Yay! But what if attackers send fake signals to lock out legitimate users? Or flood the system with false alerts to create chaos? This is why trust—and verification—are critical in Shared Signals adoption.

To prevent abuse, SSF includes security measures like:

Authentication & Authorization: Using OAuth to ensure only trusted entities can send or receive events. Event Verification: Security Event Tokens (SETs) are digitally signed JWTs, allowing receivers to verify authenticity. Stream Management: Organizations control which signals they subscribe to, reducing exposure to irrelevant or malicious events. Mutual Agreements: Organizations define rules and expectations for shared events, limiting abuse potential. The Future of SSF and CAEP

Right now, SSF is still in an implementer’s draft stage, meaning there’s room for improvement before it becomes a full standard. The OpenID Foundation’s working group continues to refine the framework, considering real-world challenges like API costs and error handling.

For CIAM providers, the key takeaway is this: SSF and CAEP are powerful tools, but they come with trade-offs. Finding the right balance between security, cost, and trust will determine whether these standards become game-changers or just another expensive security upgrade.

What do you think—should companies embrace real-time shared signals, or do the risks outweigh the benefits?

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The post Shared Signals: Who Pays the Price for Stronger Identity? appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

Our digital identities have become as crucial as our physical ones, and inequality exists within the digital identity space as much as it does in any part of human life. Learn more about challenges faced within the IDV space.

The post Gender Inequality in the Digital Identity Space first appeared on ComplyCube.

In today's digital-first workplace, organizations are increasingly focused on the concept of digital employee experience (DEX or EX). Just as companies invest in seamless digital experiences for customers, they must ensure employees have frictionless access to the tools, systems, and resources they need to do their best work. But what exactly is digital employee experience, and why should it be at the forefront of every company’s strategy?

GM HEARTLAND

—El Prof, Muhammed & Chad

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+1.00%

$144.19

Helium ($HNT)

-9.16%

$3.00

Pyth ($PYTH)

-16.07%

$0.17

Save ($SLND)

+0.88%

$0.29

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 3.4.25)

That tidy 1% weekly gain for $SOL does not accurately represent its rollercoaster ride this past week.

The token soared nearly 25% in a single day after Trump announced a federal crypto reserve, but crashed back down to earth as the trade war ramped up and the broader market sold off.

Analysts say it is consolidating around $140 with a $130 support level. Determining if it will break out or break down in the near term depends on whether you believe Trump is a good businessman, or just played one on TV.

Mr. Meme Goes To Washington

In the short history of this publication, we’ve probably leaned a little too heavily on the phrase, “Memecoins have gone mainstream.” After all, memes are, damn near by definition, mainstream. But they’ve taken another meaningful step toward the seat of cultural and political power, moving beyond the acronymic in-joke of the extrajudicially-created DOGE to become the topic of a bonafide US policy proposal.

The proposed MEME Act was recently introduced by US Representative Sam Liccardo (D-CA), a Silicon-Valley-elected candidate looking to restrict politicians from launching or promoting memecoins. This comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s launch of his own memecoin ahead of his inauguration, $TRUMP, which reportedly raked in some $100M in trading fees — much of which was no doubt contributed by foreign actors looking to curry favor.

While I love the sentiment of preventing politicians from leveraging their positions of power to accept not-so-anonymous bribes and manipulate public financial markets for their own gain, the alleged poster child for some of those nefarious activities hilariously lives down the street from the freshman congressman. I’m talking of course about the legendary trader, Nancy Pelosi, whose investments are the subject of many Twitter accounts and automated trading strategies, given her suspiciously consistent track record as one of the world’s top investors. I only pick on her, because she and Liccardo play for the same team, and this legislation simply targets emerging technologies, not the root corruption at play.

But the sector moves so fast that this topic, chosen at our weekly planning meeting on Thursday, is no longer the biggest news story of the week. On Sunday, Trump announced a “Crypto Strategic Reserve” including not just Bitcoin and Ethereum, but also XRP, Cardano, and, yes, Solana.

(No $mother yet, but at this rate, just give it a few days.)

But back to Solana, our namesake. The main critique I’ve seen of its inclusion in this strategic asset reserve is that it’s not… American enough? The argument came from Byron Gilliam in a Blockworks Daily op-ed, who pointed out that the Solana Foundation is based in Switzerland, blithely ignoring the “decentralized” in “DeFi”. He then proceeded to, in this writer’s humble opinion, further undermine his credibility by positing Ripple as a more legitimate inclusion, given its Delaware Corporation status, and despite being a centralized banking Ponzi.

Here’s what Gilliam — and seemingly so many others I speak to on a regular basis — continue to misunderstand. Cryptographic technology promises a future where everything to the smallest fragment of data coming off an application system’s streaming exhaust is logged on-chain for some AI agent to analyze and use to make predictions. That’s a lot transactions. The token with the ability to transact on this network most efficiently will become the most valuable, regardless of its market cap.

(Non-technical folks may have an antiquated understanding of the term transaction. To tech nerds, it means interacting with a database, and that happens with every keystroke I type, and retype these words with.)

That’s still the big picture view, to be clear. The larger macro-economic state of things due to Trump Tariffs, Europe’s consequential isolationist turn, and the downturn in risk behavior evinced by Pump.Fun’s fall from 300k daily active gamblers down to 150k suggests we could be heading for a bear market in the near-term.

But I’m no bear. We previously remarked on how the the distance from the Bitcoin halving to Pete Davidson’s “What’s an NFT?” SNL sketch was around 9 months. The crypto market is now approaching the dreaded Pete Davidson period. And there’s always resistance at the previous / new highs before it really breaks away for the cycle. The question is, what’s going to spark the movement?

—El Prof

Render Unto Caesar

Render Network is a game-changer, and it’s already transforming the way creatives handle one of the most demanding tasks in their workflow: rendering.

(A word which here, in the context of digital visual arts, means the process of generating a final image or animation from a 3D model or scene, using software to simulate lighting, textures, and effects. It transforms the computer-generated data into a realistic or stylized visual output, such as a still image or a video sequence.)

At first glance, decentralized GPU rendering might seem a bit unconventional. Rendering is a heavy computational task, after all. But Render Network is already providing real-time rendering across thousands of GPUs worldwide, offering creators near-limitless scalability with unprecedented affordability.

Traditional rendering methods have been deeply centralized — tied to expensive render farms or the raw power of high-end workstations. But Render Network is tearing down those silos, creating a decentralized, blockchain-powered system that taps into a global pool of idle GPU power.

Here’s where it gets most interesting for us. Render Network doesn’t just offer a cheaper, more scalable solution — it also gives creators full control over their data and projects. With Render Network, you can store your data securely and manage your workflow on your terms without worrying about being locked into centralized systems.

Render Network is yet another example of our favorite crypto use case, as a secure store of data to be strategically and lucratively deployed. Render Network creates an ecosystem where users can not only take advantage of global rendering power but also contribute to it. Individuals with unused GPU resources can monetize their hardware, creating a truly decentralized market for rendering power. It’s a system where everyone benefits — from the creator who needs rendering capacity to the provider who can profit from idle hardware.

With the continued growth of decentralized technologies, Render Network is positioned at the forefront of a much larger movement. As more creatives, developers, and organizations adopt the platform, we’ll see this model extend beyond rendering into other areas of creative production, ultimately unlocking new opportunities for digital work that were previously inaccessible.

With Render Network, the next stage in the creative cycle is not only about speed and cost — it’s about embracing a new way of working. A way that puts control in the hands of the creator and makes powerful resources available to everyone, everywhere.

—Muhammed

Explore the evolving landscape of AI in the wake of DeepSeek's impact, as businesses shift from hype-driven spending to rational adoption.

No matter what field you are working in, good data collection and management isn’t just nice to have, it's essential.

The post Database 23ai is Multi-Modal, What Does That Mean? appeared first on Mythics.

In what is being described as the largest digital crypto scam ever, the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has fallen victim to a massive hack, losing an estimated $1.5bn in Ethereum. Learn more about the impact of the digital heist.

The post Bybit Faces $1.5bn Loss in Digital Crypto Scam first appeared on ComplyCube.

Discover the latest releases, updates, events, and all things developer-related from Auth0!

Hey folks 👋

We’re back again with the second issue of Kinside Scoop to share all the new improvements and current kinnovations…

(see what we did there?)

😂

Don’t mind us.

Let’s dive in…

This time we’ll go through:

This week’s super prompt

What's new with KIN 🚀

Our new articles series

Our current reads

Our online vibe

Join the community on Discord, LinkedIn and TikTok

Super prompt: Learn How do you define trust? Create a self-reflective quiz with questions to explore personal trust definitions, comparing task-based, relationship-based, and cultural perspectives. Start with a brief introduction and clear instructions, max 100 characters. Quiz me one question at a time, each multiple-choice question should include real-world examples and varied trust perspectives, with optional reflection prompts. Retain responses to generate a summary with key takeaways, a comparative analysis, and actionable trust-building strategies. Display all answers before analysis, using clear formatting for readability. Use relatable and simple words, jargon-free. Remember my responses.

If you have Kin installed, click the button below to try this prompt in Kin ☺️

Open Super Prompt - Click here

What's new with KIN?🚀 New and improved calendar integration 📅

Over the past two weeks, we secretly launched Kin’s calendar integration.

Now Kin can help you prepare for what’s ahead and keep your schedule in check, without the mental load.

Turn it on and try the personalized reminder: “Prepare my day.”

We’ve made updates based on early feedback, and there’s more to come over the next few weeks.

Your schedule isn’t just a list of meetings.

It’s a reflection of your priorities.

Kin is here to help you focus on what matters.

Fewer bugs, smarter reminders ⏰

We’ve been improving how Kin handles scheduling and reminders so they feel more helpful, not repetitive.

Fixed calendar syncing issues so integration should now run more smoothly.

Refined reminder notifications to make them smarter, less frequent, and with better timing.

A smoother experience for Android users 📱

If you’ve run into crashes on Android, this update should make a big difference.

We found and fixed multiple issues, so Kin should feel more stable and reliable moving forward.

A refreshed profile screen 👤

Editing your username is now simpler than ever with our redesigned profile screen.

A small change, but one that makes Kin feel even more personal to you.

More control over chat highlights ✨

You can now toggle message highlights on or off in Settings > Appearance.

Customize your chat view to match the way you work best.

Autocorrect is back in journals ✍️

We heard you and we’re happy to say that autocorrect is back!

No more distracting typos.

Go to KIN

New articles series 📑

For the next few weeks, our CTO Simon will have a new article series.

He’ll be exploring the challenges around creating accurate memory in personal AI, why you’d even want to, and how Kin is taking a cutting-edge approach to solving this problem.

Our first article is all about outlining the importance of memory in personal AI, (so we can spend next week explaining why it’s so difficult).

Read the first article here

Speaking truth on TikTok @kinpersonalaiWhen we said get some rest we didn’t mean here at the office 😂 #officehumor #selfcare #fyp #corporatehumor #mentalhealth Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser Our current reads

Articles shared in our #market-research channel

Article: One in five employees in Denmark in mentally straining conditions.
READ - The Copenhagen Post

Tool: Rapid prototyping tool for building mobile apps with react native
READ - App Alchemy

Article: Could AI translate animal communication?
READ - The Conomist

Paper: Agentic Deep Graph Reasoning Yields Self-Organizing Knowledge Networks
READ - Arxiv org

Share your thoughts 💡

This update is all about helping you stay organized and making Kin feel more natural to use.

We hope it helps ❤️

Try out the calendar integration and let us know what you think!

We’re always improving and your feedback shapes what’s next.

Don’t hold back. We’re all ears.

Reply to this email or share your thoughts directly in the app (just take a screenshot 💬 ☺️)

Until next time,

The Kin team

Last week, the crypto world was shaken to its core when hackers executed a sophisticated attack on Bybit's cold wallet system, making off with $1.46 billion in digital assets. This wasn't just another crypto hack. It was the largest cryptocurrency theft in history and potentially the largest single theft of any kind ever recorded. In this article, we outline how Elliptic's real-time intelligence not only tracked these stolen funds, but has already led to some recoveries. 

February 2025 Memecoins Are Crashing, Hackers Are Cashing In, Where Are Smart Investors Moving Next?

Over the past month, we’ve attended key events across the U.S., Europe, and now in Hong Kong. One thing is clear: RWA tokenization dominates conversations at institutional and retail events. Investors are looking for real-value backed onchain assets.

The Memecoin Bubble Is Bursting

The wild speculation around memecoins is collapsing, leaving investors with massive losses. Trump Token, which once surged by 800%, has crashed over 80% from its peak. Similarly, Libra, a memecoin promoted by Argentine President Javier Milei, experienced a rapid rise before plummeting over 95% within hours.

The damage is widespread. Over $38.91 billion has been wiped out from the memecoin market in the past one month, according to the data from Coinmarketcap.

Bybit Hackers Used Memecoins for Money Laundering

Memecoins are not just trapping investors in financial losses, they are also being used for money laundering and cybercrime. The Bybit hack, where the Lazarus Group stole $1.5 billion, revealed how hackers exploit memecoins to wash illicit funds.

According to blockchain analyst Atlas, the hackers first sent 60 SOL to an anonymous wallet and used Solana’s PumpFun platform to launch a fake memecoin called QinShihuang.

They manipulated trading activity, buying and selling the token among themselves to create the illusion of high demand. This practice, known as wash trading, generated $42 million in fake trading volume, making it harder for investigators to trace the stolen assets.

To further cover their tracks, the hackers attracted real investors, mixing their stolen funds with legitimate transactions. Many traders, seeing the hype around QinShihuang, unknowingly jumped in, only for the hackers to cash out, leaving them with worthless tokens.

RWA Tokens: The Market’s Answer

With memecoin speculation collapsing and money laundering concerns escalating, investors are searching for a safer and more sustainable path. Tokenized RWA is the answer. It’s the bridge between crypto infrastructure and institutional finance, bringing real asset-backed value on-chain.

We’re already seeing this shift with large tokenized money market funds and trendy RWA blockchains like the upcoming ONDO chain, Mantra, and Plume gaining momentum. But what’s next to make the transition of the whole financial system a reality? Which RWA project will take the spotlight by building a massive supply of qualitative assets on-chain?

We might have found the answer. Stay tuned! 

Tokeny Spotlight

BLOG

Breaking the Silos: The path to shared liquidity with ERC-3643

Read More

Consensus HK

RWA tokenization is accelerating in Asia with Hong Kong being at the forefront.

Read More

RWA Summit London

 Tokenized Money Market Funds (MMFs), the future of institutional collateral?

Read More

TOKENY TALENT

We interviewed one of our first employees, UX/UI Designer and Front-end developer, Nida Orhan

Read More

RWA Paris

Our CEO spoke about “Digital Asset Custody & Tokenization: Securing RWA with Cutting-Edge Custody Solutions”

Read More

Digital Assets Week HK

Hong Kong’s regulators, asset managers, and industry leaders are fully committed to making tokenization a reality.

Read More Tokeny Events

Policy Week
March 10th-14th, 2025 | 🇦🇺 Australia

Register Now

Crypto Assets Conference
March 26th , 2025 | 🇩🇪 Germany

Register Now

Digital Asset Summit 2025
March 18th-20th , 2025 | 🇺🇸 USA

Register Now ERC3643 Association Recap

🎉 Celebrating 100 members! The ERC3643 Association is growing, RWA adoption is accelerating, and something big is coming. Stay tuned for March!

Subscribe Newsletter

A monthly newsletter designed to give you an overview of the key developments across the asset tokenization industry.

Previous Newsletter  Apr1 No Yield for Stablecoins, Tokenized MMFs To Take the Lead March 2025 No Yield for Stablecoins, Tokenized MMFs To Take the Lead With MiCA in Europe, and the STABLE draft law in the USA, regulators… Mar3 Memecoins Are Crashing, Hackers Are Cashing In, Where Are Smart Investors Moving Next? February 2025 Memecoins Are Crashing, Hackers Are Cashing In, Where Are Smart Investors Moving Next? Over the past month, we’ve attended key events across the… Feb3 Trump Administration’s Impact on Tokenization: Is the Golden Age Upon Us? January 2025 Trump Administration’s Impact on Tokenization: Is the Golden Age Upon Us? For years, US financial institutions have faced significant hurdles in adopting tokenization,… Dec9 Bitcoin Hits $100K: The Tokenization Tipping Point? December 2024 Bitcoin Hits $100K: The Tokenization Tipping Point? Last week, Bitcoin hits $100k! This milestone, fueled by institutional adoption and a promising regulatory shift…

The post Memecoins Are Crashing, Hackers Are Cashing In, Where Are Smart Investors Moving Next? appeared first on Tokeny.

Hi there, Heroes & Heroines!

February has been a whirlwind of progress and community spirit, and we’re excited to share all the highlights with you. Building on the momentum from January, we’ve focused on refining our platform and strengthening our community bonds. Your enthusiasm and support are the driving forces behind our achievements, and we’re committed to delivering an even better Herond experience.

Product Updates

We’ve been hard at work addressing your feedback and enhancing our platform’s performance. Our latest Android update, Version 2.1.2, tackles two key issues:

Reduced App Size: We’ve fixed a bug of increasing app UI on certain devices. Stabilized Tab Groups: Fix the bug of closing a tab leading to app crash if the tab is in a tab group.

We’re dedicated to continuous improvement, so keep your feedback coming!

Community and Events

February was a month of vibrant community engagement, highlighted by our ongoing partnership with Voltix AI and the launch of new initiatives:

Herond Browser X Voltix Partnership

Our newest partner is Voltix AI. They help you turn idle CPUs into power for AI & DePIN solutions. This collaboration sparked immense interest, with over 90,000 entries in our 1.3X multiplier campaign!

Want to join us? Check out this post for details.

Partnership Giveaway

To celebrate our VoltixAI partnership, we hosted a 500 USDT giveaway. 25 lucky winners, chosen randomly from the multiplier campaign participants, received their prizes directly to their wallets.

Miss this opportunity? No worries, more to come in the future with extra gifts, so stay tuned to our social media channels.

Action Surge – The First Wave

February also saw the launch of “Action Surge“, a program designed to reward engagement on both Discord and Twitter. Participants earned points by interacting with our posts, which could then be exchanged for various rewards. The first wave of rewards saw our digital store cleared out instantly, highlighting the enthusiasm and demand within our community. We will continue to provide more opportunities to earn points and claim rewards in the future, with Season 2 starting this March 4th.

Herond Poker Tournament!

The Herond Poker Tournament, powered by LePoker, continues to be a popular event. On March 1st at 16:00 UTC is another exciting round with a $100+ USDT prize pool. Early Supporters and OGs received extra bonuses, adding to the competitive spirit. This bi-weekly event is the perfect opportunity for our community to demonstrate their poker prowess and claim substantial rewards.

Looking Ahead

We’re incredibly grateful for the active participation and valuable feedback from our community. Your input drives our development and helps us create a better platform for everyone. We’re excited about the future and are committed to delivering more innovative features, engaging events, and rewarding experiences. Stay connected with us on our social media channels for the latest updates and announcements.

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post Herond Browser: February 2025 Report appeared first on Herond Blog.

In an era where security threats are increasing and workforces operate in digital environments spanning the globe, your identity and access management (IAM) solution needs to keep pace. An outdated system can expose your business to a range of vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. 

 

Here are five key signs it’s time to modernize:

Discover how a developer-friendly CDN can enhance DevOps workflows, improve performance, and deliver seamless user experiences with Fastly and Google Cloud.

Fastly Recognized in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Web Application and API Protection

Implications of DOGE on Government Research Grants Recent cost-cutting initiatives under the Department of Government Expenditures (DOGE)...

The union of blockchain and AI is ushering in a collaborative, secure, and efficient research space setting the pace of future innovation.

AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting) helps developers secure web apps by verifying users, controlling access, and tracking actions.

If you’ve been following the latest developments in digital identity, you’ll know that business models for decentralized solutions—especially under the European Digital Identity (EUDI) framework—are a hot topic. 

Recently, we hosted a conversation with Joran Frik, a Senior Manager at Deloitte who has spent the past seven years advising on digital identity strategy, enterprise solutions, and citizen-centric identity initiatives.

During the session, Joran presented a deep dive into how EU Digital Identity wallets fit into broader identity ecosystems. He explained the importance of aligning government mandates, private-sector incentives, and end-user benefits—an essential triangle that can make or break adoption. 

Below, you’ll find the full takeaways from this insightful exchange.

We are sending on the last day of the month again, whoops. Product development has mostly been geared primarily towards our client’s launch next week, but internally we’ve been building to advance our tokenized project management tool.

Dogfooding the product myself, and with our new hires, we’ll hopefully be able to start putting this agency support reward and growth tool to good use, as our team creeps back up to 11 active team members.

We have 2-3 weeks remaining to find a 1-3 motivated investors who can write a check of $50-150k to invest in playhaus, and help us utilize the $50k MTC investment grant we were awarded in October of last year. So we thought we’d our latest pitch deck with you.

*if you need a refresher, we’ve been on a mission to build a smart wallet for digital identity since October 2020, because, especially in the age of AI, we believe people should have full ownership over their data & digital breadcrumb trail.

Subscribe to Heart&Sol

Stay update to date with all things at the intersection of AI & web3 with our weekly newsletter, Heart&Sol.

Subscribe playhaus BTS

The internet is changing really quickly. Be it AI, web3, quantum, or security encryptions. Organizations of all sizes are going to have to contend with changes to their infrastructure yet again, and speed will be much more crucial for survival.

Fortunately, our company playhaus has a plan to address this opportunity. And everything from our market entry in AdTech, and our focus on a consumer friendly interface, will give us the out of left field appearance as we tackle the next generation of digital asset management.

Changes in legislation are creating an operating differential between those businesses that have their data operations under control, and those who don’t. Passing on higher advertising (and surely other) costs in exchange for the disorder.

Which is why we are operating as an advertising agency, to offer our services to the 9/10 businesses without this critical infrastructure in place; offering our SaaS tool as an exclusive part of our offering. Developing a true, organic PMF iterating on the early product with some close customers.

This approach has allowed us to become an integrated technology partner with one of our customers to assist in the build out of their audiobook marketplace and streaming platform, as well as local partnerships with groups with working on KC’s hosting of the World Cup next summer.

We operate as an Agency, so our retainer & White Label SaaS pricing look very similar. Our intent is to scale as a white label product to other agencies & community portals started by industry KOLs.

We know there’s no true competition to us in the “traditional wallet” space since everyone is focused on offering financial products. Which is why we are focused on positioning ourselves as a business support product for our identity, and not web3 first.

Our team is well versed in Advertising, Data Science, and web3 Technologies

Our most significant achievement to date is the launch of our software at the end of January 2025.

Whether or not we raise any funding in the next few weeks, our plan is to continue to acquire customers for our agency, leveraging the software to service them. We’ll primarily be focused on adding ad channels, marketing operations, feature sets, but also features that support our customers’ portals’ development.

The money will be used to purchase more engineering hours, creative production hours, and advertising clicks, so that we can produce case studies from our own content showcasing how our tools grew it’s audience cost effectively.

We expect to have our product interface and customer onboarding smoothed out in the next 18 months, so that we can raise one follow on round for dollars to scale with advertising further.

Take a big risk and bet on the team that’s building the future of data ownership and governance for the last four years.

(we have an appendix, but we’ll spare you)

playhaus ASKs/REQUESTs/INTROs

With our product launched we are looking for clients with consumer facing businesses to use our tool, to save money on their digital advertising campaigns. We want to deploy this with companies who are already advertising their business, whether they do it themselves, or have a marketing department to run things. We work with B2B solutions as well, but where sales cycles are less than 3 months.

If you know a business owner, or a marketing manager, of a consumer facing business earning more than $2M+ in annual revenue, than you are our ideal client. Or you know an agency servicing them, we like them too.

Share with them our sign-up page. 

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

-39.61

$145.20

Helium ($HNT)

-22.56%

$3.30

Pyth ($PYTH)

-31.03%

$0.20

Raydium ($RAY)

-68.62 %

$2.35

(Price changes reflect 1 Month as of 2.28.25)

**NFA** Our exit horizons are around December 2025. Never pull your entire bag.

The bull run is extremely volatile every time, there’s just more inexperienced participants and charlatans in the mix.

These are great opportunities to get your average price down if you hold Bitcoin, Solana or any core utility tokens that the future internet will depend on.

AFTER THOUGHTS

web3 technology solves real problems and playhaus is focused on that, especially Solana since it’s the most promising blockchain from a consumer product developers point of view.

Latest Content

Heart&SOL #40 (newsletter)

Weekly Mojo #30 (video)

Processing emotions with KIN

Some conversations sit heavy on your chest before you even speak them aloud.

It feels like you’re breathing in less air, like your heart is tightening with the weight of the words you haven’t even said yet.

You think about them in every inch of silence in your day, replaying scenarios in your head, wondering if you’re overreacting or if your concerns are valid.

You edit and re-edit your sentences before speaking them, trying to anticipate every possible reaction.

You wonder if you’ll come across as too blunt or too passive…

If you’ll sound too emotional or too detached.

You ask yourself whether it’s even worth bringing up at all…

Whether it’s better to just let things go for the sake of peace and avoiding discomfort.

But conflict at work isn’t just about disagreements…

It’s about navigating relationships, power dynamics, and emotions.

It’s about knowing when to speak up and how to do it in a way that moves things forward instead of making them worse.

It’s about being truthful to yourself while remaining empathetic to others.

Martha knows this all too well.

About Our User…
Martha, a brilliant, bright-minded product manager with over a decade of experience, is no stranger to these challenges. Known for her sharp insights and warm, positive energy, she’s the kind of person who can light up a room while keeping a clear, strategic mind. She thrives on learning, mentoring, and leading with empathy, and she’s always looking for ways to refine her approach—whether that means testing new AI tools or finding better ways to navigate team dynamics.

Managing a team means making decisions, not just about projects, but about communication, how to guide conversations, how to give feedback, and how to handle inevitable moments of friction.

For her, addressing conflict isn’t about avoiding it, it’s about making sure she approaches it thoughtfully, considering both perspectives and potential impact.

And sometimes, before stepping into those conversations, she just needs a space to think.

That’s where Kin comes in.

A thought partner for tough conversations Talking things through with KIN

Martha didn’t start using Kin with work in mind.

At first, it was just an experiment, something she played around with as part of her creative hobbies.

She wanted to see how different AI tools could help with writing, especially for brainstorming character dialogues.

At the time, Kin felt different from other AI assistants.

It wasn’t just about providing generic answers, it had a certain energy, a personality that sometimes surprised her.

“I found that Kin was pretty good at brainstorming character dialogue and running character simulations,” she shared.

“It would always have this ‘girl boss’ energy, encouraging my characters to stand up for themselves, even when that wasn’t what I was going for in the story.”

What started as a tool for writing slowly became something more.

Without even realizing it, Martha began turning to Kin to process her thoughts about work.

“I started sharing thoughts about my team with Kin casually, even before you made the pivot,” she said.

It wasn’t something she consciously planned, it just felt natural to test out how Kin would respond to different workplace situations she was thinking through.

Clarity before action

Some workplace challenges aren’t just about what to do, but how to do it…

While understanding how you feel.

For Martha, Kin became a way to work through thoughts before bringing them into real conversations.

She didn’t need Kin to tell her what to do, but she found it useful in helping her organize her thoughts, identify potential blind spots, and check her own biases before making decisions.

“Sometimes I’d observe something on my team and ask Kin, ‘Is this interaction ethical? Is it unbiased? Is there bias I should be aware of?’” she explained.

Kin didn’t replace real conversations with her team. It didn’t take the place of a mentor, a therapist, or a manager.

But it gave her a space to process situations before stepping into them, helping her articulate her thoughts more clearly and recognize things she might not have otherwise.

And in one case, Kin’s insights made her rethink an entire career decision.

A career-altering perspective Reflecting with Kin

Martha was wrestling with an issue she witnessed on her team and was unsure of how to feel about it or what (if anything) she should do.

When she brought it to Kin, she wasn’t expecting a concrete answer, but Kin offered an observation that stuck with her.

“Kin pointed out that there were a few ethical concerns and suggested I keep an eye on how similar situations were being handled elsewhere. It wasn’t pushing me in a direction, just offering perspective,” she said.

At first, she didn’t think much of it. But as time passed, and the situation evolved, she started to see things more clearly.

“A little time passed, and I realized Kin was absolutely right. I ended up making the decision to switch teams and change direction,” she shared.

Martha is clear about what Kin is and what it isn’t. She doesn’t treat it as a coworker or someone replacing real human input.

But it’s a tool she’s learned to use in a way that feels natural to her.

“I understand that Kin is safe because I’ve been to some of Volodya’s talks…he’s very explicit about privacy and security,” she said.

“As a product manager and someone who manages a dev team, I know that Kin is actually more secure than GPT or other OpenAI systems.”

Still, she acknowledges that AI is an evolving space, and people are still figuring out what role it plays in their workflows.

“There’s a part of us that gets entertained by AI, and that’s valid too,” she reflected.

“But until everyone figures out their own relationship with Kin, no amount of streaks or incentives will change how people use it.”

For Martha, Kin is useful, but not in the way a coworker would be.

She doesn’t see it as part of her team, but rather as something that helps her think before she steps into conversations that matter.

“If Kin made it clearer that it’s not a team member, that you don’t have to put on a work facade, that it’s just ready to talk about work-related things without being work itself, I think that would be really helpful,” she said.

Final thoughts

Workplace conflict is uncomfortable.

It’s also inevitable.

It’s part of showing up fully in your career, even when it feels easier to stay quiet.

Martha doesn’t use Kin to escape difficult conversations, she uses it to prepare for them, to refine her thoughts, and to enter them feeling more sure of herself.

“At the end of the day, AI won’t solve workplace conflict for you,” she said.

“But it can help you feel more prepared, more self-aware, and more confident in how you handle it.”

And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

The user approved this article beforehand and gave consent for her story to be shared.

Thanks for reading KIN! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Liminal members enjoy the exclusive benefit of receiving daily morning briefs directly in their inboxes, ensuring they stay ahead of the curve with the latest industry developments for a significant competitive advantage.

Looking for product or company-specific news? Log in or sign-up to Link for more detailed news and developments.

Here are the main industry highlights of this week week impacting identity and fraud, cybersecurity, trust and safety, financial crimes compliance, and privacy and consent management.

🪄Innovation and New Technology Developments

Global Airports and Airlines Accelerate Biometric Check-Ins Amid Privacy Concerns

Biometric check-ins and bag drop processes are expected to be in place at over half of global airports by 2026, with 70% of airlines planning to adopt biometric identity management by 2025, according to SITA’s 2024 report. This adoption is anticipated to improve passenger processing times by 30% and reduce wait times by 60%. In 2024, airlines and airports invested around $46 billion in IT, focusing on biometrics, AI, and cybersecurity. However, concerns about data privacy and compliance with border regulations remain significant challenges. (Source)

Google Replacing SMS Authentication Codes for Gmail With QR Codes to Boost Security

Google is phasing out SMS authentication codes for Gmail in favor of QR codes to enhance security and reduce fraud. Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer noted that SMS codes are vulnerable to abuse by criminals and social engineering attacks. The transition to QR codes aims to bolster account protection by eliminating these risks. (Source)

Indian Government Strengthens Telecom Security With Aadhaar-Based SIM Verification and AI Fraud Detection

India is strengthening telecom security by introducing the Digital Integrated Verification System (DIVS) for SIM card registrations. The DoT now mandates Aadhaar-based biometric verification for new SIM activations to prevent fraud. New rules include multi-angle customer photos, SIM count monitoring per identity, and AI-based fraud detection. Retailers issuing fake SIMs will face penalties, enhancing security and aiding law enforcement. (Source)

💰 Investments and Partnerships

IBM Acquiring DataStax to Boost AI, NoSQL, and Homeland Security Data Solutions

IBM plans to acquire DataStax to strengthen its AI and NoSQL data capabilities, benefiting homeland security agencies. DataStax’s Apache Cassandra expertise supports mission-critical applications, including for the VA and DISA. Integrating its hybrid vector database with IBM’s watsonx could enhance intelligence analysis, threat assessment, and zero trust security while enabling secure, scalable cloud data management. (Source)

ClearScore Secures €36.1 Million Debt Financing From HSBC to Expand Products and Services

London-based fintech ClearScore has secured €36.1 million in debt financing from HSBC Innovation Banking UK, which first backed the startup in 2017. ClearScore CFO Brian Cole says the funds will be used to expand the company’s product range and distribution channels. Founded in 2015, ClearScore initially offered an app to help consumers manage their credit scores and has since broadened its focus to include a data-driven credit marketplace and open banking services. (Source)

UK Regulator Approves IBM’s $6.4 Billion Acquisition of HashiCorp

The U.K.‘s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has approved IBM’s $6.4 billion acquisition of HashiCorp. The CMA conducted a preliminary investigation but decided not to escalate it further, with a full explanation of its decision expected later. This approval aligns with the U.K.’s recent approach to avoid obstructing international tech deals. The acquisition still faces review by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. IBM originally aimed to close the deal by the end of 2024. (Source)

NinjaOne Raises $500 Million at $5 Billion Valuation to Expand Autonomous Endpoint Management

NinjaOne, a Texas-based endpoint management company, raised $500 million in Series C funding from ICONIQ Growth and CapitalG, reaching a $5 billion valuation. The funds will enhance autonomous endpoint management and support the $252 million acquisition of Dropsuite for cloud data backup. Founder-led and debt-free, NinjaOne serves clients like Nvidia, Lyft, and Porsche, offering centralized monitoring, remote control, automated patching, and real-time alerts across multiple platforms. (Source)

Secret View Partners With iDenfy to Enhance Identity Verification and Compliance

Secret View has partnered with iDenfy to enhance identity verification and ensure DAC7 and GDPR compliance. iDenfy’s KYC platform, biometric facial recognition, and liveness detection verify user identities and government-issued documents from 200+ countries. The integration streamlines tax reporting, strengthens privacy protection, reduces fraud, and ensures compliance with global KYC standards. (Source)

A10 Networks Expands Cybersecurity Portfolio With ThreatX Protect Acquisition

A10 Networks, Inc has acquired ThreatX Protect’s assets and key personnel to strengthen its cybersecurity portfolio with web application and API protection (WAAP). This move enhances A10 Defend, securing applications across various environments. ThreatX Protect adds AI-driven threat mitigation, API protection, bot management, and a next-gen firewall. Remaining ThreatX assets will rebrand as Run Security, with TX Prevent becoming RS Prevent. The deal’s financial terms were undisclosed but are expected to modestly boost A10’s earnings without impacting its 2025 outlook. (Source)

Illuma Labs Secures Strategic Financing From Stifel Bank to Advance Voice Biometrics and Market Expansion

Illuma Labs secured strategic financing from Stifel Bank to enhance its voice biometrics technology and expand market reach. The funding will help financial institutions improve consumer interaction security. This follows a $9 million Series A round and Illuma’s recognition for deepfake detection at FinovateFall 2024. CEO Miland Borker highlighted the financing’s role in strengthening their capabilities. (Source)

⚖️ Policy and Regulatory

Chegg Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google Over AI Search Summaries

Chegg has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Google, claiming its AI-generated search summaries reduce traffic to Chegg’s site and impact revenue. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., alleges Google’s “AI Overviews” unfairly use Chegg’s content while limiting visibility for competitors, violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. CEO Nathan Shultz argues this reinforces Google’s monopoly, while Google denies the claims, asserting its AI benefits users and broadens site traffic distribution. (Source)

OKX Exchange Operator Aux Cayes FinTech Admits to AML Violations and Agrees to $504 Million Fine

OKX operator Aux Cayes FinTech admitted to violating AML laws and will pay over $504 million in fines, per the U.S. Department of Justice. For over seven years, OKX failed to enforce AML policies, allowing $5 billion in suspicious transactions. Despite KYC requirements, employees allegedly helped users bypass them. OKX cited “legacy compliance gaps” and stated U.S. users are no longer on the platform. Meanwhile, cases against crypto firms like Robinhood and Coinbase have been dismissed. (Source)

DISA Global Solutions Data Breach Exposes Information of Over 3.3 Million Individuals

DISA Global Solutions suffered a data breach affecting over 3.3 million people, including 360,000 in Massachusetts. Between February 9 and April 22, 2024, a hacker accessed its network, compromising Social Security numbers, financial data, and government-issued IDs. Due to limited logging, DISA couldn’t determine the full extent of the data exfiltrated. The company has notified affected individuals and authorities. (Source)

UK Government Shuts Down One Login Inclusion and Privacy Advisory Group

The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) has closed the One Login Inclusion and Privacy Advisory Group (OLIPAG), formed in 2023 to advise on privacy, inclusion, and accessibility. The 20-member group met from November 2023 to May 2024, affirming existing identity assurance principles, which GDS has updated in its documentation. GDS plans to form a new advisory group with a broader scope, though details remain unclear. Uncertainty also surrounds DSIT’s role in digital identity initiatives like the mobile driver’s license and Gov.uk digital wallet. (Source)

Critical Vulnerability in Enterphone MESH Allows Unauthorized Access to Buildings Across U.S. and Canada

The Enterphone MESH door access system by Hirsch has a critical vulnerability due to an unchanged default password, allowing remote access to doors and elevators in multiple U.S. and Canadian buildings. Hirsch refuses to fix it, claiming it’s “by design” and that customers should have changed the password. Security researcher Eric Daigle found 71 exposed systems using default credentials, granting access to building controls. Rated 10/10 in severity, the flaw is easily exploitable with publicly available credentials. Despite the risk, Hirsch has only advised customers to follow setup instructions without committing to a fix. (Source)

Australia Bans Kaspersky on Government Systems Over National Security Concerns

Australia has banned Kaspersky security software on government systems due to national security concerns over foreign interference, espionage, and sabotage. A Department of Home Affairs risk assessment highlighted potential misuse of user data. Government agencies must remove Kaspersky by April 1, 2025, though exemptions may apply with safeguards. The ban also covers critical infrastructure and aligns with the U.S. ban in mid-2024 on Kaspersky sales and updates. (Source)

Health Net Federal Services Settles Cybersecurity Compliance Allegations for $11.25 Million

Health Net Federal Services (HNFS) and parent company Centene Corporation will pay $11.25 million to settle allegations of falsely certifying cybersecurity compliance under their Defense Health Agency (DHA) TRICARE contract. The DOJ claims that between 2015 and 2018, HNFS failed to implement required security measures but still submitted false compliance certifications. While HNFS and Centene deny wrongdoing, they agreed to the settlement, which does not protect them from future legal actions if new evidence arises. (Source)

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When you stake your ETH on Coinbase, you’re helping secure the Ethereum network and earning rewards. But what happens when you need to access your staked funds? In this guide, we’ll show you how to unstake ETH on Coinbase, so you can withdraw your coins whenever you choose. Whether you’re adjusting your strategy or need funds for other investments, understanding the process is essential.

Learn more: Top 5 New Ethereum DApps You Need to Try

Why Stake Your ETH in the First Place?

Staking ETH is an excellent way to earn rewards while contributing to the security and stability of the Ethereum network. When you stake your ETH, you essentially lock it into the network, and in return, you earn ETH as rewards. By staking your ETH, you’re helping to secure the network, store data, and validate transactions. This process is known as Proof of Stake (PoS).

But why would you ever want to unstake ETH? Well, there are a few reasons. You might want to access your funds for other investments, or perhaps you feel that staking is no longer the right strategy for you. No matter the reason, knowing how to unstake ETH on Coinbase is crucial for those moments when you need liquidity or flexibility in your investments.

Learn more: Understanding the Challenges of ETH Mining

The Pre-Unstaking Checklist Before Untasking 

Before you can successfully unstake your ETH on Coinbase, there are a few important conditions you must meet to ensure a smooth process.

Verified Identity (VI)

Your Coinbase account needs to be fully verified before you can unstake your ETH. This is to ensure your account is secure and complies with all regulatory requirements. If your identity isn’t verified yet, you may need to submit identification documents such as a government-issued ID or proof of address. Completing this step ensures that your funds are protected and that Coinbase can verify the legitimacy of your account.

Minimum Balance and Eligibility

Coinbase may require you to meet specific balance thresholds to unstake ETH. Check the current staking protocol’s minimum requirements to ensure you meet these criteria. Some protocols may only allow unstaking once a minimum amount of ETH has been staked, while others may have different rules based on the amount staked. Make sure your staked ETH qualifies for unstaking before beginning the process.

Eligibility Criteria

Coinbase may have additional eligibility requirements depending on your location or the staking conditions. These criteria may vary based on regulatory restrictions or other platform-specific policies. It’s important to check whether your region allows unstaking or if there are any restrictions that could affect your ability to withdraw your ETH.

How to Unstake ETH on Coinbase: Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to unstake your ETH? Here’s how to do it on Coinbase.

Step 1: Log In to Coinbase
Use your credentials to log in to your Coinbase account. If you’re using the mobile app, ensure it’s up to date for the best experience.

Step 2: Navigate to “My Assets”
Once logged in, go to the “My Assets” section. This is where you’ll see all your crypto holdings, including your staked ETH.

Step 3: Select the ETH You Want to Unstake
Find the Ethereum (ETH) asset that you’ve staked. Click on it to see detailed information about your balance and staking rewards.

Step 4: Click on “Unstake”
Look for the “Unstake” button. It might be labeled slightly differently depending on updates, but it will be clear. Click this option to begin the unstaking process.

Step 5: Enter the Amount to Unstake
Next, you’ll be prompted to enter the amount of ETH you wish to unstake. Double-check the amount to avoid any errors.

Step 6: Review the Transaction
Before finalizing, you’ll be able to review the transaction. This is your chance to ensure everything looks good.

Step 7: Confirm with Two-Factor Authentication
For extra security, Coinbase may ask for two-factor authentication (2FA). Follow the prompts to confirm your unstake request.

Step 8: Wait for the Process to Complete
After confirming, your unstaking request will be processed. Keep in mind that the time it takes for ETH to be unstaked can vary depending on network traffic and Coinbase’s processing time.

3 Common Issues When Unstaking ETH

While unstaking ETH on Coinbase is generally simple, users may encounter a few common issues. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

1. Verification Problems
If you’re facing trouble with identity verification, make sure all your documents are updated and correctly submitted. Double-check that your personal info matches Coinbase’s records. If issues persist, contact Coinbase support.

2. Unstake Button Not Visible
If the unstake button is missing, ensure that your ETH meets the minimum requirements for unstaking and is properly staked. Also, check if you’re eligible based on Coinbase’s rules.

3. Delays in Processing
Sometimes, unstaking can take longer due to network congestion or Coinbase’s processing times. If it’s taking longer than expected, keep an eye on your account for updates. If delays persist, contact Coinbase support for help.

By following these tips, you can quickly resolve common issues and successfully unstake your ETH.

Conclusion

Learning how to unstake ETH on Coinbase isn’t difficult, but it’s crucial to understand the steps and conditions involved. By following this guide, you can easily manage your staked ETH and access your funds when needed. Keep in mind the potential penalties for early withdrawal, the impact on rewards, and the delay in trading. Whether you’re adjusting your strategy or need liquidity, knowing how to unstake ETH on Coinbase gives you control over your investments.

Learn more: Discover What an Ethereum ETF Is

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post How to unstake ETH on coinbase appeared first on Herond Blog.

Perpetual crypto trading has become one of the most popular ways to invest and trade in the digital asset space. But one crucial element that every trader needs to understand is funding rates. So, how do you get low funding rates on perpetual crypto? Let’s break it down.

Learn more: What makes the hash rate higher?

What Are Funding Rates in Perpetual Crypto?

Funding rates are the periodic payments exchanged between long and short traders on perpetual contracts. Unlike traditional futures, these rates are used to keep the contract price close to the spot price. If funding rates are high, it could be expensive to hold a long position. Conversely, low funding rates make it cheaper to hold a position.

In short, getting low funding rates on perpetual crypto is essential for minimizing costs. Traders with low funding rates will often have a competitive advantage.

Learn more: Understanding Mutual Funds: A Simple Explanation

How Are Funding Rates Calculated?

Funding rates are calculated based on the interest rate difference between the positions of long and short traders. Factors like market sentiment and the supply-demand imbalance on a specific asset influence these rates. For instance, if a large number of traders are long on a specific crypto, funding rates will typically increase.

The formula used can vary by exchange, but they usually consider the difference in borrowing costs and the price deviation of the perpetual contract. To get low funding rates, understanding how exchanges calculate them is crucial.

Example of Funding Rate Calculation

Funding rates are determined by the interest rate difference between long and short traders. If there are more long traders, funding rates for longs will typically rise to balance the market.

For example, let’s say you want to trade Bitcoin (BTC) on Binance. If the long traders are paying 0.05% per 8 hours and short traders are paying 0.02%, the funding rate difference is 0.03% (0.05% – 0.02%).

Market sentiment also plays a role. If BTC is rising in price and many traders are going long, the exchange might raise the funding rate to encourage short positions, creating a supply-demand imbalance. Additionally, if the BTC perpetual contract is trading at a 1.5% premium over the spot price, the exchange could increase the funding rate by another 0.01% to keep the contract aligned with the spot price.

Combining these factors, the total funding rate for long positions could be 0.06% every 8 hours (0.03% interest rate difference + 0.02% sentiment factor + 0.01% price deviation).

Understanding how exchanges calculate funding rates helps traders find opportunities for lower costs and better trading strategies.

Why Do Funding Rates Fluctuate and How Does This Affect Traders?

Funding rates fluctuate mainly due to market conditions. If more traders are betting on price increases (longs), funding rates rise, as the market becomes more expensive to enter. Conversely, if more are betting on a price drop (shorts), rates fall.

For traders, fluctuating funding rates mean that timing is everything. If you’re long during a high funding rate period, you might be paying a premium just to hold your position. Therefore, keeping track of the market is key to getting low funding rates on perpetual crypto.

Learn more: How to save your crypto transaction fees

How to Get Low Funding Rates on Perpetual Crypto

To get low funding rates on perpetual crypto, following a few smart strategies can save you significant costs. Here’s how:

Choose the Right Exchange

Not all exchanges offer the same funding rates. Some platforms, like Binance and Bybit, generally have lower funding rates than others. This is because each exchange calculates funding rates based on its own interest rate models and market conditions. To find the best deal, compare funding rates across various exchanges before making a trade. Tools like FundingRate.io can help you easily track and compare funding rates in real-time.

Trade in Off-Peak Times

Funding rates are often influenced by market volatility. During periods of high trading activity, such as when there’s a major news event or price movement, funding rates tend to rise as demand for certain positions increases. To secure lower rates, aim to trade during quieter times, when market sentiment is more stable, and fewer traders are competing for positions. These off-peak times often provide an opportunity to enter positions at a lower cost.

Position Size and Strategy

Adjusting your position size can also affect the funding rate you pay. Larger positions often attract higher funding fees, especially when market sentiment is skewed toward one direction. Consider scaling down your positions to minimize the impact of funding fees. Additionally, if you expect funding rates to rise, it might make sense to close positions or hedge them to reduce exposure to high fees.

Arbitrage

If you’re experienced, you can take advantage of arbitrage opportunities between exchanges. Sometimes, funding rates differ significantly across platforms. By opening positions on different exchanges and holding them at the same time, you can potentially profit from these discrepancies. However, this requires precision, as the timing of trades and market conditions need to be perfect. But for traders who can master arbitrage, it’s a clever way to reduce funding costs.

6 Risks When Dealing with Funding Rates

Funding rates can lower costs, but they come with risks. Sudden changes and market imbalances can lead to unexpected costs and potential losses. Here are some common risks when dealing with funding rates:

Market Bias and Volatility
High funding rates often indicate a strong market bias in one direction (either long or short). Betting against this trend can be risky, as the market may continue to move in the dominant direction, increasing the costs of holding positions. Changes in Exchange Policies
Exchanges may periodically adjust their funding rate formulas or policies. These changes could result in unexpected increases in funding rates, which might catch traders off guard and negatively impact their positions. Unexpected Funding Rate Increases
A sudden rise in funding rates can lead to unexpected costs, potentially wiping out profits. Traders may not anticipate these rate hikes, especially if market conditions shift abruptly. Market Manipulation and Market Sentiment
In periods of extreme sentiment or manipulation (such as pump-and-dump schemes), funding rates can spike unpredictably. Traders who aren’t careful might find themselves paying high rates while the market moves against them. Short-Term Liquidity Risks
During high funding rate periods, liquidity can sometimes dry up. If you want to exit your position but can’t do so at a reasonable price, the cost of funding could continue to rise. Overleveraging Risks
With high funding rates, traders who are overleveraged face greater risks of liquidation. High rates can drain the margin faster than expected, especially if the market moves against your position. Conclusion

Getting low funding rates on perpetual crypto requires strategy, timing, and market awareness. Choosing the right exchange, monitoring market conditions, and using smart techniques like arbitrage can make a significant difference.

By understanding how funding rates are calculated and the factors that influence them, you can lower your costs and maximize your profits. So, if you want to thrive in the volatile world of perpetual crypto trading, start by focusing on how to get low funding rates.

Learn more: How to save your crypto transaction fees

About Herond Browser

Herond Browser is a cutting-edge Web 3.0 browser designed to prioritize user privacy and security. By blocking intrusive ads, harmful trackers, and profiling cookies, Herond creates a safer and faster browsing experience while minimizing data consumption.

To enhance user control over their digital presence, Herond offers two essential tools:

Herond Shield: A robust adblocker and privacy protection suite. Herond Wallet: A secure, multi-chain, non-custodial social wallet.

As a pioneering Web 2.5 solution, Herond is paving the way for mass Web 3.0 adoption by providing a seamless transition for users while upholding the core principles of decentralization and user ownership.

Have any questions or suggestions? Contact us:

On Telegram https://t.me/herond_browser DM our official X @HerondBrowser Technical support topic on https://community.herond.org

The post How to get low funding rates on perpetual crypto appeared first on Herond Blog.