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Powering a New Standard for Secure Proximity Authentication & Engagement in Unified Consumer Experiences Cincinnati, OH— May 20, 2025— LISNR®, the global leader in proximity engagement solutions, announced the launch today of Radius® 3.1, the next generation of its ultrasonic software development kit (SDK). With this release, LISNR expands its core technology to deliver a more complete, real-world solution for proximity-based authentication and engagement. The new Radius SDK unlocks fresh possibilities for digital identity, payment authentication, and proximity-driven marketing. It helps brands capture and act on their customers’ most important micro-moments by providing a seamless, hardware-agnostic way to detect presence, verify identity, and transfer data securely through ultrasonic technology. Feature Overview The release introduces: ToneLock: Three flexible options for payload security: Custom-value provides app developers with full control over which devices can receive data Account-based offers LISNR managed protection for all devices within your organization Time-based guarantees timely access through automated expiration windows AES-256 Encryption: End-to-end encrypted data payloads Zone 266: The perfect combo of range and speed for 1:1 or 1:many transactions All of this builds upon the existing core functionality that sets LISNR apart: Versatile Tone Profiles for Any Use Case: Zone or Point tones optimized for distance, throughput, or movement Callback Controls. Complete control over app logic for triggering engagements on tone detection Multichannel Transceiving. Simultaneous 2-way data exchange on up to three channels “This release marks a turning point for LISNR and our partners,” said Eric Allen, CEO of LISNR. “Ultrasonic technology is capable of far more than simply transmitting data—it’s about connecting merchants to customers, securely and in the moment, powering end-to-end engagements on and offline.”

Seamless Engagement, Multiplied Radius 3.1 transforms ultrasonic tech from a behind-the-scenes protocol to a customer-facing solution for meaningful, frictionless engagement across mobility, retail, digital wallets, rewards, digital identity, events, hospitality, healthcare, and beyond. Visit the LISNR website to learn more about the Radius SDK.

ABOUT LISNR®

Today’s customer expects seamless, secure, and context-aware interactions—anytime, anywhere. LISNR® helps brands deliver on that expectation by powering proximity engagement that works without dependence on hardware, connectivity, or QR codes. With millions of transmissions in over 100 countries, LISNR’s ultrasonic SDK (Radius®) and gamified consumer engagement platform (Quest) allow businesses to recognize presence, personalize experiences, and process transactions in real-time. From mobility and retail to fintech and hospitality, LISNR bridges the gap between digital and physical with proximity-first experiences that drive loyalty, revenue, and trust. For more information, visit LISNR.com.

The post LISNR Launches Next Generation Ultrasonic SDK for Radius appeared first on LISNR.

Join Mounaim Cortet at EBAday 2025 for a panel discussion on the future of Open Finance from 27 May 2025 till 28 May 2025 Trudy Zomer 20 May 2025 - 13:49 Paris

On 28 May, Mounaim Cortet, Vice President at INNOPAY, will be participating in a panel discussion on ‘The Future of Open Finance: The Impacts of New Regulation, Use Cases, and Business Models’ during EBAday 2025.

The session will explore the past, present and future of financial data access and how it paves the way for Open Finance, Banking as a Service and Embedded Finance. As part of the discussion, Mounaim will contribute insights from recent industry discussions on the Financial Data Access (FiDA) regulation. These include INNOPAY’s work on the FiDA “voice of the industry” report commissioned by the Euro Banking Association (EBA), highlighting both the strategic opportunities and challenges facing financial institutions.

Taking place on 27 and 28 May in Paris, EBAday is the leading annual event for payments and transaction banking professionals across Europe. It brings together senior executives from banks, fintechs, infrastructure providers, regulators, and industry bodies to discuss the trends shaping the future of payments and open finance.

Join the conversation and stay informed on how FiDA could shape the future of customer relationships, data infrastructure and innovation across the European financial ecosystem.

For more information and registration, go to the EBAday website

What if the real threat in the Hindu Kush Himalayas isn’t war, but collapse? What happens when melting glaciers, volatile politics, and fraying ecologies converge? Can we imagine security beyond borders — rooted in shared rivers, anticipatory governance, and a planetary ethic of care? What risks are we still refusing to see?

In June 2024, Dark Matter Labs was commissioned to develop a 75-year situational risk profile of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). The goal was to identify the potential of catastrophic risk in the region, i.e. to map a complex terrain of cascading environmental threats, political instability, and social vulnerabilities — that might, under certain pressures, tip into systemic crisis. One aspect we sought to explore was how water insecurity could add to political tensions and even lead to conditions for conflict in the region.

At the time, we chose not to share the full analysis publicly. Some of the risk intersections we identified, particularly around water infrastructure, migration corridors, and conflict hotspots, felt too sensitive, too easily misinterpreted or potentially weaponised. However, given the return of heightened conflict between India and Pakistan, it feels important to share at least part of our analysis. The objective is not to claim prescience or take sides but help shift the conversation away from land and borders to something much more oriented towards the socio-ecological continuities in the region that are hurtling towards systemic collapse. We offer this summary of our learnings in relation to the ongoing conflict.

Figure 1. The Hindu Kush Himalayas. Image by Nieves López Isquierdo¹. An Overview of Recent Events

On April 22, 2025, gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in the Himalayan resort town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, killing 25 visitors and a local guide². The brutality of the incident has shattered any evidence of tenuous calm in the region — a narrative that the Indian government has promoted since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 (which revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional autonomy). The Indian government blamed Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN proscribed terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, for the attack. Within days, New Delhi accused Islamabad of supporting the attackers and launched a diplomatic and economic offensive, despite there being no evidence of their involvement in the attacks. India downgraded ties, expelled Pakistani diplomats, sealed its land borders, and suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty — a crucial water-sharing arrangement between the countries that had previously survived three major wars between the two nations³. Pakistan, denying any involvement, bristled at the accusations and retaliated in kind. It closed its airspace to Indian flights, halted all trade, and put a nearly 50-year-old bilateral peace agreement, the Simla Agreement, on hold⁴.

For ordinary people on both sides of the border, the sudden freefall in relations and outbreak of military hostilities, has been alarming. In some regions, air raid sirens and border skirmishes have become nightly occurrences⁵. Even far from the conflict zone, the social fabric has been strained. The killings have opened up India’s already frayed religious and ethnic fault lines. In some Indian cities, anger over the Pahalgam killings has spilled into mob violence and xenophobia. Muslims, especially Kashmiris, living in places like Punjab and New Delhi, have found themselves harassed, assaulted, or shunned, as many Indians scapegoat them for the actions of militants⁶. Social media disinformation and the use of AI-manipulated content and deepfakes has been rampant on both sides, which has only fuelled polarisation and jingoism⁷.

Entangled Continuums / Systemic Risks

As the two nations trade fire and fury, a deeper crisis continues to unfold. HKH spans 3,500 kilometers across eight countries, towering as the planet’s ‘Third Pole’ with its vast ice fields and alpine ecosystems. It is an awe-inspiring landscape of glaciers, snow-fed rivers, and narrow valleys teeming with life — and risk. Even before the latest military flare-up, scientists and strategists had been sounding alarms about a cascading chain of environmental threats. Climate change is hitting the HKH region hard and fast. Average temperatures in the mountains are rising faster than the global average, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. If the world manages to limit global warming to +1.5°C, the Himalayas will likely experience about +2.0°C — enough to irreversibly alter its ecology. The spillover effects of such warming are already evident and will intensify: a third of all Himalayan glaciers could vanish, monsoon patterns are turning more erratic with heavier bursts of rain and longer droughts, and mountain disasters like landslides and flash floods are on the rise. All of this directly threatens the livelihoods and cultures of upland communities who have contributed almost nothing to global emissions but face outsize consequences.

Nowhere is the climate impact more dramatic than in the glaciers themselves. The HKH region holds about 73,000 square kilometers of glaciers — a crucial store of fresh water that feeds Asia’s great rivers and provides water to over 240 million people in the HKH mountains, and an estimated 1.65–2 billion people downstream, affecting populations as far south as Vietnam. These glaciers are in rapid retreat. Recent assessments show that glacier loss in the 2010s was 65% faster than in the previous decade. By mid-century, the region is expected to hit ‘peak water’ — meaning melting glaciers will swell rivers to a maximum — after which water flows decline steadily as the ice reserves dwindle. If global warming is kept to 1.5–2°C, the Himalayas will still lose about 30–50% of their glacier volume by 2100. This is already an impossible target to meet. On the current trajectory of around 3°C of warming, up to three-quarters of the glacier ice could disappear by the end of the century. Such a loss would be catastrophic, causing both dangerous flooding in the near term and severe water shortages and food insecurity for decades thereafter. Food and water security for the HKH depend on the seasonal meltwater from glaciers. As one report starkly put it, “the people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming are at high risk” — and current adaptation efforts are nowhere near enough to help them cope.

Figure 2. Geodetic mass balance of glaciers in each region of the HKH and for the whole region (inset) for 1975–1999, 2000–2009, and 2010–2019. The size of the bars and their colour depend on changes in the average mass balance, expressed in metres water equivalent per year (m w.e. per year). The vertical black lines show the uncertainty. The bold numbers beside each basin give the glacier region in the Randolph Glacier Inventory⁸.Figure 3. Overview of all recorded cryospheric events in the HKH since 2015⁹.

In such a fragile landscape of risk, India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is particularly ominous. The Indus River and its tributaries support 80 percent of irrigated agriculture in Pakistan,as well hydropower. Pakistani officials warned that any attempt by India to choke the Indus River would be taken as an “act of war” and met with “full force”¹⁰, and are in the process of finalising a legal response¹¹. In other words, water — the most basic of shared resources — has become a potential weapon, and it portentous for other resource wars to escalate in a time of climate induced scarcity. Similarly, consider the Brahmaputra River (known as Yarlung Tsangpo in China) which winds from Tibet into India and Bangladesh. China’s construction of mega-dams upstream and its plans to possibly divert waters have caused consternation in India, which has responded with its own infrastructure projects in the region (notably the construction of India’s longest under-river tunnel across the Brahmaputra¹²). The risk here is that 50% of the Brahmaputra’s catchment is in Chinese-controlled territory. While not explicitly weaponised as in the case of the Indus Water Treaty, there is a threat to India and Bangladesh if Beijing opts to exert too much control. Climate change, in this context, is a risk multiplier: more erratic monsoons and faster glacial melt could lead to sudden floods one decade and crippling droughts the next, without any nation firing a shot. Or worse: forcing one side or both to push towards hot war. All the countries of the HKH are thus bound in a high-stakes environmental lottery. Upstream actions create downstream impacts, and an extreme event in one place — be it a cloudburst, landslide, or outburst flood from a glacial lake — can send ripples of disaster through valleys that span multiple nations.

It is also important to recognize how multiple hazards stack onto vulnerable mountain populations. A recent multi-hazard assessment of the HKH found that nearly half (around 49%) of the region’s people are exposed to more than one type of natural hazard — often simultaneously. Only 19% of the population resides in the safest third of the land area, whereas one-fifth live in the most dangerous 9% of land where floods, landslides, and wildfires overlap. Many of the high-risk zones are precisely the densely populated mountain valleys and foothill corridors where development has concentrated. For example, the Kashmir Valley, Nepal’s Middle Hills, and parts of the Hindu Kush in Pakistan all feature towns and farmlands squeezed between steep slopes and flood-prone rivers. When heavy monsoon rains come or when a glacier lake suddenly bursts its banks, the damage can be enormous and quickly crosses borders. This was evident in 2010 when epic floods in Pakistan (triggered by unusual monsoon patterns linked to a warming atmosphere) affected 20 million people and even impacted parts of Indian Kashmir downstream. Likewise, a major landslide or earthquake in the Himalayas could dam rivers or reroute them, with downstream countries helpless to prevent flooding. Such cascading disasters are not hypothetical — they are a question of when, not if. Each event can act as a threat multiplier: displacing communities, straining governments, and potentially fueling social unrest or migration that ignites new conflicts (fig. 4).

Figure 4. An illustrative 50-year Risk Profile for the HKH. Image by Prateek Shankar, Dark Matter Labs.

The Pahalgam terror attack and the ensuing military standoff occurred against such a backdrop of environmental fragility. In a very real sense, the skirmishes over borders and the looming crisis over glaciers are part of a single continuum of risk. Both stem from hyper-stressed systems that are increasingly interlinked. The HKH region faces an ‘entangled continuum’ of threats where a trigger in one domain (e.g., security) can exacerbate vulnerabilities in another (e.g., water and climate), and vice versa. It is no coincidence that as India and Pakistan were trading fire, they were also trading accusations over water and power supply. Nor is it a coincidence that even as soldiers were entrenched on the frontiers, families were worried about blackouts and crop irrigation back home. In this environment, a narrow focus on conventional, ‘hard’ security threats alone begins to look dangerously myopic.

This is why the lens of the nation-state, though institutionally powerful, is insufficient to understand what is happening in the region. The rivers of the HKH do not follow treaties or the speeches of political leaders in Delhi and Islamabad. They swell, split, and migrate. So do its communities, its vulnerabilities, and its threats. Treating each skirmish, each event, and each border incident as a contained political dispute misses the deeper story: the systemic weakening of a shared ecological and civilisational fabric. In the days following the Pahalgam attack, much of the attention had focused on questions of accountability and justice. But as long as that attention remains bounded by flags and frontiers, it risks missing the larger terrain of risk. This is not a region defined by conflict. It is defined by continuity. Migratory routes, trade flows, shared cosmologies, and mountain knowledge: these threads have always connected lives across what are now hard and militarized borders. The recent outbreak of conflict is not just the resurfacing of old grievances, but the fraying of such threads under new and regionally shared pressures — pressures which are barely acknowledged in public discourse in the region.

Figure 5. Development pathways and possible scenarios for the Hindu Kush Himalayas in 2080¹³.

As an informed public and as stakeholders in this region’s future, we must push our leaders to recognize the continuum of risk. It is no longer enough to simply ‘defeat terrorism’ or ‘secure the border’ in a vacuum. Security in the HKH needs to be reconceived as ecological and human security, requiring principled and mediated dialogue and joint strategies that span from the highest mountain peak to the lowest floodplain. Instead of viewing each other as primary threats, countries of the HKH — and more importantly their leaders — may need to see that they face a common threat which is the entangled crisis of climate warming, a more volatile planet and the cascading disasters it will bring. In short, we must imagine a renewed sense of planetary security that recognises the entanglement of these risks and our shared futures (e.g. shared data infrastructures, anticipatory risk modeling, whole-systems analysis and bold diplomatic innovation). Ultimately, a bullet fired or a treaty broken in anger is not just an act against a rival nation, but against the shared life-support systems that all nations depend on.

This blog was written by Zehra Zaidi and Prateek Shankar (who are British-Pakistani and Indian respectively). It summarizes key findings from a June 2024 report titled “Crisis Landscapes at the Third Pole: Situational Risk Assessment of the Hindu Kush Himalayas” as part of the Planetary Civics mission at Dark Matter Labs. The full report can be made available on request.

Learn more about the mission on our alliance website: Planetary Civics Inquiry.

If you are interested working with us on exploring potential systems interventions in the HKH, or would like to get in touch, please contact us at planetary-civics-inquiry@darkmatterlabs.org. Sources

[1] ICIMOD, Hindu Kush Himalayan Region, (icimod.org); Shresta, A.B. et al., (2015). The Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas: Impacts on climate change on water resources in five of Asia’s river basins, ICIMOD, GRID-Arendal and CICERO.

[2] Sharma, Yashraj. “‘Burst Balloon’: How Pahalgam Attack Shattered Modi’s Kashmir Narrative.” Al Jazeera, 28 Apr. 2025. Source.

[3] Sharma, Harikishan. “What India’s Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty Means for Pakistan — and for Itself.” The Indian Express, 24 Apr. 2025, Source.

[4] Shahzad, Asif, et al. “Pakistan Closes Air Space for Indian Airlines, Warns against Water Treaty Violation as Ties Plummet.” Reuters, 24 Apr. 2025. Source.

[5] Ahmed, Aftab, and Charlotte Greenfield. “India, Pakistan Accuse Each Other of Attacks as Hostilities Rise.” Reuters, 9 May 2025. Source.

[6] Sharma, Yashraj. “‘We’re Cursed’: Kashmiris under Attack across India after Pahalgam Killings.” Al Jazeera, 25 Apr. 2025. Source.

[7] Siow, Maria. “Misinformation warfare intensifies in India and Pakistan as conflict rages on’. South China Morning Post, 16 May 2025. Source.

[8] HI-WISE Report, Chapter 2, p. 34.

[9] HI-WISE Report, Chapter 3, p. 91.

[10] Shahzad, Asif, et al. “Pakistan Closes Air Space for Indian Airlines, Warns against Water Treaty Violation as Ties Plummet.” Reuters, 24 Apr. 2025. Source.

[11] “Pakistan Readying To Challenge India’s Suspension Of Vital Water Treaty Amid Rising Tensions”, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 29 Apr. 2025. Source.

[12] Dash, Dipak K. “Panel Green-Signals Under-River Tunnel across Brahmaputra; Returns 2 Projects in J&K Citing Deficiencies.” The Times of India, 16 Apr. 2025. Source.

[13] P. Wester, A. Mishra, A. Mukherji, A. B. Shrestha (eds) (2019) The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment — Mountains, Climate Change, Sustainability and People, Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham, Chapter 4, p.101; see also Sanhita Sahasrabudhe and Udayan Mishra, Summary of the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment Report (2019), ICIMOD, p. 14.

The Risks We Share: Climate, Conflict, and Continuity in the Hindu Kush Himalayas was originally published in Dark Matter Laboratories on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

IDnow’s collaborative research project, MAMMOTH, which explores ways of addressing bias in face verification systems, comes to an end in Autumn 2025. Here, we share a summary of the findings so far, and what it could mean for a more inclusive future of identity verification.

Face verification has emerged as an indispensable way for businesses to quickly and securely prove the identity of their customers. There are multiple reasons for its widespread adoption, including enhanced security, reduced operational costs, and elevated user experiences.

What is face verification and when is it used? 

Face verification is a form of biometric technology that uses the unique features of a face to confirm an identity. In the context of remote identify verification, it involves capturing a digital image of a person’s face, often in real time, and comparing it to the identity photo extracted from a submitted identity document. 

The ‘one-to-one’ matching process of face verification differs from the ‘one-to-many’ matching technique of face recognition, which involves identifying an individual from images of other individuals. 

When combined with liveness detection, 3D depth analysis, and AI-powered pattern recognition, face verification can verify identity documents and the actual person behind them to dramatically reduce account takeovers, synthetic identity fraud, and impersonation attempts while creating a seamless customer experience. 

From banking onboarding to airport security, face verification can transform time-consuming identity checks into seamless moments of trust. Beyond its commercial benefits, face verification offers significant social and economic advantages. It is particularly transformative in regions where many lack traditional forms of ID, providing an accessible means to verify identity and unlock services. 

However, despite its widespread use, many face verification systems are still underperforming for specific demographics, such as darker skinned people. 

In fact, a 2019 study by MIT Media Lab discovered that while face verification error rates for white men were just 0.8%, they jumped to 34.7% for darker skinned women.  

This demographic bias isn’t just a technical flaw – it undermines the right to equal access to essential digital services, such as opening bank accounts or registering for welfare or health services.

Undertaking a MAMMOTH project.

In 2022, alongside 12 European partners, including academic institutions, associations and private companies, IDnow set out to break down these barriers of bias. 

Funded by the European Research Executive Agency of the European Commission, the goal was to study existing biases and offer a toolkit for AI engineers, developers and data scientists so they may better identify and mitigate biases in datasets and algorithm outputs. 

In April 2025, I attended the ‘Addressing visual bias in Biometric Identity Verification‘ webinar to share some of the findings from the project, discuss how face verification biases arise and what can be done to address them. 

I was joined by Ioannis Sarridis, Deep Learning Researcher at The Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Dr Miquel Pérez Torres, Educational Developer at the University of Groningen and Dr Francisco Hernández, Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer at University of Groningen, and was excited to share a solution to this very real problem in the digital world.

What’s the problem? Skin tone bias in ID verification.

State-of-the-art face verification models trained on conventional datasets show a significant increase in error rates for individuals with darker skin tones. This is due to an underrepresentation of minority demographics in public datasets. This lack of diversity in the data makes it difficult for models to perform well on underrepresented groups, leading to higher error rates for people with darker skin tones. This reinforces the urgent need for targeted solutions that address demographic imbalance in training data.

What’s the solution? The power of representation.

Ensuring face verification models are trained on a balanced dataset of images featuring characteristics typically absent from public datasets significantly improves model performance overall. For instance, as identity card photos may undergo color transformations applied by issuing bodies (e.g., governments), skin tone plays an important role, particularly if the calibration is not optimized for darker skin tones.  

This miscalibration can create inconsistencies between the captured selfie image and the individual’s appearance in the ID card photo, especially for those with darker skin tones. 

This shows that training using a demographically balanced real-world dataset that mirrors the specific characteristics and variability of identity card images can ensure more accurate and fair recognition for individuals with darker skin tones. 

To address this issue, IDnow proposed using a ‘style transfer’ method to generate new identity card photos that mimic the natural variation and inconsistencies found in real-world data. By augmenting the training dataset with synthetic images, it not only improves model robustness through exposure to a wider range of variations but also enables a further reduction of bias against darker skin faces.  

Various experiments on public and proprietary real-world datasets reveal that fine-tuning state-of-the-art face verification models with the proposed methodology yields an 8% improvement in verification accuracy, while requiring only 25% of the original training data. In doing so, the accuracy gap between skin tone groups was reduced by more than 50%, ultimately leading to a fairer face verification system. 

Incorporating learnings from the MAMMOTH project has enabled us to improve the IDnow face verification system so that we may better address ethnically diverse markets in Europe and beyond.

1. Photo ID.  2. Photo meeting conformity standards. 3. Selfie found in reference database. A synthetic solution to a real-world problem.

As the global adoption of biometric face verification systems continues to increase across industries, it’s crucial to ensure that these systems are accurate and fair for all individuals, regardless of skin tone, gender or age. By focusing on designing balanced, ID card-specific training datasets and leveraging synthetic data augmentation techniques, such as style transfer, we can significantly reduce bias and improve the robustness of these models. 

However, without a legal framework to ensure ethical standards are adhered to, even the greatest technological breakthrough will fall short of making a long-lasting socio and economic impact. We are proud of the work we are doing to reduce bias in face verification systems and are hopeful that such guidance will become standard in global regulations, such as the EU AI Act. 

For a deeper dive into findings from the MAMMOTH project, watch the full webinar.

The MAMMOTH project ensured all security measures were followed to protect data and comply with internationally accepted standards and privacy regulations, including GDPR. 

The MAMMOTH project was funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement ID: 101070285. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

By

Dr Elmokhtar Mohamed Moussa
Research Scientist, Biometrics Team
Connect with Elmokhtar on LinkedIn

As part of our ongoing series highlighting key contributors to the House Party Protocol (HPP), we spoke with Terry Kim, CEO of AlphaQuark, a core partner in the HPP ecosystem. AlphaQuark has positioned itself at the intersection of real-world assets (RWA), NFTs, and smart financial infrastructure, delivering tools to bring traditional asset valuation into the on-chain world. In this interview, Terry outlines how AlphaQuark is evolving alongside HPP, and why L2 scalability, AI integration, and cross-chain connectivity are unlocking the next frontier for tokenized assets.

Q1: How would you describe AlphaQuark’s role within the HPP ecosystem?
Terry Kim: AlphaQuark was built with a clear mission: to bridge real-world asset value into the blockchain economy. Within HPP, we act as the asset intelligence layer. We’re building not only tokenization systems but also pricing models, data integration tools, and evaluation protocols that let real-world assets interface with smart contracts. The result is a deeper connection between tangible value and programmable finance. In many ways, we’re the “what it’s worth” layer in an ecosystem that’s about verifying, trading, and applying that value.

Q2: How does AlphaQuark benefit from the transition to HPP Layer 2?
Terry Kim: L2 opens up much-needed bandwidth for complex asset logic. Valuation data changes frequently. Compliance checks, liquidity modeling, and even AI-based risk assessments all require more than static smart contracts. HPP Layer 2 gives us the ability to deploy more advanced contract logic and integrate AI agents without bottlenecking performance. It’s the infrastructure upgrade we needed to take AlphaQuark from issuing assets to operating living, evolving asset networks.

Q3: What is the possible shift for AlphaQuark after the launch of HPP?
Terry Kim: HPP marks a major turning point for us. We’ve always focused on building infrastructure for decentralized value, and with HPP Layer 2, we can now do that at scale and with far more sophistication. We’re not pivoting from traditional finance — we’re fully committing to building natively within Web3. This means optimizing for composability, data streaming, and AI-native integrations rather than relying on legacy compatibility. It’s a natural evolution of where we’ve been headed.

Q4: What makes AlphaQuark uniquely suited to contribute to a unified data and AI-first ecosystem like HPP?
Terry Kim: We’re already working with datasets that traditional DeFi protocols can’t handle: appraisal records, legal certificates, and real-world transaction history. Bringing these into the HPP ecosystem means integrating them with AI agents and verifiers. It also means building a common language for “what is valuable” across both human institutions and autonomous protocols. That’s a challenge we’re trying to solve.

Q5: What are some specific industries where AlphaQuark’s RWA infrastructure is seeing the most traction?
Terry Kim: Real estate is a big one, not just tokenizing properties, but bringing appraisal logic, loan terms, and insurance factors on-chain. We’re also seeing interest from insurance platforms, IP marketplaces, and even ESG data providers. They all need trust-minimized ways to package and transfer value. That’s what we will provide.

Q6: How is AlphaQuark leveraging smart contracts for asset valuation, and how will this evolve with L2?
Terry Kim: Right now, we use smart contracts to define valuation rules and create standardized RWA token formats. With HPP L2, we’ll be able to dynamically update those contracts with AI-supplied data. Imagine smart contracts that evolve based on real-time economic indicators, appraisal updates, or audit streams. We also see tremendous potential in AI-powered oracles, which can serve as a dynamic verification and data delivery layer for valuation logic. This will give RWAs a much more intelligent and adaptive pricing mechanism.

Q7: How do you approach data validation and compliance when bridging off-chain assets on-chain?
Terry Kim: We apply a mix of off-chain attestations, oracles, and verified issuers. The HPP ecosystem dramatically improves this with W3DB’s Verification-as-a-Service and Booost’s identity frameworks. That’s the beauty of an integrated ecosystem: we don’t have to build everything ourselves—we just connect to other verified components.

Q8: How do you see AlphaQuark integrating AI and autonomous agents?
Terry Kim: In two ways. First, AI will help process valuation data faster, especially in volatile or emerging markets. Second, autonomous agents can execute strategies like rebalancing asset portfolios, flagging suspicious price anomalies, or even initiating compliance actions. The endgame is programmable value, and AI is the logic layer that makes that real.

Q10: In 3–5 years, what role do you hope AlphaQuark will play in the future of on-chain finance?
Terry Kim: I hope we become the trusted layer for pricing and packaging real-world value. Whether it’s a digital twin of an asset, a structured NFT portfolio, or an AI-driven risk model, I want AlphaQuark to be the valuation oracle that DeFi and TradFi both trust. That’s the long game.

We’re the “what it’s worth” layer in an ecosystem that involves verifying, trading, and applying that value.

Open House: Interview with AlphaQuark CEO on Real-World Assets in the Age of HPP was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“What if centralized dominance is just what success looks like in our current system?”

A Digital Identity Digest Redefining Success: Centralization as a Feature or a Failure? Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 10 seconds 00:00 / 00:09:41 Subscribe Share Amazon Apple Podcasts CastBox Listen Notes Overcast Pandora Player.fm PocketCasts Podbean RSS Spotify TuneIn YouTube iHeartRadio RSS Feed Share Link Embed

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That’s not a defense of centralization; it is a challenge to how we think about centralization vs decentralization, and how we define progress in enterprise systems and platform design. In tech, success is often framed in terms of scale, speed, and adoption. The bigger you grow, the more central you become. And we rarely stop to ask: Is that centralization a feature… or a failure of imagination?

This is the third post in a series about decentralization in enterprise systems, not as an ideal, but as a spectrum of tradeoffs we all navigate:

In Engineering Meets Economics, I argued that flexibility is more valuable than ideological purity. We need systems that can move between centralized and decentralized states. In How Decentralized Are You Willing to Pay For?, I explored what that flexibility actually costs in time, money, tooling, and culture.

Today, I want to take a step back and ask: Why is it so hard to justify decentralization in the first place? What are we really rewarding when we call a system “successful”?

Success Metrics That Skew Centralized

Let’s be honest: most of our current incentives favor centralization. Consider how we measure success in enterprise or platform strategy:

Market share → the more users you serve, the more value you’re assumed to create Efficiency → fewer systems, fewer teams, tighter control Reliability → built-in resilience that looks like robustness, even when it’s just concentration Governance → top-down visibility, fast decision-making, single owners

These are all perfectly reasonable goals. But these goals bias us toward consolidation. And once centralized systems become dominant, they become self-reinforcing; technically, economically, and even culturally.

That said, even centralized dominance is rarely permanent. In his book Clockspeed (have you read that book? No? You should.), Charles Fine argues that competitive advantage, whether it comes from control of the supply chain, platform dominance, or speed to market, is always temporary. The faster your environment moves, the more critical it becomes to reconfigure quickly. That makes modular systems, distributed governance, and optionality not just design preferences, but survival traits.

In that light, centralization might get you to success, but it won’t keep you there.

What’s the Alternative? Success as a Balancing Act

So let’s ask a different question:

What if success isn’t just about growth, but instead about sustaining healthy tension between centralized power and distributed control?

That’s what good governance often looks like. It’s not pure autonomy or rigid hierarchy. It’s a structure that lets people collaborate without collapsing into uniformity.

This isn’t a utopian call for federating all the things. It’s a call to recognize when centralization is helping and when it’s masking fragility, dependency, or misalignment.

We decentralize within organizations all the time:

We spin up new product teams We delegate budget and decision-making to local units We distribute accountability through OKRs and KPIs

But we do it with clear guardrails, shared incentives, and coordination models. In those cases, decentralization is seen as a sign of maturity, not a threat.

So why do we treat infrastructure decentralization like chaos? (Probably because we don’t do it well, but we can fix that.)

What This Means for Architecture (and the Org Chart)

If we accept that centralization is often the default path, not necessarily the best one, then we need to build systems that allow for intentional divergence.

That means:

Designing systems that don’t break when more than one authority exists Structuring metrics to reward adaptability, not just consolidation Treating decentralization not as risk, but as a capacity for complexity

And yes, it also means knowing when centralization is a good choice because it simplifies the right things, not everything.

Rethinking the Goal

You don’t need to decentralize your stack into a thousand services. (Good gravy, can you even imagine the insanity?) But you do need to ask:

Are we building systems that grow toward concentration by default because that’s easier to explain, easier to pitch, or easier to measure? Or are we designing for the kinds of success that hold space for flexibility, autonomy, and resilience?

If centralization is the only outcome we allow ourselves to count, we’re optimizing for a world where fragility just looks like efficiency … until it doesn’t.

There’s one more post in this series coming up next week: Governance Is the Next Bottleneck. I hope you’ve subscribed to get your notification when it comes out!

Want to stay updated? I write about digital identity and related standards—because someone has to keep track of all this! Subscribe to get a notification when new blog posts go live. No spam, just announcements of new posts. [Subscribe here] 

Transcript

[00:00:00]
Welcome to the Digital Identity Digest, the audio companion to the blog at Spherical Cow Consulting. I’m Heather Flanagan, and every week I break down interesting topics in the field of digital identity—from credentials and standards to browser weirdness and policy twists. If you work with digital identity but don’t have time to follow every specification or hype cycle, you’re in the right place.

[00:00:26]
Let’s get into it.

[00:00:29]
Hey everybody, welcome back. This is the third episode in our series on centralization and decentralization, and the balance between the two.

If you’re just tuning in now, here’s what you’ve missed:

In episode one, we explored why resilience isn’t about being centralized or decentralized. It’s about being able to move between the two models when circumstances change. In episode two, we looked at the real cost of building that kind of flexibility. Because optionality isn’t free. It takes planning, coordination, and a willingness to invest before you need it. Why Is Decentralization a Hard Sell?

[00:01:01]
And that brings us to today’s topic. Why is decentralization often still such a hard sell, especially inside enterprises?

[00:01:09]
One answer is because most of our success metrics reward centralization.

[00:01:15]
If we don’t challenge how we’re defining success, we’re going to keep optimizing for systems that look great—right up until the point that they don’t.

Centralization and Scale

[00:01:22]
Let’s talk about that in tech. We don’t just love things at scale; we know how to do things at scale fairly well.

[00:01:31]
When we’re working with centralized systems, we know the playbook:

Throw more hardware at it Replicate the databases Spin things up in other regions Set up failovers, caching, and routing magic to absorb traffic

And that totally works—up to a point. Even when control is centralized, we’re very good at scaling the infrastructure around it.

[00:01:50]
When it comes to decentralized models, we know how to do that too. We just don’t plan that way as often.

[00:01:56]
At least not anymore. Think about the protocols from the early days of the Internet: DNS, BGP, SMTP. They’re not flawless or simple, but they work at global scale because they were built to distribute control and survive failure.

[00:02:14]
Everyone gets a piece of the responsibilities in those protocols. Everyone can operate within a shared structure. That’s decentralized centralization, and we did it really well.

The Problem with Success Metrics

[00:02:25]
But now, today’s challenge: most of the success metrics we use today, especially in enterprise systems, still push us towards centralization.

[00:02:33]
Why? Because it looks faster, is easier to explain, and is a lot easier to report on.

[00:02:40]
But when success is only measured by how tightly we can control the system, we end up building architectures that aren’t particularly flexible. And that’s a problem.

Centralization Helped Us Grow—But Does It Still?

[00:02:49]
Now let’s step back for a moment. You might be thinking, “Well, yes, but centralization is what helped us grow as a company, helped us grow at speed.” And yes, you are absolutely right. Centralization often is what helps organizations move fast, simplify complexity, and work at scale. It gives you:

Clean handoffs Predictable systems Fewer moving parts Optimized performance without needing to get everyone to agree on everything

And when you’re trying to move quickly, those things are real advantages.

[00:03:19]
But the thing is, those advantages—whether from your infrastructure perspective or your market perspective—don’t last forever.

[00:03:30]
Markets might shift, regulations might change, vendor lock-in might become a liability, and the systems that helped you grow start to hold you back.

[00:03:40]
There’s a great idea from supply chain strategy that applies here: the faster your environment moves, the more important it becomes to reconfigure quickly.

[00:03:48]
And that’s where centralized success starts to crack—not because it failed technically, but because it couldn’t adapt fast enough.

[00:03:56]
So the question isn’t, “Didn’t centralization help us grow?” It’s, “Can we keep growing without the ability to be a little bit more flexible?”

Decentralization in Organizations

[00:04:07]
It’s kind of funny—we decentralize all the time, but just not when it comes to our infrastructure and definitely not our identity infrastructures.

Inside organizations, we break up control and distribute responsibility on purpose:

Teams have their own budgets Product groups make roadmap decisions Key performance indicators are set at the department level, not just at the company level

[00:04:31]
Why? Because trying to control everything from the top down slows you down. It’s more sustainable to align goals than to micromanage every function.

Take a typical enterprise product org as an example. One team focuses on mobile, another on partner integrations, a third on internal tooling. Each team moves independently within shared priorities. They don’t all escalate to the CIO to push code; they’re trusted to make decisions locally based on their goals and context. We don’t call that chaos—we call that autonomy and maturity.

[00:05:05]
Think of it like a city: every neighborhood has its own character, maybe its own rules, but they follow the same traffic lights, zoning laws, public services. That’s decentralization with coordination.

[00:05:17]
The control, to an extent, is distributed. If we can do this with people and even in governments—if we can handle distributed authority in complex orgs—why does decentralizing infrastructure sometimes feel so risky? It’s not because we can’t do it. It’s because we haven’t applied the same thinking to systems that we apply to teams of people.

Building Flexibility into Identity

[00:05:42]
If centralization has been our default version of success, what does success look like when you build in the flexibility to decentralize?

[00:05:50]
It doesn’t mean blowing up your current architecture, because that would probably be bad and you wouldn’t get very far.

[00:05:56]
It doesn’t mean ditching your identity provider or rebuilding everything from scratch, because that also wouldn’t make you very popular and probably wouldn’t get you very far. But it does mean designing for modularity and movement.

[00:06:07]
A successful, flexible identity system might include:

Federated logins that work across partners but don’t collapse if one party changes their trust model Credential issuance that’s anchored to your core directory but usable outside your domain Policy enforcement that supports delegation, so different teams or regions can adapt without rewriting global configurations Flexible authentication layers that can shift to support new protocols without breaking legacy systems

[00:06:42]
Another good example of flexible identity systems that don’t require a centralized focus.

[00:06:49]
Ask yourself in your organization:

Can you change identity providers without breaking logins for 50,000 users? Can you delegate trust without rerouting everything through one central system?

[00:07:03]
Are you prepared to adapt when legal or business requirements shift, or will you end up frozen and need to make a plan on the fly?

[00:07:14]
Being able to say “yes” to those things—that’s what success with flexibility looks like.

Key Takeaways

[00:07:25]
You don’t have to decentralize everything—and probably shouldn’t. But if your architecture can accommodate controlled divergence and flexibility, you’re set up for long-term success.

[00:07:43]
That’s what matters. That’s what’s really cool.

[00:07:46]
Here’s the takeaway from today.

[00:07:50]
Centralization isn’t the enemy. But if success only counts as scale, simplicity, or speed, that story can get brittle quickly.

[00:08:03]
We already know how to decentralize in our org charts and delegate decisions without chaos. We just haven’t always brought that thinking into our infrastructure and identity systems—but we could.

[00:08:15]
Success doesn’t have to mean one system to rule them all. It can mean systems that adapt without starting over. That adaptability only works when you’ve got governance built in to support it.

[00:08:30]
Our technology is almost good enough—sometimes more than good enough. But shared control takes more than configuration files. It takes structure, accountability, and intention.

Closing Thoughts

[00:08:53]
And remember, resilient systems don’t just run well—they recover well and grow on purpose.

[00:09:04]
That’s it for this week’s episode of the Digital Identity Digest. If this helped make things clearer or more interesting, share it with a friend or colleague and connect with me on LinkedIn @hlflanagan. If you enjoyed the show, subscribe and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. You can also find the full post at sphericalcowconsulting.com.

Stay curious, stay engaged, and let’s keep these conversations going.

The post Redefining Success: Centralization as a Feature or a Failure? appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

This has been a busy month in the world of crypto, with anonymous crypto soon to be banned by the EU, AML fines being handed out left right and centre, new crypto AML laws in the works, and much more. Buckle up, it's time for Crypto.

The post The CryptoCubed Newsletter: May Edition first appeared on ComplyCube.

Welcome back to our ongoing reflections on the Many-to-Many project! If you joined us for our first post, you’ll know we’re trying to reimagine complex governance. For over two years, we’ve been working with diverse partners to understand how groups of organisations can collaborate more effectively to tackle challenges bigger than any single entity could manage alone. This journey has generated a wealth of detailed and complex information.

Many-to-Many is designed for groups who want to collaborate to solve complex challenges but require new ideas about value, ownership, and power.

One part of our team recently spent an intensive week together in Berlin, focusing on transforming this rich knowledge into accessible information, tools, and insights shared via a digital platform. We committed to “working out loud” and sharing our progress and learnings along the way. Several weeks have passed since our Berlin session and our initial blog post. We had ambitious timelines, and as is often the case with complex projects, the path has had its twists and turns. In this post, we — Michelle, Gurden, and Arianna — share an honest update on what we’ve bumped into, how our thinking has evolved, and the human process of building something meaningful.

Michelle: So, we talked about “working out loud.” It’s been about four or five weeks since we published the last blog post. We had these grand ambitions in Berlin, thinking we’d have much more to share publicly by now, and that hasn’t quite happened. I’m interested in discussing what we bumped into. What were our blockers? We’ve still made progress, but what prohibited us from moving as quickly as we initially thought?

Gurden: I can start… I think the process, looking back, has been very human. Let’s be honest, this period, at least in Berlin, had holidays almost every week. Arianna took some time off, and I think some of us got sick. So, if we’re slow, that’s one reason. But secondly, and this was a blessing in disguise for me as the newest team member, I got time for my mind to slowly digest everything. Arianna and I talked about this — this pace allowed our perspective to mould in a nice way, rather than forcing something out.

I’m very happy that after our workshop, we published the first blog and got a really good signal. Many people commented, liked, and shared it on LinkedIn, and some reached out directly via email. That itself shows what we’re building is on a good path. Then you, Michelle, who is working painstakingly on the Many-to-Many System mega model and documenting your thought process — stopping at key milestones and briefing us. This allowed all three of us to bounce ideas off each other, crystallising, and navigating as we go. Arianna and I started wireframing, which is our way to think out loud, understand, and prioritise.

But, there’s so much content, so we asked a question to try and help us simply and hone into the real essence — “What needs to be on the homepage?” We started with the journey from the workshop, and we’re evolving. Our first wireframe to what we have now — it’s becoming very tangible. The tangibility has increased a lot since the workshop. It’s getting more visual and taking on a website-like frame. My feedback on the earlier design was that there was too much, maybe 10 buttons, and now it’s becoming more focused. That’s definitely positive. As a coder, I can imagine how we’ll set up the system, the database. I’m looking forward to validating it with other human beings.

Thinking through prototyping, going from stories to wireframing steps in the narration

Arianna: I can go next. After the workshop, we came to realise how complex it is to navigate the vast amount of information we’re dealing with, especially when it comes to understanding what a person wants, and what they’re struggling with or needing. These two aspects are deeply intertwined, but they unfold across many layers of detail.

At one point, we found ourselves with a triple navigation system, full of sub-navigations. It became clear that this structure, instead of helping, would likely add confusion; even for someone already familiar with the content but searching for something specific.

Therefore we spent a lot of time rethinking categorization and identifying different types of information. We started asking: is this one website, one narration explanation? Or could we introduce a double narration including tools and needs? That’s when it clicked — we actually need stories. Not just technical explanations or dry structures.

The knowledge Michelle, Annette, and Angela bring is full of stories — rich, lived, and layered. And stories are powerful, especially for someone new to a platform. They provide orientation, connection, and meaning.

Michelle: I want to quickly revisit what you were saying, Gurden, about the time to digest. It’s fascinating, and I’m making a meta-point here. I’ve been trying to digest everything we’ve learned over the past multiple years into our Many-to-Many System. In almost every fifth slide, I’m thinking, “We didn’t all have enough time to digest this at the time we were doing it.” And I’ve realised that’s a key point because of so many unfulfilled potentials. It created a real centralisation because if the whole collaboration didn’t fully understand what was going on, knowledge tended to centralize back into a few people. So, at the end of the day, learning happens at the pace humans can learn, mixed in with all the other stuff they have going on in their lives. As a meta-reflection, we just have to keep reminding ourselves that no matter how good the structures or digital tools are, a collaboration is ultimately about humans. That’s always going to be a factor.

In terms of the process of building this system, I liked what both of you were saying about refinement, categorization, and creating intelligent information architectures. How do we make this so that someone can actually enter this world and find their way around? For me, that has been the hardest part — consistently zooming in and zooming out. Thinking about something at the highest conceptual, strategic level, all the way down to what we learned, how we structured it, and then how we put this information onto a website where people know what button to push. This is a very wide-spanning problem space.

The last thing is this concept Arianna alluded to: we’ve been bouncing ideas around. The three of us have been pushing ahead in our own parts but checking in regularly. Frankly, without those check-in moments, none of this could have progressed. It’s so dense that it needs more than one brain on it at a time to untangle it.

Bouncing ideas around, but with precise meaning and positionalities

Gurden: Yes, what both of you said resonates with me. We’re calling it “systems,” but humans are at the center and heart of everything. That’s who we’re making it for. In our wireframing, we concluded that the first thing is the mindset people are coming from, and then we came to stories because that’s what humans connect with.

It’s been great having you both to bounce ideas and discuss any confusion. But I’ll highlight this as a challenge as well: when we put this website out, there will be one brave person going through it by themselves, most likely. How this website gives that companionship is something we’ve been thinking about. We’ve used words like “guide” and “field guide.” Maybe the brand and design should embody this — like, “Hey, we’re here, we understand it’s a hard, human thing, and we’re here to help.”

Michelle: Maybe that’s a great place to kind of end this blog? By asking, has anyone seen that done well? Does anyone know of any really great digital spaces that are trying to be a guide to help people navigate complex information, especially in a collaborative or shared, multi-person context? I haven’t.

Gurden: A lot of sites have that chatbot thing pop up on the right. I absolutely hate it; for me, that is not the answer. Maybe the bot is getting smarter with AI, but I don’t think that’s enough for our case.

Arianna: It’s about creating an ongoing, embodied story. One that offers orientation, not just information. At the same time, it needs to provide usable tools. So there’s a dual role: guiding through narrative, and supporting through function.

Not just about simplifying the complexity, but offering clarity and companionship within it.

On that note, we’ll pause this reflection. The journey continues, and the challenge of creating a truly supportive and navigable digital space for complex collaboration is one we’re embracing. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you encountered digital spaces that go beyond pop up chatbots and effectively guide users through complexity? Share your examples and ideas in the comments below!

You can find our previous post and stay updated by joining the Beyond the Rules newsletter here.

And a big thanks to the other members of our team — Annette and Angela, who weren’t with us in Berlin, but are key stewards of this work.

Navigating Complexity: Embracing the Human Pace was originally published in Dark Matter Laboratories on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Voting on Snapshot is gasless and secure, and it gives token holders the ability to help shape the ecosystem's future. Follow the steps below to cast your vote on proposals like AIP-22 future governance votes.

What You’ll Need:

1. A supported wallet (e.g. MetaMask, Phantom, or any WalletConnect-compatible wallet)

2. $AERGO tokens held in your self-custody wallet before the snapshot time

There needs to be $AERGO tokens in your wallet…

🕐 To be eligible, you must hold your $AERGO tokens in your wallet before 5:00 PM KST / 8:00 AM UTC on May 21st.

💡 Tip: To ensure your wallet is compatible, visit the Snapshot voting page and click “Connect Wallet” before the snapshot time. If your wallet connects successfully, you’re good to go.

Step-by-Step Guide: 1. Go to the Snapshot Page

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

2. Connect Your Wallet Click “Connect Wallet” in the top right corner. Select MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, or WalletConnect.

💡 Make sure you’re connected to the wallet holding your $AERGO.

3. Find the Active Proposal (e.g. AIP-22) Scroll to the “Proposals” section and click on the active one (e.g., “Confirm ARB Stack as L2 for HPP”). 4. Read the Proposal Review the summary, motivation, and proposed action to make an informed decision. 5. Cast Your Vote Scroll down and select your choice (e.g., Yes / No / Abstain) Click “Vote” Confirm the signature in your wallet (no gas fees required) 6. Done! Your vote will be recorded immediately and reflected in the results.

Quick Guide: How to Vote on Snapshot for $AERGO Proposals was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

2025 Thales Data Threat Report Reveals Nearly 70% of Organizations Identify AI’s Fast-Moving Ecosystem as Top GenAI-Related Security Risk prezly Tue, 05/20/2025 - 09:00 73% are investing in AI-specific security tools with either new or existing budgets.  Malware remains top attack type since 2021; phishing rises to second, ransomware drops to third. 60% identified future decryption of today’s data and future encryption compromise as major concerns among quantum computing security threats.
@Thales

Thales today announced the release of the 2025 Thales Data Threat Report, its annual report on the latest data security threats, trends, and emerging topics based on a survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research of more than 3,100 IT and security professionals in 20 countries across 15 industries. This year’s report found that nearly 70% of organizations view the rapid pace of AI development1 —particularly in generative AI—as the leading security concern related to its adoption, followed by lack of integrity (64%) and trustworthiness (57%). ​

The 2025 Thales Data Threat Report results reveal a major focus on the transformative impact of AI, especially GenAI, which relies heavily on high-quality, sensitive data for functions like training, inference, and content generation. As agentic AI emerges, ensuring data quality becomes even more critical for enabling sound decision-making and actions by AI systems. Many organizations are already adopting GenAI, with a third of respondents indicating it is either being integrated or is actively transforming their operations.

Organizations Embrace GenAI, Taking on Greater Security Risks Amid Rapid Adoption

As GenAI introduces complex data security challenges and offers strategic opportunities to strengthen defenses, its growing integration marks a shift among organizations from experimentation to more mature, operational deployment. While most respondents said rapid adoption of GenAI is their top security concern, respondents in the more advanced stages of AI adoption aren’t waiting to fully secure their systems or optimize their tech stacks before forging ahead. Because the drive to achieve rapid transformation often outweighs efforts to strengthen organizational readiness, these organizations may be inadvertently creating their own biggest security vulnerabilities.

“The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution, as they race to stay ahead of the adoption curve,” Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research, said. “Many enterprises are deploying GenAI faster than they can fully understand their application architectures, compounded by the rapid spread of SaaS tools embedding GenAI capabilities, adding layers of complexity and risk.”

Seventy-three percent of respondents report investing in AI-specific security tools, either through new budgets or by reallocating existing resources. Those prioritizing AI security are diversifying their approaches: over two-thirds have acquired tools from their cloud providers, three in five are leveraging established security vendors, and nearly half are turning to new or emerging startups. Notably, security for generative AI has quickly risen as a top spending priority, securing the second spot in ranked-choice voting, just behind cloud security. This shift underscores the growing recognition of AI-driven risks and the need for specialized defenses to mitigate them.

Data Breaches Show Modest Decline, Though Threats Remain Elevated

While data breaches remain a significant concern, their frequency has slightly decreased over the past few years. In 2021, 56% of surveyed enterprises reported experiencing a breach, but that figure has dropped to 45% in 2025. Additionally, the percentage of respondents reporting a breach within the last 12 months has fallen from 23% in 2021 to just 14% in 2025.

Malware continues to lead as the most prevalent threat, maintaining its top position since 2021. Phishing climbed to second place, overtaking ransomware, which now ranks third. When it comes to the most concerning threat actors, external sources dominate—hacktivists hold the top spot, followed by nation-state actors. Human error, while still significant, has dropped to third, down one position from the previous year.

Vendors Pressed on Post-Quantum Readiness as Encryption Strategies Are Reassessed

The 2025 Thales Data Threat Report reveals that most organizations are increasingly concerned about quantum-related security risks. The top threat, cited by 63% of respondents, is future encryption compromise—the risk that quantum computers could eventually break current or future encryption algorithms, exposing data once considered secure. Close behind, 61% identified key distribution vulnerabilities, where quantum advancements could undermine the secure exchange of encryption keys. Additionally, 58% highlighted the “harvest now, decrypt later” (HNDL) threat, where encrypted data intercepted today could be decrypted in the future. In response, half of organizations are assessing their encryption strategies, and 60% are actively prototyping or evaluating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions. Only one-third, however, are placing their trust in telecom or cloud providers to manage the transition.

“The clock is ticking on post-quantum readiness. It’s encouraging that three out of five organizations are already prototyping new ciphers, but deployment timelines are tight and falling behind could leave critical data exposed,” Todd Moore, Global Vice President, Data Security Products at Thales, said. “Even with clear timelines for transitioning to PQC algorithms, the pace of encryption change has been slower than expected due to a mix of legacy systems, complexity, and the challenge of balancing innovation with security.”

While this year’s survey results indicate improvements in security posture, much more is needed to elevate operational data security to fully support the capabilities of emerging technologies such as GenAI and to pave the way for future innovations.

For more information please join our webinar hosted by Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at S&P Global 451 Research. 

1 This finding relates to the fast changes in the GenAI ecosystem which encompasses the full set of vendors and technologies in GenAI.

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_48.png Contacts Cédric Leurquin 20 May 2025 Type Press release Thales today announced the release of the 2025 Thales Data Threat Report, its annual report on the latest data security threats, trends, and emerging topics based on a survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research of more than 3,100 IT and security professionals in 20 countries across 15 industries. This year’s report found that nearly 70% of organizations view the rapid pace of AI development1 —particularly in generative AI—as the leading security concern related to its adoption, followed by lack of integrity (64%) and trustworthiness (57%). prezly_759665_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 759665 Prezly UUID 087f9980-66a3-4d5c-907a-eaa2834fa3ab Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/2025-thales-data-threat-report-reveals-nearly-70-of-organizations-identify-ais-fast-moving-ecosystem-as-top-genai-related-security-risk Tue, 05/20/2025 - 11:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Samenwerking tussen Lloyds Bank en Ockto

Samen met Ockto digitaliseert Lloyds Bank de manier waarop financiële situaties van klanten in bijzonder beheer beoordeeld worden. Met het Income and Expenditure (I&E) assessment hebben medewerkers en klanten snel en veilig inzicht in inkomsten en uitgaven. Minder fouten, meer overzicht en een stap vooruit voor iedereen.

Zero trust was supposed to fix cybersecurity’s identity problem. Instead, it's under fire for making it worse.

Incident underscores impact of third-party breaches on health organizations, security experts say.

What is the problem with the higher education credentials verification?

Weeks of time-consuming, error-prone effort shouldn’t be required to verify academic records. But from 2022 to 2025:

\$600 M+ lost annually to fabricated diplomas. 5–14 days for each manual verification. Under 50 % of universities use multi-factor authentication (UK Cyber Survey 2024).

This article illustrates how decentralized identity (SSI) and Extrimian’s solutions eliminate these pain points with real-world numbers, self-evident steps, and a path to instant, fraud-proof verification.

1. Why traditional Verification System Fails? 1.1 Credential Fraud Runs Wild \$600 M+ lost each year to fake or altered diplomas. 30 % of job candidates forge degrees on resumes (ResumeBuilder, 2023). 1.2 Manual, Slow Workflows 5–14 days per transcript or diploma order. $20–$30 fee per manual verification. 1.3 Security & Compliance Loopholes Centralized databases are easy targets. Less than 50 % MFA implementation (UK Cyber Survey 2024). Email and fax expose personal data to interception.

Suggested image: Bar chart comparing manual vs. SSI verification time
Alt-text: “Bar chart comparing 5–14 day manual verification with 2-minute SSI verification.”

2. What is Decentralized Digital Identity?

Self-Sovereign Identity decentralizes control: credentials live in students’ digital wallets, not in some central silo.

Fraud-proof: Cryptographic signatures keep out tampering. Instant verification: Verify authenticity in seconds. Selective disclosure: Reveal only what’s needed (e.g., “Graduated 2025” without full transcript). Built-in compliance: Complies with GDPR, FERPA, and LGPD by design.

Learn more about Verifiable Credentials: https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model/

Accelerate and secure credential checks with Extrimian’s real-time verification tools, reducing manual reviews and errors.

3. What are the benefits of Extrimian’s End-to-End Verification Suite? A. Digital Credential Wallet Student control: Store diplomas and transcripts on mobile or web. Offline ready: Accessible anytime, even without Internet. Selective sharing: Share temporary QR codes or secure links. B. ID Connect API & Dashboard No-code integration: Live in less than a day with prebuilt SIS and LMS connectors. Real-time analytics: Track issuance volume, verification logs, and alerts. Enterprise security: End-to-end encryption, role-based access, full audit trails. C. Extrimian Academy On-demand training: SSI essentials courses to advanced API workflows. Hands-on labs: Sandbox for issuing DIDs and VCs. Certifications: Show your team’s SSI expertise to auditors and stakeholders.

Suggested image: Screenshot of an Academy course module on SSI fundamentals
Alt-text: “Extrimian Academy dashboard showing SSI course modules.”

4. What is the Real-World Impact & ROI for Education industry? MeasureBefore ExtrimianAfter Extrimian SSIVerification time7 days (≈10 080 min) (Check Point 2024)2 minutes (≈99.98 % faster)Cost per credential check\$24.50 average (Check Point 2024)\$1 via APISupport staff hours per month120 hours (Extrimian Report 2025)8 hoursFraud losses saved$600 M/year (Extrimian Report 2025)$0 (preventively enciphered)

Example: A pilot by a Latin American university cut diploma validation from 12 days to under 3 minutes, with over \\$30 000 saved yearly in staff expenses and the prevention of cases of fake degrees.

5. What are some key Industries & use cases for Decentralized Digital Identity? University Admissions
International transcript verifications in seconds—not email forwarding or faxing. Corporate Hiring
Recruiters verify candidates’ degrees in seconds, eliminating background-check delays. Healthcare Licensing
Medical boards verify diplomas instantly, speeding licensure and hiring. Professional Bodies
Engineering and law councils ensure only accredited graduates are admitted, for public safety. EdTech & Microcredentials
Short-course platforms issue portable badges that add up to full academic records.

Learn more about “Open Badges 3.0” for microcredential standards → https://indicio.tech/open-badges-3-0

6. 4-Step Startup to adopt a secure verification system Schedule a Demo at extrimian.io/contact-us Pilot with Your Next Graduating Class through our ID Connect sandbox Train Your Team in Extrimian Academy SSI courses Scale Campus-Wide, integrate with LMS, HR, and employer portals

With decentralized identity, your institution transforms from weeks-long manual screenings to real-time, fraud-resistant verification, with increased security, lowered costs, and giving students legitimate control over their academic records. Partner with Extrimian to ride the next wave of secure, scalable credentialing in higher education.

7. Resources & References Check Point Research, “The 8 Things You Should Know About Cyber Attacks on the Education Sector” (2024)
https://blog.checkpoint.com/company-and-culture/the-8-things-you-should-know-about-cyber-attacks-on-the-education-sector-and-how-to-prevent-them/ UK Government, “Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 – Education Institutions”
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024-education-institutions-annex ResumeBuilder, “1 in 4 Americans Have Lied on Their Resume”
https://www.resumebuilder.com/resume-examples/1-4-americans-have-lied-on-their-resume/ W3C, “Verifiable Credentials Data Model 1.1”
https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model/ Extrimian, “Tech Ed and Universities Digital Data Security Report 2025” (internal) Indicio.tech, “Open Badges 3.0”
https://indicio.tech/open-badges-3-0 UNESCO, “Building the Digital Credentials Ecosystem”
https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-digital-future Educause, “Cybersecurity Trends in Higher Education”
https://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications

The post Diploma & Credential Verification in Education first appeared on Extrimian.

On May 1, 2025, the US Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued its finding that Cambodia-based Huione Group is a "financial institution of primary money laundering concern" under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act.  

Help enable your systems to respond to user lifecycle changes asynchronously, at scale, and across your entire tech stack.

Why Phishing-Resistant MFA Isn’t Optional Anymore

The escalating sophistication of phishing and social engineering attacks has pushed organizations towards stronger authentication methods. Phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), particularly solutions leveraging FIDO2/WebAuthn standards, is a big leap forward in security posture.

Many organizations utilize hardware-based FIDO2 authenticators like YubiKeys by Yubico, widely recognized as a gold standard for physical tokens, preventing credential theft and account takeover at the point of authentication. Deploying any security key represents a serious commitment to security, effectively neutralizing threats that rely on stolen passwords or easily intercepted one-time codes.

YubiKeys Aren’t Truly Phishing-Resistant by Default It is important to note that achieving true end-to-end security with YubiKeys involves more than just the initial deployment. Organizations quickly discover major operational challenges – the "Day 2 problems" – associated with managing these physical tokens across their entire lifecycle, particularly within large or widely distributed teams. These shortcomings aren’t unique to YubiKeys or of the YubiKeys themselves, but inherent complexities in managing any physical security hardware at scale.
Challenge 1: Secure Onboarding and YubiKey Provisioning

Getting the right key into the hands of the right user securely is the critical first step.

The Identity Verification Imperative: Before a YubiKey is issued (in person or shipped), organizations must be certain of the recipient's identity. Standard procedures may not suffice, especially for remote workers. How do you reliably verify someone you've never met? Risk of Mis-Provisioning: Relying on known weak checks like email or simple attestations (KBA) creates risk. An incorrectly provisioned key compromises the entire security model from the start, potentially handing access directly to an attacker impersonating a new employee. Challenge 2: Navigating Ongoing Identity Lifecycle Management

The physical nature of YubiKeys introduces critical ongoing management needs.

Loss, Theft, Damage, and Lockouts: YubiKeys can be lost, stolen, damaged, or even locked due to too many failed PIN attempts or forgotten credentials. Each of these scenarios requires a secure recovery process, particularly for remote users. Administrative Overhead: Tracking inventory, managing assignments, handling secure revocation for lost/stolen tokens or for departing employees, and ensuring firmware updates add complexity and usually require manual processes to avoid security gaps. Challenge 3: Phishable Recovery Methods Undermine Security

Perhaps the most significant challenge arises when a user loses their YubiKey, especially if it's their primary or even sole FIDO2 authenticator.

The Recovery Conundrum: YubiKeys are designed to be resistant to remote attacks. This strength means recovery processes must not create a weak link that attackers can circumvent. The Pitfall of Phishable Fallbacks: In the case of a lost YubiKey, reverting back to easily phished methods like SMS/voice OTPs, email links, or security questions for recovery completely undermines the security gains provided by the YubiKey. Attackers know to target these weak recovery paths. The Need for Verified Recovery: A truly secure system requires a recovery process that incorporates strong, multi-factor identity verification. Only after strong identity assurance should you allow legitimate users to regain access or register a new key. This will keep the door closed to social engineering or deepfake attacks. YubiKeys Need Integrated Credential Management and Identity Verification

This guide explores how integrating a dedicated identity assurance platform like HYPR can effectively bridge these management and identity verification gaps. By complementing your Yubico deployment, HYPR helps manage these credentials in your environment and integrates  multi-factor identity verification into the key lifecycle moments, ensuring your investment in phishing-resistant hardware delivers its full security potential.

Let's see how the HYPR Identity Assurance platform addresses the gaps.

Secure Onboarding and Hiring with Candidate Verification

How do you confidently issue a powerful security key like a YubiKey to a new employee, especially one working remotely, without creating an undue security risk or friction? Legacy methods relying on KBA, email verification, manager approvals, or even just shipping a key to a home address lack the level of identity verification needed, to be sure you don’t fall victim to a social engineering attack.

HYPR’s customizable Identity Verification (IDV) integrates directly into your onboarding flow, before any credentials, including a YubiKey, are provisioned. This isn't just a simple check; this verification involves multiple checks of various factors, in a layered approach, that is tailored exactly to your organization's risk tolerance:

Device Check

HYPR first detects the device the user is on to do the verification, and can check if it is the expected device.

Location Detection

A geolocation location detection is performed and compared against expected location. Radius distance from expected location can be customized.

Document Verification

Users are prompted to scan a government-issued ID (driver's license, passport) using their smartphone. HYPR analyzes the document for authenticity, checking security features and tampering evidence, and checks the validity of the document against national databases.

Biometric Facial Recognition

To ensure the person presenting the ID is its rightful owner, HYPR employs facial biometric matching, comparing a live selfie capture to the photo on the ID document or in your own data stores. Additionally, liveness detection prevents spoofing attempts while using photos or videos.

Manager Attestation

Combine live video verification and a secure chat, seamless experience human verification transaction. Supervisors or IT can attest to the identity of their team members, adding an extra layer of assurance.

Example: Onboarding with HYPR

Imagine a new remote hire receives an onboarding link on their first day. They are guided through the HYPR identity verification. Only upon successful verification is their identity confirmed, allowing subsequent steps like registering their primary authentication methods, like their assigned YubiKey.

This process securely binds the verified physical identity to the digital identity and the associated credentials. It drastically reduces the risk of provisioning keys to fraudulent accounts and establishes a trusted foundation for the user's entire lifecycle.

Build Phishing-Resistant Account Recovery Workflows

As mentioned previously, the security gains of YubiKeys are instantly nullified if a user who loses their key can recover their account using phishable methods like SMS OTPs, email links, or knowledge-based answers (KBAs). We know attackers actively target these weak recovery paths at the help desk or user levels.

HYPR eliminates this vulnerability by ensuring recovery processes maintain the same high level of security as primary authentication. When a user needs to recover access (e.g., after losing their YubiKey), they leverage other already registered and verified strong authentication factors managed by HYPR as well as a re-verification of identity:

Multi-Factor Recovery

Recovery typically involves using the HYPR mobile application on a registered smartphone, protected by device biometrics (Face ID, fingerprint) or a secure PIN, potentially combined with other factors or contextual checks depending on policy. Should more identity assurance be needed, HYPR can also push the user through an identity re-verification process.

Self-Service Enablement

To reduce the burden on IT teams, users can securely initiate recovery themselves through a guided, secure workflow, often without needing costly or time-consuming help desk intervention.

In cases where a YubiKey is lost, damaged, or needs to be replaced, users can quickly register a new device once their identity is re-verified through a secure recovery flow.

For scenarios where a device is locked, for instance after too many failed PIN attempts or a forgotten PIN, recovery can still be handled efficiently through a help-desk–driven approach. With HYPR Affirm, this process is safeguarded by strong identity verification, ensuring only the rightful user regains access.
Account recovery becomes as resistant to phishing and social engineering as the initial login, preserving the integrity of the entire security system. This directly addresses the most significant operational and security pain points associated with hardware token deployments.

Beyond Login: Contextual Awareness and Continuous Authentication Dynamic Trust

Security isn't static. HYPR can optionally integrate risk signals from devices, users, and browsers, to provide continuous authentication and adaptive access control, even after a successful YubiKey login.

Risk Signals

Factors like device health (e.g., integrating with endpoint detection and response tools like CrowdStrike), geographic location ("impossible travel" scenarios), network reputation, and even behavioral signals can inform a real-time risk score.

Adaptive Risk Policies

Based on this score, HYPR can dynamically adjust security requirements. A low-risk login might proceed seamlessly after the initial YubiKey tap, while a higher-risk scenario could trigger a request for an additional factor or limit access privileges. This allows organizations to balance security posture with user experience. 

Streamline YubiKey Management: From Friction to Flow User-Driven YubiKey Enrollment & Renewal

HYPR turns YubiKey onboarding into a self-service experience. End users pair their YubiKeys, automatically enroll X.509 certificates, and enjoy seamless certificate renewals, with no routine IT involvement required and continuous access guaranteed.

Bird’s-Eye Admin Visibility

While day-to-day enrollment and renewals run themselves, HYPR’s Console Integration gives administrators a consolidated dashboard of every YubiKey enrollment, certificate status, and recent identity verification events. This eliminates the need for spreadsheets point tools.

Graceful Deprovisioning

Rather than manually “removing” keys from the admin console (which doesn’t revoke the certificate on the device), HYPR enable endpoint-driven deprovisioning. Users retire lost or retired keys directly from their workstation, ensuring true on-device certificate removal when possible.

Resilient Multi-Factor Backup

Users can register multiple authenticators as primary and backup. YubiKeys plus HYPR is an ideal combination, so if one factor goes missing, users still authenticate securely through another, dramatically cutting lockouts and support tickets.

Achieve End-to-End Phishing Resistance with HYPR

The journey towards zero trust cybersecurity demands more than just deploying strong authentication factors; it requires a holistic approach that secures the entire identity lifecycle. YubiKeys represent a vital component in this strategy, offering unparalleled phishing resistance at the point of login. However, as we've explored, their true potential is only fully unlocked when paired with solutions that address the critical challenges of high-assurance identity verification and streamlined lifecycle management.

Key Steps to Optimize Yubikey Deployments

Moving from understanding these challenges to implementing effective solutions requires a deliberate approach made custom for your environment. As you consider how to optimize your YubiKey deployment or plan a new one, here are some suggested actionable steps to take:

Assess Your Current Reality: Honestly evaluate your existing processes. Where does friction exist in your YubiKey issuance and management? How are you currently handling remote employee onboarding and identity proofing? Map out your current account recovery workflow. Does it rely on phishable factors like SMS or security questions?
Identifying these specific pain points is the first step. Define Your Identity Assurance Needs: Determine the level of certainty required when verifying identities. 
Is a basic check sufficient, or do compliance regulations and risk levels demand high-assurance methods like biometric verification against government IDs, especially for privileged users? Chart the Full User Lifecycle: Document every stage where a user interacts with credentials, particularly YubiKeys. Pinpoint potential vulnerabilities or inefficiencies in provisioning, replacement, temporary access needs, and deprovisioning. Scrutinize Your Recovery Strategy: This is paramount. If your recovery process undermines your FIDO2 investment, it needs immediate attention. Define requirements for a truly phishing-resistant recovery mechanism. Identify Integration Requirements: List the key systems (your Identity Provider (IdP), HR Information System (HRIS), endpoint security tools) that any management and identity verification solution must seamlessly integrate with. Key Questions to Ask Potential Solution Providers

Armed with your internal assessment, engage vendors with targeted questions to understand how their solutions address these challenges, that are specific to your environment, when integrating with YubiKeys:

Onboarding & Identity Proofing: 
How specifically does your solution verify the identity of remote users before a YubiKey is provisioned to them? What methods (e.g., document scanning, liveness checks, data validation) do you employ to achieve high assurance, and how is this verified identity securely linked to the user's account and key? Secure Account Recovery: 
Describe your workflow for a user who has lost their YubiKey. Importantly, how do you enable secure, self-service recovery without falling back on phishable factors like SMS, email links, or KBAs? How is phishing resistance maintained throughout? Lifecycle Automation: 
Explain how your platform automates YubiKey provisioning and deprovisioning by integrating with systems like our IdP based on user lifecycle events (joiners, movers, leavers). Lost/Stolen Key Management: 
What is the secure process within your system for handling lost or stolen YubiKeys, including issuing replacements and potentially providing secure temporary access? Integration & Visibility: 
How does your solution integrate with [mention your specific IdP, e.g., Okta, Entra ID]?  Can it provide a unified administrative view of YubiKeys alongside other authentication methods? User Experience: 
How do you ensure these necessary security steps (IDV, secure recovery) are implemented with minimal friction for the end-user? Scalability & Compliance: 
How does your platform scale to manage potentially thousands of YubiKeys? What specific reporting and audit logs are generated to help meet compliance requirements? Ready to Build? Talk to Our Experts.

Every organization's environment, user base, and risk profile is unique. While this guide outlines common challenges and solutions, the optimal strategy for managing your YubiKey deployment requires a tailored approach.

The HYPR team is ready to help. We invite you to schedule a personalized consultation with our identity assurance experts. We can discuss your specific environment challenges, explore how HYPR’s capabilities in high-assurance identity verification and lifecycle orchestration can seamlessly integrate with your Yubico investment, and demonstrate how you can achieve truly end-to-end, phishing-resistant security that is both manageable and user-friendly.

Let's build your secure, passwordless future, together. Contact us today.

 

Researchers have developed advanced detection methods to uncover abuse of Azure Managed Identities, shedding light on a growing security concern in cloud environments, reports Cyber Security News.

A global CyberArk report highlights how the rapid integration of AI and cloud technologies is creating a new, identity-centric threat landscape, particularly through unmanaged machine identities with privileged access, according to Frontier Enterprise.

Federal agencies are prioritizing identity security to meet growing cyber threats while ensuring accessibility for both employees and the public, Federal News Network reports.

A Belgian appeals court has ruled that tracking-based advertising models violate European privacy laws, marking a significant setback for big tech firms that rely on user profiling, The Record reports.

The Office of Personnel Management has been urged by Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., to ensure the continuation of identity protection services provided to current and former federal employees whose data had been stolen in the colossal breach of the agency a decade ago, according to FedScoop.

Karen "Pepper" Hoffman explores in her new column "Is identity truly the new perimeter, firewall or attack surface?"

Thales, Radiall and FoxConn have initiated preliminary discussions on semiconductor production prezly Mon, 05/19/2025 - 10:00

Thales, Radiall and FoxConn announce they have initiated preliminary discussions to explore the potential creation, in France, of an industrial capacity in the field of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT).

With a planned production capacity in excess of 100 million System In Package (SIP) per annum by 2031, this facility aims to address the European aerospace, automotive, telecoms and defense advanced packaging markets.

This initiative is expected to aggregate additional European industrial actors to sustain an investment in excess of €250m and ensure a strong European leadership for the project. ​

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/1920x640_Slider_Default.jpg Documents [Prezly] PR _ Thales, Radiall and Foxconn have initiated preliminary discussions.pdf Contacts Head of Media Relations 19 May 2025 Type Press release Thales, Radiall and FoxConn announce they have initiated preliminary discussions to explore the potential creation, in France, of an industrial capacity in the field of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT). prezly_759594_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 759594 Prezly UUID b6889a0f-2103-4682-b030-eecb4af9b18b Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-radiall-and-foxconn-have-initiated-preliminary-discussions-on-semiconductor-production Mon, 05/19/2025 - 12:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

A Real-World Story of Scale, Trust & Blockchain in Action

Earlier this month, over 3.1 million students across Maharashtra received their SSC and HSC exam results online. Dhiway had the opportunity to build and manage the backend infrastructure for this release in partnership with Navneet Education Limited

It was a significant milestone — not just in terms of volume, but because of what it represented:

The need for reliable and fast access The demand for tamper-resistant, verifiable documents And the expectation of a seamless digital experience for every student
The Task

Navneet approached us with a clear challenge: Can you help us publish board results for millions of students — quickly, securely, and without system failure?

They also wanted each result document to be verifiable using CORD blockchain, to ensure long-term trust and authenticity. This meant handling high user concurrency, delivering fast response times, and ensuring every student could access and download their results without delay.

Our Approach

We focused on three core principles: Performance, resilience, and trust.

Here’s how we addressed them:

Cloud-native setup using AWS, with auto-scaling and rate-limiting to manage traffic surges Multi-layer caching to support sub-second response times Client-side rendering, where appropriate, to reduce backend load QR code integration on result PDFs, backed by blockchain hashes Mobile-first design to support access from any device, even in low-bandwidth areas

We also ran extensive load tests with JMeter, simulating double the expected traffic to ensure we were prepared.

Results at scale, delivered with speed and trust — 3.1 M+ students, zero downtime.

Over two separate days of results publication, the system was resilient and provided a positive experience to students anxiously awaiting their results and seeking to download the documents.

Why Blockchain?

Every result PDF included a QR code linked to a verifiable digital record anchored on the CORD Blockchain, built for trust infrastructure.

This ensured that:

Each result document was tamper-resistant Verification could happen instantly, from anywhere, without needing to log into a portal

We didn’t use blockchain as a buzzword. We used it to add real value, adding a layer of trust and permanence to a document that often marks a turning point in a student’s academic journey.

Key Takeaways UX and accessibility are critical – A smooth front-end experience is essential; users only benefit from fast systems if they can easily access and use them. Verification matters – Especially in education, where credentials must be trusted and stand the test of time. Scale is manageable – With the right preparation and infrastructure, even millions of concurrent users can be served reliably.
Looking Ahead

This project brought together everything we care about at Dhiway-infrastructure: digital trust and solving meaningful, real-world problems. Together with Navneet and the Maharashtra State Board, the Dhiway team has demonstrated a new way of managing examination results and created a positive experience for the students and their guardians.

If you’re exploring how to deliver results, certificates, or credentials secure and scalable way, we are happy to share what we’ve learned.

Learn more:www.dhiway.com

The post What It Took to Deliver Exam Results to 3.1 Million Students appeared first on Dhiway.

To participate in the vote, you must hold your $AERGO tokens in a supported wallet (e.g. MetaMask, Phantom or any wallet that supports WalletConnect) before 17:00 KST / 08:00 UTC on May 21st. View Snapshot Voting Guide

Dear AERGO Community,

As we continue developing the House Party Protocol (HPP) testnet, our focus remains the same: building a scalable, AI-native Layer 2 network that can power next-generation on-chain infrastructure.

Earlier this year, following the approval of AIP-21, we announced plans to build HPP’s Ethereum Layer 2 on OP Stack. Since then, we’ve progressed into deeper development and analysis. Through this process, we’ve revisited our technical assumptions, stress-tested the economics, and re-evaluated how HPP can best scale and integrate into the broader ecosystem.

After careful consideration, we believe a strategic course correction is needed.

Today, we’re introducing AIP-22, a proposal to migrate HPP’s infrastructure roadmap from OP Stack to ARB Stack (Arbitrum) and realign HPP’s future with the Arbitrum ecosystem.

This is not just a launch decision but a long-term directional shift.

Why We’re Proposing the Shift from OP Stack to ARB Stack Performance Flexibility for AI-Driven Use Cases: ARB Stack offers greater control over block time and execution parameters, essential for data-heavy and AI-coordinated workloads. This flexibility allows us to tailor performance as needed, which is especially important as HPP grows beyond traditional smart contracts into intelligent agents and real-time data environments. Smarter Resource Management: ARB Stack allows for more efficient resource allocation across compute and storage, enabling us to scale HPP without incurring unnecessary overhead. It supports the kind of modular, elastic architecture needed for future-facing protocol design. Ecosystem Maturity & DeFi Synergy: Arbitrum’s L2 ecosystem is the most active in the space, particularly in DeFi, and aligns closely with HPP’s vision to become a backbone for data, liquidity, and AI infrastructure. Migrating to ARB Stack positions HPP within an already thriving ecosystem and deeply integrated into the broader Ethereum economy. Network Effects & Onboarding Opportunities: Migrating now allows HPP to tap into a much broader pool of users, developers, partners, and liquidity providers. We see Arbitrum as a key network for onboarding both Web3-native builders and data-first AI projects, which are central to HPP’s mission. Strategic Collaboration Potential: Our collaboration with the Arbitrum Foundation and Offchain Labs is already underway. This opens up technical alignment and potential access to grant programs, integration support, and co-marketing opportunities within the Arbitrum ecosystem. AIP-22 Summary

To finalize this shift, we are bringing the decision back to the community through AIP-22. This proposal asks the community to vote on whether HPP should migrate its future development from OP Stack to ARB Stack as its official Layer 2 infrastructure.

Proposal: Confirm ARB Stack (Arbitrum) as the official L2 infrastructure for HPP Reasoning: Greater technical flexibility, onboarding opportunities, and strong ecosystem alignment Voting Period: May 21st via Snapshot (https://snapshot.box/#/s:aergodao.eth) Eligibility: To participate in the vote, you must hold your $AERGO tokens before 17:00 PM KST / 8:00 AM UTC on May 21st.

We recommend participating in the vote using MetaMask, Phantom, or any WalletConnect-compatible wallet. For Snapshot voting instructions, please refer to the official guide(http://medium.com/aergo/snapshot-voting-a-step-by-step-guide-c7859fd1e042).

We invite the community to participate in shaping the future of HPP.

Thank you,

The Aergo Team

[AIP-22] Shifting Gears: Proposing ARB Stack as the New Foundation for HPP was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Thales to provide a cyber-secured and AI-powered autonomous mine countermeasures system to the Republic of Singapore Navy prezly Mon, 05/19/2025 - 08:00 The unique, sea-proven Pathmaster solution will enable the Navy to accurately detect, classify, and localise mines in one of the busiest maritime straits in the region, in real-time. The solution includes Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar (TSAS), the MiMap sonar data analysis tool and the M-Cube mission management system. The system will be supported by the Thales Singapore Defence Hub, established in 2023 to provide maintenance, support services, operational availabilities and local development, located in close proximity to the Singapore Armed Forces, and in partnership with ST Engineering.
Thales © Eloi Stichelbaut | PolaRyse

Maritime trade is of critical importance to the economies of Asia. With Singapore positioned at the heart of major global shipping routes, the need for security at the Straits remains a top priority for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

On 28 March 2025, Thales was awarded a contract through ST Engineering (STE) to provide the Republic of Singapore Navy with a Mine Counter Measures system, Pathmaster, which includes the M-Cube mission management system and TSAS towed sonars combined with the MiMap sonar data analysis tool, which will be fitted on ST Engineering’s unmanned surface vehicle.

Thales will also provide tools to manage mine databases and library. These will be reinforced with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to facilitate target detection and identification, easing the workload of operators. The system will be supported by the Thales Singapore Defence Hub for maintenance and service and to develop compatible applications that can seamlessly interface with the RSN’s systems.

As seas become increasingly congested and navies face unexpected threats and challenges, mine countermeasures have become a key discipline to ensure the sovereignty and safety of Singapore’s sea lines of communication. The intelligent system is renowned for its incomparable level of detection and low false alarm rate. The Thales Pathmaster solution is the world’s first sea-proven system and is currently already in service with the British Royal Navy and the French Navy, under the Maritime Mine Countermeasure (MMCM) programme. This contract is the first Pathmaster contract for Thales in Asia.

"This latest contract award reflects the trust that the Republic of Singapore Navy places in Thales’ naval technologies. The Pathmaster system represents a significant step in the RSN’s vision for an autonomous system of systems, offering enhanced operational capabilities while reinforcing the safety of their personnel. As the first Pathmaster system in the Asian region, Thales strengthens its position as a key supplier to the Navy, addressing the operational needs of the navy in this area. Having successfully delivered multiple radars for major vessel programs in the past, today we are excited to take it a step further to ensure that Singapore stays at the forefront of mine warfare in the region, safeguarding the nation’s maritime routes.” Sébastien Gueremy, VP Underwater Systems, Thales.

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/sans%20A-1920x480px_78.jpg Documents [Prezly] Thales to Boost Mine Countermeasure Capabilities for Republic of Singapore Navy_Thales.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 19 May 2025 Type Press release Structure Defence and Security Defence Maritime trade is of critical importance to the economies of Asia. With Singapore positioned at the heart of major global shipping routes, the need for security at the Straits remains a top priority for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). prezly_759027_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 759027 Prezly UUID fba9368c-0e91-4903-8287-6c293f6e4044 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-to-provide-a-cyber-secured-and-ai-powered-autonomous-mine-countermeasures-system-to-the-republic-of-singapore-navy Mon, 05/19/2025 - 10:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Eliminate frustrating CAPTCHAs and improve user experience with Fastly Bot Management. Learn how Fastly's Dynamic Challenges manage bots without disrupting real users.

While most of the victims are based overseas, security pros say it’s plausible the group will also target North America.

 

Thales Annual General Meeting approves all resolutions submitted prezly Fri, 05/16/2025 - 17:15 All resolutions approved. Dividend of 3.70 euros per share. Ratification and renewal of Board members.

The Annual General Meeting of Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) was held on 16 May 2025 at 28, avenue George V, Paris, chaired by Mr. Patrice Caine, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.

With a quorum of 87.93 %, the meeting approved all the resolutions that were submitted.

These resolutions pertained in particular to the approval of the financial statements for the 2024 financial year, the distribution of a dividend of 3.70 euros per share (including an interim dividend of 0.85 euro already paid), the appointment of a statutory auditor in charge of certifying the financial statements, the compensation of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and of the Board members, and delegations related to financial transactions granted to the Board of Directors.

They also pertained to the ratification of the provisional appointment of Ms. Valérie Guillemet, and the renewal of the Board mandates of Ms. Delphine Gény-Stephann and Ms. Anne Rigail, as well as Mr. Bernard Fontana and Mr. Philippe Lépinay.

The results of the votes are available on the Thales website at www.thalesgroup.com. A replay of the AGM will be available there soon.

Find the latest visuals of Thales and its Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital activities on the Portals - Thales Media Library
​For any specific requirements, please contact the Media Relations team.

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/sans%20A-1920x480px_76.jpg Documents [Prezly] PR_AGM 2025.pdf Contacts Head of Media Relations Alexandra Boucheron - Thales, Analysts/Investors 16 May 2025 Type Press release Structure Investors Group The Annual General Meeting of Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) was held on 16 May 2025 at 28, avenue George V, Paris, chaired by Mr. Patrice Caine, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. prezly_759138_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 759138 Prezly UUID d1ac8f22-a0be-4202-b58b-d7948536a2f4 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-annual-general-meeting-approves-all-resolutions-submitted-zhmu71 Fri, 05/16/2025 - 19:30 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Auth0 User Migration: Trickle & Bulk Methods Explained

Officials at Baltimore's Arundel County have disclosed that data belonging to patients served by its Health Department may have been stolen following a ransomware attack earlier this year, CBS Baltimore reports.

“This comprehensive blog post will tell you what ID Document Recognition is, its working scenario, and some benefits.”

Identity verification has become the cornerstone for secure access and online digital transactions. In this era, where cyber threats and data breaches are increasing, agencies and institutions are moving toward the most reliable solutions.

Among them, one of the most critical technologies that fight against such attacks is ID Document Recognition.

Wondering about what this is? If yes! Buckle up! This blog post is for you. In this guide, we will explore everything about this technology, including its overview, working process, and role in online security.

So, let’s proceed further…

 

ID Document Recognition: A Brief Overview

ID Document recognition SDK is an innovative technology that refers to the process of automatically verifying and identifying personal documents, such as passports, ID cards, and driver’s licenses. 

When this process is implemented, agencies and institutions come to know whether such documents presented by a user are real or fake. This innovative technology ensures security enhancement in every field of life.

 

ID Document Recognition Process

Now you would probably be thinking, what is the technology behind the ID Document Liveness Detection SDK? To answer your question, we have explored our guide through this section. Read it carefully.

 

1. Document Capture

In this first step, institutions capture high-quality images of documents using scanners or high-resolution cameras. Both the front and the back are captured by this scanner.. It takes a few minutes as documents, as the most important and personal information is engraved on such documents. This first step is also implemented by ensuring the clarity of the documents.

 

2. Extract the Text

In this second step, the important information engraved on these documents is extracted. As far as our doubt goes, you will surely ask, how such data is extracted from these scanned papers? Right? Luckily, nowadays, we have another innovative technology that is used to extract text from scanned papers. This technology is named OCR(Optical Character Recognition).

 

3. Analyze the Data

Once the extraction is done, the next step is to analyze and verify the data. The system compares this data against known templates, databases, and pre-configured rules. It verifies whether barcodes and QR codes, Font and layout alignment, and other features are real or fake.

 

4. Liveness Detection And Face Matching

This is the most important stage of verification in which the presence of the users is ensured. Systems now incorporate liveness detection along with facial recognition ID verification. This facial ID verification identifies whether the users during verification are physically present and using the real ID images or not. This facial ID recognition has two different types. Active liveness detection and passive liveness detection.

 

5. Decision And Result Generation

After passing through all technical verification steps, the final step is about making the decision and generating the results. If everything is aligned with the valid rules, the agencies or companies mark the documents as authentic and verified. This decision is generated within a few seconds, ensuring the seamless authentication process.

Why ID Document Recognition Matters?

In this section, we will throw light on why the ID document liveness detection SDK matters. There are countless benefits of this technology. We will discuss a few of them below.

 

Fraud Prevention

As hinted in the previous sections, this cutting-edge technology is implemented to prevent fraud, especially in finance and educational institutions. 

Build Customer Trust

Once the fraud is prevented, it automatically builds customer trust. They heavily believe in the systems and make their investments without fear of anything.

Cost Saving

Agencies use a fake ID detector that is budget-friendly. Such detectors eliminate the need for hiring extra security staff. In short, you can add the extra layers of security without breaking your bank.

KYC Compliance

ID recognition supports compliance with KYC and ensures the customer’s identity. This helps businesses meet regulatory standards, preventing illegal activities.

Streamlined Onboarding

Automated ID Document verification makes the onboarding process faster and easier for users. This feature reduces friction and improves customers’ overall experience.

Pros And Cons of ID Document Recognition

This section of the blog is all about some pros and cons of ID document liveness detection. We will discuss them briefly.

 

Pros 

This technology prevents fraud concerning spoofing images and videos.

It is used as the international authentication method, not only as a national ID authentication.

The system can confirm the possibilities of information from external registers.

Passwords can be reset using the recheck of selfies and videos.

This technology incorporates AI and ML for better and faster results.

 

Cons 

Some solutions require the user’s ID document information to be stored.

The initial registration can sometimes be very difficult.

Agencies need a phone with NFC functionality for chip scanning.

 

How Can I Find ID Document Recognition Services?

After reviewing the benefits of this technology, many users raise a question: how to get this type of ID Document service? Do you also have the same question? Don’t worry, to answer you, we have brought a possible solution for you in the form of Recognition.

Recognito is a fake ID scanner that is mainly known as a top face and ID document recognition algorithms developer. This ID scanner is a leading provider of identity verification. Additionally, our service integrates with the NST FRVT system, ensuring an optimized security solution related to face liveness detection and ID document recognition.

 

Conclusion 

In this world, where every day comes with multiple types of new frauds, ensuring your online information and assets are safe is extremely crucial. In this scenario, ID Document Recognition stands out and provides users with possible solutions to prevent fraud.

In this guide post, we have successfully covered some topics, including the working process of this technology. Furthermore, we have discussed the benefits and some cons of this ID recognition. In the end, we have provided our service named recognito, as a top algorithm developer for facial and ID document recognition. You can also visit the Recognito GitHub page.

Whenever you are stuck in this trouble of fraud, you can get our online service in the form of a fake ID detector. 

Have you liked this blog guide? Whether it’s yes or no, never forget to provide your honest feedback to us…..

The post The Advantages of Adopting Passwordless Authentication Services in the Digital Age appeared first on uqudo.

Weekly AMAs & Community-Driven Direction

As part of our commitment to weekly AMAs, we’re continuing to update the community on progress, direction, and your top questions. This session focused on the upcoming vote, our Layer 2 (L2) direction, ongoing developments around HPP, and a few fun curveball topics from the community.

1. AIP-22 Vote: Building on Arbitrum

This week's big announcement was the launch of a Snapshot-based community vote, this time to decide whether Arbitrum will be the foundation for our Layer 2.

Why Arbitrum?
Ben explained the rationale behind this proposed direction:

High transaction volume and network activity A mature ecosystem with strong infrastructure support Backing from the Arbitrum Foundation — including marketing and dev coordination A thriving developer and user community

“We put Arbitrum through rigorous due diligence and compared it with other options. The traction and support were simply unmatched.”

🗓️ Voting Details:

Make sure your Aergo tokens are in a Snapshot-compatible wallet before May 21 The outcome will determine whether Arbitrum becomes the base for Aergo’s new Layer 2

The team supports this direction, but it’s ultimately the community’s decision.

2. HPP: What’s Happening Now?

We also touched on House Party Protocol (HPP), which marks the public blockchain’s shift into a modern, AI-first architecture.

The previous vote confirmed:

A token contract upgrade A new, forward-looking token model Expand into L2

Ben emphasized that:

The new token(House Party Protocol) will come with a new ticker A 1:1 token swap will take place in late 2025 The Living Roadmap (a public Google Sheet) is available for real-time progress tracking

“HPP isn’t just a rebrand. It’s a major leap forward — aligning us with the future of decentralized AI and intelligent data infrastructure.”

3. What About Aergo’s Enterprise Clients?

There was a common question: “Does this mean the enterprise side of Aergo is shutting down?”

The answer is a clear no.

The Aergo Enterprise Team continues operating Government and enterprise clients remain unaffected The changes (vote, token, HPP) are all focused on the public chain only

“Enterprise systems keep running exactly as expected. We’re evolving the public chain — not touching enterprise infrastructure.”

4. Are We Still Focused on Korea?

While Aergo has strong roots and visibility in Korea, being listed on all licensed Korean exchanges, the project has always had a global focus.

Ben clarified:

Aergo is listed on major global platforms like Coinbase and Crypto.com There’s no “Korea-only” strategy — just strong local trading activity Future marketing will work to further globalize the brand

“We’re working hard to break the ‘Korean project’ label. Our reach and ambition are global.”

5. AI + Blockchain in Agriculture? Let’s Talk

A surprise community question asked about the role of AI and blockchain in farming and agriculture. Here’s what Ben had to say:

AI can monitor crops and livestock 24/7, reducing labor costs and improving food quality Blockchain enables traceable supply chains, storing data like pesticide usage, logistics, and more Together, they can optimize farming and distribution with precision It’s an underexplored but high-potential use case for AI + Web3. 6. Listings: Any News?

Inevitably, someone asked about Binance spot listings. Here’s the update:

Token listings are controlled by exchanges, not projects Paying for listings often leads to bad outcomes for builders, teams, and other stakeholders Aergo is already re-listed on Binance Futures, as well as many spot markets globally No new listing news at this time

“We want to be on every trusted platform — but we don’t control listing decisions. No promises, no paid shortcuts.”

✅ Final Words

We’re excited about what’s ahead, and your participation makes it all possible. This vote on Arbitrum is a major decision point. It represents a potential new layer of scalability, community alignment, and long-term growth.

Remember: Get your tokens ready for Snapshot by May 21.
Check the Living Roadmap anytime to follow our development progress.

AMA #7 Recap: AIP-22 Vote, Arbitrum L2, and the Future of HPP was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The rollout of new rules around the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification by the U.S. Department of Defense is pushing government contractors to upgrade their internal security practices and protections

Open Badges 3.0 is the latest evolution of the 1EdTech Open Badges standard for education credentials, marking another advancement in how learning achievements are recognized, verified, and shared.

Unlike traditional credentials, open badges are dynamic and stackable, providing a comprehensive record of lifelong learning. They’re already widely used across a global ecosystem of educators, training providers, and edtech companies.

Each badge contains built-in details that makes it easy to verify and share:

Who issued the badge What criteria were met When it was awarded Links to supporting evidence Associated standards or skills frameworks

These badges are typically image files (PNG or SVG) with structured data (JSON or JSON-LD) embedded inside, enabling seamless verification across platforms.

What’s New in Open Badges 3.0?

Developed by 1EdTech, Open Badges 3.0 introduces significant upgrades by aligning with the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model. This update delivers enhanced security, privacy, and interoperability, and marks a leap toward a globally recognized framework for digital credentials.

Key improvements include:

Stronger Security: Cryptographic proofs ensure badges are tamper-proof and trustworthy. Enhanced Privacy: Sensitive data no longer needs to be publicly hosted. Greater Compatibility: Full integration with digital wallets and VC-based systems increases portability and usability.

Additionally, the structure has been redesigned. Each badge in 3.0 now directly references the earner, issuer, and a clearly defined achievement, making the system more robust and future-proof.

Real-World Use Cases

Open Badges 3.0 unlocks new, practical applications:

Learners store badges in digital wallets alongside government IDs and other credentials. Licensed professionals use badges to prove qualifications in regulated industries. Job seekers present skill-based badges on recruitment platforms. Employers endorse skills by co-signing badges. Training providers issue credentials on behalf of industry standards bodies. Institutions manage the lifecycle of credentials, including revocation and expiry.

The post Open Badges 3.0 Explained: The Future of Verifiable Digital Credentials appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

Learn how to add Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to your B2B SaaS application that leverages Auth0 Organizations.

Stablecoins continue to gain momentum, with recent developments underscoring their expanding role in real-world finance. Recent regulatory developments in the US, including President Trump’s Executive Order 14178 and new guidance from the OCC and FDIC, are accelerating issuers’ interest in partnering with US banks to gain credibility, compliance, and access to financial rails.

Conduent State & Local Solutions, Solutran, and Fidelity Information Services, all of which are electronic benefits vendors supporting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, have been sought by the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and Protect Democracy to reject the Department of Agriculture's requests to collect SNAP beneficiaries' personal information in adherence to a March order by President Donald Trump, StateScoop reports.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has cancelled a proposed rule that would impose Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements on data brokers in a bid to better control the sale of Americans' personal information, according to The Hill.

Spor İstanbul A.Ş., TÜRKKEP’in e-İmza ve mobil imza çözümleriyle; izin taleplerinden satın almaya, sözleşmelerden banka talimatlarına kadar birçok kritik süreci dijitalleştirdi. Bu sayede, fiziki imza ve onay işlemleri artık dakikalar içinde tamamlanırken; kâğıt, baskı, arşiv ve iş gücü gibi maliyetlerden de önemli tasarruf sağlanıyor. Dijitalleşmeyle birlikte süreçler zaman ve mekândan bağımsız hale gelirken, çalışma modeli daha esnek ve sürdürülebilir bir yapıya kavuşuyor.

De wereld van data delen is volop in beweging. Wet- en regelgeving, technologische innovaties en maatschappelijke verwachtingen veranderen in hoog tempo. De komende jaren staan organisaties met processen gericht op het ophalen van klantgegevens voor belangrijke strategische keuzes. Welke verplichtingen en mogelijkheden biedt eIDAS 2.0 en de komst van de ID-wallet? Wat houdt FIDA in? Hoe realistisch zijn overheids-API’s? En welke rol speelt AI in het ontsluiten en interpreteren van gegevens?

Thales inaugurates GenF, a first step towards nuclear fusion energy prezly Thu, 05/15/2025 - 12:00 Thales, a global leader in high-power lasers, will inaugurate GenF on Thursday 15 May 2025 in Le Barp (Bordeaux). GenF aims to take a major step toward in developing a new energy source that is safe, abundant, competitive and low-carbon, through inertial confinement nuclear fusion. GenF is working in collaboration with the CEA, CNRS, École polytechnique and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region to design a first inertial confinement fusion reactor. Thales is contributing its expertise in high-power lasers, developed at its Élancourt site, which enabled the company to build the world’s most powerful laser system, currently in operation in Romania.

Energy production through nuclear fusion is now identified as one of the solutions to address two crucial challenges: the need to reduce global carbon emissions and the ever-increasing energy demand across various sectors of the economy, such as transport, construction, agriculture and the digital industry. According to the IEA (International Energy Agency), electricity consumption by data centres is expected to more than double by 2030, particularly due to the rise of AI.

Nuclear fusion is therefore regarded as a tremendous opportunity to create a new energy source that is safe (it carries no risk of runaway reactions), abundant (its resources are widely available in nature), competitive and low-carbon (it emits no greenhouse gases). Furthermore, nuclear fusion generates one million times less radioactive waste than fission, and this waste can be eliminated more quickly.

To achieve nuclear fusion, extensive research is being carried out on two methods: magnetic confinement and inertial confinement. The inertial confinement method requires the use of high-energy lasers to compress matter and reach the thermonuclear conditions required for fusion. Significant scientific progress is still needed for this method of energy production to be deployed.

To ensure that France remains one of the pioneering countries in this field, the government, via BPI France, launched a call for projects on "innovative nuclear reactors" in June 2023, under the France 2030 initiative. Drawing on its expertise in high-power lasers, Thales submitted the TARANIS project, in partnership with the CEA, the CNRS and École polytechnique, to demonstrate the feasibility of designing a first inertial confinement nuclear fusion reactor. The project was selected in February 2024, giving it access to a €18,5 million budget for its initial development phase. To bring together the essential complementary expertise, Thales created the company GenF, officially launched in January 2025, and signed a first contract worth several million euros for the development of its fusion laser.

GenF will progress through three development phases:

By 2027, GenF plans a first phase of modelling and simulation, calibrated through experiments on existing facilities such as LMJ; From 2027 to 2035, a second phase will focus on the maturation of fusion technologies such as multiple laser synchronisation, the production of cryogenic targets and the development of new materials for the reactor wall; From 2035, a third phase could lead to the scaling-up of the reactor, with the construction of a first prototype.

GenF currently brings together around ten scientists, engineers and industrial experts and involves about forty people from all the institutions combined. The company will inaugurate its premises in Le Barp (Bordeaux) on Thursday 15 May 2025, with support from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council—region that already brings together many areas of expertise in nuclear fusion, including the Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications (CELIA – CNRS/University of Bordeaux/CEA) and the Centre d’Études Scientifiques et Techniques d’Aquitaine (CESTA – CEA).

Thales has 40 years of experience in high-power lasers. From design and development to installation, team training and operational support, Thales masters the entire high-power laser expertise chain, which includes laser sources from 10 TW to 10 petawatts, beam transport lines, target focusing optics and quality control systems. Thales has also been active in nuclear fusion for over 25 years, particularly as a lead contractor for subassemblies as part of the Laser Mégajoule programme, a research initiative on inertial confinement fusion developed by the CEA. In addition, at its Vélizy and Thonon sites, Thales develops high-power electronic tubes for magnetic confinement fusion reactors, including for the international ITER demonstrator.

https://genf-systems.com/

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/sans%20A-1920x480px_74.jpg Documents [Prezly] PR_Thales inaugurates GenF, a first step towards nuclear fusion energy.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 15 May 2025 Type Press release Structure Group Energy production through nuclear fusion is now identified as one of the solutions to address two crucial challenges: the need to reduce global carbon emissions and the ever-increasing energy demand across various sectors of the economy, such as transport, construction, agriculture and the digital industry. According to the IEA (International Energy Agency), electricity consumption by data centres is expected to more than double by 2030, particularly due to the rise of AI. prezly_758080_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 758080 Prezly UUID e80f31f9-6e2e-4a17-8001-f8671c5c1a7c Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-inaugurates-genf-a-first-step-towards-nuclear-fusion-energy Thu, 05/15/2025 - 14:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Web programming has come a long way, and the future is even more exciting. With rapid advancements in technology, web programming is evolving to create faster, more secure, and more immersive experiences. From AI-driven development to decentralized web applications, there’s a lot to look forward to. In this blog, we’ll explore what the future holds for web programming, from emerging trends to tools, and how you can stay ahead of the curve.

Learn more: What Are Dapps and Why Are They Important in Web3?

What is Web Programming in the Future Context?

In the future, web programming will be much more than just building websites. It will involve creating powerful, AI-driven web applications, immersive digital environments, and decentralized systems. The focus is shifting from just coding to crafting dynamic, user-centric experiences that integrate seamlessly with the digital world.

Top Trends Shaping the Future of Web Programming

Several exciting trends are transforming the landscape of web programming, and here’s what you should know:

AI-Powered Web Development

AI is already starting to make waves in web programming, and its role will continue to grow. Imagine a tool that can help you write code, suggest optimizations, and even create layouts based on your preferences – this is where AI-powered web development is headed. With tools like RangerTheme, AI can automate parts of the coding process, making web development faster, more efficient, and more accessible to developers of all skill levels.

Web3 and Decentralized Web

Web3 is a game-changer for web programming. Unlike traditional web models, Web3 uses decentralized networks, allowing users to own and control their data. Web programming will focus on creating decentralized applications (dApps) that are more secure, private, and user-driven. The rise of blockchain technology is enabling developers to build applications that run on a peer-to-peer network, making the internet more transparent and less reliant on centralized servers.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are revolutionizing the way we think about web applications. PWAs combine the best of websites and mobile apps, offering a fast, reliable, and engaging user experience. For web programmers, this means being able to create apps that work seamlessly across devices and platforms without needing to rely on app stores or heavy downloads.

No-Code and Low-Code Platforms

For non-developers, no-code and low-code platforms are lowering the barrier to entry for web programming. These platforms allow you to create fully functioning websites and applications without writing a single line of code. While they’re not a replacement for professional web development, they offer a quicker way to build web projects for those without coding experience, expanding the reach of web programming to a broader audience.

Immersive Web with WebXR

With WebXR, the immersive web is becoming a reality. This technology brings augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) directly into your browser, allowing users to experience 3D environments without the need for specialized hardware. For web developers, this opens up new possibilities for creating interactive, immersive web applications, from virtual stores to digital entertainment.

Enhanced Security and Privacy

As more people rely on the internet for day-to-day activities, security and privacy become even more crucial. Future web programming will need to address emerging threats and privacy concerns by building secure applications that protect user data. This will involve encryption, secure user authentication, and privacy by design, all of which will be a priority for developers in the coming years.

Learn more: Exploring Web3 Browsers: Secure Ways to Access the Decentralized Web

The Role of Tools and Certifications in Web Programming

To stay ahead in the future of web programming, using the right tools and acquiring web programming certifications will be key. Tools like React.js, Vue.js, and Node.js will remain central to front-end and back-end development, while certifications will help validate your skills and enhance your credibility in the job market.

Web Design Programs

Programs like Figma and Adobe XD will continue to be essential for web programming as they allow for seamless design and development of user interfaces. These tools enable designers and developers to collaborate efficiently, making the process of creating responsive and dynamic websites much smoother.

Web Page Builder Programs

For those new to web programming, web page builder programs like WordPress and Wix are excellent starting points. These platforms allow you to create professional websites with minimal coding knowledge, while still offering customization options for developers as they grow their skills.

Learn more: Top Web3 Security Tips to Keep Your Crypto Safe

Skills to Master for the Future of Web Programming

The future of web programming requires developers to have a diverse skills set to stay competitive in an ever-evolving industry. Here’s what you’ll need to focus on:

JavaScript Frameworks (React, Vue.js, Angular)
JavaScript frameworks are essential for building modern web applications. React is widely used for creating interactive UIs, while Vue.js offers a simpler approach for developers who want flexibility without complexity. Angular is a robust framework that’s ideal for large-scale applications. Mastering these will help you build fast, scalable websites and apps. Web3 and Blockchain
As the internet transitions to Web3, blockchain development becomes increasingly important. Understanding decentralized technologies like Ethereum, Solidity, and smart contracts will be essential. Developers with blockchain expertise are in high demand as more projects move away from centralized systems. AI and Machine Learning
Integrating AI and machine learning into websites can revolutionize user experience. Whether it’s through chatbots, personalized recommendations, or predictive features, mastering these technologies will make you a valuable asset to any web development team. WebXR
Immersive web experiences powered by WebXR are gaining traction. As AR/VR becomes more mainstream, developers who can create these types of experiences will be in high demand. Learning WebXR allows you to create dynamic, interactive digital worlds right in the browser.

By honing these skills, you’ll be prepared for the exciting future of web programming.

How to Prepare for the Future of Web Programming

The future of web programming is full of new opportunities, and staying ahead means being proactive. Here’s how to prepare:

Stay Updated
With technology changing fast, keeping up with the latest trends is crucial. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, and explore new tools to stay in the loop. Continuous learning will ensure you’re always at the forefront of web programming. Join Communities
Becoming part of the web programming community is essential for growth. Platforms like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and Reddit allow you to interact with experienced developers, learn from others, and keep your skills sharp. Being active in these communities will also expose you to new ideas and solutions. Get Certified
Certifications can be a powerful way to showcase your skills. Platforms like Coursera, freeCodeCamp, and Udemy offer in-depth courses that teach both foundational and advanced web development skills. Having web programming certifications can boost your credibility and help you stand out to employers.

Preparing for the future of web programming means staying informed, engaging with the community, and continuously improving your skill set.

Learn more: How to Optimize Your Website for Rapid Traffic Growth

Top Resources for Future-Ready Web Programming

To stay ahead in the world of web programming, you need the right resources. Here are a few great platforms to help you get started:

FreeCodeCamp
FreeCodeCamp offers hands-on tutorials and projects to help you learn everything from HTML and CSS to more complex topics like APIs and backend development. With a large community of learners, it’s one of the best places to start and grow your skills. MDN Web Docs
For developers of all levels, MDN Web Docs is an invaluable resource. It provides detailed guides and tutorials on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more. It’s great for both beginners and seasoned developers who need a solid reference for web technologies. Coursera and Udemy
Both Coursera and Udemy offer a wide range of web programming courses taught by experts. From front-end development to full-stack programming, these platforms provide access to courses from top universities and tech companies.

By using these resources, you’ll gain the knowledge and practical experience needed to stay future-ready in web programming.

Conclusion

The future of web programming offers incredible opportunities for growth and innovation. By mastering emerging technologies like AI, Web3, and WebXR, and staying updated with the latest trends and tools, you can position yourself for success in this ever-evolving field. Keep learning, engage with the community, and don’t forget to use the right resources to stay ahead of the curve. With the right mindset and continuous improvement, the future of web programming is yours to explore.

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 Future of Web Programming: Exploring New Horizons with a Ranger’s Vision appeared first on Herond Blog.

Thales boosts Air Traffic Management System for Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA prezly Thu, 05/15/2025 - 11:00 Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA will use Thales’s modular Air Traffic Management (ATM) solution, TopSky – ATC One complemented by TopSky – Sequencer powered by AI, to enhance its operational capabilities, optimize air traffic flow management, increase runway capacities, and reduce delays. This future-proof, scalable solution positions SMATSA at the forefront of air traffic management, ensuring safety, efficiency, and sustainability. SMATSA also joins the upgraded TopSky - ATC user group, to help shape the future of ATM systems.
SMATSA and Thales representatives at Airspace World, Lisbon, © Marker Production

Thales’s TopSky - ATC One offering, complemented by TopSky – Sequencer, will modernize SMATSA’s air navigation infrastructure. It introduces advanced software and features designed to optimize air traffic flow management, maximize runway capacities, and minimize delays. These improvements will not only support SMATSA's operational goals, but will also enhance safety, productivity, and decision-making capabilities across the air traffic network.

One of the main reasons that SMATSA selected the TopSky - ATC One offering is its modular, open-architecture design, which ensures that the platform will remain adaptable, scalable, and future-proof. This enables SMATSA to continuously evolve its ATM system, in line with emerging technologies, regulatory requirements, and the ever-growing demands of air traffic management.

SMATSA’s move to the upgraded TopSky - ATC One offering also means joining the group of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) using Thales’s TopSky – ATC One. This structure fosters collaboration, shared decision-making and ownership. By adopting this collaborative and unified solution, SMATSA can leverage a single baseline product that evolves according to a shared roadmap of future upgrades. This ensures alignment with industry regulations and the collective needs of the air navigation community.

Alongside the technological upgrade, SMATSA is also committed to workforce development. The upgrade will provide extensive market-relevant training and strategic workforce management initiatives, focusing on attracting young talent and improving gender diversity in the aviation sector. As part of its broader inclusivity efforts, SMATSA aims to increase the representation of women in the aviation industry, positioning itself as an employer of choice.

“We are proud to partner with Thales for this significant upgrade of our air traffic management system,” said Raša Ristivojević, SMATSA CEO. “The TopSky - ATC One system will modernize our operations, allowing us to better manage air traffic and enhance our service quality. This is an important step forward in ensuring SMATSA continues to meet the growing demands of regional traffic, while also investing in our workforce and promoting inclusivity in the sector.”

“We are excited to see SMATSA adopt our TopSky - ATC One offering, a solution that will keep them at the forefront of air navigation services,” said Youzec Kurp, Vice President of Airspace Mobility Solutions at Thales. “This upgrade demonstrates SMATSA’s commitment to technological innovation, operational excellence, and its vision for a sustainable, future-ready air traffic management system.”

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/Generic%20banner%20option%202%20%282%29_46.png Documents [Prezly] PR - Thales boosts Air Traffic Management System for Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services SMATSA.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 15 May 2025 Type Press release Structure Aerospace Austria Denmark Finland Hungary Sweden Thales’s TopSky - ATC One offering, complemented by TopSky – Sequencer, will modernize SMATSA’s air navigation infrastructure. It introduces advanced software and features designed to optimize air traffic flow management, maximize runway capacities, and minimize delays. These improvements will not only support SMATSA's operational goals, but will also enhance safety, productivity, and decision-making capabilities across the air traffic network. prezly_758577_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 758577 Prezly UUID 920f401b-4757-43be-9d04-127b4dcc7a10 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-boosts-air-traffic-management-system-for-serbia-and-montenegro-air-traffic-services-smatsa Thu, 05/15/2025 - 13:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Thales powers one million digital payment experiences with Vipps mobile wallet in Norway prezly Thu, 05/15/2025 - 09:00 Thales fully supports the success of Vipps, Norway’s leading mobile wallet, which has enabled over one million users for mobile contactless payments since December 2024. Vipps wallet users are the first to benefit from a third-party mobile contactless payment solution on iOS, enabled by Thales D1 technology that securely digitizes payment cards on smartphone. This milestone highlights Thales’ continued leadership in digital payments and its commitment to support fast, large-scale innovation in partnership with financial players.

With the launch of NFC payments for iPhone and Android devices, Vipps became the first third-party wallet on iOS to offer this feature—an industry first. Behind this innovation, Thales provided the technology foundation, its D1 platform, that made this achievement possible, ensuring a smooth, secure, and scalable experience for Norwegian consumers.

A breakthrough in everyday payments

In just 24 hours after the launch, more than 200,000 digital cards were activated—clear proof of the demand for simple and secure digital payments. Behind the scenes, Thales D1 technology enabled users to get a digital payment card - just in few seconds - on Vipps’ wallet, and proceed with contactless payment at shops, getting on top real time transaction notification on their iPhones. Since the launch, Vipps users enjoy a fast and convenient alternative to traditional mobile wallets for everyday purchases.

Currently supporting Norway’s domestic BankAxept cards, Vipps will expand to include international schemes such as Visa and Mastercard in the coming months, broadening its reach and usability across borders.

Thales D1 platform boosting innovation ​

Built for innovation, the D1 platform supported Vipps by adding contactless payment to their wallet. This showcases the platform's ability to consistently add new innovative use cases, while providing a scalable and secure solution that grows with customer needs.

The D1 platform is cloud-based and works in real time, making it easy to integrate with existing systems. It helps Thales customers respond to today’s expectations for secure, flexible, and instant payment services — such as modern card issuing, tokenization, or transaction control — while also preparing for the future of payments.

Trusted collaboration driving success

“Everything we do at Vipps is about simplifying life for people and businesses. Hitting one million users for contactless payments shows that this is something people really want. Now, we are looking forward to when our users can add Visa and Mastercard to Vipps, enabling them to tap their phones and pay with Vipps across the world. Our collaboration with Thales has been key to making all this happen.” Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps MobilePay.

"Driven by strong collaboration between our teams, we successfully met ambitious launch timelines and proved the strength of our operations — delivering a reliable, high-performance service that handled both the surge in demand at launch and the steady, high-volume usage that continues today.he D1 platform is also a key enabler of innovative digital payment services, helping financial players expand and thrive in an increasingly competitive payments landscape." François Chaffard, Vice President Digital Payment Services at Thales.

With this milestone, Thales reaffirms its role as a trusted partner in the future of digital payments, helping financial institutions offer flexible, future-ready solutions that meet consumers’ evolving expectations.

 

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/tap%20to%20pay%20Vipps.png Contacts Cédric Leurquin 15 May 2025 Type Press release Structure Digital Identity and Security Norway With the launch of NFC payments for iPhone and Android devices, Vipps became the first third-party wallet on iOS to offer this feature—an industry first. Behind this innovation, Thales provided the technology foundation, its D1 platform, that made this achievement possible, ensuring a smooth, secure, and scalable experience for Norwegian consumers. prezly_758225_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 758225 Prezly UUID eb492037-4f65-4dee-a172-47c94747ab31 Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-powers-one-million-digital-payment-experiences-with-vipps-mobile-wallet-in-norway Thu, 05/15/2025 - 11:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Predictoor DF141 rewards available. DF142 runs May 15th — May 22nd, 2025 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 141 (DF141) has completed.

DF142 is live today, May 15th. It concludes on May 22nd. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3,750 OCEAN rewards and 20,000 ROSE rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF142 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 DF142

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3.75K 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.

DF141 Completes and DF142 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

On May 13, 2025 two vast illicit marketplaces, Huione Guarantee and Xinbi Guarantee, were forced offline. Together, these platforms facilitated transactions totaling over $35 billion in stablecoins, for goods and services ranging from money laundering and stolen data, to human trafficking and torture devices. These marketplaces were shut down by Telegram, based on insights provided by Elliptic.

Digital banking has never moved faster. For platforms powering fintechs, neobanks, and embedded financial services, onboarding new customers quickly and securely is essential, not only for user experience but also for compliance.

That’s where KYC, or Know Your Customer, comes in—the set of identity verification steps financial institutions are legally required to perform before offering services like bank accounts, credit, or investment tools. It's a critical part of protecting against fraud or money laundering.

However, while some digital services have advanced rapidly, the identity verification tools that power KYC have lagged behind. Most platforms still rely on artificial intelligence to analyze images of physical documents, a patchwork process that creates friction for users and uncertainty for compliance teams. As fraud tactics become more sophisticated, these systems are showing their limits.

It’s time to modernize how identity is verified online, and that starts with mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs), a secure and verifiable form of digital identity issued by state governments.

The Bottleneck in Digital Onboarding

If your current onboarding flow involves photo uploads and long processing times, you’re likely to see drop-off and risk.

Even the best AI-powered verification tools struggle with edge cases, false rejections, and new forms of fraud. Meanwhile, generative AI is making it easier than ever to spoof IDs and deepfake “live” videos that pass existing checks.

The impact is real: one study found over half of users abandon onboarding when it becomes too slow or confusing. For digital platforms competing for users, these delays can directly impact revenue and retention.

mDLs: Trust That’s Built In

Mobile driver’s licenses are verifiable digital credentials issued by state governments and stored on a user’s smartphone. Unlike photos of paper IDs, they’re cryptographically signed, instantly verifiable, and privacy-preserving. This allows relying parties such as banks, fintechs, and marketplaces to instantly confirm authenticity without storing or interpreting sensitive user data.

For digital platforms, this means:

Instant verification: no photos or manual review needed Reduced fraud: credentials are cryptographically bound to specific devices Streamlined UX: users can verify in seconds without leaving your flow Privacy-first: only necessary data (ex. age, name) is shared Compliance-ready: aligns with evolving KYC/AML requirements

With more than 5.6 million Americans now holding mDLs and TSA actively accepting them at airports, real-world adoption is accelerating. States across the U.S. are continuing to expand issuance, creating a growing population of users with ready-to-use digital IDs.

A Strategic Shift

Platforms that embed verifiable digital credentials into their onboarding flows unlock many benefits, like fewer drop-offs, lower fraud risk, and stronger audit trails. They also gain operational efficiency, reducing the need for manual reviews and exception handling.

And this is just the beginning. As mDLs and other verifiable digital credentials become more widely adopted by governments, retailers, and beyond, those who invest early in integration will be positioned to lead in trust, speed, and compliance.

Learn More

SpruceID provides the secure infrastructure needed to issue and verify verifiable digital credentials, such as mobile driver’s licenses, helping organizations streamline identity workflows and reduce onboarding risk. If you're exploring ways to modernize identity verification, we’d love to partner with you.

See a Demo

About SpruceID: SpruceID is building a future where users control their identity and data across all digital interactions.

Saviynt's Amit Saha breaks down the shortcomings of legacy IAM.

The dual-write problem exists in distributed systems. Let's look at what it is and some of the most common strategies to mitigate it using authorization as an example.

The FBI is raising the alarm over an escalation in North Korean nation-state threat actors leveraging generative AI, laptop farms, and deepfakes to successfully infiltrate large companies through remote job applications, despite widely available solutions that can thwart such attacks.

We’ve discussed this threat before. But according to a recent Cyberscoop.com report, it’s getting worse. Thousands of North Korean operatives have secured jobs at more than a hundred Fortune 500 companies.

Using stolen or synthetic identity information and generative AI, these impostors produce polished LinkedIn profiles and identity credentials. Deepfake technology is used for video calls, sometimes unconvincingly, though not often enough. Laptop farms in the US enable the infiltrators to spoof local IPs. Moreover, the imposters usually excel at the actual job, supported by an entire pod of 10 to 20 operatives performing the work for the fraudulent identity behind the scenes.

Speaking on a panel at the RSA Conference 2025, FBI Special Agent Elizabeth Pelker reported that when employers find out these imposters may be agents, they often hesitate to terminate them. “I think more often than not, I get the comment, “Oh, but Johnny is our best performer. Do we actually need to fire them?’” There are plenty of reasons to say an easy yes.

Fake Workers, Real Money

According to WIRED, each impostor and pod can send as much as $3 million a year back to Pyongyang just in wages. In Cyberscoop’s estimation, that could be as much as $100 million funneled annually to the North Korean regime.

However, these operatives also use their corporate footholds to exfiltrate data and intellectual property, plant malware, and occasionally threaten executives with blackmail. They can also act on a larger scale, disrupting critical services or infrastructure. It’s no wonder the FBI is offering up to $5 million for information that leads to the disruption of these operations.

It’s alarmingly easy to generate the identities used in these scams. Once the purview of skilled operatives, a steady flow of corporate data breaches coupled with the rise of “crime-as-a-service” outfits means even non-experts can leverage realistic personas complete with fabricated LinkedIn profiles, convincing virtual backgrounds, and digitally manipulated identity documents. And at sites like personnotexist[.]org, even people with no image manipulation experience can easily generate deepfake personas for use in video.

For businesses increasingly reliant on remote teams, the sophistication of these outfits represents a significant threat. By some industry estimates, 40% of all cybercrime incidents in 2024 involved deepfake infiltration. At an average cost of $4.99 million per incident caused by malicious “insiders” like fraudulent remote workers, it can add up. For US-based companies, the average cost of a data breach tops $9 million. As it stands, 34% of companies in North America report suffering a data breach that cost them between $1 million and $20 million in the past three years. As many as one in three breaches now involve insiders.

Once breached, organizations face the loss or theft of data, compromised networks, ransomware, and blackmail. That’s before lawsuits or regulatory fines, reputational damage, and the fallout from lost customer trust, shattered shareholder confidence, and derailed strategic initiatives.

‘How Ugly Is Kim Jong Un?’ Why Most Security Measures Fail

Identifying fake job candidates requires innovation and skepticism. Red flags include discrepancies between identity information and the candidates themselves. According to Cyberscoop, examples can consist of a person with a complicated Polish name who, in a Zoom call, turns out to be a military-age male Asian who can’t pronounce it.

When deepfakes are in use, telltale signs can be sudden jerkiness or a disconnect between audio and video. It’s also not uncommon for candidates to be fed answers to questions, creating latency as they read onscreen prompts. As a counter measure, some hiring managers ask candidates to hold up identity credentials to match face with identity. But the same AI tools behind the deepfakes can also be used to create counterfeit credentials, of course.

According to researchers, asking a candidate to wave their hand in front of their face can reveal deepfake inconsistencies. Another tactic: asking unexpected questions like, “How ugly is Kim Jong Un?” Perhaps unsurprisingly, it can be enough of a curve ball to instantly trigger operatives to disconnect from the call abruptly. The technique is effective because North Korean agents are prohibited from saying anything negative about their leader. When asked to criticize him, they typically end the interview immediately rather than risk punishment for appearing disloyal.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Of course, that might not always work, nor is it ever enough.

Today’s typical security protocols—basic ID verification, standard biometric checks, and interview procedures—are no match for increasingly sophisticated deepfake schemes. Attacks now employ presentation attacks for printed and emailed identity credentials, voice cloning, face swapping, and manipulation of captured video of a legitimate user or candidate.

They can also include injection attacks to manipulate data streams between the camera or scanner and authentication systems. Fraudsters with access to an open device, for example, can inject a passing fingerprint or face ID into the authentication process—or text-to-speech tools to manipulate cloned voice samples—bypassing security measures and gaining unauthorized access to corporate networks and services.

What It Really Takes to Defeat Deepfake Identities

As I mentioned, the strongest countermeasure against deepfakes and workforce identity fraud in all its forms is already widely available: advanced biometric authentication, securely linked to verified identities. 1Kosmos is a case in point. Our identity proofing solution leads potential employees through a mobile-first enrollment process in which they scan driver’s licenses, social security numbers, national identity documents, passports, or other government-issued credentials.

Automated workflows then verify the data, including any associated pictures and RFID-chip data, across more than 2,500 different identity documents from over 150 countries with over 99% accuracy. These verified individuals are linked to a facial biometric that is dynamically compared to the photo on valid credentials, and the bound identity is then encrypted with the user’s private key and stored in our private and permissioned blockchain.

Passive liveness detection spots subtle digital markers indicative of manipulated images. Detection methods prompt users to perform specific, randomized actions—confirming genuine human presence at enrollment and, if desired, as a login measure for video interviews or meetings. Fraudulent identities are flagged during the time of capture. Our solutions are also built on the only platform certified to NIST 800-63-3, UK DIATF, FIDO2, and iBeta ISO/IEC 30107 standards with an SDK and standard APIs to avoid security exploits and prevent vendor lock.

Facing the Future: Stopping Deepfakes Before They Start

Unchecked, the epidemic of fraudulent job candidates threatens hiring integrity, cybersecurity infrastructure, and corporate reputations worldwide—and it will only get worse. According to Gartner, 1 in every 4 job applicants will be fake by 2028. When you consider other “enhancements” made by otherwise legitimate job candidates, the need for objective, bullet-proof identity proofing grows more critical.

Along with fostering a culture of cybersecurity vigilance throughout the organization (looking at you, HR), implementing widely available biometric technologies that adhere to exacting identity verification standards offers the best—well, only—surefire way to defeat ever-evolving threats from workforce fraud, North Korean and otherwise. Which means the next time you ask a job candidate, “How fat is Kim Jong Un?” it’ll just be for the fun of it.

To learn more about how 1Kosmos can protect your organization against worker fraud with the online NIST, DIATF, FIDO2, and iBeta certified workforce verification and authentication solutions on the market, click here.

The post Why the Fortune 500 Keeps Getting Duped by Deepfake Job Applicants–And How to Stop It appeared first on 1Kosmos.

The UK ransomware attacks on retailers have prompted calls for a change in mindset on identity.

How Weak Identity Security Posture Affects Organizations 

The report paints a clear picture: fraudsters are refining their strategies, targeting high-value credentials and exploiting vulnerabilities across all channels. Several statistics stand out, demanding immediate attention from security and risk leaders.  

How Compromised Credentials Lead to The Rise of Identity Fraud A particularly alarming trend highlighted is the increasing exposure of government-issued IDs in data breaches. In 2024, 31% of US data breaches included driver's licenses or other state IDs, a sharp rise from 19% in 2023. 

For years, presenting a physical ID or a scan of one has been a common identity verification step. However, when the digital versions of these documents are readily available to criminals due to breaches, relying solely on document verification becomes dangerously inadequate.

Fraudsters can now more easily acquire the very credentials used in traditional proofing processes, making it essential to layer additional, dynamic verification methods. How Fraudsters Use ID Spoofing and KBA To their Benefit

Fraudsters are becoming more adept at impersonating legitimate customers, and legacy verification methods are failing to stop them. The TransUnion survey found:

55% of knowledgeable business leaders reported that call spoofing to impersonate a customer became more common in the past year. 

58% reported that the use of stolen personal information to pass knowledge-based authentication (KBA) became more common.   The Implication: These two statistics are intrinsically linked. Widespread data breaches have made personally identifiable information (PII) – the foundation of KBA questions like "What street did you grow up on?" or "What was your first pet's name?" – easily accessible to criminals. Simultaneously, spoofing technologies allow fraudsters to appear as legitimate callers. Relying on information recall (KBA) or caller ID is no longer a viable defense mechanism. Knowledge is not identity.   Call Centers and Help Desks Are Now Prime Targets of Identity Fraud

The human element in customer service remains a key target. The report reveals a significant increase in attacks targeting call centers:

The percentage of high-risk calls into US call centers surged by 33%, rising from 4.5% in 2023 to 6.0% in 2024.   This coincides with 43% of knowledgeable business leaders indicating fraudsters increased their attacks on call centers over the past year.   Understanding the Risk: Call centers and internal help desks often handle sensitive requests, including password resets, account changes, and information verification; actions that provide direct pathways for account takeover if compromised. The pressure on agents to provide quick support can conflict with rigorous security protocols, creating vulnerabilities that fraudsters exploit through social engineering and impersonation. The report also notes the specific risk posed by non-fixed VoIP calls, which are harder to trace and showed a high percentage of fraud risk.   How to Ensure Identity Assurance For Your Organization

The insights from the TransUnion report demand a fundamental shift in how organizations approach identity security. Reactive measures and outdated techniques are insufficient. The goal must be Identity Assurance: establishing ongoing, high confidence in a user's identity across their entire journey through orchestrated, risk-appropriate verification.

1. Adopt Identity Verification Solutions with Journey Orchestration

Given that even physical IDs can be compromised and personal knowledge is widely available, modern IDV must be dynamic and context-aware.  

Move Beyond Static Checks: Merely scanning a driver's license is no longer enough. Effective solutions must layer multiple verification techniques. This includes document authentication (checking security features as well as against a reliable database), biometric verification (matching a live selfie to the ID photo), crucial liveness detection (to prevent spoofs using photos/videos), and potentially cross-referencing with trusted data sources or device intelligence. Orchestrate Based on Risk: Not all interactions carry the same risk. Identity verification shouldn't be one-size-fits-all. Implement solutions that allow for fine-grained policies based on the specific action (e.g., onboarding vs. login vs. password reset), the user's privilege level, and real-time risk signals (like device health or location). 2. Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) is Broken

The data is clear: KBA is fundamentally broken. The sheer volume of breached PII, combined with the power of AI to gather and correlate information, makes relying on secret questions a critical vulnerability.  

Embrace Stronger Factors: Organizations must transition to phishing-resistant authentication methods. This includes passwordless, FIDO-certified authenticators like device-based biometrics or security keys, which prove possession of a trusted factor rather than relying on easily compromised knowledge. Secure Recovery: Critically, this applies to recovery processes too. Using KBA for account recovery negates investments in strong primary authentication. Secure recovery must leverage other verified, phishing-resistant factors. 3. Harden Call Center and Help Desk Defenses Interactions

The sharp rise in high-risk calls targeting support channels necessitates specific countermeasures.  

Empower Agents with Better Tools: Equip support staff with integrated tools that provide stronger identity verification methods than simply asking KBA questions or trusting caller ID. Implement Risk-Based Authentication: For high-risk requests (like credential resets or changes to sensitive account information), trigger strong step-up authentication challenges that cannot be easily socially engineered. This could involve pushing a notification to a user's registered and trusted device for biometric approval. Orchestrate High Risk Workflows: Implement workflows that escalate high-risk verification scenarios. This might involve requiring approval from an employee's pre-verified manager through a secure channel or routing the interaction to a specialized risk team equipped with advanced verification tools. Upgrade Your Security Posture with Identity Assurance

The TransUnion H1 2025 State of Omnichannel Fraud Report serves as a stark reminder: identity is the new security perimeter, and it's under constant attack. The rise in compromised identity documents, the blatant failure of KBA, and the relentless targeting of support channels demand immediate action.  

Organizations can no longer afford incremental improvements to outdated security models. A paradigm shift towards proactive Identity Assurance is essential for survival and growth. This means embedding strong, phishing-resistant identity verification across the entire user lifecycle, orchestrating verification based on risk, and eliminating reliance on easily compromised factors like passwords and shared secrets.

Discover HYPR’s Identity Assurance Platform

HYPR, The Identity Assurance Company, is built to address these modern challenges head-on. Our platform delivers FIDO-certified, passwordless MFA, integrates high-assurance identity verification methods, and enables sophisticated journey orchestration to ensure the right users gain access, securely recover accounts, and interact safely across all channels, including vulnerable support touchpoints.

Don't let legacy vulnerabilities dictate your security posture. Embrace Identity Assurance and build a resilient defense against the evolving threats highlighted by TransUnion.

Key Takeaways: 1. Static Identity Verification is Obsolete

Reliance on physical IDs or static document scans is increasingly less secure due to the amount of stolen PII credentials online. Identity verification must use a multi-layered approach that includes biometrics, liveness detection, and real-time risk assessment.

2. Knowledge-Based Authentication is Broken

Breached data and data aggregated by AI have rendered knowledge-based authentication nearly useless. Organizations must adopt phishing-resistant factors like biometrics and FIDO2 passkeys.

3. Call Centers and Helpdesks Are the New Frontline

The increase in spoofed calls and VoIP abuse increases the fraud risk for both call centers and help desks. Organizations must implement risk-based step-up authentication and use tools that provide more secure identity verification methods.

4. Identity Assurance is the New Standard

The security focus must shift from one-time, static checks to continuous identity assurance across the user journey. Modern IDV solutions must be adaptive and risk-aware to meet the challenges of the current threat landscape.

 

AI-powered deepfake technologies are rapidly evolving, enabling sophisticated identity fraud across workforce, financial, and business sectors and necessitating advanced verification and credential technologies to combat these emerging threats.

A special mashup episode with fellow analyst Francis Odum. Francis is founder and analyst at Software Analyst Cyber Research and global thought leader on a broad array of cyber topics.

Episode Takeaways

RSA Conference 2025 review AI is a major theme, but many vendors are using it as marketing fluff. Identity security is essential for mitigating risks in cybersecurity. Data security is increasingly reliant on effective identity management. Agentic AI presents both opportunities and challenges for security. The need for new identity types for AI agents is emerging. AI can automate many security processes, potentially reducing human error. The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly, with new threats and solutions. Secure by design principles are crucial for future-proofing security measures. The industry must adapt to the growing complexity of identity and access management.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Conference Reflections

03:04 The Analyst Mashup: Introducing Francis Odum

05:51 Francis Odum's Journey into Cyber Research

08:52 Insights from RSA Conference 2023

11:59 Key Takeaways: AI, Identity, and Data Security

14:56 The Role of Identity in Cybersecurity

18:03 Emerging Themes in Cloud Security and AI

21:00 Challenges in AI Strategy and Budgeting

24:06 Ethics and Accountability in AI Security

26:47 The Future of Agentic AI and Cybersecurity

28:13 The Role of AI in Business and Security

31:35 Emerging Identity Types and Their Implications

35:07 The Need for Pain to Drive Change

39:31 Future Trends in AI and Security

44:15 Platforms vs. Portfolios in Cybersecurity

51:51 Secure by Design: A New Paradigm

53:27 Final Thoughts and Future Conversations

At this year’s European Identity and Cloud Conference (EIC), Richard Esplin, Head of Product at Dock Labs, delivered a session on one of the most pressing challenges in digital identity: How can we ensure that the person presenting a digital credential is really the one it was issued to?

His answer lies in the combination of verifiable credentials and biometrics. Used together, these technologies can give organizations strong assurances about identity ownership, while preserving user privacy and avoiding the pitfalls of centralized data storage.

Here are the key takeaways from the presentation.

Thales awarded ATC modernization contract in Brazil by CISCEA and installs new radar station at Presidente Prudente airport, reinforcing Brazilian airspace safety and security prezly Wed, 05/14/2025 - 11:00 The Commission for the Implementation of the Brazilian Airspace Control System (CISCEA), an entity of the Brazilian Air Force Airspace Control Department (DECEA), awards a modernization contract for 9 Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radars to Omnisys, a Thales company. The recent deployment of a co-mounted Primary TRAC NG and Secondary RSM NG radar, at Presidente Prudente airport (São Paulo), marks the 133rd milestone of installed Thales ATC (Air Traffic Control) radars in Brazil, contributing to more than 80% of the country’s airspace security and safety. Renowned for outstanding reliability, unmatched performance and the latest in digital innovations, Thales Primary and Secondary radars, play a vital role in air surveillance, maintaining constant awareness of aircraft position at all times.
Co-mounted Primary TRAC NG and Secondary RSM NG radar installed at Presidente Prudente airport Copyright Omnisys, a Thales company

Thales announces the signature of a modernization contract for nine air traffic control radar systems awarded to Omnisys, a Thales company in Brazil and Strategic Defence Company (EED), as well as the delivery of a new radar station at Presidente Prudente (São Paulo State) which represents the milestone of 133 Thales air traffic control radars operating within Brazilian airspace.

The modernization of these nine radars includes upgrades with advanced technology capable of 3D detection of both low- and high-speed targets. It also features integration between Mode S1 and the ADS-B system, enabling greater precision in identifying cooperative and non-cooperative aircrafts. The update includes electronic protection features to ensure effective operation, even in the presence of electromagnetic interference, guaranteeing continuous and reliable surveillance.

Certified by the Brazilian Ministry of Defence, as a Strategic Defence Product (PED) and manufactured at Omnisys headquarters near São Paulo, the new co-mounted Primary TRAC NG and Secondary RSM NG Surveillance Radar is installed at Presidente Prudente airport (São Paulo), and provisioned for future IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) implementation. The launch of this radar station is part of the broader strategy to keep Brazilian skies increasingly secure.

The radar station will expand air traffic surveillance capabilities, significantly improving safety and operational efficiency at Presidente Prudente Airport — the third busiest airport in the interior of the state of São Paulo.

“This initiative represents a strategic step in renewing Brazil’s radar network, ensuring greater operational reliability and alignment with current air traffic control demands,” says Air Lieutenant Brigadier Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros, General Director of DECEA. “DECEA is proud of the significant operational advancements and efficiency level achieved at the Brazilian airspace control system, recognized as a worldwide reference. Thales, thanks to its cutting-edge solutions and commitment to localization, is a major partner of the Brazilian Air Force. We highly value this partnership and look forward to continued collaboration to further enhance our capabilities.”

“With 133 radars for Air Traffic Control and Management produced and delivered in Brazil, Thales confirms its commitment to deliver the best in technology, contributing to the security of Brazilian airspace. Local production not only reinforces, but also highlights our dedication to innovate in order to meet the specific needs of our customers. The modernization contract is key to maintaining the installed base of radars at the highest level of technology, as well as ensuring high operational reliability. We are committed to developing technology that addresses both current and future challenges of national airspace and security", adds Eric HUBER, Vice President Surface Radars, Thales.

1 a secondary surveillance and communication standard which supports Air Traffic Control (ATC)

/sites/default/files/prezly/images/Generic%20banner%20option%202%20%282%29_45.png Documents [Prezly] PR - Thales awarded ATC modernization contract in Brazil by CISCEA and installs new radar station at Presidente Prudente airport - final.pdf Contacts Cédric Leurquin 14 May 2025 Type Press release Structure Aerospace Brazil Thales announces the signature of a modernization contract for nine air traffic control radar systems awarded to Omnisys, a Thales company in Brazil and Strategic Defence Company (EED), as well as the delivery of a new radar station at Presidente Prudente (São Paulo State) which represents the milestone of 133 Thales air traffic control radars operating within Brazilian airspace. prezly_757941_thumbnail.jpg Hide from search engines Off Prezly ID 757941 Prezly UUID a075531f-a942-43af-bcac-abc00471b69c Prezly url https://thales-group.prezly.com/thales-awarded-atc-modernization-contract-in-brazil-by-ciscea-and-installs-new-radar-station-at-presidente-prudente-airport-reinforcing-brazilian-airspace-safety-and-security Wed, 05/14/2025 - 13:00 Don’t overwrite with Prezly data Off

Thales FMS200 achieves coveted FACE® Conformance certification, ensuring advanced capabilities can be rapidly deployed to pilots Language English timothy.pike Wed, 05/14/2025 - 09:45

The Thales Flight Management System, FMS200, has been awarded a FACE® (Future Airborne Capability Environment) Conformant certificate, augmenting current certifications for both civil and military applications. The capability of seamless integration and rapid evolution of the avionics software is an asset for enhanced warfighting capabilities, competitive costs and rapid deployment of new features.  

FMS200: pioneering open architecture

On April 18, 2025, the FACE® Consortium certified the Thales FMS200 Flight Management System as conformant to its 3.1 standard for portable components. Thales's FMS is the first in the industry to achieve public conformance to the 3.x series of technical standards, enabling faster evolution and easier integration. The certification by the Open Group further endorses its compatibility with open standards and Modular Open System Architecture Approach (MOSA) objectives, facilitating interoperability and portability.

The FMS200 product line inherits from Thales’s FMS 40-year expertise and continuous development to meet the ever-evolving aerospace requirements. With millions of operational flight hours on numerous aircraft, the FMS200 series is designed to be flexible and agile, offering precise trajectories and what-you-see-is-what-you-fly capabilities through both civilian and military airspaces. The FMS200 reduces pilots' cognitive workload, allowing them to focus on their external environment to conduct the mission safely and efficiently with precision and agility.

"This milestone is a huge step forward to getting the FMS200 into the hands of operators quickly and seamlessly,” said Ryan Walters, General Manager of Thales's Flight Avionics USA activities. “Our Thales FMS200 has always been a game-changing solution, aligning early on with the concepts, developments, and expectations for modularity, while allowing connectivity for a myriad of external applications. The FACE certification allows us to demonstrate our expertise, perfectly aligned with the principles of modular open system architectures.” 

Multiple instances of the FMS200 have obtained EASA and FAA FAR25 and FAR29 certifications, as well as military qualifications for single or dual-pilot IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) on a wide range of civilian and military helicopters and fixed-wing platforms. This product line is crucial for all-weather IFR navigation during all phases of flight. Compliant with AC20-138D and TSO C115d requirements, FMS200 instances meet ICAO performance-based navigation standards, enabling fully compliant operations such as RNP (Required Navigation Performance) Enroute, RNAV (Area Navigation), RNP approaches down to LPV (Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance) minima, and RNP approaches requiring authorization.

Additionally, the FMS200 series features an open architecture that supports connectivity for external applications while maintaining a very low hardware footprint. Successful integrations have been achieved with most A653 operating system providers, across various central processing units (CPUs) including PowerPC®, ARM®, and TigerLake®. These characteristics make it an ideal solution not only for integration into future avionics suites but also for retrofitting enduring fleets yielding best value procurement, life cycle affordability, and accelerated development and fielding.

Find out more about the Thales FMS200 Find out more about the FACE® (Future Airborne Capability Environment) certification: www.opengroup.org/face /sites/default/files/database/assets/images/2025-05/FACE-Banner_0.png 14 May 2025 Flight Avionics The Thales Flight Management System, FMS200, has been awarded a FACE® (Future Airborne Capability Environment) Conformant certificate, augmenting current certifications for both civil and military applications. Type News Hide from search engines Off

The crypto world moves fast—but so do regulations. One of the most impactful regulations for crypto businesses today is the FATF Travel Rule. It’s not just another checkbox to tick—it’s a global mandate designed to increase transparency and reduce financial crime in digital assets. If you’re a crypto asset service provider (CASP), understanding and complying with the Travel Rule isn’t optional—it’s essential to staying competitive and credible.

Let’s walk through what the Travel Rule requires and how you can stay compliant without slowing down your operations or alienating your customers.

What Is the FATF Travel Rule?

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Travel Rule requires that CASPs—such as crypto exchanges, wallet providers, and custodians—collect and share certain information about the originators (senders) and beneficiaries (recipients) of crypto transactions over a specified threshold.

Think of it as the crypto equivalent of wire transfer rules in traditional banking. When funds move between two institutions, basic identifying information must travel with them.

Here’s what you need to know:

Threshold Amount: The Travel Rule applies to crypto transactions over USD/EUR 1,000 (or local equivalent). Required Information: For the Sender (Originator): Full name, wallet address (or unique account ID), physical address or national ID number, and transaction purpose if required by local regulations. For the Recipient (Beneficiary): Full name, wallet address, and additional details if needed. Cross-Border Compliance: The rule applies across jurisdictions, meaning you need to ensure both sides of the transaction are compliant, even if the recipient CASP is in a different country.

Why Compliance Matters

Failing to comply with the Travel Rule can lead to regulatory penalties, reputational damage, or even being cut off from global markets. But it’s not just about avoiding punishment—it’s about building trust. The Travel Rule is designed to make the crypto ecosystem safer by preventing money laundering, terrorism financing, and other illicit activities. For CASPs that want to thrive, being seen as compliant builds credibility with regulators, partners, and customers.

The Challenges of Travel Rule Compliance

Travel Rule compliance isn’t without hurdles:

Data Sharing Complexities: Sharing sensitive customer information across borders requires secure systems that comply with privacy laws like GDPR. Transaction Delays: Manual verification can slow down transactions, frustrating customers and introducing operational inefficiencies. Interoperability Issues: Ensuring compliance across different CASPs and jurisdictions can be tricky, especially if the other party uses different systems.

But these challenges don’t have to hold you back.

How iComply Simplifies Travel Rule Compliance

iComply’s end-to-end solution for KYC, KYB, and AML goes beyond basic compliance—it makes Travel Rule compliance smarter and faster with edge computing technology. Here’s how it works:

Seamless Data Collection and Verification
Instead of relying on third-party subprocessors that introduce data privacy concerns, iComply verifies and authenticates sender and recipient data locally on the client’s device using edge computing. This ensures that sensitive information is encrypted and verified before it leaves the device—minimizing data exposure risks and ensuring compliance with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA​. Real-Time Screening and Alerts
iComply automatically screens transaction participants against global watchlists, PEP databases, and adverse media sources in real-time. Suspicious activity? Immediate alerts are sent to compliance officers to take action without interrupting transaction flow​​. Interoperability and API Integration
iComply integrates easily with other CASPs’ compliance systems using its robust API. Whether your counterpart is using a different solution or in another jurisdiction, you can ensure data flows securely and meets FATF standards​​. Automated Reporting and Audit Trails
Generate audit-ready reports with one click. Every verification step is logged and time-stamped, making it easy to prove compliance during regulatory inspections​​. Configurable Rules Based on Jurisdiction
Compliance isn’t one-size-fits-all. iComply allows you to configure data requirements based on the jurisdiction of the sender and recipient, ensuring you meet local and international requirements.

Travel Rule Compliance in Action: A Case Study

Let’s look at how compliance plays out in real life.

Scenario: Alex, a customer of a U.S.-based crypto exchange, sends $5,000 in BTC to a friend’s wallet held at a European exchange.

Without iComply:

The compliance team manually collects Alex’s data, verifies it, and emails it to the European CASP. This takes time and risks data breaches during transmission. If the receiving exchange uses a different system, compatibility issues may arise, delaying the transaction further.

With iComply:

Alex’s data is encrypted and authenticated directly on the exchange’s app using edge computing. No unnecessary data transfers. iComply verifies the transaction participants in real-time and sends a secure compliance packet directly to the European exchange—fast, secure, and compliant.

The result? Faster transactions, stronger security, and a frictionless customer experience.

Why Choose iComply?

iComply’s platform doesn’t just help you comply—it optimizes your entire compliance workflow. By using edge computing, automated risk screening, and seamless integration, iComply simplifies Travel Rule compliance without sacrificing security or efficiency.

In the fast-moving world of crypto, compliance isn’t just a necessity—it’s a competitive advantage. Ready to stay ahead of the curve and build trust with your users and regulators? Let’s make compliance work for you.

Browser fingerprinting and additional payload encryption are the most recent methods used.

The post Why EDD Identity Verification Services Are Key to Reducing Financial Crime appeared first on uqudo.

Verifiable Credentials make it possible for AI to act securely and autonomously on your behalf across systems, platforms, and services—and they’re the key to enabling trusted automation at scale.

This is part of our series on Agentic AI and verifiable credentials. Take a look at parts one, two, and three, where we provide an overview about the intersection between these two groundbreaking technologies. 

By Helen Garneau

AI tools are getting better at handling tasks—but in most cases, they’re still stuck in “assist” mode. They wait for prompts. They offer suggestions. Maybe they fill in a form or summarize an email. That’s helpful, but it’s not transformational.

The vision for AI is agentic — that it can  act autonomously, move across systems, and handle tasks end-to-end.  

If agentic AI is going to deliver on that vision, agents need to be identifiable — they need digital identities. And so do you — if those agents are going to access your data and solve your problems.

It’s not enough for an AI to be smart. It has to be trusted.

An AI agent needs to be able to prove who it belongs to: your bank, a government agency, a train company. This authentication needs to be seamless and it also needs to be verifiable in a way that you can be absolutely sure of its identity.  This is where Verifiable Credentials (VCs) come in. Verifiable credentials allow AI agents to prove they’re acting on behalf of a specific, authenticated user—and prove they are who they say they are. That radically simplifies orchestration, trust, and decision-making.

Verifiable credentials let us go from basic automation to complex orchestration. From “Alexa, play music” to “Agent, make a reservation at X for Y time and pay with my credit card.”   

When each agent holds a credentialed identity they can become a coordinated system:

Consent is simple and direct. No need for re-authentication workflows. Transactions are secure and verifiable. The source of the data and action is cryptographically proven. Inter-agent communication is trusted. A digital finance agent can interact with a travel agent because they’re both verified and operating under clear delegation from you.

The result? Your agents become a team. Not just a stack of tools, but a coordinated group of trusted digital representatives—working on your behalf across domains, platforms, and organizations.

They don’t just say “I’m here to help Helen.”

They say “Here’s cryptographic proof I represent Helen, and I’ve got permission to do this.”

The system on the other side instantly verifies this and responds.

This is the leap—from bots that follow commands to agents that represent you.

No back-and-forth. No friction. Just action on your behalf.

So the next time my flight gets canceled, my AI travel agent gets to work by rebooking instantly. Meanwhile, my loyalty program agent negotiates a new hotel reservation. My finance agent checks spending limits and negotiates the price to get me a new rental car. All of it happens securely, seamlessly while I’m sitting at a gate with 1% battery—without needing to open three apps, dig through my inbox, or verify my identity again.

How? Each agent has proof it can act for me. The airline trusts it. The hotel trusts it. My calendar trusts it. I don’t have to touch a thing.

Why This Matters for Business

In enterprise environments, this architecture scales. Verified agents can:

Act across departments with audit trails Coordinate approvals and processes faster Trigger smart workflows across platforms Maintain compliance and data minimization with consent baked into every transaction

Think: HR agents issuing employee credentials, finance agents processing invoices, customer service agents accessing secure user profiles—all without the integration headaches or security concerns of today’s fragmented systems.

The future of AI is personal, trusted, and credentialed

AI doesn’t have to be a buzzword or a half-functional assistant. It can be a fully credentialed representative, trusted to act on your behalf—across systems, across domains, across the world.

At Indicio, we’re building the identity infrastructure that makes this future possible—today.

Because when AI agents can prove who they are and who they work for, the digital world starts to feel less like a maze… and more like a concierge desk. Come build with us today.

###

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The post AI Agents with credentials: your digital dream team appeared first on Indicio.

How you comply with anti-money laundering measures, and conduct identity verification is about to change forever. Are you ready for the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation?

The regulatory landscape for financial services will undergo the biggest change to date, when the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR) replaces the current directive-based approach in 2027.  

Unlike previous approaches, where Anti-Money Laundering Directives (the most recent being AMLD 6) required national implementation, the AMLR will apply directly across all EU member states, resulting in a more harmonized approach to combating financial crime. 

For financial institutions, AMLR represents both a significant compliance challenge and a strategic opportunity to modernize, and perhaps more importantly, harmonize identity verification processes. With implementation less than two years away, understanding the key changes and beginning preparations now is essential for a smooth transition.

5 main changes under AMLR: What’s new?

The AMLR brings several fundamental shifts in how financial institutions must approach customer identification and verification:

1. From directive to regulation.

Current approach: The AMLDs require implementation through national legislation, which leads to variations in interpretation and therefore different requirements across EU member states. 

AMLR approach: AMLR will apply to all member states without national implementation, which, in theory, will create a single, consistent rulebook for AML compliance across the EU.

2. Enhanced due diligence requirements.

Current approach: European financial services adhere to a risk-based approach to enhanced due diligence (EDD), with some flexibility in implementation. In practice, this means that EDD is required for high-risk customers, such as politically exposed persons (PEPs) or those from high-risk jurisdictions. 

AMLR approach: There will be more prescriptive requirements for customer due diligence, with specific mandates for identification methods and verification processes.

3. Stricter beneficial ownership rules.

Current approach: Varied thresholds and requirements for identifying beneficial owners. 

AMLR approach: Standardized approach with clearer definitions and lower thresholds for beneficial ownership identification.

4. Expanded scope to include crypto.

Current approach: Anti-money laundering directives were focused primarily on traditional financial institutions. 

AMLR approach: Broader coverage including crypto-asset service providers and other previously exempted entities.

5. Stronger enforcement mechanisms.

Current approach: Varied enforcement penalties, fines and punishments across member states. 

AMLR approach: More consistent penalties and enforcement mechanisms, with greater coordination through the new Anti-Money Laundering Authority. Due to start operations from summer 2025, the AMLA will have a staff of 400 and will centralize AML efforts, coordinate national authorities and conduct cross-border investigations.

eIDAS 2.0 – A simple update or fundamental change? The second iteration of the Electronic Identification, Authentication, and Trust Services (eIDAS) lays the groundwork and sets the technical standards of how a pan-European digital wallet ecosystem will work. Download to discover what changes businesses can expect from eIDAS 2.0. Read now The 3 pillars of AMLR-compliant identification.

At the heart of AMLR is a fundamental shift in how financial institutions verify customer identities. It’s worth noting that AMLR will not be regulating KYC methods per se but merely adhering to the eIDAS 2.0 identity framework. AMLR prescribes three compliant identification methods:

1. EUDI Wallet.

The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) represents a significant advancement in digital identity management. This user-controlled mobile application will allow EU citizens to store, and share verified identity credentials securely. The EUDI Wallet must meet either substantial or high assurance levels. 

What it means for financial institutions: 

Customers will be able to prove their identity using government-issued digital credentials  Verification can happen remotely in an instant  Higher levels of assurance for digital onboarding  Reduced manual verification processes
2. Notified eID systems.

Notified Electronic Identification (eID) systems provide secure digital identity verification through nationally recognized schemes. There are more than 27 eID systems across Europe, each with varying levels of assurance. Under the eIDAS 2.0 regulation and the upcoming AMLR, these systems are being brought under a single, interoperable EU framework to support cross-border KYC and customer onboarding. 

To be accepted for KYC purposes, eID systems must meet at least a “substantial” or “high” level of assurance, as defined by EU technical standards. This ensures that financial institutions and other obliged entities can rely on trusted digital identity methods for remote onboarding and customer due diligence. 

What it means for financial institutions: 

Recognition of national eID schemes across borders  Standardized levels of assurance  Simplified customer onboarding for customers with existing eIDs  Reduced document verification requirements
3. Trust Services.

Trust Services, as defined under eIDAS, provide the foundation for secure and authentic digital transactions through Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES), electronic seals, timestamps, and other regulated services. These play a key role in enabling secure identification under AMLR, particularly via QES and Qualified Electronic Attestations of Attributes (QEAA), which allow trusted identity and attribute information to be shared digitally across the EU. 

To enable these services, a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) is responsible for verifying the individual’s identity — whether through notified eID, an EUDI Wallet, or traditional documents such as a passport. This identity proofing must comply with high-assurance standards, which may involve video identification, automated verification, or in-person validation, as set out in eIDAS 2.0 implementing acts and ETSI technical standards. 

In this way, QTSPs offer a legally recognized and privacy-preserving path to AML-compliant digital onboarding — even for users without a national eID or EUDI Wallet. 

What it means for financial institutions: 

Enhanced security for digital transactions  Legal recognition equivalent to handwritten signatures  Improved document integrity and non-repudiation  Streamlined digital processes with legal certainty 

The significance of these three pillars cannot be overstated. Financial institutions that implement as many options as possible will provide customers with maximum flexibility while ensuring full compliance with AMLR requirements. As the majority joint venture partner of IDnow Trust Services AB – a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), IDnow is uniquely positioned to support all three identification methods as a single vendor, offering a comprehensive solution for full AMLR compliance.

By beginning preparations now, organizations can ensure a smooth transition to the new regulatory framework while minimizing disruption to operations and customer experiences. With the right partners and a proactive approach, AMLR compliance can become a catalyst for digital transformation rather than just another regulatory burden.

Uwe Pfizenmaier, Product Director at IDnow and Registration Officer at IDnow Trust Services AB.

Discover more about IDnow Trust Services AB here.

How businesses can prepare today for a more compliant tomorrow.

Although there are still two years until the 2027 deadline, the complexity of AMLR implementation means preparation should begin now. Here are key steps financial institutions should take:

1. Conduct a gap analysis. 

Assess your current AML processes against AMLR requirements to identify areas needing improvement. This includes: 

Reviewing existing customer identification methods  Evaluating beneficial ownership identification processes  Assessing risk assessment methodologies  Examining transaction monitoring capabilities  Reviewing staff training programs
2. Budget planning. 

For many financial institutions, AMLR compliance will require investment in new technologies and processes. As such, they need to ensure they: 

Allocate resources for technology upgrades  Budget for staff training and potential new hires  Consider consulting services for specialized expertise  Plan for ongoing compliance costs
3. Team training and awareness.

Begin building internal knowledge and expertise: 

Educate compliance teams on AMLR requirements  Raise awareness among executive leadership  Develop training programs for customer-facing staff  Establish clear ownership of AMLR implementation
4. Technology assessment. 

Evaluate your current technology stack against future requirements. Do you have one of three AMLR-compliant ways of verifying identities implemented in your technology stack? Sooner rather than later, businesses should: 

Assess identity verification systems for AMLR compatibility  Review customer due diligence technologies  Evaluate transaction monitoring capabilities  Consider integration requirements for new identification methods IDnow’s unique position: Why being a QTSP matters.

A QTSP, such as IDnow Trust Services AB, is an organization that has been officially recognized by a national supervisory body to provide trust services that meet the strict requirements of the eIDAS regulation. This qualification involves rigorous assessment of security practices, technical capabilities and organizational reliability. 

As a QTSP since 2024, IDnow Trust Services AB holds a privileged position in the AMLR compliance landscape.  For financial institutions preparing for AMLR, working with IDnow and its QTSP offers several competitive advantages:

Comprehensive compliance coverage: IDnow can provide all three prescribed identification methods (EUDI Wallet, eID, and Trust Services)  Legal certainty: Qualified trust services are considered critical infrastructure and have the highest level of legal recognition across the EU  Reduced compliance risk: Working with a qualified provider reduces the risk of non-compliance  Future-proof solutions: As regulations evolve, QTSPs tend to actively drive change and are the first to adapt and ensure continued compliance  Simplified vendor management: One single provider for multiple compliance requirements 

With a long history in enabling financial services customers to comply with AML regulations,  IDnow is actively preparing to support clients through the AMLR transition, with ongoing development of compliant solutions and close engagement with regulatory authorities.

Next steps: Your AMLR readiness checklist.

To begin your AMLR preparation journey, consider this initial checklist: 

Assign responsibility: Designate an AMLR implementation team or leader 
  Stay informed: Subscribe to regulatory updates and industry guidance 
  Assess current state: Document existing identification processes and technologies 
  Identify gaps: Compare current capabilities with AMLR requirements 
  Develop a roadmap: Create a phased implementation plan through 2027 
  Engage with partners: Begin discussions with technology providers about AMLR solutions 
  Budget for change: Ensure financial planning includes AMLR implementation costs 
  Monitor developments: Stay alert for regulatory guidance and industry best practices

In the not-too-distant future, only three methods of identity verification will be allowed. Orchestrating each method in order to offer fallbacks and different ways of issuing Trust Services will therefore become key for the future of AML onboarding in EU.

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

Prepare today to succeed tomorrow.

While for many, AMLR will pose a significant compliance challenge, it also offers an opportunity to modernize and future-proof identity verification processes, enhance security and improve customer experiences. Financial institutions that approach AMLR strategically, rather than as a compliance box to check, can gain competitive advantages while strengthening their defences against financial crime and fraud that is becoming more sophisticated by the day. 

To learn more about how IDnow can support your AMLR compliance journey, contact our team of experts today.

By

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

Update : Telegram has responded to Elliptic's research by closing thousands of channels belonging to both Xinbi Guarantee and Huione Guarantee, severely disrupting the two largest Telegram-based illicit marketplaces, which have collectively engaged in over $35 billion in USDT transactions. Elliptic continues to track over 30 similar marketplaces.

Xinbi Guarantee is a Chinese-language, Telegram-based marketplace serving fraudsters in South East Asia, including those responsible for so-called “pig butchering” scams. Merchants on the marketplace sell technology, personal data and money laundering services. The USDT stablecoin is the primary payment method, with the market having received $8.4 billion in transactions to date. Some transactions can be linked to funds stolen by North Korea. Xinbi Guarantee claims to operate through Xinbi Co. Ltd, incorporated in Colorado.

 

Cybersecurity firm Guardz reported that between March 18 and April 7, 2025, attackers used the outdated BAV2ROPC protocol, which bypasses MFA and modern protections by enabling non-interactive logins through basic credentials.

The 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report shows cloud breaches now commonly begin with over-permissioned accounts, credential leaks in public code repositories, and unauthorized logins from unfamiliar geographies.

Settlement is the largest individual penalty to date against Google in the state of Texas.

“It’s easy to say you want more control over your systems. But the cost of decentralization in money, complexity, and overhead can hit hard when the invoice arrives.”

A Digital Identity Digest The Cost of Decentralization: What Companies Need to Weigh Before They Commit Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 10 seconds 00:00 / 00:12:33 Subscribe Share Amazon Apple Podcasts CastBox Listen Notes Overcast Pandora Player.fm PocketCasts Podbean RSS Spotify TuneIn YouTube iHeartRadio RSS Feed Share Link Embed

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

Last week, I wrote about how the real innovation is in centralized vs decentralized, it’s in building systems that can move between them. Flexibility and resilience go hand in hand. Engineering Meets Economics if you missed it.

This week, we’re taking that one step further: If flexibility or even malleability is the goal, how much are you willing to pay for it?

Decentralization sounds empowering, and it is, but when you start pricing out the staff, contracts, and duplicated infrastructure required to make it real, it’s enough to light your hair on fire. But if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s this: centralization is comfortable, right up until it isn’t. The question isn’t whether decentralization is an all-or-nothing decision. Instead, you should ask how much of it you actually need, and whether you are building toward that, or are you hoping you’ll never be put to the test?

The Control We Live Without (Until We Can’t)

Most enterprise stacks are built on convenient centralization because it works. Until it doesn’t.

And to be fair, many centralized platforms aren’t fragile at all. Cloud providers like AWS or Azure, DNS services like Cloudflare, and global CDNs like Akamai offer incredible built-in resilience, failover, and distributed design, and for many organizations, that’s more than enough.

So when I talk about decentralization, I’m not saying “don’t use centralized platforms.” I’m asking:

Where does your dependency go beyond what the platform guarantees? Where are you relying on a single identity flow, a proprietary API, or a vendor relationship that isn’t as durable or visible as you’d like?

Here are just a few common areas where centralization is accepted, sometimes wisely, sometimes dangerously.

Current Dependencies: What’s Normal (and Risky) Stack ComponentTypical Centralized ProviderWhy We Accept ItWhat It Takes to DecentralizeCloud InfrastructureAWS, Azure, GCPCost efficiency, built-in toolingMulti-cloud design, duplicated environmentsDNSCloudflare, Route53Stability, DDoS protectionRedundant providers, failover planningIdentity ProviderOkta, Entra, PingPolicy enforcement, ease of useFederation, verifiable credentials, trust governanceRouting & CDNAkamai, CloudflareSpeed, coverageCustom PoPs, peering strategiesMessaging / CommsTwilio, Zoom, MicrosoftUnified experienceProtocol bridging, diverse vendor integration

The point isn’t to avoid centralization. It’s to understand where you’re exposed, and whether you can live with that. I can’t answer that for you, but you can and should start answering it for your org.

The Real Cost of Optionality

There’s no shame in being centralized; there is shame in not being able to recover from locked-in choices. The value of decentralization shows up when:

A vendor outage takes down your login page A change in platform policy breaks your consent flows A new law forces you to isolate systems by country A key provider is acquired, and your roadmap disappears overnight

Decentralization can offer you a way out or at least a way forward. But you only get that if you build for it. And yes, that comes with a cost. TANSTAFL.

Some of those costs include:

Financial: Redundancy means paying for parallel paths, including multiple vendors, more complex SLAs, and sometimes a few features you don’t use every day. Operational: Diverse systems mean more moving parts. Teams need more discipline. More observability. Less “set and forget.” Strategic: Procurement has to prioritize flexibility over feature count. Architecture has to balance performance with fallback.

And let’s not forget the cost of interoperability. The cost of decentralization isn’t just financial. You also need systems that can communicate across platforms, formats, and protocols.

Decentralization means maintaining systems that can work across different environments, many of which weren’t built with each other in mind. Your observability stack needs to normalize across cloud regions. Your CI/CD pipelines need to deploy to more than one provider. And of course, your auth system needs to handle more than one flavor of token.

You’re not just buying a second system, you’re buying the glue. That glue, however, can be expensive. But it’s what turns “Plan B” into an actual option.

This Is Achievable, But Only If You Know What You’re Buying

The good news? You don’t need to decentralize everything. In fact, you probably shouldn’t. But you should know what you’re trading off.

Think of decentralization as buying protection against:

Lock-in: pricing hikes, roadmap divergence, license changes Regulatory shifts: data residency rules, cross-border controls Platform instability: outage, acquisition, end-of-life surprises Geopolitical risk: sanction-driven service denial, regional throttling Value misalignment: privacy erosion, surveillance, ethical conflicts

That’s not FUD. It’s a checklist that helps you determine where decentralization is a strategic safeguard and where centralization is still worth the risk.

Choose Your Investment Level

There’s a spectrum here. Not every organization needs multi-cloud failover, decentralized identity, and DNS across five providers. But every organization needs to ask:

Where are we so centralized that a single point of failure becomes an existential risk? And what would it take to make that risk optional rather than inevitable?

You shouldn’t be looking for decentralization for its own sake. You’re looking for just enough optionality to survive a change in vendor policy, regulation, or business direction without rebuilding your stack from scratch. Ultimately, every team needs to decide how much of the cost of decentralization is justified by the control they gain.

Every small investment buys you breathing room. And breathing room is what makes resilience possible.

Closing Thought: Buy Control Before You Need It

You don’t have to decentralize everything. You probably can’t.

But if your entire digital operation depends on a single cloud region, vendor, or IdP that no one knows how to replace, then you’re not buying control; you’re borrowing it and hoping nothing goes wrong.

So, how much of the cost of decentralization are you willing to pay before you’re forced to?

Because waiting until you have to pay is rarely the cheapest option.

Bonne chance, mon ami!

Want to stay updated? I write about digital identity and related standards—because someone has to keep track of all this! Subscribe to get a notification when new blog posts go live. No spam, just announcements of new posts. [Subscribe here] 

Transcript

[00:00:00]
Welcome to the Digital Identity Digest, the audio companion to the blog at Spherical Cow Consulting. I’m Heather Flanagan, and every week I break down interesting topics in the field of digital identity—from credentials and standards to browser weirdness and policy twists. If you work with digital identity but don’t have time to follow every specification or hype cycle, you’re in the right place.

[00:00:26]
Let’s get into it. Welcome back! If you caught the last episode, you’ll remember that we talked about how the real innovation isn’t choosing between centralized or decentralized identity systems—it’s about the ability to shift between the two.

[00:00:44]
If you didn’t hear that episode, no worries. Here’s the short version:

When I talk about centralization, I’m not just talking about infrastructure, but also controls.

[00:00:56]
A centralized identity system relies on one authority—one identity provider, one source of truth, one way to enforce access. Everything flows through a single control point.

[00:01:06]
In decentralized models, control is distributed.

You might issue credentials that can be independently verified and used. You might support federation or allow for local policy decisions. All of that isn’t chaos—it’s coordination across more than one authority.

[00:01:24]
Most enterprise systems fall somewhere in the middle. It’s not a question of which is better, but how much flexibility you’ve built into your dependencies and whether you’re ready to shift between centralized and decentralized models when needed.

[00:01:39]
And just to clarify, if your mind jumps straight to blockchain when I say “decentralized identity,” you can let that go. That’s not what we’re talking about here.

The Cost of Flexibility

[00:01:51]
Today, we’re building on that story, because flexibility to shift between these two models isn’t free.

[00:01:58]
In enterprise identity systems especially, the cost of decentralization can sneak up on you—until one day, it’s the only thing you can do.

[00:02:09]
Centralization absolutely works—right up until it doesn’t. Most enterprise systems are mostly centralized by design because:

It scales It’s familiar It’s easier to manage and deploy

[00:02:27]
You pick a cloud provider, configure your identity flows, and build tools that make daily life easier for your teams. All reasonable decisions.

[00:02:37]
But centralization comes with trade-offs that don’t always show up on your architecture diagram.

They show up when your vendor changes policies When a regulator demands regional data isolation When the company that owns your login page gets acquired and suddenly nothing is where it used to be

[00:02:56]
That’s when the invoice for centralization shows up. If you’ve prepared for it, great. If not, keep listening.

Trade-Offs and Hidden Costs

[00:03:09]
Let’s talk about those trade-offs and where they show up.

[00:03:15]
Most organizations don’t decide to centralize everything all at once. It usually happens gradually—through tool choices, vendor decisions, and policies that favor simplicity.

[00:03:36]
You pick AWS or Microsoft Azure because they offer global infrastructure and built-in security.
You standardize on a single identity provider for simplified access control and audit logging.
You rely on a CDN, DNS service, or messaging platform—not because you want lock-in, but because it works and provides redundancy.

[00:04:09]
Those normal decisions can quietly create dependencies that are hard to unwind.

[00:04:18]
Centralization feels efficient, but it means you’re betting on your vendors never changing, your regulators staying predictable, and your systems remaining static.

[00:04:44]
The real question isn’t “Did we centralize too much?” It’s “Do we know which parts of our systems are built around a trust that hasn’t been stress-tested yet?”
That’s where decentralization—or even just having a plan for it—starts to pay off.

What Does Decentralization Actually Cost?

[00:04:52]
Decentralization isn’t just a design pattern or a configuration flag.
It shows up in:

How you hire teams How you build systems How you buy SaaS applications How you plan for the future

[00:05:06]
Let’s talk about three kinds of cost:

Financial Cost

[00:05:09]
Redundancy means paying for more than one way to do something—running services in two cloud regions, contracting with two vendors for the same function.
This can look inefficient on a spreadsheet, but it’s really trading short-term inefficiency for long-term adaptability.

2. Operational Cost

[00:05:38]
Decentralized systems require discipline.

You have more services to coordinate You need more observability You need standardized policy enforcement
It’s not just a technical tax—it’s a cultural shift.

[00:06:06]
Assume failures will happen and design recovery plans before they do.

3. Strategic Cost

[00:06:11]
This is the hardest to measure.
Decentralization forces you to ask:

Do we want flexibility or feature velocity? Are we optimizing for today’s comfort or tomorrow’s resilience? Are we willing to make architectural choices that look less efficient but give us options when it counts?

[00:06:44]
If this sounds like tomorrow’s problem, you’re not alone—but chances are, you’ve already run into some version of this.

Real-World Scenarios

[00:06:59]
If you’ve ever had to “duct tape” your way out of a dependency, you’ve already felt the cost of not being flexible between centralization and decentralization.

[00:07:33]
This isn’t about building redundant systems for fun—it’s about investing in flexibility before you need it.

[00:07:39]
If the cost feels high now, ask: What will it cost to do it later, under pressure?

The Value of Optionality

[00:07:47]
Optionality is where decentralization pays off.

It’s not about building a parallel universe It’s about designing systems with room to move

[00:07:53]
Examples include:

Backup login methods that don’t rely on a single provider The ability to issue credentials even when your main service is down Flexibility to shift data storage between jurisdictions without breaking compliance

[00:08:14]
If you’ve built in flexibility, you can adapt when something breaks. But it doesn’t come for free—it costs more planning, more conversations with legal and compliance, and more thoughtful procurement.

[00:08:32]
Sometimes, it means building things twice or building the glue that holds them together. But it gives you control before you need it.

[00:08:51]
It’s not overengineering—it’s building systems that don’t panic when the default plan fails. Because the default plan will fail.

A Personal Example

[00:09:03]
Let’s make this personal.
If you’ve worked in a high-security enterprise, you know the drill:

Company-managed device Lockdown browser VPN required for everything

[00:09:28]
It works—until you need to join a Google Meet with an external standards body and Google is blocked, or you need to access a shared document on a non-whitelisted domain.

[00:09:40]
Suddenly, your secure device becomes a wall—not because the technology failed, but because the policies are too rigid.

[00:10:06]
Imagine if you could submit for an exception—pre-modeled, well-governed, and aligned with business risk—without endless meetings and exceptions.
That’s what optionality would look like: not chaos, but structured flexibility.

[00:10:29]
Decentralization isn’t about removing control. It’s about creating trusted, intentional ways to shift it around when necessary.

Final Takeaway

[00:10:37]
Buy the control you need before you need it.

You don’t need to decentralize everything You probably can’t and shouldn’t But you do need to know where your dependencies live

[00:10:54]
When something goes sideways—a vendor acquisition, regulatory shift, or trust breakdown—you’ll want options.
And options must be built ahead of time.

[00:11:06]
Ask yourself:

Where are we so centralized that a single point of failure is an existential risk? What would it take to make that risk optional instead of inevitable?

[00:11:15]
Even a small investment in flexibility buys you more breathing room—and breathing room is what makes resilience possible, not just technically but also operationally and strategically.

[00:11:57]
That’s it for this week’s episode of the Digital Identity Digest. If this helped make things clearer or more interesting, share it with a friend or colleague and connect with me on LinkedIn @hlflanagan. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe and leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. You can also find the full written post at sphericalcowconsulting.com. Stay curious, stay engaged, and let’s keep these conversations going.

The post The Cost of Decentralization: What Companies Need to Weigh Before They Commit appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

The best way to protect your business against fraud is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Online identity verification emerges as a powerful tool for fraud prevention, anti-money laundering, and building customer trust.

The post Seamless Customer Onboarding with User Identity Verification first appeared on ComplyCube.

April 2025 Is the UAE Taking the Lead in the Tokenization Race?

As you know, the U.S. is now pushing to become the crypto nation. It has capital, advanced bitcoin mining infrastructure, and some of the largest crypto-companies, but regulatory and political uncertainties continues to slow institutional adoption.

The EU has legal frameworks in place, but not simplicity. The complicated regulation works well for large financial players, however, it is proving a challenge for the next generation of blockchain innovators.

The UAE is taking a different approach, and it might just win the race. Rather than over-regulating or under-defining, it’s applying simple rules but selective authorizations, welcoming builders, and creating an environment where innovation can scale, fast.

A competitive edge built on openness and infrastructure.

We’ve just returned from Token2049 and RWAfi Live in Dubai, and one message is clear: The UAE is building the future of blockchain, faster, bolder, and more business-friendly than anywhere else in the world.

With 72 free zones, including DIFC, ADGM, and VARA, the UAE has created a system where local chambers of commerce and rulers compete to attract innovators. This friendly competition is pushing real-world asset tokenization forward. Project owners select the best place depending on their needs, and get access to a new blockchain-powered “American dream”.

Here are some recent innovation examples:

The Dubai Land Department and VARA are integrating real estate registries with blockchain. That means compliant, onchain property title transfers are now possible. The DFSA has launched a dedicated regulatory environment to test tokenized securities like real estate shares, sukuk, and fund units, all under full overview. AE Coin, a UAE Dirham backed stablecoin launched by FAB, ADQ, and IHC, is now live. This lays the foundation for compliant onchain payments at scale.

These aren’t isolated pilot projects. They are live infrastructure built to attract capital, global talent, and institutional adoption, and it’s working. From crypto startups to major financial institutions, builders are relocating to the UAE to benefit from its simple, selective, and scalable regulatory environment.

RWA: From trend to reality

At Tokeny, we are proud to help power this transition. Our infrastructure built on the ERC-3643 standard, enables institutions to:

Launch compliant RWA tokens with embedded control logic. Execute atomic swaps between tokenized assets and regulated stablecoins. Scale distribution across jurisdictions while enforcing compliance at every step.

At RWAfi Live during Token2049 Dubai, leaders from the DFSA, FSRA and MESA regulators shared a panel to discuss the future of onchain finance. The main takeaway? Regulation is not a blocker if you use the right tech. It’s the foundation for compliant onchain adoption.

This shift is happening faster than many expected, and the UAE is leading it.

For those of you who have missed this incredible panel, and the demos of the ERC3643 Association, watch the livestream here.

Tokeny Spotlight

Ripple Roadshow

The Impact of real-world asset tokenization on traditional markets.

Read More

Fasanara Use Case

Why and how did Fasanara launch a tokenized money market fund.

Read More

RWAfi Live

Our CCO, Daniel Coheur, joins industry leaders from Fasanara and Polygon at RWAfi Live.

Read More

Press Release

The ERC3643 Association Announces Cross-Chain DvP Solutions for RWAs with LayerZero, Tokeny, Fasanara, and ABN AMRO

Read More

Meeting Our Partners

We met with our partners Apex Group, discussing our exciting partnership and the future of tokenization.

Read More

Press Release

Tokeny and HBAR Foundation Partner to Deliver Compliant, Scalable, and Green Institutional Tokenization on the Hedera Network.

Read More Tokeny Events

Dubai Fintech Summit
May 12th-13th, 2025 | 🇦🇪 UAE

Register Now

Avalanche Summit London
May 20th-22nd, 2025 | 🇬🇧United Kingdom

Register Now

Digital Assets Week NY
May 20th-21st, 2025 | 🇺🇸 USA

Register Now ERC3643 Association Recap

The ERC3643 Association hosts RWAfi Live at Token2049 Dubai

Tired of the RWA hype? Come see what’s actually live. Co-hosted with: Tokeny, Archax, Defactor, Daos Hub, RWA.io, T-Rize, Inco, Applied Blockchain, LayerZero, The HBAR Foundation (Hedera), and Polygon

Watch the livestream here or learn more here

The ERC3643 Association Announces Cross-Chain DvP Solutions for RWAs with LayerZero, Tokeny, Fasanara, and ABN AMRO

Settlement breaks when security and cash tokens live on different blockchains. To fix this, ERC3643 Association members co-developed a cross-chain Delivery-vs-Payment (DvP) solution

Read more

Subscribe Newsletter

A monthly newsletter designed to give you an overview of the key developments across the asset tokenization industry.

Previous Newsletter  May13 Is the UAE Taking the Lead in the Tokenization Race? April 2025 Is the UAE Taking the Lead in the Tokenization Race? As you know, the U.S. is now pushing to become the crypto nation.… 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,…

The post Is the UAE Taking the Lead in the Tokenization Race? appeared first on Tokeny.

As part of Okta’s Secure Identity Commitment (OSIC) to lead the industry in the fight against identity attacks, we are making changes to improve our architecture related to developer organizations.

On May 22, 2025, our new Integrator Free Plan will become the default organization type when you sign up on developer.okta.com. If you are actively using an Okta Developer Edition org, please create an Integrator organization and migrate to it. The Okta Developer Edition terms of service will also be updated to clarify: neither your old Developer Edition organization nor your new Integrator organization is meant for production use cases.

New Okta developer organization types tailored for you

We’ve redesigned our developer orgs to better fit how you build. Whether you’re testing app integrations, validating identity flows, or preparing for OIN submission, the new Integrator Free Plan is purpose-built for iterative development—not production deployment.

This new structure reflects real-world developer needs:

A clean, focused environment optimized for building and validating integrations Terms that match typical pre-production use cases Streamlined signup and org management aligned with how developers work today

By moving to an Integrator organization, you’ll get an environment that’s aligned with modern dev workflows—simpler, more relevant, and built to support how you build.

Integrator organization benefits

This new organization structure will come with a number of benefits, such as improving integrator access to Okta support resources and expanding developer access to Okta product offerings for testing purposes.

Deprecating Okta Developer Edition organizations

In July 2025, existing Okta Developer Edition organization will be deactivated. At this time, you will lose access to your old Okta Developer Edition organization and all resources in it..

How to migrate your resources from Okta Developer Edition to Integrator Free Plan

Creating an Integrator Free Plan organization will give you a clean slate to test and develop in. However, you might want to replicate setup steps that you’ve performed in your Okta Developer Edition organization to continue work in progress. Several options are available for migrating your configuration from your Okta Developer Edition organization to your Integrator Free Plan organization.

Migrating data is optional

If you want to discard the configuration and data from your Okta Developer Edition organization and start fresh in a new Integrator Free Plan organization, create a new Integrator Free Plan organization and begin using it. Your Developer Edition resources and configuration will be deleted when old organization are deactivated in July..

Re-create resources by re-running automation

If you automated the creation of resources in your Okta Developer Edition organization that you’d like to continue using in your Integrator Free Plan organization, your environment setup will be simple. Create an Integrator Free Plan organization, provide credentials to your setup tooling, and re-run that tooling.

Add automation for long-term management

If you created resources in your Okta Developer Edition organization by hand and you want to automate management of those resources going forward, this is a great time to build the tooling you want using Terraform or PowerShell. Terraformer can help you generate Terraform configurations based on existing resources in your old organization.

Use our migration tool for one-off organization backup

If you’d like to capture a snapshot of your current Okta Developer Edition configuration, try our migration tool. It wraps the Okta CLI Client to create files representing all supported objects in your Developer Edition organization, and can use these backup files to automatically re-create many of the objects in your new Integrator Free Plan organization.

Migrate your public OIN Integration

If you have an integration in the Okta Integration Network associated with your Okta Developer Edition organization, sign up for a new Integrator Free Plan organization and contact Developer Support to request that your integration be migrated to your new organization. Developer Support will link your new organization to your integration so that you can easily update it as needed.

If you have been working on an integration for the Okta Integration Network but it has not yet been accepted, you are responsible for migrating your work in progress from your Developer Edition organization to an Integrator Free plan organization.

Cutoff dates for OIN submissions

As of May 22, 2025, no new OIN integration submissions will be accepted from developer orgs. After May 22, you must use an Integrator Free Plan organization to submit OIN integrations.

If you have submitted an OIN integration from an Okta Developer Edition organization, it must be approved by June 9. Any submissions coming from Okta Developer Edition organizations that are still in Draft or In Review status on June 9 will be automatically rejected, and you will need to re-submit the same integration from an Integrator Free Plan organization.

Key dates Date What happens May 22, 2025 Okta Developer Edition organizations can no longer be created. Following the sign-up flow now creates an Integrator Free Plan organizations instead. New OIN submissions from Developer Edition organizations are no longer accepted. June 9, 2025 Draft and In Review OIN submissions from Okta Developer Edition organizations are automatically declined. Affected integrations must be re-submitted from an Integrator Free Plan organization. July 18, 2025 Okta Developer Edition organizations deactivation begins, and all Okta Developer Edition organizations are deactivated in batches over the following days Plan your migration now!

If you’ve used Okta Developer Edition organizations in the past, check now to see if any contain configurations that you’d like to keep. You can check whether you have an organization by checking your password manager for credentials saved on the login page, or searching your email for a welcome message from <noreply@test-account.dev>.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us in the comments below.

Should you build or buy a CDN? Learn the pros and cons of building vs. using CDN services for your global network infrastructure. Make the right choice for your business.

The post Modernizing Healthcare IAM: From Legacy Pain Points to Unified Identity appeared first on Radiant Logic.

Holochain Core & Networking: Since the last Dev Pulse, we’ve published the first three releases of Holochain 0.5 with our new networking engine Kitsune2. While the focus of this release was network reliability, the improvements we’ve made will mostly be felt as dramatically better DHT performance. In our tests, and tests in the field, it shows shorter and more consistent syncing times for DHT data. CPU usage appears to have decreased significantly as well. One of the team is calling it “a good step forward for Holochain”.

There is a new behavior with Kitsune2 and performance enhancement. When a new node joins a network, there’ll be a time of initial DHT synchronization, during which they won’t immediately get any new data published by their peers since they joined. This is because they haven’t advertised themselves as full-arc nodes yet and so won’t be targeted for publishing to. But once they’ve synchronized with the other peers, it “goes like blazes and data just appears like it was authored locally”, in the words of a team member. So new users should still expect data to sync slowly for the first few minutes; this is normal.

It’ll still be a bit before we recommend that app developers update their projects to Holochain 0.5 — we’re seeing some connectivity issues which we believe we’ve identified as a simple misconfiguration which we’ll correct, test, and hopefully release soon. We also still need to update the scaffolding tool. If you’re brave and want to get a head start on an existing app, you can read the 0.5 upgrade guide.

In the Holochain 0.6 development line, the team is investigating bottlenecks in the conductor runtime. They’ve already addressed one long-standing issue of degrading performance as source chains grow — we’re now seeing a 30-40% improvement in ad-hoc dev testing, with possibly more improvements to come.

Testing: All of the test scenarios in Holochain 0.4 have been converted from our older TryCP-based scale testing framework to Wind Tunnel , and we’re now in the process of updating them for Holochain 0.5, as well as streamlining the process for deploying Wind Tunnel client nodes with Nomad. Dev team members are setting up test machines all around the world, and we’re looking at options for increasing the number of test machines.

Dev Docs: Lastly, we’ve published some new documentation in the Build Guide:

Working With Data: Validation Receipts Host API Host API: Cell Introspection Host API: Cryptography Functions Host API: Miscellaneous Host Functions Validation: must_get_* Host Functions Validation: DHT Operations (an advanced guide)

Recent attack points out the need for all organizations to refocus on third-party bugs and identity management.

In the first release of 2025 we have improved log correlation, adding both a Session and Correlation identifier. These additions enable more effective log correlation, making it easier to trace the full flow of authentication and related events across both audit and diagnostic logs. Links to specific documentation for this logging improvement can be found in the release notes. As always, we aim to improve a wide array of items and make corrections to simplify the use of the Identity Platform. These are shown in detail from the release notes.  

For our long-standing customers, we are working to release updates to a number of SSO service modules.  These are external elements which ease configuration or use of SSO within Identity Platform. Our IDaaS service naturally receives these updates as they are available, however, if you have a premises-based installation, we would ask you to open a Service Desk ticket to request the updated code for these external to SSO modules. We would also like to point out that the modules have only been tested on SSO 9.6.0 found within this IDS 2025.1 release of Identity Platform, so would encourage you to update your Identity Platform prior to updating the modules. If you have any questions, Operations is happy to help.   

As with all software, Ubisecure would like to encourage you to upgrade your Identity Platform in a timely manner. Please contact your Integration Partner or Ubisecure Account Representative with any questions. Ubisecure encourages all customers to review and schedule service upgrade to this latest release. Bringing system flexibility, security, and new features to ensure the best user experience possible for your businesses is our goal.  

For full details over the IDS 2025.1 release, please review the Release Notes and System Recommendations pages found on our Developer Portal.  

The post IDS 2025.1, Audit and Diagnostic Log Enhancements appeared first on Ubisecure Digital Identity Management.

Across private conversations with CISOs, CIOs, and heads of HR and identity, one issue continues to emerge as both urgent and unresolved: fake IT workers infiltrating enterprise environments under false or stolen identities.

In many of these discussions, leaders admitted they’ve seen this problem up close, or know someone who has. Fake hires can linger undetected for months, perform well enough to avoid scrutiny, and quietly gain access to sensitive systems. Whether the goal is financial fraud, IP theft, or funding a foreign regime, the result is always dangerous: critical systems are compromised, trust is shattered, and the organization is left exposed.

One of the most pressing challenges isn’t just how these bad actors get in, but who is responsible for stopping them. HR teams oversee hiring, but often lack the tools for identity verification beyond background checks. Security and IT teams are concerned about post-hire access and risk, but don’t own the onboarding funnel. The result? Confusion, finger-pointing, and growing vulnerability.

Below I unpack four key insights from ongoing conversations with enterprise leaders who are trying to get ahead of this threat. If you’re in HR, IT, or security, these perspectives may sound familiar, and they offer a path toward better collaboration and stronger safeguards.

Insight #1: Worker Impersonation Has Become a Board-Level Concern: Why Directors Are Demanding Identity Verification

Executive leadership teams and boards of directors are no longer in the dark. High-profile media coverage in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and other outlets has accelerated awareness and pressure. Directors are asking CIOs, CISOs, and HR leaders direct questions:

Could this happen to us? Have we already been compromised? What safeguards are in place?

For companies in highly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and defense, the scrutiny is even more intense. While some board members have suggested drastic measures, like requiring all new hires to verify their identity in person, most executives acknowledge that this alone won’t solve the problem. A more sustainable, digital-first strategy is needed.

Insight #2: Who Owns Employee Identity Verification? Solving Accountability Gaps Across HR, IT, and Security

One of the most persistent issues? Nobody agrees on who owns the impersonation problem.

Is it HR, responsible for hiring and onboarding? Is it IT, responsible for managing account access? Is it Security, who typically handles insider threats? Or is it Legal or Compliance, given the regulatory exposure?

The result is organizational paralysis, with each department assuming someone else is responsible, no one takes ownership, and the risk continues to grow unchecked. Some companies assign ownership to HR ops, only to discover their background check tools aren’t built for identity verification at scale. Others lean on security or insider threat teams, who are already overwhelmed and reluctant to take on additional responsibility without a clear mandate.

The most successful organizations tackling this issue have one thing in common: collaborative, cross-functional alignment across HR, IT, and security, often driven by a central identity security program.

Insight #3: Manual Identity Checks Can’t Stop Fake IT Workers: Why Traditional Onboarding Is Failing

When detection fails, prevention becomes a guessing game. Unfortunately, many companies are relying on labor-intensive, manual processes that don’t scale and are easy to bypass:

Video-based interviews and onboarding: Helpful, but increasingly vulnerable to deepfakes. In-person onboarding: Logistically difficult and only effective if the individual remains in the role. Laptop shipping verification: Foiled when attackers use “mules” or remote access post-delivery. Always-on video during virtual meetings: Easy to fake, hard to enforce. Behavior-based 2FA triggers: Ineffective if the attacker already has valid credentials.

Worse still, many adversaries are using stolen identities purchased on the dark web or leveraging GenAI to create fraudulent documents that pass background checks. The impersonation problem is outpacing traditional onboarding controls.

Insight #4: The Scope Is Vast – and Underreported: How Global Worker Impersonation Goes Undetected

While North Korean infiltration garners headlines due to FBI intervention, similar incidents are happening globally. Attackers from Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions are using identical playbooks.

There’s also a related phenomenon gaining steam: job stacking, where one person holds multiple jobs under a single identity, often outsourcing tasks to others for profit. These schemes can fly under the radar for months and result in confidential data being shared with unauthorized third parties.

Many security teams remain reactive, addressing these issues only after something suspicious surfaces. Given that some experts estimate over 500,000 impersonators may be employed by U.S. organizations today, this approach is no longer tenable.

6 Actions CIOs and CISOs Can Take to Prevent Employee Impersonation Reverify All Identities Using Multi-Factor Signals 
Conduct a phased identity verification process using device checks, location data, government ID scans, and manager attestation. Move beyond one-time checks. Make Identity Security an Ongoing Priority
Identity assurance isn’t a one-and-done task. Apply Zero Trust principles to continuously verify the human behind the login. Scrutinize Third Parties and Contractors
Treat contractors and gig workers with the same rigor as full-time staff. Consider biweekly or monthly identity reverification cadences. Bridge the Gap Between HR, IT, and Security
Establish shared KPIs and workflows across departments to ensure no gaps in accountability exist. Leverage Existing Security Tools for Continuous Verification
Correlate identity assurance signals from IDPs, EDR tools, and network monitoring systems to flag suspicious behavior. Report Incidents and Collaborate with Industry Peers
Engage with communities like FS-ISAC and share learnings. Open dialogue is critical to closing industry-wide gaps. Why Continuous Employee Verification Is Now Essential

Impersonation-based attacks are no longer rare, and they’re not going away. These threats are stealthy, scalable, and extremely difficult to detect using traditional HR or IT processes alone.

The only path forward is one built on continuous identity verification, from day zero through every access point of the employee lifecycle. At HYPR, we believe trust must be earned continuously, not just at the time of hire.

To learn more about how HYPR’s Identity Assurance platform can help your organization verify who’s really on the other side of the screen, explore our solution here.

 

Firms typically adopt Identity Verification (IDV) when a person or client opens an account or aims to use a service. Adopting strong IDV processes helps companies combat fraudulent activity, protecting their assets and customers' data. 

The post Top Customer Identity Verification Software first appeared on ComplyCube.

Microsoft is set to roll out a Prevent Screen Capture feature for Teams, aimed at preventing unauthorized screenshots during sensitive meetings, Cyber Security News reports.

Google has reached a $1.375 billion settlement with the state of Texas to resolve two lawsuits alleging the unauthorized collection and use of users geolocation and biometric data, according to The Hacker News.

A proposed bill in Florida that sought to mandate social media companies to implement an encryption backdoor for law enforcement access has been withdrawn and will not become law, TechCrunch reports.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has released Bluetooth Core Specification 6.1, introducing key advancements in user privacy and energy efficiency, BleepingComputer reports.

Japan's Financial Services Agency has disclosed a significant rise in unauthorized online trading activity, reporting that nearly $2 billion in fraudulent stock transactions occurred in April 2025 alone, according to a report by The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Investment in identity management is accelerating as AI-generated activity outpaces human traffic online, prompting both startups and investors to act swiftly, Crunchbase reports.

NordVPN has expanded its Ultimate bundle in the UK to include identity theft recovery services at no extra charge, enhancing its cybersecurity offerings amid rising digital fraud, TechRadar reports.

CBS News reports that the U.S. government is facing a staggering fraud crisis, with experts like Linda Miller warning that criminals, often transnational crime rings and foreign state actors, are exploiting public assistance programs using stolen American identities.

Hey folks 👋

Time for the latest from Kin, as usual.

We’ve been working hard on big fixes and new features for Kin, and have more to share with you today.

And, like always, read to the end to find this week’s super prompt.

What’s new with Kin 🚀

Our dev team has been busy with the immense Voice Chat feedback from both iOS and Android users, and squashing bugs wherever they find them.

Still, they’ve found the time for something new…

Bring old Journal entries into the future 🕖🔥

As requested, you can now control the date Kin records as the creation of a Journal entry.

This means that if you want to import journal entries from notebooks or other apps, you’ll be able to give Kin a full understanding of your personal timeline much easier.

Your Journal, your way 🤔📓

We’re still very much interested in hearing about what you’re all doing with our Journal feature, and what you’d like to see from it.

Got something to tell us? Suggest an improvement using the ‘suggest improvement’ button from the support section of the main menu.

If you’d like more of a conversation about the feature, you can drop a suggestion in the '#ideas’ channel of our Discord instead.

You can even reach out to one of our team members, Clara, on Discord, and have a one-on-one conversation with her on what you like and what you’d like to see!

Our current reads 📚

Article: Sam Altman discusses AI competitiveness in court
READ - Tech Policy Press

Paper: Scaling On-Device GPU Inference for Large Generative Models
READ - arXiv

Article: Perplexity AI experimenting with ads on its platform
READ: Tech Crunch

Article: OpenAI to retain its non-profit control and direction
READ: Reuters

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This week’s super prompt 🤖

“Who do I want to be?”

‍Quiz me to about what I want from life, based on the concept of Ikigai. Use my answers to explore how my life matches my answers, and how I can improve that - all in simple, relatable language.

If you have Kin installed and updated to the latest version (0.3.15), click the link below to get some help learning about your approach to empathy.

As a reminder, you can do this on both Android and iOS.

Open Prompt in Kin

Keep sharing your thoughts 💡

Your feedback has been shaping Kin immeasurably.

We’d like to keep things that way.

So, if you’ve got anything to say to us - good or bad - we want to hear it.

Just reply to this email, ping us in Discord…

Or take a screenshot and report it in-app 💬

Thanks for believing in Kin, and helping us build ethical, personal AI.

With you, we’re able to contribute to the future AI is meant to have.

Until next time,

The KIN team

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The European Digital Identity (EUDI) wallet promises to transform how citizens verify their identity across borders, services, and industries. 

But there’s a critical misconception that simply launching the wallet will be enough to drive adoption.

In our deep-dive discussion with Joran Frik, Senior Manager of Digital Identity at Deloitte, he emphasized that success won’t come from the wallet alone, it requires a self-sustaining ecosystem where issuers, verifiers, and citizens all have a reason to participate.

This is what he called the "flywheel effect", a cycle where the more credentials are issued, the more verifiers accept them, which in turn creates demand for even more issuers to provide credentials. 

When this flywheel starts turning, adoption accelerates.

But getting it moving is the hard part. 

Here’s why the flywheel effect is essential and how it can be kickstarted.

Blockchain technology is evolving fast, and Sui Blockchain is quickly becoming a standout in the Layer 1 space. If you’re wondering what all the buzz is about, you’re in the right place! In this guide, we’ll break down what Sui is, why it’s different from other blockchains, and how it could shape the future of decentralized applications.

Learn more: Multi-Chain Wallets: Manage Different Blockchains in One Place

What is Sui Blockchain?

Simply put, Sui Blockchain is a high-speed, scalable blockchain platform designed to fix a lot of the issues we see with traditional blockchains. Unlike the older models that process transactions one after another, Sui can process transactions in parallel – meaning more speed, less waiting.

Built by Mysten Labs, Sui uses a special programming language called Move, which was designed to be fast and secure. It’s a Layer 1 blockchain, meaning it’s a foundational network that doesn’t need any other blockchain to operate. Sui is all about speed and scalability, so it’s ideal for decentralized apps (dApps) that need to handle lots of transactions quickly, like DeFi, NFTs, and even gaming.

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

Key Features of Sui Blockchain

When it comes to Sui Blockchain, what really sets it apart are its unique features that make it both fast and efficient. Whether you’re a developer looking for a reliable platform or a user wanting low-cost transactions, Sui offers just that and more. Let’s take a look at some of its key features that make it stand out in the crowded blockchain space.

Parallel Processing: Unlike older blockchains that handle one transaction at a time, Sui processes transactions in parallel, which makes it super fast. Move Language: This programming language allows for secure and fast transactions, making Sui the go-to blockchain for developers. Low Fees: Sui keeps transaction costs low, so you don’t have to worry about paying high fees every time you interact with the network. Highly Scalable: Sui can process millions of transactions per second, which means it can handle a huge number of users and transactions without slowing down. How Does Sui Blockchain Work?

Sui’s secret sauce is its parallel processing model. Instead of stacking up transactions one by one, it processes them at the same time, dramatically increasing transaction speed. This allows Sui to support high-demand activities like gaming, NFTs, and DeFi, where transactions happen quickly and need to be processed in real time.

Sui also uses a unique consensus mechanism called Narwhal-Tusk, which helps ensure data is available while making transactions even faster and more reliable.

Learn more: What is blockchain ecosystem? Understanding Key Components & Benefits

Top Applications of Sui Blockchain

So, what makes Sui Blockchain a game-changer? Let’s explore some of its key features that highlight its potential and set it apart from other blockchain platforms.

DeFi (Decentralized Finance): Sui’s speed and low fees make it an awesome platform for DeFi projects. Imagine trading assets or lending/borrowing money with almost zero wait time and minimal costs. NFTs: Because Sui handles high volumes of transactions quickly, it’s perfect for the fast-paced world of NFTs. Buying, selling, and trading digital assets can be done without the lag, giving users a smooth experience. Gaming: If you’re into blockchain-based games, Sui can handle the real-time transactions needed for in-game purchases and trades, making gaming funnier and easier. Web3: Sui provides the backbone for Web3 applications, giving developers the tools to build decentralized apps that are fast, secure, and scalable. Sui Blockchain Ecosystem

The Sui Blockchain ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with a host of exciting projects already making waves. From DeFi platforms to NFTs and even GameFi, Sui is becoming a hub for innovation. Let’s take a closer look at some of the standout projects driving the growth of this ecosystem:

Scallop Lend

This decentralized lending platform is already showing strong promise, with over $62 million in total value locked (TVL). It allows users to borrow and lend digital assets, all with minimal fees and impressive returns. Scallop Lend has quickly become a go-to platform for those looking to dive into DeFi on Sui, offering both efficiency and ease of use.

Navi Protocol

Another project gaining traction within the Sui ecosystem is Navi Protocol, which focuses on decentralized borrowing and lending. With over $53 million in TVL, it’s clear that the platform is resonating with DeFi users. Navi is built with flexibility in mind, offering decentralized financial services that are both user-friendly and scalable. It’s a perfect example of what Sui’s low-cost, high-speed infrastructure enables in the DeFi space.

Cetus Protocol

As a decentralized exchange (DEX), Cetus Protocol is designed to offer fast and low-cost token swaps. What sets it apart is its focus on liquidity, allowing users to trade with minimal slippage. Cetus is already making a name for itself as one of the leading AMM exchanges on Sui, with a growing user base and increasing liquidity.

But these are just a few examples. The Sui ecosystem is constantly evolving, with more and more projects leveraging its scalability and speed. Whether it’s NFT platforms, Web3 applications, or new decentralized finance products, the future looks promising for Sui. As of early 2024, the total value locked (TVL) across the ecosystem has already surpassed $200 million, a clear sign of growing trust and adoption in the platform.

The rapid expansion of Sui’s ecosystem shows just how much potential this blockchain has to offer. As more developers come on board, we can expect even more innovative projects to emerge, further solidifying Sui Blockchain as a top contender in the blockchain space.

Why Sui Blockchain is a Top Contender

What makes Sui stand out in the crowded blockchain space? Its combination of speed, scalability, and low fees makes it a top choice for developers building dApps. It solves the issues that many older blockchains struggle with, like high transaction costs and slow speeds. Plus, its Move programming language gives developers the flexibility to build secure and innovative applications.

With its growing ecosystem and unique features, Sui Blockchain is definitely one to watch as the future of blockchain technology unfolds.

Tips for Using Sui Blockchain Safely

To make the most out of Sui Blockchain while keeping your assets secure, here are some key tips to follow:

Use Trusted Wallets: Always choose a reputable wallet that supports Sui to store and manage your assets. Look for well-known wallets with positive user feedback and strong security features. Be cautious of lesser-known wallets, as they may not offer the same level of protection. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): To secure your accounts, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. This adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a second verification step, making it harder for hackers to gain access to your wallet. Apps like Google Authenticator or Authy are great choices for 2FA. Watch Out for Phishing Scams: Phishing scams are common, so always verify the authenticity of websites or communications related to Sui Blockchain. Ensure the URL is correct before clicking links, and avoid downloading files from suspicious sources. Real platforms never ask for your private keys or recovery phrase, so be wary of such requests. Keep Software Updated: Regularly updating your Sui Blockchain wallet ensures you have the latest security features and fixes. Updates often address vulnerabilities and enhance functionality, so don’t neglect them. Always check for updates in your wallet’s settings or app store. Backup Your Recovery Phrase: When setting up your wallet, you’ll be given a recovery phrase. Store this phrase securely offline, such as in a safe, and never share it with anyone. It’s the key to recovering your wallet if needed.

By following these steps, you can enjoy using Sui Blockchain with peace of mind, knowing your assets are protected from potential threats.

Conclusion

Sui Blockchain is a cutting-edge platform that offers impressive scalability, speed, and low-cost transactions, making it a great choice for developers and users alike. Whether you’re into DeFi, NFTs, or gaming, Sui has a lot to offer. If you’re looking to explore the world of Web3 and decentralized apps, Sui Blockchain is definitely worth a look!

Learn more: How to connect Ethereum with Other Blockchains

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 Sui Blockchain? Top Guide to the Future of Layer 1 Blockchain appeared first on Herond Blog.

Looking to manage your crypto securely and easily? MetaMask is the go-to solution for that! It’s a popular cryptocurrency wallet that lets you store and manage your digital assets while connecting you to decentralized apps (dApps). This guide will show you how to download MetaMask, set up, add networks, and fund your wallet, helping you to get started safely.

Learn more: Multi-Chain Wallets: Manage Different Blockchains in One Place

What is MetaMask?

Simply put, MetaMask is a wallet that stores your Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies based on the Ethereum blockchain. It’s available as a browser extension and a mobile app, which makes it super easy to connect with decentralized apps (dApps). You get full control over your assets since it is a self-custody wallet – meaning, you hold your private keys. This puts you in charge, so no one else can access your funds unless you give them permission. Then, some people may ask: “Is MetaMask safe?”.

Is MetaMask Safe?

Yep, MetaMask is pretty safe! Since it’s a self-custody wallet, you hold the keys to your crypto, so you’re in charge of keeping your funds secure. It also has security features like encryption to protect your transactions. Plus, this wallet works with hardware wallets like Ledger and Trezor, which means you can keep your private keys offline for extra protection. Of course, it’s super important to be careful of phishing scams and always store your recovery phrase in a safe place. As long as you follow basic security steps, this wallet is a reliable and safe way to manage your crypto.

Learn more: Browser-Based Wallets: Quick and Easy Access to Your Crypto

How to Download and Set Up MetaMask

Setting up MetaMask is a straightforward process, and getting started with your new wallet only takes a few simple steps. Let’s go through the process:

Download MetaMask: Head to the official MetaMask website and click on the “Download” button. Choose the right version for your browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge) and install it as an extension.
Create Your Wallet: Once installed, open the extension and click “Get Started.” Follow the steps to create a wallet, set a strong password, and make sure to backup your recovery phrase. This phrase is super important in case you need to restore your wallet later.
Secure Your Wallet: After setting up, MetaMask will prompt you to confirm your recovery phrase. This is to make sure you’ve saved it properly. Always store this phrase in a secure place, like a password manager or offline document – don’t share it with anyone!

Learn more: The Complete Guide to NFT Marketplace

Adding Networks to MetaMask

MetaMask is not limited to just Ethereum. It supports a variety of other blockchains like Binance Smart Chain (BSC), Polygon, and Avalanche, which means you can interact with a range of decentralized apps (dApps) and manage multiple assets on different networks. Here’s how to add a new network to your wallet:

Open MetaMask: Click on the MetaMask extension icon in your browser to open your wallet.
Select the Network Dropdown: At the top of your MetaMask window, you’ll see the network dropdown (it’ll say “Ethereum Mainnet” by default). Click on it.
Add Network: Scroll down and select “Add Network.” Here, you’ll need to input the network details for the blockchain you want to add. For example, if you’re adding Binance Smart Chain, you’ll need to fill in details like the Network Name, RPC URL, Chain ID, and Currency Symbol.
Save and Switch Networks: After entering the network details, click “Save.” You can now easily switch between networks by selecting the dropdown menu again. How to Fund Your MetaMask Wallet

Once you’ve got MetaMask set up, it’s time to fund it. Here’s how you can add some crypto:

Get Your Wallet Address: Open your wallet and click on the account name to copy your wallet address. This is the address you’ll use to receive cryptocurrency.
Transfer Crypto to MetaMask: If you already own cryptocurrency on another wallet or exchange, go to that wallet and initiate a transfer to your address. Just make sure to choose the correct network (e.g., Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain) to ensure your funds are transferred properly.
Buy Crypto via MetaMask: You can also purchase crypto directly through MetaMask. Click on the “Buy” button, which will connect you to third-party services like Wyre or MoonPay, allowing you to purchase crypto using a credit card or bank transfer.
Confirm Your Transaction: After initiating the transfer or purchase, wait for the transaction to be confirmed on the blockchain. Once confirmed, your funds will appear in your wallet. Buying BNB on MetaMask

Buying BNB on MetaMask is straightforward, especially if you’re using Binance Smart Chain. Here’s how to buy and add BNB to your wallet:

Add Binance Smart Chain (BSC): Make sure you’ve added Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to your wallet (see the “Adding Networks” section).
Buy BNB: You can buy BNB directly in MetaMask by clicking the “Buy” button, or you can purchase BNB from a centralized exchange like Binance and withdraw it to your address.
Send BNB to MetaMask: After buying BNB, withdraw it to your wallet using your Binance Smart Chain address. Make sure you select the right network during the withdrawal process.
Confirm Transaction: Once the withdrawal is confirmed, your BNB will be available in your wallet. Conclusion

Setting up MetaMask is straightforward, and with its secure features and ability to add multiple networks, it’s a powerful wallet for you to manage your digital assets. By following these easy steps, you’ll be ready to start using MetaMask to store, send, and receive cryptocurrency in no time. Plus, with the ability to download MetaMask as a browser extension or mobile app, accessing your wallet has never been easier. Keep your crypto safe and enjoy the decentralized web with MetaMask!

Learn more: Ton Bridge: Your Gateway to The Open Network

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 MetaMask Guide: How to Set Up, Add Networks, and Fund Your Wallet Safely appeared first on Herond Blog.

Looking for a fun way to spend your free time? Poki Games is a top-tier online platform that offers a wide variety of games for all ages and interests, completely for free and with no downloads required. With thousands of games ranging from action-packed adventures to mind-bending puzzles and competitive sports, Poki delivers endless entertainment directly in your browser. Let’s explore why Poki Games for free is the perfect choice for 24/7 entertainment without any worries about costs or memory usage!

Learn more: NFTs for Gamers: A Game-Changer

What is Poki Games?

Poki Games for free is one of the leading online gaming platforms, providing players with an extensive library of games. Unlike other game apps that require downloads, Poki allows you to play directly in your browser without having any installation. With over 1000 games available, Poki caters to a wide range of preferences – from intense action games to brain-teasing puzzles. The best part? All the games on Poki are completely free, offering you a worry-free gaming experience without spending a dime.

Popular Types of Poki Games

Poki offers an impressive variety of game genres, so you can always find something that suits your taste. Here are some of the most popular categories of Poki Games for free:

Action Games

For those who love excitement, Poki has tons of action-packed games like Temple Run, Moto X3M, and Slither.io. With Temple Run, you’ll be running through an ancient temple, dodging obstacles and trying to outrun dangerous creatures. While Moto X3M puts you on a motorcycle, navigating through tricky tracks filled with ramps and obstacles. If you prefer competitive play, Slither.io is all about controlling a snake that grows longer as you eat dots, while avoiding other players.

Puzzle Games

If you enjoy using your brain, Poki’s puzzle games like 2048 and Sudoku are perfect for your needs. 2048 is a simple but challenging game where you combine tiles to reach the 2048 tile. The tricky part is planning your moves carefully so you don’t get stuck. Sudoku is a classic number puzzle that boosts your concentration and problem-solving skills as you fill a grid with numbers.

Sports Games

Poki also has a great collection of sports games like Blumgi Ball and Narrow One. In Blumgi Ball, you control a team of characters trying to score points in a fun and quirky basketball game. Narrow One is a cool archery game set in a medieval world where you can compete against friends or AI with a bow and arrow.

Adventure Games

If you love exploring and creating, Minecraft Classic on Poki is the perfect pick. You can build, explore, and survive in a world made of blocks. The game gives you complete freedom to create whatever you want, from castles to hidden caves, all within your browser – no downloads needed.

2-Player Games

Poki also has some two-player games, like Chess and Repuls.io. If you’re into strategy, Chess is great if you want to challenge your mind. Repuls.io is a fast-paced multiplayer game where you battle other players, using weapons and dodging obstacles. These games are perfect for playing with your friend and having a little friendly competition.

With all these options, Poki Games for free offers something fun for everyone. Whether you’re into action, puzzles, sports, or playing with friends, there’s always a game to enjoy.

How to Find and Play Poki Games

Playing Poki Games for free is quick and easy. Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Visit the Poki website using your browser. For the best experience, we recommend using Herond Browser. Herond enhances your browsing speed by up to three times compared to traditional browsers, and it blocks up to 99% of ads, ensuring that your game-playing experience remains uninterrupted. With advanced security features, Herond also protects you from online threats, giving you a safe and smooth browsing experience. Step 2: Browse through the different game categories or use the search function to find your favorite game. Step 3: Select a game and click to start playing. The game will load directly in your browser without needing any downloads. Step 4: Once the game loads, you can start playing right away without worrying about any additional software or apps.

Poki makes it easy and convenient to find and enjoy your favorite games quickly. Using Herond, you can ensure a seamless and safe browsing experience while enjoying games.

Why Choose Poki Games?

Poki offers several advantages that make it one of the best online gaming platforms around:

100% Free: All the games on Poki are completely free, so you can enjoy hours of entertainment without worrying about costs. No Downloads Needed: With Poki, there’s no need to download any software or apps. You can play directly from your browser, saving space on your device and cutting back installation time. Variety of Game Genres: Whether you’re into action, puzzles, or sports, Poki has it all. You can find all your favorite games with just a few clicks. Play with Friends: Poki also offers many two-player games, allowing you to have fun with friends or family, creating competitive and enjoyable experiences. Frequent Updates: Poki constantly adds new games to its collection, so you’ll never run out of fresh options to play.

With these advantages, there’s no reason not to try these games today!

Conclusion

Poki Games for free is the perfect choice for anyone looking for convenient online entertainment without the hassle of downloads or high costs. With a wide range of games and an easy-to-use interface, Poki offers a fantastic gaming experience for everyone. If you’re looking for a free, easy-to-access gaming platform that doesn’t require downloads, give Poki a try and discover the fun games it has to offer!

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 Play Poki Games for Free – Top Fun Games 24/7 No Download Needed appeared first on Herond Blog.

The post Identity as a Big Data Problem appeared first on Radiant Logic.

Open House: A Conversation with Blocko’s CEO on the Future of Enterprise Blockchain with Aergo & HPP

This time, we sat down with Won Kim, CEO of Blocko, to discuss Blocko's critical role as a key partner in the Aergo ecosystem and explore how Aergo’s future, powered by the House Party Protocol (HPP) and Layer 2 innovation, will create new opportunities for enterprises. In this conversation, Won outlines how enterprise clients will transition through Aergo’s evolution, how the dual-layer approach strengthens the ecosystem, and how Blocko continues to drive real-world adoption of blockchain technology.

Q1: How would you describe the relationship between Blocko and Aergo?

Won Kim: The combination of Blocko and Aergo is quite rare in the blockchain industry. Blocko provides the full spectrum of services enterprise clients need — from architecture design to system customization and long-term maintenance.

In a way, you could compare it to the relationship between Ethereum and ConsenSys, but there’s a key difference: Blocko is much more hands-on in the actual building and deployment process.

This deep collaboration benefits both parties. Aergo can continuously enhance and advance Aergo Enterprise based on direct client feedback gathered through Blocko’s projects. At the same time, Blocko can focus purely as a Managed Service Provider (MSP), delivering end-to-end blockchain solutions. It creates a virtuous cycle of innovation and execution between the platform and the service layer.

Q2: How does Blocko’s role fit Aergo’s evolution with HPP and L2?

Won Kim: Blocko has always been focused on driving real-world adoption of blockchain technology. As Aergo evolves with the launch of HPP ETH Layer 2, our role remains critical: to penetrate the enterprise blockchain market by transitioning past Aergo Enterprise use cases into the AI-driven HPP ecosystem, while continuing to deliver enterprise-grade solutions built on Aergo Mainnet. While HPP ETH L2 will lead broader Web3 innovation, Aergo Mainnet will continue to serve as the trusted foundation for enterprises requiring security, compliance, and private deployments. Our clients rely on us to provide stability and continuity as the ecosystem continues to evolve.

Q3: How will enterprise clients be affected by the introduction of HPP ETH Layer 2?

Won Kim: There will be no disruption for our enterprise clients. Aergo Mainnet will continue to operate as it has always, providing a stable and high-performance private blockchain infrastructure. Clients using Aergo Enterprise will not need to make any technical changes. However, for enterprises seeking AI-driven capabilities, the broader ecosystem of HPP will be available as an option through Layer 2.

The launch of HPP ETH L2 is an expansion, not a replacement. It introduces a two-track strategy for the Aergo ecosystem: one track focused on public innovation (L2) and another anchored in private, enterprise-grade reliability (L1).

Q4: What are the benefits of maintaining both Aergo L1 and introducing HPP L2?

Won Kim: We offer flexibility that few ecosystems can match by maintaining both layers. Aergo Mainnet provides long-term support for enterprise solutions, including compliance, data protection, and custom deployments. At the same time, HPP ETH L2 opens the door for innovation with AI-native smart contracts, decentralized identity, and broader Web3 use cases. Together, they create a full-stack ecosystem that can scale with both corporate and Web3 ecosystem needs.

Q5: From an enterprise perspective, what excites you most about Aergo’s future?

Won Kim: What excites me most is the convergence between AI and blockchain. HPP ETH L2 introduces concepts like AI oracles, enabling smart contracts to dynamically process and respond to real-world data. This unlocks opportunities in areas such as automated compliance, supply chain verification, and real-time risk management, where enterprises seek blockchain to add real value, not just theoretical potential.

Q6: How is Blocko supporting this transition alongside Aergo?

Won Kim: Blocko is actively working with Aergo to ensure a smooth transition through close technical collaboration, client communication, and long-term roadmap alignment. We are expanding our solution stack to bridge traditional enterprise systems with the new opportunities presented by HPP ETH L2, particularly for clients seeking to integrate AI-driven data flows and smarter automation into their blockchain operations.

We view Aergo’s evolution not as a pivot, but as a natural expansion of what we started: making blockchain real, usable, and transformative for enterprises.

Q7: How is Blocko approaching overseas markets with less restrictive regulatory environments?

Won Kim: In the past, we saw significant growth internationally, securing projects with Bank of Singapore, Credit Suisse, and the Seed Group in Dubai. We even established a local branch in the UK to support global expansion. Our projects included building a Sharia-compliant distribution platform in Dubai and conducting successful STO-related PoC projects with Credit Suisse.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted us, prompting us to wind down our overseas operations. This experience prompted a strategic shift, moving from a solution-based delivery model to a fully cloud-based SaaS approach. Instead of deploying teams on-site, we now host our services on the cloud, enabling enterprises and consumers to access them remotely.

As a result, approximately 40% of the current inbound demand now comes from international customers. With Korea’s blockchain-related regulations becoming more defined, we believe the time is right to expand aggressively. Blocko is well-positioned to lead the way with our technology and operational experience.

Q8: Is there anything you would like to add?

Won Kim: Blocko has been committed to the potential of general-purpose blockchain technology even before the birth of Ethereum. For over a decade, we have focused on integrating blockchain into complex enterprise environments, consistently addressing real-world challenges and operational demands.

Now, as the rapid advancement of AI technology reshapes industries, it has become increasingly clear that enterprises need a foundational layer to fully harness the power of AI innovations. Recognizing this shift, Blocko fully aligns with the vision that the evolution of Aergo’s technology into the House Party Protocol (HPP) is not just necessary, but critical for leading the next era of enterprise blockchain and Web3 innovation.

We are proud to stand alongside Aergo as we move into this next chapter, building a blockchain infrastructure ready for an AI-driven future.

“Blocko has been committed to advancing blockchain technology even before the birth of Ethereum, integrating it into complex enterprise environments for over a decade. As AI reshapes industries, we believe a robust blockchain foundation is essential — and the evolution of Aergo into the House Party Protocol (HPP) is critical for leading the next era of enterprise and Web3 innovation.”
 — Won Kim, CEO of Blocko

Open House: A Conversation with Blocko’s CEO on the Future of Enterprise Blockchain with Aergo &… was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In the increasingly modular world of Web3, crypto bridges have emerged as vital infrastructure, allowing not just digital assets but also data to flow across otherwise siloed blockchains. As decentralized applications and user bases grow across chains like Ethereum, Arbitrum, Solana, and others, bridges enable cross-chain functionality, improve liquidity distribution, and facilitate multi-chain user experiences.

But how do these bridges work, what risks do they carry, and how are projects like HPP (House Party Protocol) approaching them in a more secure and purpose-driven way?

What Is a Crypto Bridge?

A crypto bridge is a set of smart contracts and messaging infrastructure that allows users to move tokens or data from one blockchain to another. Users commonly “lock” assets on a source chain and receive a “wrapped” version on the destination chain. When they want to move back, the wrapped asset is burned, and the original is released.

Importantly, modern bridges are evolving to support not just tokens, but cross-chain data validation, state updates, and messaging, enabling a broader spectrum of interoperable applications.

Why Bridges Matter

Without bridges, liquidity and utility are locked within individual chains. That leads to fragmentation, inefficiency, and user friction. Crypto bridges solve this by:

Enabling users to move assets freely across ecosystems Allowing developers to tap into liquidity from other chains Supporting cross-chain DeFi, gaming, NFT, and data-sharing applications Reducing reliance on centralized exchanges Facilitating cross-chain communication and AI agent orchestration

Bridges are especially crucial in the Layer 2 and modular blockchain landscape, where chains are built for specialized functions (e.g., speed, privacy, compliance) but still need to interoperate.

HPP’s Approach to Bridging

As Aergo transitions to HPP, a Layer 2 network built on either Arbitrum Orbit or OP Stack depending on strategic and technical considerations, bridging becomes a central component of the roadmap. Aergo tokens exist on the Aergo mainnet and Ethereum (ERC-20). In the future, HPP tokens will be launched on the selected Layer 2 platform, and official bridges will be established to support a secure transition and enable seamless cross-chain interactions.

In the initial stage, the bridge will serve primarily as a secure and convenient method for converting assets between chains. However, as development progresses, this infrastructure will evolve into the core of HPP’s cross-chain architecture, enabling interaction between the Aergo mainnet (L1) and HPP ETH (L2). It will also serve as the foundation for AI-related features, facilitating the orchestration of agents, datasets, and verified compute across multiple environments.

While the initial focus is on the Aergo-ETH-HPP triad, the team will continue developing additional bridge features based on demand and the evolution of the ecosystem.

Final Thoughts

Crypto bridges are essential as they represent the frontier of blockchain scalability, data coordination, and user access. Bridges are not just a ‘token swapper’ — they will be the conductor of an AI-purpose network, orchestrating AI agents, datasets, and more. Let’s see how bridges will evolve in the coming age of AI.

BC 101 #4: Understanding Crypto Bridges was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

On May 8th, 2025, we held our sixth weekly AMA. And for the first time, we hosted it on X/Twitter Spaces. The session with hosts Ben and Raph covered everything from HPP’s roadmap and token migration to AI, ecosystem partnerships, and more. Here’s a numbered recap of the key questions and insights shared:

Can you give us a clear elevator pitch for HPP?
HPP (House Party Protocol) is the next evolution of the Aergo public blockchain. Backed by a team with over a decade in Web3, HPP represents a pivot to an AI-first Layer 2 chain. It builds on Aergo’s strong enterprise foundation to support more adaptive, intelligent, and data-driven applications. When will HPP launch?
HPP is targeting a launch in Q3 2025, which is when the current Aergo chain will transition into the HPP network. Until then, users can follow the project through its living roadmap and community channels like Twitter, Telegram, and Medium. Development updates, branding efforts, and offline appearances are ongoing in preparation for the official launch. How will the token swap from AERGO to HPP work?
The AERGO to HPP token swap will happen at a 1:1 ratio. The process will depend on where the tokens are held. Most exchanges are expected to handle the swap automatically. A bridge may be required for self-custodied tokens. Official instructions will be provided ahead of the swap. Users are advised to stay vigilant and only trust verified channels. Are there any Aergo or HPP tokens on other chains like BNB or Solana?
No. AERGO currently exists only on the Aergo mainnet and Ethereum as an ERC-20 token. If anyone is offering Aergo or HPP tokens on other chains (e.g., BNB or Solana), it is a scam. The only safe way to move tokens is through the official bridge provided by the project. Is staking available for AERGO tokens?
Yes. AERGO staking is available on the Aergo mainnet. Community members regularly share updated staking options in the Telegram chat, which is the best place to learn more and get involved. What is the relationship between Aergo and Blocko?
Aergo and Blocko are separate entities, although they share early founders. Blocko serves as a long-term technology partner and contributes development and infrastructure support to the Aergo ecosystem. Blocko also works with major enterprise clients and remains a trusted blockchain solution provider. Why is HPP focused on AI?
AI is no longer just a trend; it is becoming a foundational layer of modern digital applications. HPP is designed to address AI accountability, data validation, and agent verification. The goal is to support both innovative AI use cases and safeguards against misuse by providing a secure blockchain environment for data and agent integrity. What is VaaSBlock’s role in the HPP ecosystem?
VaasBlock is an independent company that focuses on Web3 accountability tools. It is closely aligned with Aergo and contributes to the HPP ecosystem through W3DB — a decentralized registry for datasets and AI agents. While separate, the collaboration is strong, and team members often work side-by-side. Any updates on Binance spot listing?
Currently, Aergo is listed on Binance Futures. The team would like to see a Binance Spot listing but has no control over Binance’s listing decisions. The focus remains on building real products and delivering value through the HPP ecosystem in hopes of earning broader listings over time.

HPP AMA #6 Recap: From Aergo to HPP, AI, and What’s Coming Next was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Las reglas del juego están cambiando.

En la nueva economía digital, integrar Servicios Financieros en tu propia plataforma ya no es una opción diferencial: es parte fundamental de una estrategia de crecimiento sostenible. Las empresas ya no se preguntan si deben ofrecer servicios financieros, sino cómo hacerlo de forma eficiente y escalable.

Modelos como Wallet as a Service permiten a Empresas de cualquier industria —no sólo Bancos o Fintechs— ofrecer Soluciones de Pago, Transferencias y Gestión de saldo directamente desde sus apps o webs, sin tener que desarrollar Infraestructura Bancaria desde cero.

¿Qué significa esto? Que ahora puedes construir un Ecosistema Digital completo alrededor de tu marca, aumentando la lealtad de tus clientes, generando nuevas fuentes de ingresos y potenciando tu propuesta de valor.

 

Wallet como base para un Ecosistema Financiero propio

 

En Finket, ayudamos a empresas a implementar Wallets o Apps digitales de manera modular, flexible y escalable. Esto les permite:

Configurar su modelo: Closed loop, conectada a cuentas bancarias o integrada con servicios de terceros. One-Stop-Shop: Activar funcionalidades clave como Pagos Digitales, Transferencias, Emisión de Tarjetas, entre otros. Checkout Integrado: Mejorando la experiencia de usuario y generando nuevas oportunidades de conversión y fidelización en tus plataformas. Cumplir estándares de seguridad y compliance: Identidad Verificada, Tokenización de Pagos y Encriptación Avanzada.

Con nuestra Infraestructura Tecnológica, las Empresas pueden operar en el mundo Financiero Digital con la misma solidez que un Banco, pero con la agilidad de una Startup.

 

El verdadero valor: construir un ecosistema

 

La implementación de una Wallet o App abre la puerta a la creación de un Ecosistema completo de Servicios Financieros embebidos:

Programas de fidelización basados en información transaccional, ofreciendo promociones ancladas en una matriz de rentabilidad y potencial. Préstamos o Microcréditos integrados al checkout del flujo de compra. Podrás crear un scoring propio basado en datos estructurados y no estructurados.  Integración de Seguros, Inversiones o Checkout personalizados ampliando la suite de productos existentes.

Todo esto de manera Composable, eligiendo e integrando los componentes que tu Estrategia de Negocio necesita en cada etapa.

 

¿Por qué adoptar este modelo ahora?

 

La Banca como la conocíamos está evolucionando cada vez más rápido. Desarrollar modelos BaaS (Banking-as-a-Service) se han transformado en una constante en los planes estratégicos de las Instituciones Financieras.

Los Consumidores y las Empresas de tu cadena de valor ya no buscan solamente acceder a Productos Financieros a través de Bancos o Instituciones Financieras: esperan experiencias fluidas, seguras, adaptadas e integradas a su estilo de vida.

Al implementar soluciones como Wallet as a Service, tu Negocio se adelanta a las necesidades del Mercado, innova en su Propuesta de Valor y fortalece su posición competitiva.

En Finket creemos que la Infraestructura Financiera Modular transformará la forma en que operas, compites y evolucionas. 

Si quieres dar el próximo paso en el desarrollo de un Ecosistema Financiero next-gen, contacta con nosotros y exploremos las alternativas más acordes a tu negocio.

The post Wallets, Apps y Ecosistemas Digitales: la nueva infraestructura financiera para tu negocio first appeared on Finket.

TL;DR

Universities lose over $600 M each year to fake diplomas and spend up to two weeks verifying each transcript. Extrimian’s suite—Digital Credential Wallet, ID Connect API, and Extrimian Academy—cuts verification time by 98%, prevents all credential fraud, and trains your team on Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI).

How Decentralized Digital Identity Is Revolutionizing Data Security in Universities

Higher-ed institutions handle millions of sensitive records—transcripts, diplomas, research files, financial aid documents—but still rely on emails, paper forms, and siloed databases. The result?

Credential Fraud 64% of candidates admit to lying on their résumé, and nearly 30% specifically lie about their academic degree → Education Week (2023) + 1 in 4 Americans (25%) admit to lying on their résumé — with academic qualifications among the most common areas of deception → Employee Benefit News (2023) citing ResumeBuilder Study (2023) UK universities uncovered over £7 million in fraudulent student loans between 2022 and 2025 → The Times UK (2024) Slow and costly processes of manual verification in the education industry Manual verification of an academic credential can take up to 72 hours → Clarifacts (2024) The cost of a manual credential verification ranges from $75 to $365 USD → American Translation Service (2024)

This article shows how decentralized digital identity (SSI) and Extrimian’s solutions solve these problems with real metrics, clear steps, and a roadmap for modernizing your campus.

Key Takeaways

SSI cuts verification from days to minutes. Cryptographic credentials eliminate all fraud. Extrimian’s Digital Credential Wallet, ID Connect API and Academy deliver end-to-end support. ROI: 98% time saved, 100% MFA adoption, near-zero fraud.

1. Challenges and Barriers in Higher Education 1.1 Credential Fraud $600 M+ lost every year to forged diplomas and transcripts 30% of job applicants lie about academic qualifications 1.2 Slow, Manual Processes 5–14 days per document for traditional verification $20–$30 cost per manual check 1.3 Security Gaps Only 45% of institutions enforce MFA consistently (UK Cyber Survey 2024) Ransomware groups like HIVE and Vice Society have shut down campuses (e.g., Munster Technological University, 2023) Comparison of manual verification (days) vs. SSI verification (minutes)

2. What Is Decentralized Digital Identity?

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) puts control in students’ hands. Credentials live in a secure digital wallet instead of on a central server. Benefits include:

No more fraud: Signatures stop forgeries Instant checks: Verify in seconds, anywhere Selective privacy: Share only what’s needed (e.g., “Enrolled 2025” without GPA) Built-in compliance: GDPR, FERPA, LGPD covered by design

Learn the W3C Verifiable Credentials standard → https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model/

3. Extrimian’s Education Suite 3.1 Digital Credential Wallet Student-centric: Mobile/web access, offline-ready Selective sharing: Issue QR codes or secure links Instant revocation: Revoke compromised credentials in real time 3.2 ID Connect API & Dashboard No-code integration: Prebuilt connectors for SIS, LMS—go live in under a day Live analytics: Track issuance, verifications, and system health Enterprise security: End-to-end encryption, role-based access, audit trails 3.3 Extrimian Academy On-demand training: From SSI basics to advanced API use Hands-on labs: Sandbox for issuing DIDs, VCs, and testing wallet workflows Certifications: Prove your team’s SSI expertise Extrimian Academy dashboard | Intro to Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) course modules

4. Real-World Use Cases & Key Metrics Use CaseManual ProcessWith Extrimian SSIDiploma verification (BA, 2024)Over 15 days2 minutes (98% faster)Cost per credential check$20–$30$ via APIStaff hours on support (monthly)150 hours10 hours (approx/tentative)MFA adoption45% of universities100% enforced by default Here you can figure the four key savings dimensions Saving DimensionMetric% SavingAbsolute SavingVerification TimeFrom 10 days (14,400 min) down to 2 min99.99 %14,398 minutes saved per verificationCost per Credential CheckFrom $25 average down to $196 %$24 saved per checkStaff Hours on SupportFrom 150 hours/month down to 10 hours/month93.3 %140 hours saved per monthFraud Prevention$600 million potential fraud vs. $0 losses100 %$600 million prevented annually

5. How Extrimian Stacks Up Against Competitors FeatureExtrimianBadgrAccredibleBlockcertsTrue Self-Sovereign ID✔✘✘PartialNo-code API✔✔ (REST)LimitedDev-onlyOffline wallet access✔✘✘✘GDPR, FERPA, LGPD support✔GDPR onlyGDPR onlyVariesAcademy & hands-on labs✔✘✘CommunitySLA-backed enterprise support✔Paid plans✘✘Real-time logs & dashboards✔✔ (events)✘✘ 6. FAQs How secure are Verifiable Credentials?
They use cryptographic signatures—any tampering immediately fails verification. Can I integrate SSI with my existing LMS?
Yes—Extrimian’s no-code connectors plug into most popular LMS and SIS platforms. What if a student loses their device?
Credentials can be revoked instantly and re-issued to a new wallet. Is Extrimian compliant with data privacy laws?
Fully—our platform meets GDPR, FERPA, and LGPD requirements by design. 7. How to Get Started in 4 Steps Book a demo at extrimian.io/contact-us Pilot with your next graduating class via our ID Connect sandbox Train your team in Extrimian Academy’s SSI courses Scale campus-wide, integrate with LMS, HR, and external partners 8. Resources & Further Reading

UK Cyber Security Survey 2024 (Education) → https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2024-education-institutions-annex

UNESCO on Digital Credentials → https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-digital-future

Educause Cybersecurity Trends → https://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications

The post University & E-Learning Data Security first appeared on Extrimian.

Portable identity is changing the way we prove who we are—making it faster, safer, and way more user-friendly. When people store their digital credentials directly on their phones, we get faster systems, stronger privacy, and a smoother experience for both users and businesses. In this blog, we’ll break down how portable identity works—and why it’s becoming a game-changer for organizations looking to cut costs, boost efficiency, and build trust.

By Tim Spring

Traditional identity verification and access management systems represent a huge cost and headache for organizations. Indicio Strategic Advisor Tom Plofchan put it best in a recent Indicio Meetup, “Identity verification systems today are disparate. They’re not interoperable across hardware systems. On the software side, they’re not privacy by design, meaning that they aren’t built to be able to erase personally identifiable information and protect PII and, as a result, civil liberties. They inherently require the use of a centralized either repository or a centralized authority in order to provide, ultimately, the verification. This has a number of risks for the companies that have to take and store that data. Data breaches, hacks, etc.”

Today’s identity verification systems are a complex and costly solution to an ultimately simple problem: You need to know who your employees are, who your customers are, and who is accessing your systems. 

Portable identity turns the control of the data over to the user. Organizations can lower operational costs from manual onboarding and authorization systems for employees and customers with efficient automation of identity checks, either in person or online, using the information issued as a tamper-proof Verifiable Credential. This method can turn what was a large cost for organizations into a business driver by allowing customers and partner organizations to interact quickly, simply, and securely with your systems without the need for complex integrations.

The business benefits

Businesses can cut costs across the board. This is even true for organizations that rely on a SaaS identity provider that still want to reduce liability, storage costs, and maintenance costs. Indicio Advisor Will Groah explains, “While some enterprises like the SaaS model because they know exactly what their costs are going to be, and that is certainly very important, what portable identity does is allow a digital transformation from that SaaS model that most players are using towards a transaction model. Inherent in that is the ability for institutions who are adopting this technology to be on a path to reduce their costs over time.”

Don’t integrate–interoperate

Businesses can also save time and effort by reducing the need to set up complex integrations between partners, teams, and databases. When customer information can be easily shared to anyone with the verification software, any part of your organization can verify a portable identity and instantly authenticate without checking in with a centralized server. More importantly, partner organizations can use the same credentials to verify your customers and offer them discounts or incentives without needing to reach out to confirm with your systems.

Portable identity evens the playing field for small and medium sized businesses too. Often these organizations don’t have the time, money, or bandwidth to set up a large identity system but still want to drive good customer experiences. As Plofchan commented, “You could be a small company, and effectively, you’re priced out of leveraging digital identity as it currently exists, for all the reasons we said, not interoperable, too many choke points, too much integration work, too much regulatory concern.” 

Verifiable Credentials allow any company, regardless of size, to leverage powerful identity systems, and simplify the entire process by issuing trustable digital identities, and providing access with a quick automated verification.

The user benefits too

The biggest win for users? You control your digital identity and can use it anywhere it’s accepted, not just with whoever gave it to you. Say your bank gives you a credential, you can take it to a partner insurance company to verify your information, making things faster and maybe even unlocking perks. It’s kind of like “Login with Google,” but you stay in control– and it works in real life, not just online. 

There is no faster, or more convenient user experience than a portable identity. These credentials completely replace the need for passwords, multi factor authentication, security questions, or any other time consuming annoying verification process. You can scan a QR code, prove your identity instantly, and be on your way.

Portable identities also offer much more enhanced security than today’s centralized systems ever could. Any large system today can have hundreds of thousands of people’s identities and acts as a honeypot for bad actors. One breach and everyone’s data is compromised. With portable identities your data is secure on your mobile phone. 

Lastly, users of portable identities can be certain of who they are interacting with online. There is currently no way to remove all uncertainty from digital interactions, and scammers are increasingly adept at impersonation attacks or simply creating false information. Indicio VP of Communications and Governance Trevor Butterworth nailed it when he said, “The question is, have we reached a tipping point where we need a new transformational technology to deal with the noise and uncertainty that runs rampant in our digital interactions? Let’s face it, our entire communication system is largely digital, and that noise is fundamentally not knowing who you’re talking to, and you don’t really know whether the information has been altered during the course of its exchange.”

How to get started

The technology is here and ready for adoption. Indicio has spent years building decentralized identity solutions that are easy to implement and fit any use case. Our team would be happy to discuss any projects with you, or you can learn more about our complete solution Indicio Proven.

Or as Plofchan puts it, “if you’re a digital identity manager or a product manager… and you want a pat on the back from your boss. You want to be seen as a visionary leader. You want to help your company open up to markets that they’re not currently open to and get ahead of the trend. This is the conversation to be having now, decentralized verifiable trust networks. And we’d love to help you do it.”

If you would like to learn more about Portable Identities you can watch the full Fireside chat on the subject here:

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

The post Portable Identity as a business driver: What you need to know appeared first on Indicio.

Financial institutions have to balance innovation with caution when navigating new markets. This delicate equilibrium is particularly relevant in the cryptocurrency space, where a growing number of investment products are already being developed. As these offerings mature, they deserve strategic consideration, even from institutions maintaining conservative approaches. 

For financial institutions developing crypto investment offerings, specialized blockchain analytics and compliance tools become essential components of a robust risk management framework. Elliptic provides the following comprehensive solutions specifically designed for financial institutions entering the digital asset space.

Why retail and hospitality’s medium and long-term future will belong to brands that modernize customer identity.

Advanced AML in accounting fortifies accountancy firms with risk-based approach to onboarding new clients, minimising fraud risks and ensuring full AML compliance. This guide breaks down how AML checks ensure full KYC compliance.

The post Regulatory Frameworks for AML in Accounting  first appeared on ComplyCube.

The post Improving Digital Onboarding UX with Advanced Facial Recognition Technology appeared first on uqudo.

Predictoor DF140 rewards available. DF141 runs May 8th — May 15th, 2025 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 140 (DF140) has completed.

DF141 is live today, May 8th. It concludes on May 15th. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3,750 OCEAN rewards and 20,000 ROSE rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF141 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 DF141

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3.75K 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.

DF140 Completes and DF141 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Today’s research landscape is increasingly complex, requiring a flexible, integrated approach to cybersecurity, privacy, and ethics. myLaminin proposes a modern Research Security Office (RSO) framework with core protections—cybersecurity, data privacy, ethics, export controls, and research integrity—plus modular, discipline-specific components. This proactive model supports secure, ethical, and collaborative research across diverse domains.

On today’s episode we spoke to Rebekah Johnson, Founder & CEO of Numeracle. This was a fascinating conversation about Rebekah’s journey starting Numeracle in 2016 to bring trust back to business communications by tackling robocalling and spam in the telecom ecosystem.

We talk about how Numeracle became an early identity issuer in telecom through the implementation of STIR/SHAKEN protocols which have now rolled out to subscribers of carriers like T-Mobile and how she overcame the classic chicken-and-egg problem of launching before carriers were ready. We also discuss how the business identity ecosystem compares to consumer digital identity, and what companies should do when they know a new standard is coming (like eIDAS 2.0), but it’s not here yet.

We finish by exploring modern AI's impact on communications, including how to preserve trust when automated agents or AI-powered voice calls are part of the conversation.

You can learn more about Numeracle at numeracle.com and connect with Rebekah on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more announcements related to the future of identity at trinsic.id/podcast

Reach out to Riley (@rileyphughes) and Trinsic (@trinsic_id) on Twitter. We’d love to hear from you.

Verida is honored to receive the prestigious MyData Award 2024–2025 in the Business and Technology category. This recognition underscores our commitment to a human-centric, ethical approach to personal and private data — prioritizing privacy, security, and empowering individuals to regain control of their information in the age of AI.

The MyData Awards are given to organizations that have made meaningful and demonstrable contributions toward realizing the vision of the MyData Declaration. Among numerous exceptional submissions, Verida’s nomination stood out in a highly competitive field. This award acknowledges our steadfast commitment to creating solutions prioritizing individuals’ rights, consent, autonomy, and privacy within an ever-evolving digital landscape.

At Verida, we are deeply honored by this recognition and remain committed to building infrastructure that empowers individuals to take control of their personal and private data — while enabling developers to access it via Verida APIs, always with clear user consent. This award reinforces our vision of a future where data is handled ethically, securely, and with privacy at its core.

This recognition comes on the heels of our recent launch of the Verida Vault — a powerful web application that lets users securely import and manage their personal and private data from centralized platforms like Google and Telegram (with more integrations coming soon), connect seamlessly to decentralized applications, and personalize their private AI experience.

With Universal Sign-In, Verida Vault lets anyone log in using email, wallets, or socials — making access to the Verida Network simple and flexible. This opens the door for Web2 users and the broader crypto community to join our mission: returning control of personal and private data to individuals and businesses, because data only holds real value for its rightful owner when it’s stored and shared securely.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to MyData and to the entire Verida community for their continued support as we work together to advance the ethical management of personal and private data.

Looking ahead, we will keep adding new data connectors to Verida Vault — giving users even greater control over their digital lives. The upcoming launch of Agent Kyra will be another milestone, allowing individuals to harness their data securely to power truly personalized AI experiences.

Verida Wins MyData Award was originally published in Verida on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Today's highly regulated business landscape makes compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) and due diligence critical. UK businesses require robust KYC due diligence measures to safeguard against financial crime and reputational damage.

The post Build a Strong KYC Due Diligence Checklist UK first appeared on ComplyCube.

“What if the real innovation is not centralization vs decentralization, but the ability to shift between them?”

A Digital Identity Digest Engineering Meets Economics: Shifting, Not Choosing, Between Centralized and Decentralized Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 10 seconds 00:00 / 00:11:34 Subscribe Share Amazon Apple Podcasts CastBox Listen Notes Overcast Pandora Player.fm PocketCasts Podbean RSS Spotify TuneIn YouTube iHeartRadio RSS Feed Share Link Embed

You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to Podcasts. And be sure to leave me a Rating and Review!

That question has been rattling around in my brain lately, and I keep coming back to it. Not because I have a clever answer—goodness knows I’m not an identity architect, nor can I play one on TV—but because it changes the shape of the conversation I’m used to hearing. It stops being about camps or philosophies—centralized vs decentralized—and starts being about resilience. Adaptability. Survivability. Malleability. The real stuff that makes or breaks systems under pressure.

Whether you realize it or not, most of us are already living in the murky middle. Even the most rigorously centralized enterprise setup has had to grapple with siloed systems from acquisitions, third-party integrations that can’t be wrangled into compliance, or regional requirements that throw a wrench into the “single source of truth” fantasy.

On the consumer side, it’s no simpler. Many apps build their entire onboarding flow around third-party login, such as Sign in with Google, Facebook, Apple, only to realize later they can’t get out. Apple tweaks its policies, Google changes branding or scopes, and suddenly your user flow is broken. Or worse, your legal team is panicking about data access that was never fully under your control.

So maybe the goal shouldn’t be to “pick a side.” Maybe the goal is to build something that can move.

We’ve Been Here Before

I remember when the phrase “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product” first started making the rounds. It was a wake-up call for how data was being monetized, especially in consumer tech. But in enterprise settings, it’s always been more complicated. Control over employee and operational data is often treated as sacred… until an M&A event hits, or an offboarding workflow depends on access to a different tenant’s system, or someone discovers the only copy of a critical record lives on a spreadsheet maintained by a single team in Ukraine.

Even the executives who believe they have centralized control are often just looking at a well-behaved abstraction. Under the surface, the architecture is often more federated (or fragmented) than anyone wants to admit.

So: centralized in theory, decentralized in reality. And that’s (probably) fine, if you plan for it.

Centralized vs Decentralized is the Wrong Question

The wrong question is, “Should we centralize everything or decentralize everything?” Because you’re never going to have a clean answer to that. Business needs shift. Systems fail. Teams grow faster than governance can keep up. Which means sometimes, decentralization isn’t just a compromise, it’s a strategic advantage.

Take employee authentication. It’s easy to default to a centralized IdP for control and visibility. But control doesn’t always mean centralization. In some cases, like high-assurance access to sensitive systems, decentralized approaches like verifiable digital credentials might offer more resilient and efficient ways to meet your risk and compliance goals. (I’ve written about this in more detail over here.)

So instead of asking “which architecture is best?” the real question is:

How do we build for mobility between them?

Shift Zones: A Mental Model

Here’s how I think about it. Your architecture probably has at least three layers:

Core systems that demand high assurance, strong governance, and low tolerance for error. These might initially seem like candidates for centralization, but in practice, decentralized approaches (like verifiable credentials) can reduce exposure, improve auditability, and allow more precise access controls. Think about systems managing employee benefits, third-party entitlements, or financial approvals that span org boundaries. Edge systems where decentralization improves speed, autonomy, or user experience. Think mobile app login, partner ecosystems, or field service platforms. Bridge systems that help you manage both ends: identity brokers, API gateways, credential verifiers. These are your control points. They don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to be swappable. This Isn’t About Complexity. It’s About Control.

There’s a reflexive fear that anything outside your central architecture introduces risk. But lock-in is its own kind of risk. What happens when:

The cloud provider you bet everything on has a region-wide outage? Your go-to identity vendor starts charging for what used to be free? A new privacy law forces you to isolate user records by country?

If your systems can’t move, your strategy can’t either.

Which brings us to an uncomfortable truth: flexibility isn’t a feature you tack on later. It’s an investment in survivability. And yes, that includes your DR/BC planning. If your recovery plan assumes the architecture will look the same when you need to recover—same vendors, same identity flows, same regional rules—you’re about to have a Really Bad Day.

Systems don’t fail in isolation. They fail in ways that expose your hidden dependencies. The real risk is that the thing you need next won’t work the way it used to or, more to the point, the way you’ve planned for come recovery time. If your plan can’t flex, it can’t recover. To put it another way: rigid design is brittle, so avoid it if you can.

Trends That Make This Urgent (Not Just Interesting)

Still on the fence about needing this kind of mobility? Here’s what’s already pushing organizations in that direction:

Regulations that require data residency or mandate new consent flows Cloud concentration risk, made worse by geopolitical volatility AI deployment that needs decentralized access to proprietary or regional datasets Identity policy changes (looking at you, browsers) that upend previously stable auth flows

None of these trends are waiting for you to clean up your architecture.

Pop Quiz!

If you’re a CIO, architect, or planner, ask yourself:

Can your systems…

…switch to a new identity provider or trust a new authority within 48 hours if they have to …segment authorization policy by region or user group without rewriting everything? …keep functioning when a key vendor changes terms or disappears? …pivot to a new compliance boundary without a year of re-architecture?

If not, it might be time to rethink what “flexibility” really means in your environment.

Final Thought: Don’t Confuse Control with Stability

Centralization often feels like control. Decentralization often feels like chaos. But both are illusions if you haven’t built for change. The real strength comes not from sticking to one approach, but from designing your systems to flex across time zones, use cases, org charts, and crises.

So next time someone in the boardroom or the architecture review committee asks, “Should we [de-]centralize this?” maybe try responding with:

“There are pros and cons, but first, let’s make sure we build in an ability to change our minds later.”

Want to stay updated? I write about digital identity and related standards—because someone has to keep track of all this! Subscribe to get a notification when new blog posts go live. No spam, just announcements of new posts. [Subscribe here] 

Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Digital Identity Digest, the audio companion to the blog at Spherical Cow Consulting. I’m Heather Flanagan, and every week I break down interesting topics in the field of digital identity, from credentials and standards to browser weirdness and policy twists. If you work with digital identity but don’t have time to follow every specification or hype cycle, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it welcome to Episode one of the Audio Blog. This is engineering meets economics, and today we’re going to talk about something that gets framed as kind of a binary option a little too often, and that’s centralization versus decentralization.

[00:00:42] Now this episode isn’t about picking a side and arguing for an either or. It’s about recognizing that the best systems, especially identity systems, don’t live at either extreme. They move around.

[00:00:55] So this episode is based on the blog post Engineering Meets Shifting, Not Choosing between Centralized and Decentralized, which you can find on sphericalcowconsulting.com now we’re going to be focusing on digital identity, but the ideas here apply to infrastructure more broadly because whether you’re designing a login flow, a wallet ecosystem, a cloud strategy kind of doesn’t matter. The resilience comes in from the ability to shift around and not just scale and get bigger. So let’s dive in. First, let’s start with a bit of a clarification, because centralized and decentralized can mean so many different things depending on what layer you’re talking about.

[00:01:33] In an identity system, centralization usually refers to who controls the source of truth and the rules of engagement.

[00:01:41] A centralized identity system might use a single corporate directory as the source of truth, where identities are managed, access policies are enforced, and decisions flow from one authority. Even if you’re using a third party provider like Okta or Microsoft Entra, the control is still centralized if it all stems from that single directory and policy framework. Now that’s different from decentralized identity systems, where the control is distributed, the user or device might hold their own credentials, and verification happens independently of any single governing authority. Trust is negotiated. It’s not inherited from a single source.

[00:02:20] Now to be clear, decentralized doesn’t mean there’s no structure. It just means that the structure allows multiple parties to operate with some level of autonomy. Now, in practice, most organizations sit somewhere in between. You might authenticate users through a central identity provider or idp, while also issuing credentials that work across external partners, vendors, or federations. And that hybrid space is where things get interesting and where smart architecture can give you room to maneuver as your environment changes. Okay, did that make sense? No. Let me try an analogy. When I was a kid, my father decided it would be hilarious to toss me a stack of plates. These were those old Corningware white and blue plates. And if you’re of a certain age and in the US I know you probably remember these. Now, me being me, I’m not about a to attempt to catch a pile of plates. And so I jumped back and the plates crashed to the ground. And I promise this is going somewhere relevant.

[00:03:16] Those plates didn’t just break. They shattered and continued to shatter for a good five minutes. You could hear the little crackles as things turned into small slivers of Corningware. A purely centralized technology is like a whole plate. A purely decentralized technology is a lot like slivers of plate. The best model is to have a plate that can survive being broken and yet still remain useful in one configuration, and that it won’t become an unmanageable pile of slivers so can be broken. Those broken pieces are still useful, but it doesn’t break down into just unrecognizable shattered bits. Okay, I digress. I suppose. So why does this matter? Because in an enterprise system, especially Identity, you’re always making decisions about control, or whether you call it that or not.

[00:04:04] Now, let’s say your organization uses a central IDP like Okta or Entra. You manage the directory or directory like object. You define the policies. But now you want to federate across to a partner organization or issue credentials that could be verified independently or meet new data residency rules in different jurisdictions. You’re not decentralizing for the fun of it. You’re decentralizing because your environment changed.

[00:04:29] And that’s where the friction begins. If your architecture assumes that everything will always route through one system, one policy engine, one source of truth, you’re going to have a problem.

[00:04:40] Now you might be thinking, why do I need to build systems that can shift between models? Isn’t that just overengineering for edge cases? You know, it’s a fair question. But here’s the thing. No one ever thinks they need that optionality until their primary model fails. The thing is, they don’t have to be fast. You know, the shift doesn’t have to be complete, but it does have to be possible. Because if the only direction your system can actually move is like in this one, one pattern, it’s not resilient, it’s actually brittle. Which gets me to that heart of the problem. You’re not choosing decentralization or centralization for its own sake. You’re design, you know, what you need to be doing is designing for the ability to shift control when the situation demands it, whether that’s technical, legal or organizational. Now, I’m not trying to tell a fear story here. I’m giving you a design challenge. Fear, uncertainty and doubt may, you know, maybe what you’re hearing, but for me it’s this challenging moment that’s a new take on the reality that I think we can do better with.

[00:05:39] So let’s talk about why most systems don’t feel flexible and why decentralization may sound good in theory but so often gets pushed aside in practice, especially in the enterprise. Well, I think the short answer is because centralization is easier to explain. It’s easier to build and it’s easier to control, at least at first. When you’re under pressure to ship a service, secure a system, or meet compliance requirements, centralization feels like such an obvious choice because it’s simplifying your procurement, it’s probably shortening your decision making and it’s giving you that one throat to choke when something goes wrong. And it’s not a failure, it’s just what happens when you don’t have time to design for flexibility.

[00:06:21] Now it’s kind of funny that you know when you’re thinking about it that way because most organizations already decentralized, at least to some some extent, they just don’t necessarily call it that.

[00:06:31] So if you’re, you know, in a big company, you might let different business units manage their own IAM policies.

[00:06:40] You might federate identity across subsidiaries or required companies.

[00:06:44] You might let contractors use their own credentials, tying them into your systems through some kind of federation like SAML or OpenID Connect. And that’s decentralization usually works reasonably well, though if it’s not done mindfully, it can be a little bit fragile, a little bit informal. And when that informal stuff breaks, then you’re kind of scrambling and you want to rebuild that central source of control because control feels good. Or, or worse, you might start doubling down on centralization in ways that creates serious lock in.

[00:07:17] Because once you’ve optimized for a single identity provider or a single trust model, or a single cloud region, you’ve made a bet as to what’s going to persevere in the long term. If your business changes or the legal environment shifts or the vendor gets acquired, you’re kind of stuck. And that’s not a failure of centralization, it’s a failure of being flexible.

[00:07:39] So what I want to talk about isn’t abandoning control. It’s designing a system that can be reconfigured without having to start all over again. And I don’t think that’s a fantasy. I think it’s a different set of design goals.

[00:07:51] So what does flexibility actually look like in real world identity systems? Okay, it’s not about throwing out everything centralized, and it’s definitely not about decentralizing just for the sake of doing it. It’s about designing with options. Right? You want to build a system that supports more than one model of control, more than one model of trust, and more than one path forward. For example, your internal directory can still be the system of record, but you can design APIs or token flows that let external verifiers validate credentials independently.

[00:08:26] You can use federated logins across business partners, but layer on policy controls that live with the relying party, not the issuer.

[00:08:34] You can store data in the cloud, but architect for multi region failover or multi cloud redundancy. So your compliance strategy isn’t tied to one jurisdiction.

[00:08:44] Again, the goal isn’t to decentralize everything. It’s to avoid systems where the only way to function is through one tightly coupled dependency.

[00:08:52] That kind of flexibility isn’t free. It does cost more to architect, and it takes more time for teams to align. And you’ll probably have to explain it repeatedly to leadership who wants to know why you’re not using the default centralized option?

[00:09:08] What you’re building in and the argument you can make is that you’re building room to maneuver. So when things shift, like when a vendor changes their roadmap or regulation forces your hand, you’re not stuck rewriting your entire stack. You’re shifting your control intentionally.

[00:09:23] So here’s the takeaway from all of this. Decentralization isn’t inherently better. Centralization isn’t inherently bad. What matters is whether your system is designed to adapt not just to today’s need, but to tomorrow’s constraints.

[00:09:37] Now, that might mean building systems that can federate when needed but still operate independently. Could mean designing identity flows that let you change providers without rewriting your policy framework.

[00:09:48] It could mean making architecture decisions that give you breathing room, not just efficiency, because you know your real resilience isn’t going to be about eliminating all risk. You can’t. But it is about having the room to shift across vendors, across trust models, across jurisdictions, without throwing everything out.

[00:10:05] Think of optionality as a feature, and flexibility is what is keeping your designs relevant when the world changes around it.

[00:10:14] So what now? The written post Engineering Meets Economics does dive a bit deeper into all of this if you want an idea of more about what I’m talking about. And also, since this is the first of a series of four posts where the series is heading, if you’re building identity systems, managing user access, or just trying to future proof your architecture, remember this isn’t about choosing a side. You know, for the people who are passionate about decentralization or centralization. It’s about building the flexibility to respond to change.

[00:10:45] So thank you for listening. You can find the written post in the rest of the series as

Spherical Cow Consulting over the next few weeks, and I’d love to hear what you think.

[00:10:57] And that’s it for this week’s episode of the Digital Identity Digest. If it helps make things a little clearer, or at least a little more interesting, share it with a friend or colleague and connect with me on LinkedIn @hlflanagan. And if you enjoy the show, do be sure to subscribe and leave me a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also find the written full post@sphericalcowconsulting.com now stay curious, stay engaged, and let’s get these conversations going.

The post Engineering Meets Economics: Shifting, Not Choosing, Between Centralized and Decentralized appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

In deze aflevering van de Data Sharing Podcast kijken we vooruit: hoe ziet data delen eruit in 2030? Host Caressa Kuk spreekt met Ockto’s Gert Vasse en Gert-Jan van Dijke over de impact van nieuwe wetgeving, de rol van wallets en de vragen die dit oproept bij organisaties die werken met persoonsgegevens.

As a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer, maintaining robust Know Your Customer (KYC), Know Your Business (KYB), and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) workflows is essential to comply with regulatory requirements and safeguard your firm against financial crimes.

Below is a checklist to help ensure your compliance programs align with FINRA rules:

1. Know Your Customer (KYC) Customer Identification Program (CIP): Collect and verify essential customer information: Full name Date of birth Address Identification number Maintain records of the identification information and verification methods used. Customer Due Diligence (CDD): Understand the nature and purpose of customer relationships to develop a risk profile. Conduct ongoing monitoring to identify and report suspicious activities. Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD): Apply additional scrutiny to high-risk customers, such as politically exposed persons (PEPs) or those from high-risk jurisdictions. Gather information on the source of funds and wealth.

Relevant FINRA Rule:

FINRA Rule 2090 – Know Your Customer: Requires firms to use reasonable diligence to know and retain essential facts concerning every customer. FINRA 2. Know Your Business (KYB) Business Entity Verification: Verify the legal status and ownership structure of corporate clients. Identify and verify beneficial owners with a 25% or more ownership stake. Risk Assessment: Assess the nature of the business, its products, services, and customer base to determine risk levels. Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously monitor business accounts for unusual or suspicious activities.

Relevant FINRA Guidance:

While FINRA does not have a specific rule titled “KYB,” the principles of customer due diligence and AML compliance extend to business entities. 3. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance Written AML Program: Develop and implement a written AML program approved by senior management. Ensure the program is reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and its implementing regulations. Independent Testing: Conduct independent testing of the AML program at least annually to assess its effectiveness. Designated AML Compliance Officer: Appoint a qualified individual responsible for overseeing AML compliance. Ongoing Training: Provide ongoing training for appropriate personnel to ensure awareness of AML responsibilities. Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR): Establish procedures for detecting and reporting suspicious transactions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Relevant FINRA Rule:

FINRA Rule 3310 – Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program: Sets forth minimum standards for AML compliance programs, including the requirements mentioned above. FINRA Additional Considerations Recordkeeping: Maintain comprehensive records of all customer information, transaction reports, and compliance efforts as required by FINRA and the BSA. Risk-Based Approach: Implement a risk-based approach to AML compliance, allocating resources commensurate with the level of risk identified. Regulatory Updates: Stay informed about updates to FINRA rules and federal regulations to ensure ongoing compliance.

By adhering to this checklist and the associated FINRA rules, your firm can establish robust KYC, KYB, and AML workflows that not only comply with regulatory requirements but also protect against financial crimes and enhance overall operational integrity.

Banks have the vision for AI: real-time personalization, seamless fraud prevention, smarter decisions. What’s missing? A trusted, unified identity layer and the infrastructure to support it.

This is part of our series on Agentic AI and verifiable credentials. Take a look at parts one and two where we provide an overview about the intersection between these two groundbreaking technologies. 

By Helen Garneau

Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly moving beyond buzzword status in financial services to a business imperative and for good reason. The ability to “reason” autonomously makes it a much more powerful problem-solving technology than traditional AI, and this elevates its capacity to transform customer engagement. For an industry known for cautious, incremental change, this kind of intelligent autonomy represents one of the most profound shifts in decades.

But this transformation isn’t just about your bank upgrading its tech stack. It’s a new, bold redesign around the customer’s needs, and combining the data, and the infrastructure needed to support that ambition.

That’s the perspective of i2c CEO Amir Wain. In a recent conversation with PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster, Wain laid out the critical components needed for a successful agentic AI strategy. His central message? The tools are ready; the institutions aren’t.

What’s holding back financial services from adopting AI?

According to Wain, financial institutions have been exploring AI for years, which has led to mature use cases like fraud detection, product recommendations, and back-office automation. But the real breakthrough, he argues, lies in automating entire decision workflows—particularly in fraud response, where AI doesn’t just detect anomalies, but acts on them in real time.

What’s holding this potential back isn’t a lack of innovation, it’s outdated infrastructure. Most banks still operate with fragmented systems: each product line in its own silo, each customer interaction governed by a different identity framework. Data remains locked in legacy environments, making real-time access difficult and integration across services nearly impossible.

Without a single, dynamic view of the customer—spanning loans, credit, deposits, and more—AI systems are left piecing together partial information, making assumptions based on incomplete or inconsistent data. Agentic AI demands the opposite: vast, contextual, high-quality information to operate autonomously and intelligently.

Wain’s message is clear: to unlock the full power of agentic AI, institutions must design around the idea of “one unified customer.” That means eliminating redundant onboarding, unifying data across touchpoints, and embedding trusted identity into every interaction. 

“If I still want to interact the same way that I did,” he said, “then I’m really not maximizing the capabilities of agentic AI.”

The missing link: Verifiable Credentials

What’s missing from this new, seamless financial world is identity: the customer’s, the AI agent’s. As we noted in a previous article in this series, for the dream of agentic AI to work, it has to navigate the challenges of privacy and security and their combined existential threat to the customer (or from regulators).

This is why a unified view of the customer can only begin with a trusted, verifiable identity using a single, reusable credential that can authenticate a person securely across systems, services, and product lines. 

In Wain’s ideal model, an AI system can seamlessly cross-reference data across accounts, evaluate risk in real time, and generate personalized offers, without forcing the customer through a maze of redundant verification steps.

This level of intelligent automation is only possible when identity and access permissions are embedded directly into the workflow—andthat’s exactly what Verifiable Credentials provide.

Verifiable Credentials act as a force multiplier for financial services, supplying a reliable identity foundation that enables intelligent, automated decision-making from seamless, secure authentication and permissioned data access. 

With this infrastructure in place, financial institutions can finally move beyond siloed data and fragmented processes toward something radically better: a self-sovereign, permissioned identity layer. This enables real-time personalization, proactive risk assessment, and seamless fraud prevention—all without compromising privacy or compliance.

A reusable, portable digital credential allows AI systems to instantly understand who the customer is, what permissions they’ve granted, and which data can be used—all in real time.

The result? Concierge-level service at scale: dynamic credit decisions, proactive support, and personalized offers—not just for high-net-worth clients, but for everyone. Because agentic AI doesn’t pause—and with the right trust layer, it doesn’t guess.

The time to build is now

Wain’s message was clear: the organizations that win with agentic AI will be the ones with strong leadership, modern infrastructure, and real-time data access. And that includes verifiable identity. 

“People see the power of AI,” Wain said. “And they’re willing to pay for it.”

To seize this opportunity, financial services must act decisively:

Architect for customer-centricity Modernize data systems Embed verifiable credentials and identity workflows And embrace agentic AI as a core capability—not a bolt-on feature

Indicio Proven makes this real. Built on open standards for Verifiable Credentials and decentralized identity, Proven allows financial institutions to issue, verify, and use trusted digital credentials across their entire ecosystem.

Whether it’s a KYC-verified identity, income proof, or transaction history, Proven transforms sensitive data into cryptographically secure, privacy-preserving credentials—ready for use in any agentic AI interaction.

Don’t retrofit AI into broken systems. Re-architect for intelligence, trust, and scale. Build with Indicio Proven—and create the future of customer-centric financial services.

 

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

The post Reshaping Financial Services with Agentic AI: A customer-centric revolution, powered by Verifiable Credentials appeared first on Indicio.

 

GN HEARTLAND

How many crypto millionaires has $TRUMP.X ( ▲ 16.25%) minted? Exactly 58, according to a Chainalysis study. Meanwhile, 764,000 have lost money on the coin. You know what they. 1 out of 13,172 ain’t bad.

— playhaus

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+1.57%

$149.09

Helium ($HNT)

-4.45%

$3.77

Pyth ($PYTH)

-11.12%

$0.14

Raydium ($RAY)

-14.87%

$2.44

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 5.6.25)

Are We Ready For Regulatory Clarity? 

The one-time bipartisan GENIUS stablecoin legislation is losing support in Congress. Democrats are pulling back amid rumors President Trump and the crypto project most publicly tied to him, the World Liberty Financial, stand to benefit from the legalization of stablecoin products in the U.S. to the tune of $2B.

This is on top of Trump raking in millions from his memecoin and leveraging it as a community reward system that allows presidential executive access via investment in this decentralized project. Something Mike Dudas, one of the leading VCs in the space, knows is not in the best direction of the industry.

We need clarity of AI regulation for the industry to mature, and for more traditional financial institutions to normalize digital assets as products fit for retail consumption. But the Bitcoin $BTC.X ( ▲ 5.33% ) and Ethereum $ETH.X ( ▲ 21.12% ) ETFs that have been approved to date feel less like a step in the right direction, and more like a way to pass future losses onto those ignorant of how digital assets actually work. 

It’s clear that those responsible for regulatory clarity are ill equipped to do so. Washington continues to demonstrate an inability to manage legislative policy around other internet infrastructure that benefit from cryptography and distributed data systems in the digital media and advertising spaces, and/or come into contact with data ownership and consumer privacy.

Surveillance Capitalism demonstrates how the data contextualizing consumer transactions is of equal or greater importance to the systems’ forecasting capabilities — meaning the data ownership, security, and privacy of this related transaction data needs access to the same technology systems that legislators are trying to regulate under the context of consumer financial protections.

My largest concern is that by federally legalizing stablecoins, in their current know-your-customer (KYC) systems, we will essentially create a decentralized version of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). In other words, existing KYC directives would be effectively centralized under federal control, which could easily domino into a digital identity system. My belief is that KYC should be managed by community banks, which offer protection and anonymity to their customers as a service. An evolution for community banks, to become more like a Geek Squad for digital assets.

It’s of course more nuanced than that. But TL;DR: I believe by decentralizing the KYC process and providers, and leveraging local communities to do so, we can persevere access to the anonymous systems that are foundational to this crypto punk movement, while ensuring the mechanisms for free speech which are evermore critical to protect in the surveillance age.

— El Prof

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  TOKEN2049 Recap

In last week’s edition of our newsletter, we talked about the surge of innovation and optimism the web3 world is experiencing. Evidence of that is the recent TOKEN2049 conference in Dubai, dubbed “The World’s Largest Crypto Event,” which drew over 15,000 attendees, signaling a new era for decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain technologies alike.

ICYMI, Bitcoin is slowing clawing back its post-Liberation Day losses, most recently breaching $97,000, reflecting growing institutional interest and the maturation of the crypto ecosystem. Major financial players like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs are increasingly engaging with digital assets, while regulatory frameworks are becoming more defined, particularly in crypto-friendly jurisdictions like the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Case in point: Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, announced a $2 billion investment from Abu Dhabi’s MGX, strengthening its ties with the UAE and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global crypto hub. Elsewhere, Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, launched crypto trading services through its digital platform Liv, further integrating digital assets into mainstream finance.

The conference also highlighted the evolving regulatory landscape. While the U.S.’s approach to regulation is so 1984, the UAE is looking toward the future. Its Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has been instrumental in establishing clear guidelines for crypto firms, contributing to the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s “gray list.” This regulatory clarity has attracted numerous crypto companies to set up operations in Dubai, fostering an environment conducive to innovation and growth.

Moreover, the event underscored the increasing convergence of politics and crypto. Eric Trump, representing the Trump Organization, announced plans for a new real estate development in Dubai where apartments can be purchased with Bitcoin, symbolizing the integration of digital assets into tangible assets. This move reflects a broader trend of tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs), bridging the gap between the digital and physical economies.

Despite the celebratory atmosphere, challenges remain. Stablecoins, while gaining traction, still face hurdles in widespread adoption due to regulatory uncertainties and technical complexities. Nevertheless, initiatives like Circle’s new stablecoin orchestration layer aim to streamline cross-border transactions, making crypto more accessible and practical for everyday use.

Ultimately, TOKEN2049 Dubai showcased the dynamic evolution of the web3 landscape, marked by significant investments, regulatory advancements, and the fusion of digital and traditional assets. As the lines between DeFi and TradFi continue to blur, the foundations are being laid for a more inclusive and efficient financial system.

— Muhammed

The post 50 – So 1984 appeared first on playhaus TV.

London, UK — cheqd, a decentralized payment and trust infrastructure provider, has entered into a strategic partnership with Anonyome Labs, a pioneer in consumer privacy, cyber safety, and digital identity. By integrating cheqd’s decentralized identity and on-chain payment capabilities with Anonyome Labs’ Verifiable Credentials offering, the partnership establishes a trusted, scalable foundation for issuing, verifying, and monetizing digital credentials. The combined solution is built to streamline onboarding, reduce fraud, and enhance privacy across sectors including education, finance, healthcare, insurance, and more.

Next-Generation Identity Infrastructure

The partnership brings together cheqd’s decentralized identity stack with Anonyome Labs’ Verifiable Credentials offerings to streamline identity verification, combat fraud, and protect personal information. The integrated solution enables individuals and organizations to receive credentials through personal or enterprise wallets and share them securely and privately with any relying party. By placing control in the hands of users, the partnership enables privacy-first interactions while helping organizations reduce operational friction and meet compliance requirements, ultimately improving customer experiences and reducing fraud.

“cheqd’s on-chain payment rails further enhance the value of Anonyome Labs’ Verifiable Credential offerings by unlocking      new revenue models for credential issuers. For the first time, organizations can generate direct value for their role in the digital identity ecosystem by charging for credentials they issue.” said JD Mumford, Anonyome Labs CEO.

“The future of digital identity must be commercially sustainable to thrive. By introducing monetisation models for credential issuers, we’re proving that privacy and profit can go hand-in-hand. This partnership is a major step towards that future. Moreover, developers no longer have to choose between privacy and functionality. ” said Fraser Edwards, Co-founder and CEO of cheqd.

Developer-First Approach to Digital Identity Integration

The joint solution also supports seamless integration for developers and enterprises. Anonyome Labs’ SDKs, APIs, and white-label apps make it easy to build and deploy digital identity features – from mobile wallets to credential services. With cheqd’s infrastructure embedded, organizations can rapidly deliver user-centric identity experiences that are secure, scalable, and monetizable from day one.

About Anonyome Labs

Anonyome Labs, believes that people should have the freedom to choose what data they share, with whom, and when. Their purpose is to restore control over personal data, both online and offline. Anonyome Labs creates consumer privacy apps and identity protection solutions that empower end-users to safeguard and manage their personal information. MySudo, their all-in-one privacy app, empowers users to protect their personal information by creating separate Sudo digital identities for calls, texts, emails, browsing, and payments—ensuring complete privacy of their personal data.

Anonyome Labs’ suite of robust, market-ready software products have been deployed by leading brands, across diverse industries worldwide. Additionally, by offering developer-ready SDKs and APIs, they enable the seamless integration of decentralized identity capabilities for wallets, issuers, and verifiers. This supports the global shift towards decentralized and user-centric digital identity management, empowering organizations to adopt secure, scalable, and future-proof solutions.

About cheqd

cheqd is the trust and payment infrastructure to enable the creation of personalised AI, eID, digital credential businesses, and trust ecosystems. It provides privacy-preserving payments for data to incentivise its release from data silos, enabling previously impossible data combinations and unlocking new user experiences and personalised AI.

It provides bespoke network offerings and supports multiple credential formats to underpin identity frameworks such as eIDAS 2.0 in Europe, and beyond. Its industry-leading Trust Registries allow ecosystems to gate and govern themselves, creating permissioned, permeable, or permissionless trusted data ecosystems and trusted verified AI agents.

The post cheqd and Anonyome Labs Partner to Transform Digital Identity  appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

The Federal Reserve Board has become the latest banking regulator to ease restrictions on crypto engagement. On April 24, 2025, it announcedwithdrawal of its previous guidance related to crypto assets and dollar token activities.

The post Mythics, LLC Accelerates Growth Strategy with Strategic Acquisition of SpearMC, Expanding Oracle Cloud & PeopleSoft Expertise appeared first on Mythics.

🕹️ 🤝 Partnership Highlight

Safle is teaming up with Innoteg and 342 Games fusing our seamless identity infrastructure with next-gen game publishing.

Together, we aim to unlock:

Cross-chain access Community-first growth Token-powered gaming experiences 🤝 📣 Marketing Highlights

X (Twitter) Engagement:

We captured the gaming community’s imagination with a bold narrative:

“What if your gamer ID wasn’t tied to one wallet, or one chain? What if it was a passport to everything?” 🌍

This message continues to position Safle’s Unified ID as the future of Web3 gaming identity.

IRL Brand Presence:

Safle is live at Token2049 Dubai, building relationships and strengthening our position in the global blockchain ecosystem.

LinkedIn Momentum:

📈 Search Appearances: 332 (boost in discoverability) 👁️ Post Impressions: 229 (increased content visibility) 🚀 Growing page visits and followers as part of our revamped content strategy.

🎓 KYC (Know Your Crypto) Series:

Continued simplifying blockchain for our community with fun and digestible educational content.

🕹️ Gaming Spotlight Ronin (RON):

Featured the Layer 1 chain built for gaming, highlighting its role in powering the Web3 play ecosystem. 🛠 Product Updates

Embedded Wallets & Unified ID Integration:

We’re moving steadily toward our goal of redefining wallet experiences for gamers and dApp users:

✅ UI Bug Fixes: Minor bugs have been resolved to ensure a smoother user journey. 🆔 Unified ID Integrated: The revolutionary Unified ID is now connected to our embedded wallets.

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

The Safle Team

🚀 More updates coming soon!

While traditionally viewed as less exposed than banks, insurance companies, particularly those offering life insurance, annuities, and investment-linked products, have increasingly found themselves under scrutiny from regulators.

The post AML Guidelines for Insurance Companies first appeared on ComplyCube.

With 77% of financial institutions now recognizing a compelling business case for digital assets, forward-thinking Payment Service Providers (PSPs) have an opportunity to improve their offerings by introducing crypto payment rails. The advantages of doing so are increasingly tangible: reduced transaction costs, streamlined operations, and improved capital efficiency.

The European Union just dropped a regulatory bombshell: by 2027, anonymous crypto accounts and privacy coins like Monero, Zcash, and Dash will be banned under sweeping new anti-money laundering rules.

The debate around crypto regulation has officially shifted. The question is no longer if crypto will comply with traditional financial regulations — it’s whether there will be any space left for privacy at all. And if not, what exactly are we building?

The Regulatory Reality

Starting July 2027, EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Regulation will:

Ban any cryptocurrency designed to provide transaction anonymity Require full KYC for all users of crypto platforms Mandate identity verification for transactions over €1,000 Create a new authority (AMLA) to enforce these standards

This represents the most aggressive regulatory stance against privacy in crypto to date, effectively erasing the anonymity that was once fundamental to the crypto ethos.

The Philosophical Dilemma

If blockchain technology becomes merely a more efficient version of our existing financial system — with the same surveillance, the same identity requirements, and the same centralized oversight — have we lost the plot?

Crypto was born as a response to the 2008 financial crisis, offering an alternative to centralized banking. Now, as it’s forced to mirror those same systems, we must ask: what value does it still offer?

The Privacy Paradox

The tension between regulation and privacy reveals a fundamental paradox: financial systems require trust, yet the original promise of crypto was to eliminate the need for trust through code. When we reintroduce centralized trust requirements via regulation, we fundamentally alter the value proposition.

Consider what’s lost when privacy disappears:

Financial sovereignty — The ability to control your assets without surveillance Protection from discrimination — Prevention of selective financial exclusion based on patterns of spending Business confidentiality — Companies’ ability to keep competitive financial strategies private Personal security — Protection from targeting based on visible wealth

The irony is striking: in the name of security and consumer protection, we may be creating systems more vulnerable to both governmental overreach and targeted attacks.

Beyond Compliance: Technical Responses

The crypto industry now faces a crossroads. Several approaches are emerging:

1. Compliance-Forward Architectures

Some platforms are embracing full regulatory compliance, building KYC/AML directly into protocol layers. This “surveillance-by-design” approach prioritizes regulatory acceptance over privacy.

2. Boundary-Layer Solutions

Others are developing systems where privacy exists conditionally — allowing private transactions within regulatory boundaries while enabling compliance at critical junctures. Zero-knowledge proofs offer possibilities for selective disclosure without complete transparency.

3. Jurisdictional Arbitrage

We’re likely to see geography-based fragmentation, with privacy coins and anonymous protocols flourishing outside the EU while compliant systems dominate within regulated territories.

4. Decentralized Identity

Perhaps most promising are approaches that separate identification from surveillance, allowing for regulatory compliance without wholesale privacy sacrifice through selective disclosure mechanisms.

The New North Star

As the industry adapts to this regulatory reality, perhaps we need a new guiding principle — one that recognizes both the necessity of some regulation and the fundamental human right to privacy.

The most innovative projects won’t be those that simply evade regulation nor those that surrender completely to surveillance capitalism. They’ll be the ones that thread the needle, finding technical and governance approaches that satisfy regulatory requirements while preserving the core value of individual financial autonomy.

Because if crypto becomes indistinguishable from the banking system it sought to reform — just with better technology — then we’ve built nothing revolutionary at all. We’ve merely digitized the status quo.

About Shyft Network

Shyft Network powers trust on the blockchain and economies of trust. It is a public protocol designed to drive data discoverability and compliance into blockchain while preserving privacy and sovereignty. SHFT is its native token and fuel of the network.

Shyft Network facilitates the transfer of verifiable data between centralized and decentralized ecosystems. It sets the highest crypto compliance standard and provides the only frictionless Crypto Travel Rule compliance solution while protecting user data.

Visit our website to read more, and follow us on X (Formerly Twitter), GitHub, LinkedIn, Telegram, Medium, and YouTube. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up-to-date on all things privacy and compliance.

The Death of Privacy in Crypto: EU’s 2027 Ban Raises Existential Questions was originally published in Shyft Network on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Maintaining the integrity of operations and minimizing risk is crucial within the insurance sector. Insurance companies must protect themselves and their clients from fraud and money laundering through KYC and AML measures.

The post What is KYC in Insurance? first appeared on ComplyCube.

A web browser is one of the most essential apps on your phone, helping you explore the internet, access your favorite websites, and even enjoy web browser games. But what is a web browser exactly, and how do you open one on your phone? In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, from understanding web browsers to step-by-step instructions on how to open one on both Android and iPhone.

Learn more: Why Should You Use an Ad-Blocking Browser? Top Best Choices Today

What is a Web Browser on Phones?

A web browser on your phone is an app that allows you to access websites and search for content online. Common browsers include Safari, Chrome, and others like Herond, Opera, and Firefox that offer features such as enhanced privacy and ad-blocking. Whether you’re browsing news, checking emails, or playing web browser games, a good web browser ensures smooth and secure navigation.

Learn more: Exploring Web3 Browsers: Secure Ways to Access the Decentralized Web

Top Safe and Ad-blocking Web Browsers for Your Phones

If you’re looking for a web browser that enhances your browsing experience with security and ad-blocking features, here are some great options:

Herond Browser

Herond offers a fast, secure, and smooth browsing experience. It’s equipped with an advanced ad-blocker that stops intrusive ads, while also protecting your privacy with tools like Herond Shield and encryption. Whether you’re browsing for information or enjoying web browser games, Herond ensures you’re browsing safely without distractions.

Opera Browser

Opera is a versatile browser that integrates a built-in VPN, ensuring your online activity remains secure. Along with ad-blocking capabilities, Opera optimizes your browsing experience by saving data and speeding up page load times. If you often browse on public networks, Opera’s VPN adds an extra layer of protection for your privacy.

Firefox Browser

Known for its focus on privacy, Firefox provides tools to block ads and trackers while offering extensive customization options. It’s perfect for users who value control over their browsing experience. Firefox’s strong security features ensure you stay protected while surfing the web.

Learn more: Browser-Based Wallets: Quick and Easy Access to Your Crypto

How to Open a Web Browser on Your Android Phone

Opening a web browser on your Android phone is a simple process. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Unlock Your Phone

Unlock your phone using your PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition to get started.

Step 2: Find the Browser Icon

Look for the browser app on your home screen or in the app drawer. If you’re using Chrome, you’ll see its distinct colored circle. Other browsers like Opera or Firefox will have their unique logos.

Step 3: Open the Browser App

Tap the browser icon to launch it. You’ll be taken to a blank tab or your home page, depending on your settings.

Step 4: Enter a Website URL or Search Term

Use the address bar to type in a website URL or a search term. You can also use voice search if your browser supports it.

Step 5: Navigate and Use Other Features

Scroll, swipe, and interact with the webpage. To open a new tab, tap the tab icon and choose “New Tab.” Switch between open tabs easily and manage them as needed.

How to Open a Web Browser on Your iPhone

On iPhones, the default browser is Safari, but the steps to open it are just as simple:

Step 1: Find the Safari Browser Icon

The Safari icon can be found on your home screen, marked by a compass.

Step 2: Open Safari

Tap the Safari icon to launch the browser.

Step 3: Enter a URL or Search Term

Use the address bar at the top to enter a URL or search term. You can also search directly via voice command if enabled.

Step 4: Open New Tabs and Manage Them

To open a new tab, tap the tab icon at the bottom right, then select the “+” sign. To switch tabs, simply tap the one you want to view, and close a tab by hitting the “x.”

Conclusion

Opening a web browser on your phone is easy once you know the steps. Whether you prefer Herond, Opera, Firefox, there’s a browser out there that suits your needs – whether you’re looking for privacy, speed, or an ad-free experience. By following these simple steps, you can enjoy a seamless browsing experience and start accessing your favorite websites, playing web browser games, and more in no time.

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 Guide to Opening a Web Browser on Your Phone appeared first on Herond Blog.

Anonyome Labs is searching for partners to help us promote safe use of the internet and support at-risk people who have a specific need for privacy and security in their life.

We’re inviting interested organizations to sign up as advocates of our Sudo Safe initiative and help us spread the word about a reliable way at-risk people can interact with others without giving away their phone number, email address, and other personal details.

Sudo Safe Advocates would help us share the important message about safe communication and offer their employees or members a 60-day free trial* of MySudo all-in-one privacy app which gives users real, alternative phone numbers and email addresses (and more) to use instead of their own.

In today’s highly connected world, we are all asked to share our phone and email everywhere we go online and in real life. But a person’s phone number and email are easy access points for a potential stalker or attacker.

A stalker or attacker can use those personal details to contact their victim directly, send them threatening texts, hack their email and socials, and use other tech to track their movements, for example.

Using a separate phone and email is a useful safety strategy. MySudo allows users to manage up to 9 separate phone numbers and email addresses to use for their personal privacy and safety.

The phone and email are built into Sudos, secure digital identities that can be set up for specific purposes and deleted or muted at any time to cut off tech access to any person who has the Sudo details.

What’s more, each Sudo has the option for a virtual card to use instead of a personal credit or debit card. Card charges appear only as ‘MySudo Transaction’ on the user’s bank statement.  

Finally, each Sudo’s private browser allows the user to search the internet ad and tracker free, help to break the user’s data trail and make it more difficult to correlate their movements online.

A Sudo Safe Advocate could be any organization that works with survivors or those at risk of harassment, violence and abuse, or any organization that strives to help protect the personal safety of its employees or members, such as universities and colleges, hospitals and health care agencies, and government agencies.

To join the Sudo Safe Advocates program or find out more, head to this link. Once there, simply complete the short online form and we will send you our digital safe communication toolkit plus the promo code for the 60-day free trial* of MySudo to share with your employees or members.

If your organization is interested in discussing other ways to partner with Anonyome Labs’ Sudo Safe initiative, please email us at sudosafe@anonyome.com and we’ll reach out to you.

Anonyome Labs empowers people to be able to determine what information they share, and how, when and with whom they share it. We provide survivors and those at risk of harassment, violence and abuse with real and effective tools for protecting their name, email, phone number and more. Talk to us today about how we can work together.

Anonyome Labs is also a proud partner of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, a global working group uniting advocacy groups, software developers, security firms, victims and survivors in the fight to protect consumers against stalkerware and to eliminate abusive technology and software.

*Each advocate receives a promo code to offers its employees or members a 60-day free trial of the MySudo SudoPro plan.

The post Join us in protecting the privacy of at-risk people appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

The UK is aiming to join the growing number of nations introducing forms of digital identity that, if done right, could empower citizens to protect their privacy like never before.

In 2023, the British government released a Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DITF) that provided a set of rules and standards designed to establish trust in any future digital identity-based initiatives in an effort to boost the country’s $150 billion digital economy. The idea: enable smoother, more secure online transactions and align more closely to the secure route taken by much of Europe when it comes to digital identity.

What Exactly Is Digital Identity?

Identity verification and proofing are essential to functioning societies. It enables individuals to prove their identity to take out loans, make purchases, receive entitlements, access services, manage finances, and more. Verifying that identity in digital channels has been tougher, accomplished mainly through usernames, passwords, and rudimentary forms of multifactor authentication. Thanks to never-ending phishing scams and data breaches, the result has been a $10.5 trillion-a-year global cybercrime economy.

New forms of digital identity are generally validated digital attributes and credentials designed primarily, but not exclusively, for the digital world that are verified by cross-referenced government-issued physical world credentials. Birth credentials, driver’s license, passports—those kinds of things. They also increasingly include biometric information, like a fingerprint or face scan.

For national identification purposes, digital identity can be connected to, and even contained in, biometric-enabled ID cards, though a growing number of countries, including Singapore, India, Estonia, Sweden and Spain, are also launching mobile apps and digital wallets for keeping this and other credentials for accessing medical care, educational services, and other information that may be used for interactions and information exchange between government, universities, banks and lenders, employers, and businesses.

Benefits include convenience—citizens don’t need to manage multiple usernames and passwords for different services or transactions. Instead, they grant permission to banks, health care providers, government agencies, and businesses to retrieve personal information to simplify account enrollment and verification. In the UK’s case, it’s estimated that digital identity can generate an additional $800 million to the UK economy every year. But there are more than a few challenges ahead.

Identity Proof Is in the Pudding

According to the 2025 Cyber Security Breaches Survey from the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyberattack or breach in the past year. That’s actually down from recent years, thanks to heightened cybersecurity—but still quite troubling. Phishing played a role in 85% of the successful breaches or attacks. The financial impact of successful breaches is significant—an average of $4.5 million per incident, before any lawsuits or regulatory fines. When personal information is breached, it can take years to rebuild public trust.

Provisions in the Digital Information and Smart Data Bill introduced in 2024 are designed to address data privacy concerns. This includes specially-certified third-party digital identity services that follow strict government guidelines for helping people set up digital identities while “reducing costs, time, and data leakage.” It also includes attribute providers that share attributes—specific elements of an individual’s full identity—with organizations or individuals needing to verify identity, but only with the individual’s consent. The official list of such services was launched on April 16. For the record, it’s also worth pointing out that the government ruled out a mandatory digital identity.

The government has also announced the introduction of a Gov.uk digital wallet. This mobile app gives users the ability to store and manage their identity information, and is expected to drive significant growth in adoption of digital identity among UK residents. Portugal, Singapore, Thailand, India, and other nations are seeing tremendous uptake of digital identity through such apps. And Juniper Research estimates that 6.9 million people will adopt the app this year, climbing to 25.5 million by 2029.

But there are reasons to believe this is overly optimistic. Surveys have shown that more than 40% of people have “little to no trust” in the government managing their personal information through such systems. They trust businesses even less.

What Kind of Digital Identity Makes All the Difference

For digital identity systems to work, individuals must control who has access to their data. These systems must also lower barriers to participation. In the UK, 8% of the population doesn’t have even traditional forms of identification. Voting, driving, working, borrowing, and even commerce can be difficult without an ID.

Digital identity can change that. It can also reduce bias by enabling only pertinent information to be used, so that personal data vulnerable to discrimination doesn’t come into play. These systems can also reduce fraud by cryptographically protecting and locking with specific multifactor authentication methods.

The UK’s digital identity initiative is a significant step in the right direction. But it might also be a sign of the post-Brexit world we live in that, as Forbes points out, the UK is pursuing a different strategy for digital identity than the European Union. And that may matter in a couple of significant ways.

Under EU law, users remain in control of the digital credentials in their wallets to ensure that they can decide what information they share and with whom, and they can use verifiable credentials to prove certain attributes without revealing their personal data at all. A standardized digital identity solution is used via wallets across all member states under the EU’s Electronic Identification, Authentication, and Trust (EIDAS) regulations. Governance oversight is maintained by public sector institutions in each member state.

Under the UK strategy, attribute service providers give users the ability to share just the information they want with specific organizations or individuals needing to verify identity. This includes combining, say, identity information with birthdate information to verify an individual is old enough to enter a bar or example. But approved private sector providers centrally store and govern digital identity information under the DITF guidelines. As a practical matter, the utility of digital identities is also limited because of its lack of interoperability with EU systems.

In other words, citizens must use digital identity managed by a private sector it trusts less than the government and won’t be able to even use it with the organizations with which millions transact and interact each day. But there are steps the UK can take to mitigate these issues.

Building an Infrastructure of Trust: What Should Come Next

Yes, moving toward EIDAS standards could significantly improve the UK’s ability to conduct business with its neighbors in the EU. But either way, following some of the steps the EU is taking in distributed ledger-based identity systems can benefit the utility and adoption of digital identity no matter the framework the UK employs.

Both frameworks make use of digital wallets. And both frameworks grant users a measure of control over with whom their personal information is shared. But several EU countries are ahead of the curve in moving toward far more decentralized forms of identity that give users even more control over personal data—while dramatically reducing the chances of it getting hacked.

With distributed ledger-based systems, users are authenticated without requiring personal data to be stored centrally on servers belonging to public or private organizations such as the UK’s attribute service providers, where it can be hacked, ransomed, or otherwise exploited to commit fraud. Instead, individual users maintain full ownership and control of their digital identities without relying on a third party at all. They control what information they share, for what purpose, and for how long.

Germany, Italy, Estonia, and Poland have pilots in place for this kind of system as part of EIDAS 2, an ambitious update to the original EIDAS framework. There’s no reason the UK couldn’t embrace its own flavor of this kind of “self-sovereign identity.”

Even within its current framework, digital identity wallets should also comply with NIST-, FIDO2-, and ISO/IEC biometrics-based standards that leverage liveness tests capable of defeating virtually any attempt at identity spoofing or unauthorized access to accounts in a process that’s nearly effortless for users. The architecture for this kind of functional, practical digital identity is available today. In fact, it’s baked into the solution we offer at 1Kosmos. In light of distrust in government and business stemming from non-stop threats to personal data and privacy, it’s the kind of digital identity anyone would welcome.

Interested in digital identity-based authentication but aren’t sure where to start? Learn more about 1Kosmos, the only NIST 800-63-3, FIDO2-, and ISO/IEC 30107-1, and ISO/IEC 30107-3 biometrics-certified digital identity platform—and schedule a free demo today.

The post Digital Identity Spotlight: The UK appeared first on 1Kosmos.

Modern research is global, cross-disciplinary, and complex. Teams need more than storage — they need secure, compliant, intelligent collaboration tools. That’s why they choose myLaminin.

Verify mobile driver’s licenses securely with Auth0’s new API—real-time, privacy-first identity checks made easy.

A strong Know Your Customer Process is vital, especially in the digital age where money laundering and financial crimes are rife. But what exactly is KYC, and how can firms remain ahead of regulations while meeting customer needs?

The post Mastering the Know Your Customer Process first appeared on ComplyCube.

The world is waking up to a new digital frontier: AI agents are no longer science fiction but a rapidly emerging force in commerce and enterprise infrastructure. Recent moves from Visa and Mastercard have opened the floodgates for intelligent agents to participate in real-world economic activities. These agents will browse the web and buy, book, negotiate, and interact on behalf of users or organizations.

Visa’s launch of “Visa Intelligent Commerce” and Mastercard’s rollout of “Agent Pay” mark a pivotal moment. AI agents are being handed the keys to payment networks — tokenized credentials, real-time transaction controls, and even spend-data-based personalization are now being integrated at the heart of legacy finance systems. These centralized moves, while powerful, only scratch the surface of what’s possible.

Through Visa and Mastercard’s AI commerce initiatives, we can clearly see not only the growing importance of AI agents in real-world systems but also the critical need for robust verification measures at every step of the process. From tokenized identities to real-time transaction monitoring, today’s standards will define how trust is built in autonomous systems.

The Centralized Push: Making AI Agents Real

Visa is working with OpenAI, Anthropic, IBM, Microsoft, and Stripe to scale AI commerce securely. Mastercard is embedding payments into AI-powered conversational flows. Both companies are enabling AI agents to:

Transact via tokenized, AI-ready digital cards Act within customizable user permissions Leverage spend data (with consent) for personalization Dispute and resolve transactions in real-time

This represents a significant step forward. The financial system has historically been too rigid to allow fully autonomous software agents. Now, we’re beginning to see what happens when that friction is reduced.

A Glimpse of What’s Possible

While these systems operate within a permissioned framework today, their experimentation sets a powerful precedent. If Visa and Mastercard’s approach successfully brings AI agents to the mainstream securely and intuitively, imagine what becomes possible when these same capabilities are extended into open, composable ecosystems.

Rather than framing these developments as a competition, it’s more productive to see them as complementary. Legacy finance systems are proving their feasibility; permissionless crypto can extend their potential.

Enter HPP: The House Party Protocol

The House Party Protocol (HPP), Aergo’s new AI-first Layer 2 blockchain, is being designed precisely for this future. Built on Aergo’s proven enterprise blockchain legacy — powering large enterprises, Korean government agencies, and beyond — HPP will introduce a smarter, more adaptable stack tailored to AI-driven applications.

While Visa and Mastercard’s implementation of AI agents represents a significant breakthrough, it is currently limited to commerce and B2C environments. HPP, on the other hand, will be purpose-built to unlock broader use cases across both B2C and B2B sectors — from logistics and finance to procurement, compliance, and supply chain coordination.

Here’s how HPP contributes to the evolution:

1. AI-Ready Infrastructure
HPP provides a foundational layer where trust and intelligence are embedded directly into the infrastructure. Data within the HPP ecosystem is machine-readable, independently verified, and continuously assessed for reliability, ensuring high-quality inputs for any on-chain decision-making. AI-driven logic is designed to be transparent and explainable, with built-in mechanisms for on-chain accountability.

2. AI-Oracles for Real-Time Adaptation
HPP will integrate native AI-oracle functionality, allowing agents to make real-time decisions based on verified off-chain data streams. This will enhance adaptive automation and enable predictive, context-aware interactions across applications.

3. Verified Computation and Data Trust
HPP leverages external verification frameworks like VaaSBlock, a decentralized validation network that crowdsources verification tasks and scores credibility through reputation-based staking. Combined with Booost, which provides human-authenticated signals and real-world identity attestations to combat synthetic manipulation, HPP ensures that agent decisions and data sources are transparently validated, verifiable, and resistant to tampering.

4. Enterprise-Grade Implementation and Maintenance
Through mature integration pathways and support for hybrid on/off-chain data models, HPP makes it easier for enterprises to build, deploy, and maintain blockchain-based AI systems. This bridges the gap between traditional enterprise infrastructure and emerging AI-native services.

Looking Ahead: AI Agents + Crypto Infrastructure

The enterprise world is just beginning to explore what AI agents can do. The potential is enormous, from procurement bots to dynamic pricing, from customer service automation to decentralized governance participation.

Legacy finance systems like Visa are making the concept real. But decentralized, AI-native environments like HPP will give these agents freedom to evolve.

In short, if Visa is the on-ramp for AI agents, HPP will be the autobahn.

Enterprise adoption of autonomous agents is coming. And with HPP, we’re building the rails for them to run on.

The Rise of AI Agents in Enterprise: Why HPP is Key to What Comes Next was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As Ping’s Chief Customer Officer, I’m honored to celebrate our most innovative customers around the world with the 9th annual Identity Excellence Awards (IX awards)! Our customers are often the unsung heroes of their organizations, wielding identity as a competitive advantage in driving growth, reducing fraud and costs, and much more. This is the time of the year where we celebrate the often behind-the-scenes identity champions and we are incredibly excited to see the nominations roll in for this year’s awards.

 

Submit your nomination

 

Learn about Fastly's WAF Simulator and how it transforms DevSecOps workflows by enabling integrated, continuous, and automated security testing.

In this week’s AMA, Aergo Advisors Raph and Ben led a conversation covering recent progress within the Aergo ecosystem, the ongoing transition to the House Party Protocol (HPP), and emerging efforts in Layer 2 development and AI integration. Below is a summary of the key points discussed.

1. What’s the point of these weekly AMA sessions?

These sessions are about staying transparent and accountable. Each week, we gather real questions from the community, often via Telegram or social channels, and do our best to answer them directly. Not every answer will be popular, but that’s part of building an honest dialogue. The intent is to help the community understand what’s happening behind the scenes and to get people excited about what’s coming.

2. Can you give us a clear elevator pitch for HPP?

The House Party Protocol (HPP) is the next chapter of the Aergo public blockchain. It’s more than a token swap — it represents a strategic pivot to an AI-first Layer 2 chain. Aergo has a strong enterprise track record, and HPP builds on that by creating a smarter, more adaptive environment for AI-driven use cases. The internal team has been working on HPP for over 14 months, and it was approved through three governance votes earlier this year.

HPP will replace AERGO trading pairs on exchanges, and its ecosystem is designed from the ground up to support intelligent automation and Web3 applications. It’s a calculated shift that puts Aergo in a position to lead in a world increasingly shaped by AI.

3. What is the Living Roadmap, and how does it work?

The Living Roadmap is a live document that is regularly updated by various team members, providing a transparent view into technical development, partnerships, and strategic efforts. It’s not updated on a fixed schedule, but always reflects real-time progress, making it one of the best places to track what’s happening behind the scenes.

4. When will AIP-21 voting rewards be distributed?

Rewards for those who participated in the AIP-21 vote will be distributed once the HPP token is live and trading pairs are switched on exchanges. The rewards are set to be vested on a monthly basis. Since the token hasn’t been launched yet, there’s nothing to distribute at the moment. The current target for this is the third quarter.

5. What’s the current status of Aergo’s AI work?

AI is central to HPP’s purpose. From AI-powered oracles to data validation tools like W3DB, the focus is on leveraging machine intelligence to expand the possibilities of smart contracts. There are ongoing experiments and integrations across the ecosystem, including incentive models to reward users for helping train models and verify data.

While not every workflow is publicly documented, the overall direction is clear: HPP is being designed to natively support AI applications in areas like compliance, identity, and automated decision-making.

6. Is Aergo a real project?

Yes. Aergo has been operating since 2019, with a live mainnet and real enterprise use cases. It has worked with both public and private sector partners, maintaining a stable, long-term team. The claim that Aergo is a “scam” is factually incorrect and dismissive of years of product development and delivery.

7. So what’s happening with Aergo Mainnet, HPP Layer 2, and the existing tokens?

Upon the launch of HPP, all AERGO trading pairs will be replaced by HPP trading pairs. For the average user, this will appear as a rebranding on their favorite exchanges.

Aergo Layer 1 (the current mainnet) will remain operational and continue to serve enterprise clients. These deployments are typically permissioned and don’t rely on public token liquidity. The public brand, however, is being streamlined — Aergo will now refer solely to the enterprise blockchain, while HPP becomes the identity for the public AI-native chain.

This separation enhances clarity and enables each arm of the ecosystem, the enterprise and public sectors, to grow independently.

8. What about the price speculation in the chat?

Price speculation is common, but building long-term value requires more than watching charts. The project focuses on delivery and creating meaningful use cases, rather than hype. While market activity is important, it is not the foundation of strategy. Moderators are also managing speculative chatter to keep community spaces constructive.

9. What about Binance? Will HPP or Aergo be listed on spot?

There is currently no spot listing on Binance, and no guarantees are available. The team does not work at Binance and is not in control of listing decisions. While Binance is a desirable exchange, listing is not what it once was, as many projects have experienced volatility even after being listed.

Aergo is already available on multiple reputable exchanges, and the team’s focus remains on building product value and strengthening the ecosystem. If Binance or other major listings occur, it will be a bonus, not the end goal.

10. Final thoughts on community feedback and speculation

The team encourages thoughtful opinions and tough questions. However, unproductive speculation about price or unfounded accusations do not contribute to progress. The moderators are working to maintain high chat quality, and the community is encouraged to focus on the fundamentals being established.

Aergo is a real project with a long track record, enterprise deployments, and a full-time team. It’s not driven by hype, but by infrastructure and vision.

11. What’s next?

The HPP token is still on track for a Q3 release. The team is actively coordinating technical deployment, partnerships, and infrastructure in preparation for the launch. HPP is more than a rebrand — it’s the cornerstone of a smarter, more adaptive ecosystem built to support AI-native applications.

AMA #5 Recap: HPP Progress, AI Vision, and Community Transparency was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

 

How to Choose the Right Marketing Channels for Your Business

Welcome to Week 2 of “Be Your Own Business” with Dr. Business. Today we’re diving into channel-brand alignment—a crucial step after you’ve defined what your business is about and who you’re selling to.

Why Channel Selection Matters

Once you’ve determined your business focus and target audience, you need to start communicating with potential customers. The right channels help you:

Validate your assumptions about your product or service Develop effective sales and marketing pathways Build audience awareness of your offerings Convert prospects into paying customers

Remember, the whole point of being your own business is to make money while controlling your work life. When you work for yourself, you can set your own boundaries and work in ways that align with your strengths. That’s incredibly rewarding—it enables you to work how you work best.

Understanding the Four Channel Types

Before choosing your channels, it’s important to understand these four main categories:

1. Owned Channels

These are platforms where you control the relationship with your audience:

Your website or app Email newsletters SMS messaging Customer databases/CRM systems 2. Earned Channels

This is when others talk about your business:

Media coverage Being listed on competitor pages Reviews and testimonials Industry recognition

Some “earned” media can be strategically influenced through PR efforts. For example, during the NFT boom, my PR team pitched me as an expert to local networks in San Francisco, Oklahoma, and New Orleans.

3. Social Channels

These platforms help you build audience and engagement:

LinkedIn (especially for B2B) Instagram (visual products and services) TikTok (short-form video content) Facebook (community building) Twitter/X (thought leadership) YouTube (educational content) Pinterest (visual discovery) 4. Paid Channels

These require financial investment:

Social media advertising Google/Bing search ads Digital billboards Trade desk buys Retargeting campaigns Influencer partnerships The Must-Have Channels for New Businesses

When you’re just starting out, focus on these four essential channel types:

1. Email Newsletter

This is one of your most valuable owned channels. Why? Because:

You have direct communication with interested prospects You own this relationship and data It’s relatively inexpensive to maintain It demonstrates your expertise

Pro Tip: Share your expertise freely in newsletters. While it might seem counterintuitive to educate people on processes they could do themselves, most don’t have the capacity, time, or desire to DIY. By teaching, you establish yourself as a thought leader. When people eventually need professional help, they’ll remember who taught them.

2. Website or Landing Page

Every business needs a digital home base because:

It establishes credibility You own your data (when properly set up) It provides a central hub for customer interactions It allows you to implement analytics

Even a simple one-page website from Wix or Squarespace with Google Analytics meets the minimum requirements. Just remember that these providers technically host your data, so consider exporting it regularly to truly maintain ownership.

3. Strategic Social Accounts

Choose 2-3 social platforms strategically based on your business type and communication strengths:

Your Business Type: B2B Services/SaaS: LinkedIn is crucial, potentially Reddit for niche cases Local B2C (like restaurants): Google Business Profile, Instagram, and either Facebook or TikTok with a focus on local discovery Consumer Products/Services: Platforms that best showcase your offerings visually Your Personal Strengths: Strong writer? Consider Twitter/X, LinkedIn articles, or Bluesky Visual communicator? Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube Comfortable on camera? TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts Prefer longer discussions? YouTube, podcasts, or Vimeo 4. Targeted Paid Channels

While most new businesses should focus on organic growth first, having a strategic paid channel approach is essential for when you’re ready to scale:

Start small with experiments to test messaging Focus on channels where you already have organic traction Set clear attribution and conversion tracking Establish specific ROI metrics before scaling investment Your Business Type: B2B Services/SaaS: LinkedIn is crucial, potentially Reddit for niche cases Local B2C (like restaurants): Google Business Profile, Instagram, and either Facebook or TikTok with a focus on local discovery Consumer Products/Services: Platforms that best showcase your offerings visually Your Personal Strengths: Strong writer? Consider Twitter/X, LinkedIn articles, or Bluesky Visual communicator? Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube Comfortable on camera? TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts Prefer longer discussions? YouTube, podcasts, or Vimeo How to Choose Your Channels

Ask yourself these key questions:

Where do your target customers hang out?

B2B decision-makers are often on LinkedIn Local consumers use Google search and visual platforms Different demographics prefer different platforms

Where do you already have a presence?

Leverage existing channels where you’re comfortable Consider both visibility and your enjoyment of the platform

What’s your natural communication style?

Written: Twitter, LinkedIn, Bluesky Visual: Instagram, Pinterest Video: TikTok, YouTube Design-focused? Consider Pinterest for inspiration and visibility

Remember that your personal brand will platform your business brand, especially in the beginning. Start with your personal social accounts and gradually evolve them to represent your business.

Why Not to Start with Paid Channels

Most new businesses shouldn’t immediately invest in paid media because:

It’s better to develop your audience organically first Building your contact list is a more valuable long-term asset You’ll get better ROI on paid media once people recognize your brand Your messaging needs refinement before amplification Final Thoughts

The key to successful channel selection is authenticity and strategic focus. Don’t spread yourself too thin across too many platforms. Instead, choose channels that:

Align with your business type and goals Match your natural communication strengths Reach your specific target audience effectively

Stay tuned for next week when we’ll dive deeper into quickly setting up a website to build your social presence and take ownership of your audience.

This article is part of the BYOB (Be Your Own Business) series. Like, subscribe, and follow for more entrepreneurial insights.

The post How to Choose a Marketing Channel for Your Business appeared first on playhaus TV.

Discover the latest releases, updates, events, and developer-related things from Auth0!

Tokeny's Talent 2 May 2025 Talent Interview | Thaddee Talent Interview | Thaddee Tokeny's Talent 2 May 2025 Thaddee Bousselin is Implementation Engineer, he joined the company in 2022. Reflecting on the 3-year Journey You’ve been with the company for three years, as an implementation engineer. How has the company supported your growth during this time?

Working at Tokeny for the past three years has been an incredible journey. The company has supported my evolution by offering diverse learning opportunities and, more importantly, by entrusting me with a variety of responsibilities. This has sharpened both my technical and strategic skills.

The combination of support from a super smart team and the autonomy I’ve been given has been instrumental in my professional growth.

Tokeny’s Culture Involvement Tokeny has grown significantly since you joined. How has the company culture evolved in your opinion?

When I first joined, we had that typical early-stage startup energy – everyone wore multiple hats and decisions happened quickly. As we’ve grown, we’ve maintained our core values but added more structure where needed. The culture has matured rather than fundamentally changed.

“While we’ve become more process-oriented out of necessity, we’ve worked hard to keep bureaucracy minimal and preserve that innovative spirit that attracted me initially.” “While we’ve become more process-oriented out of necessity, we’ve worked hard to keep bureaucracy minimal and preserve that innovative spirit that attracted me initially.” How would you describe your own personal growth within the company?

I’ve grown in ways I hadn’t anticipated. From a technical standpoint, I’ve significantly expanded my expertise across various areas, including tokenization and blockchain implementation. I’ve also improved my ability to manage client relationships and explain complex topics clearly to different audiences. I’ve learned to balance perfectionism with practicality and to prioritize tasks effectively in a fast-paced environment.

“I’ve gained confidence in tackling complex challenges, which are prevalent in our high-tech, high-stakes, and rapidly changing industry.” “I’ve gained confidence in tackling complex challenges, which are prevalent in our high-tech, high-stakes, and rapidly changing industry.” Company Values in Practice You mentioned in your previous interview how much you appreciated the creativity and boldness the company encourages. Can you share an example of a project where you or your team took a bold approach, and how it was received?

Last year, we helped launch an STO for a sustainability-focused investment closely aligned with my personal values. The initiative enabled investors to finance sustainable agriculture and earn returns from crop sales and carbon credits. Throughout the project, I was fortunate to work alongside my exceptional team whose genuine enthusiasm, proactive approach, and ability to navigate complex requirements made a strong impression on the client. The successful offering launch and seeing investors benefit financially while making a tangible environmental impact was particularly rewarding.

Reflections and Future Outlook If you could give advice to your younger self, just starting out at Tokeny, what would it be?

I’d tell myself to worry less about knowing everything right away. The blockchain and tech space evolves so rapidly that continuous learning is part of the job – and nobody expects you to have all the answers. In fact, today, I proactively search for and ask “naive questions,” as they might challenge assumptions, open the door to better solutions, help clarify my own understanding or at the very least, reveal how others perceive a topic.

As someone who has been with the company through significant milestones, where do you see Tokeny going in the next five years, and how do you envision your role evolving in that journey?

I believe we’re nearing a tipping point where tokenization shifts from being an innovative approach to becoming the default logical choice in financial markets. Over the next five years, I see Tokeny consolidating its position as a global market leader, partnering with major financial institutions and establishing our technologies and standards as industry benchmarks. Increasing regulatory clarity will accelerate adoption, and we’re ideally placed to leverage this momentum.

As for my role, I hope to grow with the company by taking on more strategic responsibilities while maintaining hands-on involvement in implementation. I’m particularly interested in developing our approach to solving for advanced use cases.

“The challenges will evolve as we keep scaling, and I’ll be here to help navigate those changes.” “The challenges will evolve as we keep scaling, and I’ll be here to help navigate those changes.” Finally, as we’ve gotten to know you over the years, you’ve often shared your love for traveling and riding your motorbikes. Do any learnings or skills from these hobbies translate into your work at Tokeny?

Definitely. Skills and experiences from all my interests enhance my work at Tokeny. Likewise, professional insights often enrich my personal pursuits. I believe in living a holistic life, where all aspects are interconnected and should not be overly compartmentalized.

Motorcycle riding and racing has taught me risk assessment and staying calm under pressure – skills I use daily when dealing with critical implementations. You need to make quick decisions while remaining level-headed.

Travel broadens your perspective, enabling you to collaborate more effectively with diverse teams and clients from around the globe. It fosters openness to different viewpoints. Plus, let’s not forget the bonus of trying great food!

Both motorcycling and traveling require a balance between planning and adaptability – essential qualities in blockchain, where innovative ideas must align with practical execution to consistently deliver the excellence we strive to provide our growing customer base.

More Stories  Talent Interview | Thaddee 2 May 2025 Talent Interview | Nida 21 February 2025 Tokeny’s Talent | Philippe’s Story 30 January 2025 Tokeny’s Talent | Christian’s Story 17 January 2025 Tokeny’s Talent | Satjapong’s Story 19 November 2024 Tokeny’s Talent | Jordi’s Story 1 November 2024 Tokeny’s Talent | Shurong 18 September 2024 Tokeny’s Talent | Omobola 25 July 2024 Tokeny’s Talent | Cristian 13 June 2024 Tokeny’s Talent | Adrian 15 May 2024 Join Tokeny Family We are looking for talents to join us, you can find the opening positions by clicking the button. Available Positions

The post Talent Interview | Thaddee appeared first on Tokeny.

Identity verification solutions allow businesses to remain compliant and prevent identity fraud from their platform. Learn how critical solutions can prevent cases of identity fraud, keeping businesses compliant and secure.

The post What is an Identity Verification API? first appeared on ComplyCube.

The post Future-Proofing Age Assurance appeared first on Liminal.co.

Insurance fraud is a serious issue that costs the insurance industry billions of dollars each year. It occurs when individuals or businesses intentionally deceive insurance companies. Learn more about how KYC can fortify insurance.

The post What is Insurance Fraud? first appeared on ComplyCube.

Digital identity is on the brink of a major shift. Governments around the world are rolling out first-party digital IDs to make things easier, more secure, and to eliminate the need for physical documents. 

Great, right? 

But here’s where it gets interesting: this isn’t the endgame for digital ID, it’s just the starting line.

Microcredentials are rapidly gaining momentum as a new value to students in higher education. These short, focused learning opportunities teach students targeted skills and offer a way to stand out in the evolving workforce.  

At Oregon State University (OSU), microcredentials are “a series of courses that culminate in a digital badge from an accredited university.” Here are some of the microcredentials offered by OSU:   

Semiconductor Production Process Planning  Business of Viral Content Creation  Medical Spanish Retail Management Fundamentals  Supply Chain Logistics Management and Procurement      What are Microcredentials in Education?

Microcredentials are skills-based learning programs that target specific areas of expertise. They take much less time than a full degree but maintain academic rigor and credibility. Designed for flexibility, they’re often available online or in hybrid formats, making them ideal for traditional students and working professionals.  

The momentum around microcredentials began building in the early 2010s. Deakin University in Australia led the charge in 2014 by issuing digital badges to recognize specific skill achievements. Shortly after, MIT launched its MITx MicroMasters program in 2015, providing learners with industry-relevant credentials through online education.  

Over a decade later, we see microcredentials being offered at universities worldwide. 

The Value of Microcredentials for Universities

Higher education leaders can bring a new way of learning to their institution that benefits students, schools, and future employers.  

By offering modular, skills-based learning, universities can:

Expand student access by serving non-traditional learners, including working adults and part-time students.  Boost enrollment by attracting new learners with flexible, low-commitment programs.  Show a commitment to students by aligning programs with real-world job skills demanded by today’s employers.  Create new revenue opportunities by monetizing short-term learning experiences and establishing employer partnerships.  

It’s a win-win for students, schools, and employers who need talent with real-world expertise.

Digital Badges and Verifiability

Unlike paper certificates, digital credentials provide a secure and verifiable way to prove skills and education. Partners, like Anonyome Labs, provide secure credentialing systems to institutions for full degrees and microcredentialing.  

Verifiable credential technology ensures that each credential is:  

Authenticated and tamper-proof  Easily verified by employers and other institutions Showcase students accomplishment     Implementing Microcredentials at your Institution

As microcredentials gain momentum, higher education institutions have a unique opportunity to expand access, increase relevance, and better align with workforce expectations.  

Here are some best practices for implementing microcredentials:  

Explore multiple formats 

Microcredentials don’t have to follow a single model. Institutions can offer standalone badges, modular courses, or even stackable options that build toward a certificate or degree.

Use the right technology 

Digital credentialing platforms play a significant role in issuing, verifying, and managing credentials. Look for tools that are secure, scalable, and easy for students and employers to use.

Align content with the job market 

Work with local employers and tap into labor market insights to design programs that teach relevant, in-demand skills. 

Make learning accessible 

Flexible formats, like online delivery or self-paced learning, can help reach more learners, especially working professionals or those juggling other responsibilities. 

Offer student support 

Just because a program is short or online doesn’t mean students don’t need help. Access to advising, tutoring, and tech support is still essential. 

Measure impact 

Track student progress, career outcomes, and employer feedback to assess what’s working—and continuously improve your offerings. 

The Time is Now for Microcredentials 

Microcredentials are reshaping the future of higher education. These short, skill-based programs create new learning opportunities that benefit students and universities.  

Learn more about how Anonyome Labs provides higher education with tailored credentialing capacities. 

The post Microcredentials in Higher Education: Benefits, Examples, and How to Get Started appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

 

GN HEARTLAND

Thursday Heart & SOL Mood:

— playhaus

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+0.09%

$150.51

Helium ($HNT)

+1.20%

$3.82

Pyth ($PYTH)

-3.10%

$0.15

Raydium ($RAY)

+12.06%

$2.90

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 5.1.25)

A flat week? In this economy?

Is the Crypto Renaissance Here?

With major AI earnings reports exceeding expectations, the TradFi world took another baby step toward stability this week. But on the other side of the spectrum, DeFi is barreling forward, in what some insiders are calling the “Crypto Renaissance”.

Bitcoin has surged past $90,000, institutional giants are diving headfirst into blockchain integration, and regulatory frameworks are crystallizing. In other words, Mona Lisa wen?

At the heart of this trend are new players and partnerships. Brandon Lutnick, son of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is spearheading a $3 billion Bitcoin acquisition vehicle alongside SoftBank $SFTBY ( ▲ 0.16% ), Tether $USDT.X ( ▼ 0.0% ), and Bitfinex. Meanwhile, firms like Upexi $UPXI ( ▲ 9.69% ) are raising $100 million to accumulate Solana, mirroring Strategy’s $MSTR ( ▲ 0.39% ), well, strategy.

Meanwhile, the SEC is no longer the industry’s antagonist. Under Acting Chair Mark Uyeda, the agency dropped lawsuits against Coinbase $COIN ( ▼ 0.78% ), Binance $BNB.X ( ▼ 0.03% ), Kraken $KRAKEN.X ( ▲ 0.83% ), and Ripple $XRP.X ( ▲ 1.07% ), rescinded the controversial SAB 121 rule (which forced firms to list crypto holdings as liabilities), and launched a Crypto Task Force to foster dialogue with stakeholders. Uyeda’s tenure marked a stark departure from the Gensler era, emphasizing collaboration over retroactive enforcement.

Now, with Paul S. Atkins sworn in as SEC Chairman — a figure known for his crypto-friendly stance — the industry anticipates even greater momentum. Atkins’ leadership is expected to solidify regulatory clarity, enabling institutions like ING $ING ( ▼ 0.41% ) and U.S. Bank $USB ( ▲ 0.4% ) to advance stablecoin projects and real-time settlement platforms like Lynq Network.

FOMO is driving traditional finance into crypto’s arms. Cantor Fitzgerald, SoftBank, and Tether are collaborating on a multi-billion-dollar Bitcoin treasury vehicle, while Arca Labs and tZERO are modernizing settlement systems to handle programmable, yield-bearing assets. As Dan Boyle of Boies Schiller Flexner noted: “If my competitor is tokenizing assets, am I missing out?”

Elsewhere, stablecoins continue to crawl toward the promise of being crypto’s “killer app”. Partnerships like CompoSecure and MoneyGram are bridging gaps by enabling cash-to-crypto conversions at thousands of global locations. Circle’s new stablecoin orchestration layer aims to make cross-border transactions “invisible,” integrating crypto into everyday finance.

However, despite progress, stablecoins still struggle at the checkout counter. Regulatory uncertainty, technical hurdles, and user experience gaps persist. Yet, Visa $V ( ▼ 0.88% ), Mastercard $MA ( ▼ 0.26% ), and JPMorgan $JPM ( ▲ 0.93% ) are betting big on tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), from real estate to corporate treasuries.

Across the board, the crypto ecosystem is maturing into a hybrid of “casino” and “capital market”. Michael Saylor, whose firm Strategy now holds more than 550,000 BTC, captured the moment: “Bitcoin is the only asset the U.S. government won’t sell if seized. Wall Street, banks, and DC all embrace it — this is the entry point.”

Regulatory harmonization, institutional participation, and user-friendly innovation will determine whether crypto delivers on its promise of a faster, fairer financial system. As SEC Commissioner Uyeda reflected: “Life comes full circle.” The Wild West era is fading, replaced by a fusion of decentralized ethos and mainstream rigor. If the Crypto Renaissance isn’t here, it may well be around the corner.

— Muhammed

Bitcoin Party KC

This past weekend was the 5th Annual Bitcoin Party KC, hosted by the KC Bitcoiners and their fearless public champion, Chris Wenske. Now I’ve only attended the latest few years of the event, because that’s the length of my tenure here in Kansas City, but this year was by far the largest and most engaged turnout I’ve seen.

The event features live music, delicious barbecue, an artist/vendors area with exchanges settling in Sats (aka Satoshis, the smallest unit of the bitcoin $BTC.X ( ▲ 2.16% ) currency), and, of course, plenty of thought leadership and education from local luminaries.

Value4Value (V4V), a bitcoin advisory and media group, provided a presentation on setting up your own node on the Bitcoin lighting network and opening up channels to other nodes to make it easier to settle transactions. That was something of a theme for this year’s event, as well as the area’s latest monthly open market meetup at Keystone Collab in the city’s Crossroads East district: to participate in a Bitcoin native circular economy.

We were then treated to a second presentation from the event’s sponsor, Manna Wallet, whose sleek interface and wallet feature abstractions have made buying, selling, organizing, and accounting for Sats about as seamless as you could dream of in a self-custodied software wallet. While in slight contradiction to the V4V message of managing your own node — to truly own the value of transacting with your Sats without paying middle men for the average transaction — I believe the practical endstate for most users looks much closer to what Manna is building.

V4V has all the resources to support your journey running your own node. (Including incredible SEO to boot.) Nevertheless, we project true, node running self-custody is probably a generational change away from being universally pervasive. Realistically, it feels extreme to extend Bitcoin’s use case this way.

As long as there’s energy flowing across computer networks, Bitcoin will be the hardest money around, without a doubt. But in practical cases like gold, you’re exchanging it for the medium of exchange, not using it to transact. Gold has silver and copper — the metals that make a gold standard work for the average person.

Solana $SOL.X ( ▲ 2.14% ) is neither silver, nor copper. Despite remaining the sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, it’s not concerned with money, but rather, being the world’s fastest decentralized computer. And if I know anything about technology adoption, that’s a great north star to shoot for.

I do wish bitcoiners would open their perspective to the technology revolution their financial tool enacted. As important as securing financial transactions is, so is the ability to interact with digital systems. And we should have the right to secure out digital identity on Layer 1, with the best technology available.

But grievances about petty technology positional nuances aside, the event was another great example of the community coming together and celebrating the impact that Bitcoin is having on the heartland and world.

And special shout-out to RJ’s BBQ, most gracious hosts with great sauces and vibes.

— El Prof

The post 49 – Mona Lisa Wen? appeared first on playhaus TV.

Mutual authentication and permissioned access will allow AI agents to change the way we approach banking and finance. Verifiable Credential technology enables trust between users and AI to allow the agent to perform time consuming and irritating tasks on behalf of the customer for a better experience.

By Tim Spring

Recently, I tried to pay an organization in Europe from America: it was flagged as a potential fraudulent charge and was stopped which is good! There is a system in place to check for fraud and it’s doing its job. However, the process to have my card unflagged and pay (on a deadline) is painful and slow.

The problem is that it’s hard to digitally prove your identity when digital identity fraud is easy to do — and getting even easier with AI. 

The result is banks requiring a tangle of security solutions that are inefficient in terms of resources and cost, and time consuming and annoying for customers.

AI and AI-agents are being touted as the next gen solution, and they offer a simple way to fix the problem — but they can only work as effectively and efficiently as the identification processes they are tied to.

Decentralized identity technology provides the simplest, most secure way to prove identity while maintaining complete control for the user. I’ll explain:

Step 1: Proving your identity 

Every day, banks are inundated by fraudsters trying to gain access to accounts that aren’t theirs. 

Anyone can call in pretending to be you as long as they have the right information, which unfortunately scammers are very adept at getting. In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission reported that these imposter scams cost Americans $2.95 billion dollars.

How do we change this in a way that’s simple to deploy for banks and simple for customers to use?

The answer is decentralized identity and Verifiable Credentials for bank and financial — or really any kind of customer — accounts.

Think of a Verifiable Credential as a digital container that seals the information it contains. Attempt to tamper with the information, the seal breaks. Each container is bound to its point of origin, so you always know who issued the information inside. If you trust the issuer, you can trust the information. 

So, when a bank onboards a customer, having gone through its identity assurance and compliance checks, it sends the customer a digital credential containing that information, which the customer stores securely in a digital wallet application.

The customer can then scan a QR code and immediately access their account. No usernames, logins, passwords, multifactor authentication or any other kind of friction. 

The account credential can’t be shared and it can’t be stolen. A scammer can’t phish a person’s credential information because the identity of any relying party must be cryptographically established before data can be shared. And if the customer were to lose their phone the credential can be easily revoked and reissued.

Step 2: Add biometrics

This all gets even more powerful when we incorporate authenticated biometrics into the account credential or pair the account credential with a credential that contains an authenticated biometric — such as a digital passport.

Once paired, a bank call center can use the biometric data presented in an account credential to compare with an online liveness check to provide an extra layer of verification — without having to store any customer biometric data to perform the verification.

This is a game changer for call centers afflicted with biometric identity fraud, but it also is a way to provide the strong assurance required for mobile payments — without the infrastructural and compliance challenge of storing biometric data.

Now that we can quickly prove who we are cryptographically and biometrically, the stage is set for agentic AI.

Step 3: Identity and access permission for AI

The next step in customer experience is smarter, more capable AI, no more being passed between departments to find the right person or the right service to help me. By pairing these strong decentralized identity systems with AI agents — meaning they can be verified by the user, and they can verify that the user is a legitimate customer or account holder — we can unlock automation and convenience for the consumer. 

Unblocking a credit card is a good starting point that can free up time for the support team, but AI can easily perform more complex tasks, such as setting up wire transfers, applying for loans, or setting up savings programs.

By issuing AI agents their own Verifiable Credentials for identification, the customer can be sure they are interacting with a legitimate agent of the bank and can trust the agent with access to their data. 

But the grander vision for agentic AI is that with access to sufficient customer data, the agent will be able to “reason” its way to quickly delivering services and solving their problems. Siloed departments can now be easily integrated into a unified customer experience.

This works if — and only if:

The AI agent can be certain that the customer is a real customer The customer can be certain that the AI agent is their bank’s AI agent  The customer can give clear consent to the AI agent accessing their data

Agentic AI in banking and finance promises to be a game changer in customer experience and business efficiency, but as we continue to innovate it is important to keep in mind that security, compliance, and privacy concerns are significant blockers. With Verifiable Credentials the benefits of agentic AI become feasible.

Explore Verifiable Credentials for customer accounts now

Indicio is a world leader in decentralized identity and Verifiable Credential technology. We were the first to create a Digital Passport Credential for border crossing, the first to combine authenticated biometrics with Verifiable Credentials, and the first to combine EU and global digital identity standards in a digital wallet for seamless workflows. 

We work with global enterprises and governments on state-of-the art decentralized digital identity solutions — give us a call to discuss how Verifiable Credential technology can provide the better operational efficiency and customer experience for your organization.

****

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

The post Digital banking is painful: AI agents backed by Verifiable Credentials can help appeared first on Indicio.

Financieel inzicht in één oogopslag met Knab én Ockto

Wat gaat er maandelijks op aan boodschappen? En welk deel wordt er uitgegeven aan horeca of vaste lasten?
Vanaf nu krijgen Knab-klanten daar eenvoudig inzicht in, direct in hun Knab-app. Ockto facilieert het categoriseren van alle transacties. Zo wordt financiële data toegankelijker én bruikbaarder.

Predictoor DF139 rewards available. DF140 runs May 1st — May 8th, 2025 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 139 (DF139) has completed.

DF140 is live today, May 4th. It concludes on May 8th. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3,750 OCEAN rewards and 20,000 ROSE rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF140 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 DF140

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3.75K 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.

DF139 Completes and DF140 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? Here we are, marking World Password Day 2025—an occasion originally invented to encourage better password practices—yet what we really need now is to move beyond passwords entirely. With escalating digital attacks and adversarial AI, traditional passwords have transformed from protectors of access to the weakest link in the security chain. Instead of celebrating passwords, it’s time we recognize their obsolescence and chart a course toward a passwordless future.

 

Better, passwordless alternatives already exist and offer stronger security, greater user convenience, and operational benefits that 16 characters of mixed-case letters, numbers and symbols could ever match.

1st May – Selected members of the ERC3643 association, together with Tokeny, LayerZero, Fasanara Capital, and ABN AMRO, have launched a cross-chain Delivery-vs-Payment (DvP) solution for regulated tokenized assets. The solution enables atomic settlement between ERC-3643-based security tokens and cash-equivalent tokens across the Polygon and Base networks.

Initiated within the non-profit ERC3643 Association, the solution demonstrates how on-chain securities and cash-equivalent tokens can be securely settled across two blockchains, without requiring counterparties to bridge assets across chains. This removes a major friction point and addresses the institutional need to operate the cash and security legs on separate networks.

The system showcases a concrete and real-time proof of concept use case: Fasanara issued ERC-3643-based security tokens on Polygon using Tokeny’s onchain finance platform, while ABN AMRO issued cash tokens on Base. A decentralized application (dApp), developed by Labrys, orchestrates the cross-chain DvP process using LayerZero’s messaging infrastructure.

This use case demonstrated that the ERC-3643-based security tokens and payment tokens can be exchanged across chains with real-time settlement.

How Cross-Chain DvP Works Create DvP Agreement: The seller creates a DvP position specifying the tokens to lock, the tokens to receive, and the buyer’s address. Lock Assets: The seller locks their specified tokens in the escrow contract on the source chain. Cross-Chain Notification: LayerZero relays the DvP details to the destination chain, notifying the buyer. Payment: The buyer pays the agreed amount on the destination chain to fulfill their part of the agreement. Release Assets: Upon payment confirmation, the locked assets are automatically released to the buyer, completing the swap. Solving a Critical Industry Bottleneck

As asset tokenization gains traction, institutions face a major challenge: having the cash leg onchain. Most current processes rely on traditional payment rails, resulting in long settlement cycles, high operational costs, and increased counterparty risk.

To meet privacy requirements, some institutions prefer using payment tokens on private blockchains. This initiative demonstrates how DvP settlements can take place across two separate chains, enabling the asset and cash legs to operate independently while settling atomically, without any counterparty risk.

This lock-and-release mechanism ensures settlement is secure, synchronized, and risk-free.

Institutions want to go onchain but need flexibility, control, and compliance. This project proves they can issue securities and trade them compliantly, with instant settlement, regardless of the underlying blockchain infrastructure. We’re proud to work with LayerZero, Fasanara, and ABN AMRO to deliver this real-world application. Luc FalempinCEO of Tokeny This is exactly the kind of use case LayerZero was built for. Bringing financial infrastructure onto crypto rails, connecting it across chains, and enabling secure applications. This project shows how cross-chain messaging can support regulated finance by combining identity, compliance, and atomic settlement, while improving capital efficiency and settlement performance across the system. Bryan PellegrinoCo-founder of LayerZero As an asset manager focused on innovation, we see tokenization as the future of finance. With Tokeny’s compliance infrastructure and this cross-chain setup with LayerZero and ABN AMRO, we can issue fully regulated digital securities and enable a near‑real‑time settlement experience, even when the security leg and cash leg are on different blockchains. David VatchevHead of Tokenization of Fasanara Capital This project demonstrates the real-world potential of blockchain in regulated markets. Issuing cash tokens onchain and settling instantly with digital securities is a big step forward, and we’re excited to help shape this future. Martijn SiebrandDigital Assets Program Manager at ABN AMRO

This achievement marks a significant leap for institutions looking to adopt digital asset infrastructure while maintaining control, compliance, and operational efficiency. The ERC-3643 standard, combined with cross-chain technology, brings the vision of interoperable and institutional-grade onchain finance to life.

About ERC3643 Association

The ERC3643 Association is a non-profit organization regrouping industry leaders within a shared mission to advance the adoption of the ERC-3643 T-REX standard and promote the development of a standardized, secure, and compliant tokenization framework. The association brings together the expertise and resources of its members to foster collaboration, drive innovation, and create a more inclusive, efficient, and secure financial landscape. By supporting the widespread adoption of the ERC-3643 standard, the association aims to unlock the full potential of tokenization and pave the way for a new era of global asset management.

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 tokenized 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

About LayerZero

LayerZero is the leading interoperability protocol. It empowers businesses to use crypto to create scalable, secure, and seamless products – from tokens to apps to full-scale companies. LayerZero currently connects $100B in assets and 400+ applications across 130 chains and counting. Major assets and teams building on LayerZero include PayPal USD, Google Cloud, Ethena, Stargate, and many more.

About Fasanara

Fasanara is an institutional investment manager that offers tech-enabled asset-based credit and digital assets solutions. Founded in 2011, Fasanara currently manages $4.5 billion in assets under management, and is focused on delivering uncorrelated returns through a technology-centric and systematic investment approach.

Fasanara offers institutional-grade investment opportunities across niche asset classes within specialty finance and digital assets. Fasanara’s digital asset operation was set up in 2018 and has grown to become a top liquidity provider to major exchanges worldwide. Within 2024, Fasanara had transacted over $250 billion in crypto market volumes. Fasanara is an Investment management firm authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm reference number: 551020).

About ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO is a Northwest European bank for retail, corporate and private banking clients, headquartered in Amsterdam. We want to be a personal bank in a digital age for our customers. And the bank that shapes and enables the transition to a sustainable society, together with our customers and partners. We do this based on our purpose Banking for better, for generations to come. Our focus is on North-western Europe. With more than 20,000 colleagues, of which approximately 5,000 abroad, we serve more than 5 million customers.

The post The ERC3643 Association Announces Cross-Chain DvP Solutions for RWAs with LayerZero, Tokeny, Fasanara, and ABN AMRO appeared first on Tokeny.

How AI is powering attacks – and how to fight back with Auth0 and AWS.

SEATTLE: April 30, 2025: Indicio welcomes Soulverse as the newest Network Partner in its expanding global ecosystem of decentralized identity innovators.

Soulverse, the creator of a biometric interoperable identity and asset infrastructure, will use the Indicio MainNet to power identity-ledger transactions across its platform—delivering privacy, security, and portability at scale.

As a Network Partner, Soulverse joins a growing ecosystem of companies and institutions that rely on Indicio’s decentralized network infrastructure to build and deploy trusted digital identity solutions. Indicio’s MainNet is an enterprise-grade, production-ready identity network designed for the exchange of Verifiable Credentials and decentralized identity services at scale.

“We’re delighted to welcome Soulverse as a Network Partner,” said Heather Dahl, CEO of Indicio. “Its commitment to putting people first aligns perfectly with our mission. We both see the future as one where everyone gains by being able to securely control their biometrics, their data, their identity. Decentralized identity is the catalyst for a new era in data, one where trust is portable and scalable to deliver new and better digital experiences.”

Soulverse’s flagship product, the Soul Super Wallet, is a secure, self-sovereign vault that unifies verifiable credentials, digital assets, and fiat currency, all accessible through seamless biometric authentication. Through integration with the Indicio Network, the Soul Super Wallet has a global foundation for supporting the issuance, exchange, and verification of credentials.

“Indicio offers more than a network—it offers the expertise and support to help us scale digital identity in a way that is future-ready,” said Kavitha Kanaparthi, CEO of Soulverse. “Becoming a Network Partner gives us the infrastructure we need to deliver on our vision of an identity that moves with you, securely and seamlessly.”

Indicio’s growing community of network partners are deploying real-world solutions that prioritize interoperability, user agency, and security. Soulverse’s deployment using the Indicio network shows what’s possible when decentralized identity is more than just theroy—it’s an operational reality.

The future of identity is already here—and it runs on Indicio.
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Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest from Indicio and the decentralized identity community

The post Soulverse joins Indicio as network partner to build the future of privacy-first digital identity appeared first on Indicio.

You've been at HYPR for six years. Why is now the right time for this expanded role and for HYPR's next chapter?

Doug: Timing is everything. It's the one thing you can't manufacture in this industry. You’re either too early, too late, or you catch the market exactly when it's ready. Right now, the timing for HYPR Affirm couldn't be better.

We’re seeing a massive shift across the security landscape. Identity-based attacks are skyrocketing, and emerging threats like AI-generated forgeries and deepfake-driven fraud are exposing how vulnerable traditional authentication systems have become. Nearly 40% of organizations faced a GenAI-related security incident in the past year, and 95% encountered some form of deepfake attack.

At the same time, old models of probabilistic security, where you're "pretty sure" the right person is signing in, are breaking down. Organizations need definitive, real-time identity verification that's built for today's threats, not yesterday's.

That’s where HYPR Affirm comes in, and why I’m so excited about where we’re headed. We're solving the right problem at the right time, and helping organizations secure their workforce with confidence.

You've been closely involved in some of HYPR’s largest wins. What stands out to you most from those experiences?

Doug: Every major win had one thing in common: complexity.

These are highly regulated industries with legacy systems, shifting compliance requirements, and a lot of risk on the line.

The real standout for me is when you’re able to cut through all the noise, work alongside the customer’s teams, and actually move the needle, modernizing their identity security without disrupting their business.

It’s never just about the technology. It’s about how you deliver it.

At HYPR, our project management, solution architecture, and customer success teams treat every deployment like a partnership, not a handoff. Customers get white-glove support from day one through full rollout, and it shows - it's a big reason we were awarded Best Support by G2.

Those are the wins that stick with you, because they’re built on trust and execution.

How has HYPR changed the most since you first joined?

Doug: When I first joined, "passwordless" was still a foreign concept to most organizations. It was an uphill battle just explaining why eliminating passwords mattered.

Now, thanks to years of education, market shifts, and the momentum behind FIDO passkeys, we’re at a historic inflection point. According to our latest report, passkeys and hardware keys are on track to become the dominant authentication method by 2027. That’s a massive change.

HYPR has evolved right alongside that shift. We're not just helping organizations remove passwords anymore. We’re helping them achieve full identity assurance, even against the most advanced AI-driven threats.

Most memorable moment in your career (so far)?

Doug: It’s the moments you realize, after months or years of work, that you helped a customer make a change they didn’t think was possible.

This is a tough industry. Wins are rarely clean. But when you earn trust through persistence and honesty, those are the ones you remember.

Biggest challenge you've faced with a customer, and how you overcame it?

Doug: The biggest challenge is driving real change across an entire organization.

When you're talking about identity security, you're not just swapping out technology, you're asking people to rethink how they trust, access, and interact with critical systems every day.

That’s a big shift, and it doesn’t happen overnight.

The key is meeting customers where they are, keeping it practical, and helping them build momentum until the change sticks. It’s why having the right team behind you makes such a difference. You’re not just delivering a product. You’re helping guide a transformation.

What are you most excited for moving forward?

Doug: Affirm is a game-changer for the industry. It’s built for this exact moment, when organizations are recognizing that identity assurance is their frontline defense.

I'm excited to help more customers realize they don't have to settle for legacy technology and practices anymore. It’s time for something better, and we’re ready to deliver it.

Bonus question! If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Doug: I think it’d have to be someone like Tom Hanks.

Down to earth, a million stories, and you know it wouldn’t be a boring lunch.

Congratulations, Doug! We’re excited to have your leadership guiding HYPR into this next chapter.

Ready to experience a new standard in identity assurance?

 

In this world, where fraud has become a common game played by criminals, biometric authentication has become the cornerstone of our lives. Whether you go to a bank, an educational institute, or any other financial institution, it is used to secure an individual’s information and assets.

However, many users still think that fingerprint or other traditional methods are enough for securing the systems. It is too funny……..

If we look at this security system comprehensively, we will witness innovations that will astonish us. If you don’t trust us, we can provide you with an example of Liveness Face Detection.

Here, you will wonder, what is this? We never heard about it. Right? Don’t worry, we have brought this comprehensive blog post for you, in which we have discussed it from A to Z.

In this guide, you will get an opportunity to learn how liveness face detection prevents fraud in biometrics.

Are you interested in reviewing this? If yes, buckle up and stay connected with us till the end.

What Is Liveness Face Detection: A Brief Overview

When we introduce this term in front of users, they gain a hint about it after hearing the name. Human Intelligence after Artificial Intelligence…..

Basically, this liveness detection for face recognition is all about an innovative technology that is concerned with the prevention of fraud. It prevents the spoofing of fake images and documents used by criminals. By and large, this technology is gaining huge popularity all over the world day and night.

 

How Liveness Face Detection Enhances Biometric Security?

This is an interesting question often asked by many users: How does the face recognition SDK prevent fraud? Are you also here with the same question? If yes, we are here with you with a detailed answer.

1. Active And Passive Liveness Detection

Facial liveness detection has been categorized into two branches: active and passive liveness face liveness detection SDK. These two types work together to enhance the biometric system. We can explain them one after one in detail.

Active Facial Liveness Detection

In this type of face recognition SDK, users who come to financial or other institutions are said to perform some specific functions. Try to understand, criminals mainly come with fake images and videos, and behave as real account holders. They are ordered to smile, blink their eyes, and move their heads. Now, you will say, such movements can never be achieved by such images, and criminals will be caught. We are also trying to make you understand the same thing. 

Passive Facial Liveness Detection

In this type of face recognition detection, users are checked by their skin color, texture analysis, and blood flow. Even this detection can also be done by recording the criminal’s heartbeat. It’s a little bit funny. Here, can you ever expect such facial texture from the images or even from live videos? We don’t think so……

Here, we will say one special line to tribute this system: “Not only can a fake human not pass, but even a fake sparrow can’t take the exam.”

2. Real-Time Detection

On one side, with such strict checking, the other side has real-time checking. Amazing……..

Sometimes, cyber criminals can try to manipulate the systems with pre-recorded and newly captured images. Such videos and images can easily destroy the whole system. However,  once again, liveness detection for face recognition shows its unbelievable role.

The real-time detection can easily distinguish between real and fake persons. This is because criminals attempt to commit fraud at any time of the day. However, this facial liveness detection ensures that the person is physically present and has no fake documents. Such crimes are monitored 24/7 in each institute. 

3. AI-Supported Multi-Layered Fraud Prevention

AI-supported multi-layered fraud prevention enhances the security of the biometric system by combining multiple other technologies. AI’s and ML’s sophisticated algorithms are trained to monitor the actions taken by criminals in both online and remote environments.

As discussed previously, the real-time detection is as important as oxygen and water for human beings. AI makes the facial liveness detection stronger and stronger to detect what’s happening in multiple institutions.

Furthermore, ML with its algorithms is also integrated with a detection system to perform the passive liveness detection. In short, we can say, there is no chance of committing fraud even by an expert criminal.

Where to Find Facial Liveness Detection Services?

After reviewing such a post guide, this innovation will surely brainstorm your mind, where to find its services. There are multiple websites and online platforms that provide users with the same services. However, we have brought an innovative solution for you that is superior to others. Our solution will be here with all those characteristics that have been discussed in the previous section. The solution is called Recognito. 

RECOGNITO is a top provider in identity checking, focusing on advanced face recognition technology, liveness detection to verify real-time identity, and ID document checking to confirm authenticity. The company’s solutions are well-known for their accuracy and dependability. 

Their technology is acknowledged by NIST FRVT as one of the best in face recognition. By using the latest methods, they help guarantee that identities are verified safely and effectively, providing a high level of trust and safety for users.

 

Wrapping Up

Security, security, and only security across financial and educational institutions. It is considered the top priority. However, it is a digital period, where criminals have multiple manipulative techniques to destroy the systems. However, as we all know, each virus has an antivirus.

Such an antivirus we have discussed in this blog guide is facial liveness detection. It is a technology innovation that prevents the fraud often committed by criminals using fake images and videos.

After hearing about it, many users ask for a possible solution to achieve such services. To solve their issue, we have gifted them Recognito. This platform is the top in providing face liveness detection recognition. If you also want prevention against such spoofing fraud, never forget to gain help with this innovative source.

Have you liked this blog post? If yes, provide your honest feedback and share it with others…

Meet Jamie—a compliance officer at a U.S. financial services firm regulated by FinCEN, FINRA, and the SEC. Jamie knows the stakes: missing adverse media about a potential client could lead to fines, reputational damage, or worse. But performing these checks manually often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack. Here’s how Jamie’s experience shifts when using iComply’s AML solution.

Manual Adverse Media Screening: A Complex Process

To comply with regulatory expectations, Jamie manually searches online articles, government reports, and social media for red flags like fraud, money laundering, or corruption. Each platform requires tweaking keywords and combing through endless irrelevant hits.

Overwhelming Data: Vast amounts of news, blogs, and public records make it easy to miss critical insights. Time-Consuming Tasks: Cross-referencing names with sanctions lists, PEP databases, and legal filings means hours—sometimes days—of effort. Risk of Outdated Info: By the time Jamie compiles findings, new updates might surface, requiring a re-check.

Even after all that, Jamie still has to organize the findings into an audit-ready report for internal review and potential regulatory inspections.

Adverse Media Screening with iComply: A Seamless Workflow

With iComply’s AML platform, Jamie’s adverse media screening becomes faster and more reliable:

Real-Time Data Collection: iComply automatically pulls global news, blogs, and regulatory announcements in seconds—including U.S. and international media sources. AI-Driven Precision: Advanced machine learning filters out irrelevant results, significantly reducing false positives while prioritizing high-risk alerts. Automated Cross-Checks: The system compares findings against global watchlists, sanctions databases, and adverse media archives automatically—no manual entry needed. Instant Reports: With one click, Jamie generates a comprehensive, audit-ready report with risk scores, dates, and classifications.

This streamlined process helps Jamie stay compliant with FinCEN’s AML rules, FINRA’s due diligence standards, and the SEC’s anti-fraud requirements—all without the manual guesswork.

The iComply Advantage

For Jamie, manually compiling adverse media reports used to take hours and left room for human error. With iComply, it takes minutes. The result? Faster compliance checks, reduced risks, and more time for strategic oversight.

Is your compliance team ready to simplify adverse media screening? iComply’s AML solution empowers financial institutions to meet FinCEN, FINRA, and SEC standards while making compliance faster, smarter, and more secure. Let’s make it happen.

Hey Herondians!

April has been an exciting month, and we’re eager to share some key updates with you! Your continued support and invaluable feedback are the driving force behind our improvements, and we sincerely appreciate you being with us every step of the way. Let’s dive straight into the latest developments, community happenings, and what you can look forward to!

Product Updates

This April saw the release of Herond Browser version 2.1.4 on mobile and version 2.1.5 for desktop, which are quality-of-life focused updates enhancing the Herond Wallet experience. Key improvements include:

Optimized UX for core functionalities such as [Buy], [Export private key], and [Biometric unlock], making these processes more intuitive and efficient. Revamped Portfolio charts for clearer data presentation and easier understanding of your assets. Improved translation accuracy and consistency throughout the browser. v2.1.5 updates the default VPN settings for a smoother browsing experience right out of the box.

Furthermore, this update incorporates essential security patches and subtle UI/UX refinements to ensure a smooth and secure Herond Browser experience. Your valuable feedback has been instrumental in shaping these improvements – thank you for helping us make Herond even better!

Community Events

April saw a decrease in amount but increase in quality for community events! Here’s a recap of all that took place:

Heronad Campaign

Join the adventure into the Monad ecosystem with the Heronad Campaign! This month-long series of six quests, running from April 18th to May 12th, is your chance to explore and secure some $MON before Monad goes live on mainnet.

Get ready for a variety of tasks, all with rewarding outcomes. We’ve allocated several Monadverse Chapter 1 to 6 NFT collections as grand prizes, along with over 20,000 $MON worth of gifts and opportunities to buy, earn, or win more!

Intrigued? Head over to our X for all the details and how to participate.

Action Surge – Season Three

Our vibrant Discord community kept the energy high with Action Surge – Season Three!

This season offers extended runtime and even more enticing rewards, amplified by its synergy with the Heronad campaign. You can now stay engaged with Season Three until May 12th and enjoy a wider array of options for exchanging your points.

Keep an eye out for more frequent random raffles as the campaign progresses, offering chances to win $MON and Monadverse NFTs. Ticket prices will vary depending on the prize pool.

Join our Discord server to jump into the Action Surge and try your luck!

Herond Poker Tournament

This month featured a single, highly competitive round of the Herond Poker Tournament as we focused our resources on the Heronad campaign. Despite its limited appearance, the tournament drew an impressive turnout of over 700 participants, all contesting for the 10 finalist spots. Check out the winner list here.

The regular schedule for the Herond Poker Tournament will resume after the Heronad campaign concludes on May 12th. Stay tuned for updates!

Looking Ahead

Exciting developments are on the horizon, starting with a partnership with another leading DePIN project, expected to launch in late May. Any guesses who? Think ON!

The v2.1.6 release is nearing completion for both desktop and mobile and is expected to launch before the upcoming collaboration. We’re focused on ensuring everything works as intended, and at times, fine-tuning the details takes a bit more patience to ensure the best experience.

We really appreciate you being an active part of this journey and sharing your valuable feedback. Your input helps shape Herond and keeps us moving forward. We’re always working on new ideas, improving the experience, and creating meaningful ways to connect with the 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: April 2025 Report appeared first on Herond Blog.

The post Technologies and Applications for Decentralized Identity in Healthcare appeared first on Indicio.

Auth0 + Sift integration delivers real-time, risk-based fraud detection and prevention while enabling frictionless logins for legitimate users.

For a long time, logging into a website was (perhaps still is) a bit of a mess. There’s definitely been many efforts to fix it, and though OAuth buttons and SSO integrations tried to clean things up, under the hood, “Sign in with…” is mostly a best-effort dance. You can authenticate a user, maybe even grab some claims about them, and with luck, stitch together a tolerable user experience.

How depressing that our best efforts result in “tolerable.”

Now contrast that with what happens when you click “Buy now.” That’s not best-effort. That’s a minefield of regulatory compliance, industry standards, liability frameworks, and expectations that money, actual money, will safely and instantly change hands. There’s PCI-DSS. There are 3-D Secure requirements. There’s the awkward but necessary dance of tokenization, fraud detection, and chargeback management.

When it comes to payments, the web grew up and started paying a mortgage a long time ago. When it comes to identity, we’re still pondering what it means to adult.

Times, however, they are a-changin’. The walls between the identity folks and the payments folks are getting thinner. In some cases, those walls are coming down entirely. And it’s not just because of technological convergence, though that’s part of it. It’s because users are demanding better experiences, regulators are demanding more assurance, and vendors are realizing there’s more money to be made (and saved) when you stop pretending these are two separate problems.

The silos are collapsing

Historically, the digital identity people worked over here and the payments people worked over there, each with their own browser APIs, working groups, and acronyms. It was a live-and-let-live scenario, with the occasional “You should talk to Bob in the Payments WG about that…” tossed across the W3C aisle.

That’s changing. Why?

I’m going to blame digital wallets.

Today’s digital wallets don’t just store payment cards; they also store verifiable credentials. Credentials like your driver’s license, your airplane tickets, and whatever will serve as an “I swear I’m over 18” age claim. All of these are coming together in a single UX surface, often right in the browser.

That means the web needs a new kind of interface. One where your browser can show you the secure thing you’re allowed to use at the right time, whether that’s a credit card, a credential, or some clever combination of the two.

Where the work is happening

At the W3C, two groups are particularly active in this convergence: the Federated Identity Working Group (FedID WG) and the Web Payments Working Group (WPWG). They’ve mostly stayed in their own lanes, but I think that’s going to change. Lines of communication are definitely about to get stronger.

Interested in learning more about how standards development works and how your organization might take advantage of early knowledge? I have a service for that: Inform the Standards in Digital Identity.

Federated Identity Working Group

On the FedID side, two APIs are reshaping browser-based identity:

FedCM (Federated Credential Management): Designed to reimagine the “Sign in with…” experience for a world without third-party cookies. It gives users a native browser dialog for account selection, keeping identity flows first-party and privacy-friendly. It’s going to (hopefully) make life a lot better for anyone who uses the web for social connection or as a consumer. Digital Credentials API (DC API): This is the plumbing that lets browsers relay secure information between a site, the OS, and whatever wallet is installed. Think of it as the missing piece that both enables and protects the exchange of your personal information with whatever site is asking for it. Web Payments Working Group

Over in WPWG territory, you’ll find APIs like:

Secure Payment Confirmation: A way to prompt users for strong authentication using platform authenticators (read: WebAuthn) as part of a payment flow. Secure Remote Commerce (SRC): The “Click to Pay” system championed by major card networks. It’s not quite a wallet, but it is a federation-like model: the user chooses a card stored elsewhere and completes the transaction with fewer redirects and less friction.

Now here’s the fun bit, at least from my perspective: these lines between all these APIs are starting to blur. Could FedCM be used to show a list of saved payment cards, each tied to a user identity, during checkout? Could DC API help determine whether a credentialed identity has an associated payment method?

Some of the payment players were skeptical at first (standardization! browsers in the mix! scary!). But they’re warming up, especially as they realize a smoother, privacy-preserving, first-party login experience could give them something they’ve been missing: recognition of returning users without third-party cookies.

Shared problems, shared future

What’s driving this convergence? Three shared goals:

Returning user recognition: If you’ve ever run a checkout funnel, you know: drop-off is death. Being able to recognize a returning user, without tracking cookies or forcing a login, is gold. Fraud mitigation: Whether you’re managing identity theft or card-not-present attacks, you need risk signals, device binding, and good authentication. That’s why FIDO device-bound credentials and biometric authenticators are popping up on both sides of the aisle. Strong authentication: Regulators (looking at you, PSD2) and developers alike are embracing strong, phishing-resistant authentication. FIDO2 and WebAuthn aren’t just for logins anymore; they’re showing up in payment confirmations and credential exchanges.

But payments are also dragging identity into some new territory. Think of age-gated purchases or proof-of-residency for tax calculations. These aren’t traditional payment concerns, but they’re becoming essential parts of modern transactions. And that means they’re becoming browser problems.

So who’s in charge?

Well, no one. Or maybe it’s lots of someones. It’s hard to tell, and that’s both good news and bad news.

The newly launched FIDO Alliance Payments Working Group isn’t trying to create a new standard. Instead, it’s focused on identifying what’s missing, what payments need from the rest of the stack, and finding the right home for those requirements. That could mean new work in the W3C’s Web Payments WG, or tighter coordination with the FedID WG. Or maybe something new entirely.

It’s definitely the definition of “interesting times.” It’s a time when the people who design your login experience and the people who design your checkout flow have to start talking. Not just because it’s polite, but because they’re building for the same end user, solving the same problems, and being constrained by the same browser platforms.

What to watch

If you’re building anything that touches identity or payments on the web, now’s a good time to pay attention to:

The FedCM API, which is rolling out in Chrome and being discussed across browser vendors. The DC API, which is gaining traction in wallet-based workflows. The future of Secure Payment Confirmation, which might just become the go-to method for confirming both logins and purchases. And the user experience expectations that come with digital wallets. Because the bar is no longer “functional.” It’s “frictionless.” Final thought

We’re moving from a world where identity and payments were treated as separate UX problems to one where they’re deeply entwined. That’s going to be messy, yes, but also incredibly powerful.

Because when your browser can recognize you, verify you, and let you pay, all without handing your life story to a dozen trackers or to the browser maintainer, that’s not just good UX. That’s what the web experience should have been all along.

I’m so glad to be a part of getting that much closer to something better than just tolerable.

The post Web Payments and Digital Identity are Having a Moment appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

Shyft Network, the leading decentralized compliance and identity protocol for Web3, is proud to announce its collaboration with Inocyx, a crypto infrastructure innovator reshaping India’s blockchain landscape with a focus on security, compliance, and next-generation blockchain solutions.

As part of this partnership, Inocyx will integrate Shyft Veriscope, the only frictionless FATF Travel Rule compliance solution. Veriscope enables Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to meet compliance requirements by securely requesting cryptographic proof from users’ non-custodial wallets, ensuring a seamless and private compliance process.

“This collaboration with Inocyx advances Shyft’s mission to make decentralized ecosystems more secure and compliant,” said Zach Justein, Co-founder of Shyft Network. “Together, we’re empowering institutions and developers to innovate with Web3 while ensuring privacy and meeting regulatory expectations.”

Shyft’s continued expansion in India, combined with Inocyx’s dedication to enhancing the blockchain ecosystem, represents a shared vision for building trusted, interoperable, and future-proof solutions that pave the way for the next wave of financial transformation.

About Veriscope
Veriscope is Shyft Network’s frictionless FATF Travel Rule compliance solution, enabling Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to securely request cryptographic proof from users’ non-custodial wallets. It ensures seamless compliance while upholding privacy, security, and trust in crypto transactions.

About Inocyx
Founded in 2020, Inocyx has emerged as a market leader in India, transforming the blockchain landscape with cutting-edge technology, compliance, and security. As an FIU-registered exchange and incubatee of FinBlue, Inocyx is committed to enhancing India’s crypto infrastructure and driving global innovation in the Web3 space.

Shyft Network Partners With Inocyx To Reshape India’s Crypto Landscape was originally published in Shyft Network on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Shyft Network is continuing to expand its presence in India through a new collaboration with SunCrypto, a registered Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP). As part of this partnership, SunCrypto is integrating Shyft Veriscope — the only frictionless Travel Rule compliance solution for the crypto industry.

This integration enables SunCrypto to meet global Travel Rule requirements through a decentralized, privacy-preserving framework that minimizes operational complexity while maintaining full compliance with FATF guidelines. By joining the Veriscope network, SunCrypto becomes part of a growing global community of VASPs committed to building secure and trusted infrastructure for the future of digital assets.

“India is a key region in the evolution of global crypto infrastructure, and we’re proud to support forward-thinking VASPs like SunCrypto as they lead the way in compliance and innovation,” said Zach Justein, Co-Founder of Shyft Network. “This integration reflects our commitment to building secure frameworks that protect privacy when enabling responsible growth of the digital asset ecosystem.”

SunCrypto is one of India’s early movers in the digital asset exchange space. Founded in 2019, the platform provides access to a wide range of cryptocurrencies and trading services, with a strong focus on accessibility, education, and regulatory alignment. With over one million registered users and growing, SunCrypto continues to play a role in shaping responsible crypto adoption in India.

Shyft Network’s collaboration with SunCrypto follows recent integrations across the Indian VASP ecosystem, including the previously announced partnership with Unitic. These developments reflect Shyft’s ongoing commitment to supporting local exchanges, custodians, and service providers in building future-ready compliance infrastructure through Veriscope.

About SunCrypto

SunCrypto is a trusted Indian cryptocurrency exchange, offering seamless trading across a variety of digital assets and fiat pairs, including INR. With a strong focus on security, simplicity, and regulatory compliance, the platform provides a streamlined experience for both first-time users and seasoned traders. SunCrypto upholds strict Know Your Customer (KYC) standards and offers robust safety measures for user assets and information. The platform also supports fast INR deposits and withdrawals, round-the-clock customer support, and a growing set of features designed to support responsible crypto adoption in India.

About Veriscope

Veriscope, the compliance infrastructure on Shyft Network, empowers Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) with the only frictionless solution for complying with the FATF Travel Rule. Enhanced by User Signing, it enables VASPs to directly request cryptographic proof from users’ non-custodial wallets, streamlining the compliance process. Veriscope brings trust, security, privacy, and reliability to the crypto compliance process and is a go-to solution for the leading virtual asset service providers worldwide.

Shyft and SunCrypto Collaborate to Expand India’s Trusted Infrastructure was originally published in Shyft Network on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Veracity’s Group CEO Nigel Bridges was out in Hong Kong earlier this month as part of a UK Pavilion at the third InnoEX and 21st Hong Kong Electronics Fair.

The UK Pavilion, organised by the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT), showcased cutting-edge products and solutions of Hanover Displays, The Virtual Tour Experts, unifi.id, Veracity, Johnson Controls, Arm, Paperpost Asia and Keywave Technology Limited.

The post Veracity Group CEO attends InnoEX in Hong Kong appeared first on Veracity Trust Network.

Decentralized identity has long been seen as one of the most promising, and most complex, developments in the world of digital identity. It offers the potential for individuals to control and manage their own identities, moving beyond today's siloed systems. But as adoption begins to grow, fueled in part by new regulations like eIDAS 2.0, the question remains: Can decentralized identity truly deliver on its promise?

To explore this, Dock Labs CEO Nick Lambert recently hosted a discussion with two leading experts: Charles Walton, Principal at The Agosti Group and former SVP of Identity at Avast and Mastercard, and Martin Kuppinger, Principal Analyst and Founder of KuppingerCole. Both guests brought decades of experience in digital identity and security, along with sharp insights into where decentralized identity is headed.

In this article, we break down the key takeaways from their conversation, from the opportunities and barriers ahead to the business models that could make decentralized identity sustainable.

With enterprise browsers serving as the new gateways to critical business applications and data, organizations must incorporate high levels of identity assurance to mitigate the rising risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.

HYPR, the leader in passwordless and identity verification solutions, has joined forces with Microsoft Edge for Business, the secure enterprise browser renowned for its security and productivity features. This integration provides unparalleled visibility, detects modern threats, and enforces real-time security policies at the moment of access.

By correlating signals across browsers, workstations, and mobile devices, HYPR Adapt helps organizations spot anomalies, block unauthorized access, and reduce risk – before threats escalate. The result? A stronger security posture, better compliance, and a safer workplace. The Urgent Demand for Enhanced Enterprise Browser Security

The modern workforce operates across various devices and locations, making the enterprise browser a critical control point for security. In today’s world, traditional security measures often fall short. AI-driven attacks, phishing campaigns, and social engineering tactics pose significant risks to sensitive data and systems. Organizations need a security strategy that not only protects against known threats but also adapts to new and emerging risks. This is where the HYPR + Microsoft Edge for Business integration makes a significant difference.

Key Benefits of HYPR + Microsoft Edge for Business Integration

This integration offers a range of powerful benefits designed to boost enterprise security and streamline user experience:

Unmatched Visibility: Gain comprehensive insights into user behavior and potential threats from signals from browsers and devices. HYPR’s integration delivers in-depth visibility into user activities, suspicious patterns, and potential security breaches. This visibility is vital for proactive security management and incident response. Proactive Threat Detection: Recognize and mitigate potential threats more effectively with advanced analysis of signals from all endpoints. HYPR's intelligent risk policy engine detects anomalies and security risks in real-time, enabling you to take swift action and stop breaches before they happen. Real-Time Security Enforcement: Enforce security policies instantly based on your customizable rules. HYPR Adapt enables immediate and automated response actions when potential threats are detected, significantly reducing the window of vulnerability and preventing security incidents. Such actions include requiring step-up authentication, identity re-verification, or denial of access. Unified Security Posture: Establish a consistent security posture across all devices, minimizing vulnerabilities and strengthening your overall defense. HYPR Adapt ensures that security policies are applied uniformly, regardless of the device or platform, providing full environment protection. How the Integration Works: Deep Dive into HYPR Adapt and Microsoft Edge for Business

HYPR Adapt, the policy risk engine at the core of HYPR's platform, integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Edge for Business to provide enhanced security and data protection. This integration leverages a sophisticated process to analyze user behavior and enforce security policies.

Integration Workflow: Step-by-Step

IdP Workflow: The user initiates the login process with their Identity Provider (IdP) and is redirected to HYPR for authentication.

Edge for Business Interaction: The user's enterprise browser detects a policy-configured URL and communicates its Device Trust capabilities.

HYPR Adapt Analysis: HYPR recognizes the browser's Device Trust intent and initiates a challenge-response exchange with the Microsoft Device Trust API and the user's browser.

Microsoft Device Trust API: The service responds by providing device trust signals from the user's browser and device.

Policy Decision and Enforcement: HYPR Adapt analyzes the Device Trust signals and makes an informed policy decision. This decision can result in several actions:

Allowing seamless desktop single sign-on (SSO) for a frictionless user experience.

Enforcing phishing-resistant authentication to prevent credential theft.

Requiring re-verification of user identity through HYPR Affirm for enhanced security in high-risk scenarios.

Denying access to prevent unauthorized entry.

Access Granted: If the policy allows and the user successfully completes the required authentication steps, they are granted secure access to their enterprise applications.

The HYPR + Microsoft Edge for Business integration represents a significant advancement in enterprise browser security. By combining HYPR Adapt's advanced signal collection and analysis with Microsoft Edge for Business's robust platform, organizations can achieve deep insights into user behavior, proactively detect threats, and enforce real-time security policies. 

HYPR and Microsoft Edge for Business Integration Guides and Resources

This integration empowers businesses to establish a unified security posture, minimize vulnerabilities, and meet compliance requirements with ease.

Want to learn more? Check out Microsoft’s blog for their perspective on this powerful integration here.

 

In this blog, we will add a capability to add Self-service SSO capability to your SaaS application.

28th April, Luxembourg – Tokeny, the leading onchain operating system for compliant asset tokenization, has announced a strategic partnership with the HBAR Foundation to bring compliant Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization to the Hedera network. This collaboration marks a major milestone in advancing institutional adoption of blockchain technology for regulated financial products. They’re already collaborating through the non-profit ERC-3643 Association working group to drive progress in RWA tokenization.

As institutions look to tokenize assets, from funds and equities to real estate and debt instruments, the demand for enterprise-grade solutions is accelerating. Tokeny provides proven solutions built around the ERC-3643 standard, offering financial institutions the ability to issue, manage, and distribute tokenized assets in a fully compliant and interoperable way.

By partnering with the HBAR Foundation, Tokeny expands to the Hedera network, an enterprise-grade, carbon-negative ledger governed by the world’s largest organizations. Hedera offers 2.9-second finality, $0.0001 fixed fee transaction costs, and over 70 billion transactions processed. Its hashgraph consensus is the most energy-efficient globally, as proven by University College London (UCL), using 0.000003 kWh per transaction, hundreds to thousands of times less than other networks, making it a natural fit for institutions bringing regulated assets onchain at scale.

Tokeny’s technology was designed from the start to meet the needs of institutions. Building on Hedera unlocks a powerful combination with enterprise-grade tokenization infrastructure on a network built for speed, security, and sustainability. Luc FalempinCEO at Tokeny

The HBAR Foundation, which supports innovation and growth on the Hedera network, plays a key role in scaling tokenized finance use cases. By working together, Tokeny and the HBAR Foundation aim to accelerate the adoption of tokenized financial products and bring new levels of efficiency, transparency, and compliance to capital markets.

We are thrilled to partner with Tokeny, whose solutions have already powered billions of dollars in tokenized assets. This collaboration reinforces Hedera’s position as a leader for compliant digital finance and opens the door for institutions to confidently launch tokenization strategies onchain. Sabrina TachdjianDirector of Fintech & Payments at The HBAR Foundation

With this partnership, institutions can now bring assets onto Hedera in just a few weeks using Tokeny’s white-label tokenization platform, or seamlessly integrate onchain finance APIs into their existing systems without the need for costly and time-consuming development. This partnership is driving the acceleration of institutional adoption of tokenization.

About HBAR Foundation

The HBAR Foundation is the ecosystem accelerator of Hedera, focussed on enabling breakthrough use cases across AI, tokenization, and Decentralized Finance (DeFi).

The collective power of the foundation and its network enable entrepreneurs, developers, and enterprises of all sizes to solve some of the world’s largest problems through the power of the open-source Hedera network.

Whether you’re building something new or migrating an existing EVM-based application and community, the HBAR Foundation is here to support you. For more information, please visit https://hbarfoundation.org.

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 tokenized 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.

LinkedIn | X/Twitter

The post Tokeny and HBAR Foundation Partner to Deliver Compliant, Scalable, and Green Institutional Tokenization on the Hedera Network appeared first on Tokeny.

Hey folks 👋

Here we are again - it’s time for the latest from Kin.

We’re really happy to present some much-requested features,

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

What’s new with Kin 🚀

Our dev team has been working hard on getting our new features stable and rolled out, and making your Kin the best it can be for you.

Voice Chat for all! 🎙️✨

Hotly in-demand since we released Voice Chat on Early Access for our iOS users, we’ve now finally released the same on Android!

We have had a truly awesome response to the iOS Early Access trial for Voice Chat, which has resulted in a lot of stabilization and quality-of-life updates.

Android fam, we’re hoping you can do the same for us as we ramp up to Voice Chat’s full release. You can drop your feedback in the app by taking a screenshot, or share it in Discord (or comment under this post).

So, if you’ve been waiting to have existential conversations while doing the dishes, now’s the time!

As a reminder, here’s how to test it out:

1. Update Kin to version 0.3.12 from the Google Play/The App Store
2. Tap the soundwave icon in the main input bar to talk with Kin voice-to-voice!

That’s it! We can’t wait to hear all about your experiences.

Kin can now see (pictures) 🖼️

Another hotly-requested feature, Kin now has the ability to interpret and respond to images within the Chat.

So, now you can share visual memories with Kin - or screenshot that puzzling text, confusing meme, or odd outfit choice, and ask Kin “what do you think?”

We think this will help Kin be even more helpful even more easily, and we think you’ll agree.

As always with new features, be sure to let us know if you run into any bugs, or have any further ideas by taking a screenshot of the app, or heading over to our Discord server.

Let Kin inspire you 💭

It’s never been easier to start a conversation with Kin.

At the top of the main left-hand menu now, you’ll find the ‘Kin Sessions’.

Within here are a range of quick-start conversations to have with Kin - and the entire top row are all conversations Kin thinks you’ll benefit from.

The rest provide a rich selection of topics, from helping Kin discover your love language, to Kin helping you improve your daily routine.

If you really don’t know where to start with Kin, or want to shake things up, it’s a good place to start!

Biometrics are back 🫆

And, to round off this update, is the return of another much-missed feature.

To help Kin be an even more secure steward of your thoughts and feelings, you now have the option to lock the Kin app with your phone’s biometrics.

This means that when you open the Kin app, you won’t be able to see or access any part of it without one of the fingerprints your phone accepts.

To turn this on, go to the ‘Settings’ tab from the main left-hand menu, and turn on ‘Log in with Biometrics’ at the top of the tab.

Our current reads 📚

Article: Anthropic explores the moral values of Claude, and makes the findings public
READ - Anthropic

Tool: Redhat, the company pioneering Small Language Models
READ - AI News

Article: Google Gemini can now have its amount of reasoning adjusted
READ: MIT Technology Review

Article: US facing issues over expanding power grid to cope with large-scale AI
READ: The Wall Street Journal

Our online vibe ✨

Go here to check out one of our latest videos that’s starting conversations about how to surround yourself with empathy.

This week’s super prompt 🤖

“What habits do I have around empathy?”

Guide me to explore my habits around self-empathy. Then, using my answers, explore how these habits might influence how I interact with others. Help me learn how I could improve these habits - all in simple, relatable language.

If you have Kin installed and updated to the latest version (0.3.12), click the link below to get some help discovering the way you approach empathy.

As a reminder, you can do this on both Android and iOS.

Open prompt in Kin

Keep sharing your thoughts 💡

All the feedback we’ve had so far on Kin has been instrumental to shaping it.

Keep it coming!

About the Voice Chat, the image responses, 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 ethical, personal AI.

Until next time,

The KIN team

‍

Open House — Conversation with Aergo’s CTO Shaping the Future

In this article, we would like to share what we’ve been working on, where we’re headed, and how each step ties into our broader vision. From new developments in Layer 2 technology to ecosystem expansions and strategic partnerships, our focus remains clear: building real value, step by step. Whether you’re new to our journey or have been with us from the start, this update is for you.

This time, we sat down with Matt Seo, CTO of Aergo, to discuss the future direction of Aergo and the upcoming launch of the House Party Protocol (HPP). In this conversation, Matt outlines the vision for Layer 2 and explains how Aergo Mainnet (L1) and the new HPP ETH Layer 2 (L2) will operate in parallel, ensuring a seamless transition for enterprise partners while creating new opportunities across the broader blockchain ecosystem.

Q1: What broader possibilities does the L2 expansion unlock for Aergo?

Matt Seo: One of the most exciting possibilities unlocked through this L2 expansion is the integration of intelligent data flow via AI oracles. As it stands, traditional oracles function purely as passive data relays. They deliver external information onto the blockchain without interpreting its meaning or assessing its relevance. As a result, smart contracts today are often limited to simple, static, trigger-based logic.

Q2: How do AI oracles change the future of smart contracts?

Matt Seo: AI oracles fundamentally shift the way smart contracts interact with external information. By preprocessing, parsing, and contextualizing external data before it is written on-chain, we enable smart contracts to respond dynamically to real-world conditions. This unlocks a new class of context-aware and purpose-specific smart contracts that don’t just execute predefined rules but adapt intelligently based on nuanced, real-time inputs.

It’s a necessary step if we want blockchain systems to engage meaningfully with complex external environments. Layer 2 is not just about scalability — it’s about expanding the intelligence and applicability of blockchain technology itself.

Q3: Will Aergo Mainnet continue to operate after the launch of HPP L2?

Matt Seo: Yes, absolutely. Aergo Mainnet will remain fully operational even after the introduction of the HPP token and the Layer 2 expansion. It will continue to support existing Aergo Enterprise (private/on-premise) clients without any disruption. The AERGO token will still function as a payment token on Aergo Mainnet. However, moving forward, most new public use cases and general user activity will transition away from Aergo Mainnet. Once HPP is listed on exchanges, the AERGO token may no longer be tradable for general users on those platforms.

Q4: What role will HPP ETH L2 play in the ecosystem?

Matt Seo: HPP ETH L2 will serve as the primary network for both new and current users, including enterprises seeking AI-native blockchain features and broader Web3 participants. The HPP token will serve as the primary currency for transactions, data operations, and governance within this ecosystem. It will also become the primary tradable asset listed on supporting exchanges going forward.

Q5: How will users move between Aergo Mainnet and HPP ETH L2?

Matt Seo: To ensure flexibility and user continuity, we are introducing a bridge between Aergo Mainnet and HPP ETH L2. This bridge will enable seamless migration of both data and tokens between the two networks. Our goal is to provide maximum flexibility, especially for enterprises that require a robust and adaptable infrastructure.

Q6: What is the process for AERGO token holders to migrate to HPP?

Matt Seo: First, holders of AERGO tokens, whether native tokens or ERC-20 versions, will be able to convert them to HPP tokens through the official bridge. Second, for tokens held on exchanges, the conversion will happen automatically once the exchange finalizes its integration and supports the swap.

Importantly, the conversion process will only begin after the successful launch of key technical milestones, ensuring that all stakeholders, including exchanges, enterprise partners, and the broader community, are fully aligned and ready.

Q7: How is this transition being managed to maintain user confidence?

Matt Seo: We are taking a very careful and methodical approach. Every step — from bridge deployment to token swap coordination — is being developed with security, usability, and operational continuity as top priorities. To ensure transparency, we have released a Living Calendar that outlines key milestones, and we have published the HPP whitepaper to provide a comprehensive view of the transition. We will continue to share further technical details, clear timelines, and instructions as we progress.

“From static contracts to adaptive intelligence, L2 and AI oracles are shaping the future of blockchain.”
 — Matt Seo, CTO of Aergo

Open House — Conversation with Aergo’s CTO Shaping the Future was originally published in Aergo blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In this blog we talk about how to make the internet more sustainable by using renewable energy, extending hardware lifecycles, and caching AI queries more efficiently. Learn about our strategies to build a greener internet.

The post How Tamper Detection Solutions Enhance Trust in Digital Interactions? appeared first on uqudo.

Bitcoin mining continues to be one of the most popular ways to earn from cryptocurrency, and with advancements in technology, it has become more accessible than ever. However, to maximize your profits, you need to understand the most effective mining methods and how to optimize the entire process. This guide will walk you through how to get started with Bitcoin mining in 2025, from selecting the right hardware to strategies for increasing efficiency and profits.

Learn more: Navigating the Basics of Bitcoin Network Fees

What is Bitcoin Mining?

Bitcoin mining is the process through which new bitcoins are created and transactions are verified. Unlike gold mining, Bitcoin mining involves using specialized hardware to solve complex mathematical algorithms. These algorithms help verify transactions and add new blocks to the Bitcoin blockchain. In return, miners are rewarded with Bitcoin. Understanding this process is key to starting your own mining journey.

Learn more: What Is Blockchain? Exploring Its Importance in Today’s Digital World

4 Most Effective Methods to Mine Bitcoin in 2025

While there are several ways to mine Bitcoin, not all of them are equally efficient or profitable. Below, we highlight the four most effective methods for 2025:

Mining Bitcoin with ASIC Hardware

ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) miners are specifically designed to mine Bitcoin. They offer the highest processing power and energy efficiency, making them the best option for maximizing profits. However, the initial investment is quite high, which may be a barrier for some. Popular ASIC miners like the Antminer S19 Pro can deliver outstanding performance.

Mining Bitcoin with GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

Using GPU mining is a more affordable alternative to ASIC mining. While it offers lower processing power, GPUs are versatile and can also be used for mining other cryptocurrencies. This option is ideal for beginners or those with limited budgets, though it is becoming less profitable as Bitcoin’s mining difficulty increases.

Mining Bitcoin via Cloud Mining

Cloud mining allows users to mine Bitcoin without investing in physical hardware. Instead, you lease mining power from a third-party provider. This method eliminates the need for managing hardware or worrying about energy costs. However, the tradeoff is that the profits tend to be lower, and you must share them with the service provider.

Pool Mining

Pool mining is the process of collaborating with other miners to pool resources and increase your chances of solving mining algorithms. Rewards are distributed based on the amount of computational power each participant contributes. This is a great way to earn Bitcoin consistently without requiring significant investment in hardware.

Choosing the Right Bitcoin Mining Hardware and Software

To get the best results, you’ll need to carefully select both your mining hardware and software.

Hardware: If you have the financial resources, ASIC hardware is the best option for maximizing mining efficiency. For those on a tighter budget, GPU mining can still be effective for getting started.
Software: The software you use is just as important as the hardware. Popular mining software such as CGMiner, BFGMiner, and NiceHash help optimize your mining efforts by connecting you to mining pools and ensuring your hardware is running at peak efficiency. How to Maximize Profits When Mining Bitcoin

Maximizing your profits from Bitcoin mining involves more than just having the right hardware. Here are some key strategies to consider:

Reducing Electricity Costs

Electricity costs are one of the largest expenses when mining Bitcoin. To reduce costs, consider mining in areas with lower electricity rates, using energy-efficient ASIC miners, or even exploring renewable energy options like solar power.

Increasing Computational Power

The more computational power you have, the more likely you are to solve mining puzzles and earn rewards. Upgrading your hardware to more powerful ASIC miners can significantly improve your mining capacity and profitability.

Monitoring Market Trends and Profitability

Bitcoin’s price and mining difficulty fluctuate constantly, so staying informed is essential. Use mining profitability calculators to assess whether your current setup is still effective or if adjustments are necessary to maximize your returns.

Learn more: CryptoCompare: Best Bitcoin Price Tracker 2025

Challenges in Bitcoin Mining

While mining Bitcoin can be lucrative, there are several challenges that miners must overcome:

High Initial Investment: The cost of ASIC miners and other specialized hardware can be prohibitively expensive, particularly for beginners. Electricity Costs: The energy required to mine Bitcoin is substantial, and electricity costs can eat into your profits if not carefully managed. Bitcoin Price Volatility: Bitcoin’s price can be volatile, meaning that fluctuations in the market can affect your mining profitability. Increasing Mining Difficulty: As more miners join the network, the difficulty of mining increases. This means that more powerful hardware is required to remain competitive. Competition with Large-Scale Miners: Large mining farms with access to cheap electricity and state-of-the-art equipment can often outperform smaller individual miners. Conclusion

Mining Bitcoin in 2025 can still be profitable, but it requires careful planning and the right approach. Whether you choose ASIC mining, GPU mining, or cloud mining, each method has its benefits and challenges. By selecting the right hardware and software, optimizing electricity costs, and staying informed about market trends, you can maximize your chances of success in the competitive world of Bitcoin mining.

Learn more: Bitcoin predictions: What to expect

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 Mine Bitcoin in 2025: A Beginner’s Guide to Success appeared first on Herond Blog.

Pop-up ads have become a major annoyance for smartphone users, disrupting web browsing and affecting the overall performance and security of your device. These ads often appear unexpectedly while browsing or using apps, causing frustration. If you’re tired of these interruptions, here’s a guide on how to block ads on your phone effectively in 2025.

Learn more: How to Block Ads on YouTube: 5 Easy Methods

What are Pop-Up Ads?

Pop-up ads are intrusive advertisements that appear in a new window or tab when you’re browsing the web or using an app. These ads come in many forms, such as banners, videos, or pop-ups, and are designed to grab your attention. While they may serve the advertiser’s purpose, they often disrupt the user experience and can pose potential security risks, like malware or tracking scripts.

How to Block Pop-Up Ads on Android and iPhone in 2025

To enjoy a smoother browsing experience, here are some effective ways to block pop-up ads on your phone.

Use Trusted Web Browsers with Built-in Ad Blockers

One of the simplest ways to block pop-up ads on Android and iPhone is by using web browsers that come with built-in ad-blocking features.

Herond Browser

Herond Browser provides an excellent browsing experience with powerful ad-blocking capabilities. It blocks pop-ups and banners, while also protecting you from online threats with advanced security technologies. In addition, Herond integrates a secure wallet, so you can manage digital assets directly from the browser without the need for additional apps.

Opera Browser

Opera is known for being fast, secure, and capable of blocking pop-up ads effectively. It includes a free built-in VPN to ensure privacy and protects your data by blocking third-party trackers. If you’re looking for a quick, safe, and ad-free browsing experience, Opera is a great choice.

Firefox

Firefox is another excellent option for blocking ads on your phone. It supports powerful extensions like uBlock Origin and AdBlock Plus, which can remove pop-ups, banners, and other unwanted ads. Additionally, Firefox prioritizes privacy, blocking trackers and ensuring secure browsing with SSL certificates.

Install Dedicated Ad-Blocking Apps

Beyond using browsers, installing dedicated ad-blocking apps is another effective way to block pop-up ads on your phone.

AdBlock (Android & iOS)

AdBlock is a popular app available for both Android and iOS that helps block pop-ups and video ads while browsing or using apps. It offers an easy solution to remove unwanted ads and ensure a smooth, interruption-free experience.

1Blocker (iOS)

For iPhone users, 1Blocker is an excellent choice. This app effectively removes pop-ups, banners, and trackers, ensuring that your privacy is protected while you browse the web.

Learn more: Why Should You Use an Ad-Blocking Browser? Top Best Choices Today

Update Your Browser and Apps Regularly

Keeping your browser and apps up to date is crucial for optimal ad-blocking performance. Updates improve speed, fix bugs, and enhance security by addressing vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious ads. Regular updates ensure your browser’s ad-blocking features are effective and protect your device from new threats.

Clear Browsing Data to Prevent Pop-Ups

Stored data like cookies, cached files, and browsing history can trigger pop-up ads. Clearing these regularly removes tracking information and prevents targeted ads from reappearing. This simple step helps reduce interruptions from pop-ups and ensures a smoother browsing experience.

Adjust App Notification Settings

Some apps show pop-up ads through notifications. You can control these by disabling or limiting notifications within each app’s settings. Turning off push notifications or customizing which alerts you receive can stop unwanted ads from disrupting your experience.

Benefits of Blocking Pop-Up Ads on Your Phone

Blocking pop-up ads on your phone offers several advantages that can significantly improve your browsing experience.

Improved Web Browsing Performance

Pop-up ads can significantly slow down your browsing experience by consuming both bandwidth and device resources. Every time a pop-up ad loads, it requires data to be fetched, which can delay page loading times and cause your device to lag. When you block these ads, you reduce the strain on your device and internet connection, leading to:

Faster Page Load Times: Without ads to load, web pages will open quicker, providing a more efficient and enjoyable browsing experience. More Responsive Browsing: By removing pop-up ads, you free up resources that can be used for smoother multitasking, allowing your device to operate more efficiently, especially when switching between tabs or apps. Enhanced Privacy and Security

Pop-up ads aren’t just annoying; they can also be risky. Many pop-ups come with hidden security threats like:

Malware: Some ads trick users into downloading harmful software that can damage your device or steal sensitive data. Tracking Scripts: Pop-up ads often include scripts that track your browsing habits, collecting personal information to target you with more ads. These scripts can compromise your privacy and expose you to data breaches.

By blocking pop-up ads, you effectively reduce the chances of encountering malware and prevent third parties from tracking your online activity. This keeps your personal information safe and helps maintain your online privacy.

A Clean, Distraction-Free Browsing Experience

One of the key reasons for blocking pop-up ads is to improve the overall quality of your browsing experience:

No More Interruptions: Pop-up ads often disrupt the flow of reading, watching videos, or browsing, creating frustration. Blocking them ensures that you can enjoy content without constant interruptions. A Cleaner Interface: With pop-ups removed, your screen will be less cluttered, making it easier to focus on the content that matters most to you. Conclusion

Blocking pop-up ads on your phone is essential for a more secure, faster, and enjoyable browsing experience. By using trusted web browsers with built-in ad blockers, installing dedicated ad-blocking apps, and regularly updating your apps, you can keep unwanted ads at bay. Start using these methods today to block ads on your phone and enjoy a seamless, uninterrupted browsing experience.

Learn more: Top Fast, Secure, and Best Web Browsers to Use

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 Block Pop-Up Ads on Android and iPhone in 2025 appeared first on Herond Blog.

If you’re interested in the world of cryptocurrency, Coinbase is one of the most popular platforms for buying, selling, and storing digital assets. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your crypto experience, Coinbase offers a variety of features that make it an ideal choice. In this guide, we’ll explore what Coinbase is, its pros and cons, how to use Coinbase, and much more.

Learn  more: How Social Wallet Login Is Bridging the Gap Between Web2 and Web3

What is Coinbase?

Coinbase is a digital wallet and cryptocurrency exchange platform that allows users to buy, sell, and store various cryptocurrencies. It’s one of the most trusted platforms in the crypto space, known for its easy-to-use interface and robust security features. Coinbase supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and many more, making it an ideal platform for anyone looking to enter the world of digital assets.

Learn  more: Browser-Based Wallets: Quick and Easy Access to Your Crypto

Pros and Cons of Using Coinbase

Before diving into how to use Coinbase, it’s important to understand both the advantages and limitations of the platform.

Pros of Coinbase User-friendly Interface
Coinbase is designed to be easy for beginners to navigate. The platform’s layout is simple, allowing users to quickly buy, sell, and track their cryptocurrencies. This makes it ideal for those new to crypto trading. Strong Security Features
Coinbase offers strong security measures to protect user assets. With two-factor authentication (2FA) and encryption, Coinbase ensures your account and funds remain safe from unauthorized access. Wide Range of Cryptocurrencies
Coinbase supports a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and more. This makes it easy for users to diversify their portfolios and store different types of digital assets all in one place. Educational Resources
Coinbase offers comprehensive tutorials and resources to help new users understand the basics of cryptocurrency, trading, and how to use the platform effectively. Cons of Coinbase High Transaction Fees
One of the main drawbacks of Coinbase is its relatively high transaction fees. Compared to other platforms, the fees can add up, especially if you’re making frequent small transactions. Complex for New Users
While the interface is user-friendly, some of Coinbase’s more advanced features, such as Coinbase Pro, can be confusing for beginners. It may take some time to get used to advanced trading options. Limited Country Support
Coinbase is not available in all countries, and some features may not be accessible in certain regions, limiting its global reach. Exploring Coinbase Features

Coinbase offers a range of features designed to meet the needs of both beginner and advanced cryptocurrency users. Let’s take a closer look at two key features: Coinbase Wallet and Coinbase Pro.

Coinbase Wallet: Store Your Crypto Safely Overview of Coinbase Wallet (Non-Custodial, Supports Multiple Coins)

Coinbase Wallet is a non-custodial wallet, which basically means you’re in full control of your crypto. Unlike the Coinbase exchange, where they hold the keys to your assets, Coinbase Wallet lets you manage your own private keys and funds. This is perfect for anyone who wants to take charge of their digital assets and not rely on a third party. Plus, it’s not just about Bitcoin – Coinbase Wallet supports a bunch of cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Litecoin, and ERC-20 tokens, and it lets you dive into the world of decentralized finance (DeFi) and NFTs with ease.

How to Set Up and Use the Wallet for DeFi and NFTs

Setting up Coinbase Wallet is simple and user-friendly:

Download the Coinbase Wallet App: Begin by downloading the Coinbase Wallet app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Alternatively, you can use the browser extension for desktop use. Create a Wallet: Open the app and follow the prompts to create a new wallet. You’ll be asked to write down your recovery phrase — a set of words that will allow you to restore your wallet if you lose access. Make sure you store this recovery phrase securely, as it’s essential for wallet recovery. Fund Your Wallet:  Once your wallet is created, you can transfer funds from your Coinbase exchange account (or other exchanges) into your Coinbase Wallet. You can send cryptocurrencies to your wallet by copying your wallet’s address and pasting it into the sending platform’s withdrawal section. Interacting with DeFi Platforms: Coinbase Wallet makes it easy to interact with various DeFi platforms. You can connect your wallet to decentralized applications like Uniswap (a decentralized exchange) or Compound (a lending platform). From within the wallet app, you can directly access these platforms, swap tokens, provide liquidity, or participate in yield farming. Buying and Storing NFTs: Coinbase Wallet also supports NFTs, allowing you to buy, store, and display digital collectibles. You can connect your wallet to NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea or Rarible to browse, purchase, and store your NFTs securely. Your NFTs will be visible in your wallet’s “Collectibles” section, making it easy to manage your digital art collection.

By using Coinbase Wallet, you have full control over your assets, and you can explore the world of DeFi and NFTs with ease and security.

Coinbase Pro: Advanced Trading

Coinbase Pro is a more advanced version of the Coinbase platform, designed for experienced traders who require more sophisticated tools for buying and selling cryptocurrencies. While Coinbase is perfect for beginners with its simple interface, Coinbase Pro offers additional features and lower fees, making it a suitable choice for those who want to engage in more complex trading strategies.

Key Features of Coinbase Pro Lower Fees: Coinbase Pro offers lower transaction fees than Coinbase, using a maker-taker model where makers pay less than takers, reducing costs for frequent traders. Advanced Charting and Market Data: Coinbase Pro provides real-time charts, technical indicators, and volume data, helping traders analyze market trends more effectively. Limit and Stop Orders: Users can place limit and stop orders on Coinbase Pro, allowing for automated strategies and better trade management. Supported Cryptocurrencies: Coinbase Pro supports more cryptocurrencies, including altcoins not available on Coinbase, catering to advanced traders. API Access: Coinbase Pro offers API access for automated trading and integration with third-party tools, ideal for algorithmic traders. How to Use Coinbase Pro Sign Up and Link Your Account: To use Coinbase Pro, you first need to create a Coinbase account. Once you have a Coinbase account, you can easily link it to Coinbase Pro. After linking your accounts, you can transfer funds between Coinbase and Coinbase Pro seamlessly. Depositing Funds: Just like with Coinbase, you can deposit funds into Coinbase Pro using various payment methods, including bank transfers and cryptocurrency deposits. Placing Orders: Once your account is funded, you can start placing orders. The interface allows you to choose between market orders (which execute immediately at the best available price), limit orders, and stop orders. You can also set up recurring buys for convenience. Monitoring Your Trades: Coinbase Pro offers real-time monitoring of your trades and account balances. You can track your portfolio’s performance, view open orders, and check your trade history for any past transactions. Is Coinbase safe? Evaluating the Security of Coinbase

A common concern when using any digital wallet is security. So, is Coinbase safe? The answer is yes. Coinbase is known for its robust security measures to protect your assets from theft. It uses SSL encryption to secure your personal data and transactions. Additionally, two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of protection when logging into your account.

However, even with Coinbase’s strong security, it’s still important for users to stay vigilant. Be sure to use a strong, unique password and never share your login details with anyone. Also, pay attention to any security alerts from Coinbase to avoid phishing scams or the risk of losing your personal information.

Learn  more: What is Crypto Wallet and How to Use Them Safely

Conclusion

Coinbase is a great platform for anyone looking to get into cryptocurrency. It’s easy to use, secure, and supports a wide range of coins. Whether you’re just starting or want to get into more advanced trading, Coinbase has tools that will fit your needs. From the simple Coinbase Wallet to the more advanced Coinbase Pro, you can manage your crypto easily and safely. Just make sure to stay careful with your login details and use strong passwords.

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 A Complete Guide to Using Coinbase: Tips for Beginners appeared first on Herond Blog.

Keywords

RSA Conference, Identity Security, AI in Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Trends, Identity Management, Funding in Cybersecurity, Observability, AI Security, Cyber Threats, Identity Protection, cybersecurity, identity protection, AI trends, discovery, observability, response strategies, browser security, identity security, ITDR, innovation

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to RSA Conf 2025 and Anticipation

03:01 The Importance of Identity at RSA

05:55 AI's Role in Cybersecurity

08:55 Challenges in AI Security

11:58 Funding Trends in Identity Protection

15:04 Observability in Identity Management

25:31 The Importance of Discovery in Cybersecurity

28:02 Innovative Approaches to Identity Protection

35:12 Emerging Trends in AI and Identity Security

41:03 The Future of AI in Cybersecurity

Links

AuthMind Funding Round Push Security Funding Round Unosecur Funding Round

A year ago, we launched Truvera’s monetizable credentials, an approach to making verified data reusable and sustainable. At the time, it felt like uncharted territory. Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to test our model in the real world, gather meaningful feedback, and speak with teams exploring different paths.

This post, written by Richard Esplin, Dock Labs’ Head of Product, is a reflection on what we’ve learned so far. 

It shares the reasoning behind the key decisions we made, what options we considered, the trade-offs involved, and why we ultimately chose this path. 

Our goal isn’t to offer the “right” answer, but to contribute to the ongoing conversation by sharing a perspective shaped by real-world implementation.

In our recent live event with Jamie Smith, one of the most fascinating ideas discussed was how AI agents will soon act on our behalf, interacting directly with organizations’ AI agents. 

But there’s a big problem:

👉 How can businesses trust that an AI agent is genuinely acting on behalf of a real person?

This is where digital ID wallets and verifiable credentials come in.

In part two of the Cosmic-X blogpost series, we explained how we use the Secret Network blockchain and a custom Wallet Service to ensure the integrity and privacy of machine-generated data in Industry 4.0 environments. In this final part, we’ll show how we integrated the Wallet Service with live machines from SW and an AI service from inovex. Together, they power a proof-of-concept demonstrator for secure and accurate anomaly detection in machine components.

Visualizing Sensor Data

The demonstrator has three core features. First, the data exploration tool lets you visualize sensor data from three different machines. For granularity, you can filter by machine, component, sensor, and the timeframe you want to monitor.

Verification & Anomaly Detection

Next, the anomaly detection feature, coupled with data integrity verification. Like before, you can filter by machine, component, sensor, and timeframe. Additionally, you choose from three anomaly detection algorithms—Local Outlier Factor (LOF), DBSCAN, and Isolation Forest—and adjust their hyperparameters. After that, once you lock in your configuration and submit the query, the system fetches data from a central time series database. It then converts the data into the standardized format described in our previous post.

To ensure trust, the Wallet Service verifies the dataset by comparing a freshly generated fingerprint to the one anchored on the blockchain. It uses the standardized batchID for this lookup. If the fingerprints match, the AI service proceeds with the anomaly detection. Whenever the number of anomalies exceeds a defined threshold, the system flags the component as worn out. Consequently, it submits an automatic spare part order to the ERP systems of the manufacturer and the customer.

Data Integrity Log

In this demonstrator, users manually trigger the configuration and execution of the anomaly detection. In contrast, a production system would automate and continuously run these steps. The third feature is a data integrity log to give users better visibility of what is happening. This audit trail has three levels: At the top level, it shows the health status of each machine and the last verified batch used for anomaly detection.

Next, it breaks down each machine into components, displaying health statistics for each

Finally, it presents detailed logs of every anomaly detection run and whether the data integrity check succeeded.

As we wrap up this blog post series, what began as a technical experiment has evolved into something much broader. It points toward a future of industrial intelligence that values transparency and built-in trust. By embedding trust directly into machine data and equipping AI with verified information, we do more than detect anomalies. We enable machines to communicate, collaborate, and maintain themselves. Ultimately, this proof of concept is a first step toward an Industry 4.0 landscape that is autonomous, secure, and transparent, where trust is not an afterthought but a foundation.

Curious how our blockchain-based data-integrity solution can help your business? Check out our one-pager for a quick overview of its key benefits!

The post Trusted Anomaly Detection with Blockchain and AI appeared first on DATARELLA.

Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union, Canada’s largest credit union, leverages technological innovations to maintain industry leadership. "Identity is at the heart of everything we do," says Steve Pedersen, VP of Cyber and Information Security at Coast Capital. For nearly eight years, Pedersen has led the security technology charge, using identity as a competitive advantage. "Coast Capital's purpose is to build better futures by unlocking financial opportunities and growing income for people and businesses in Canada," Pedersen states. Here’s how Coast Capital uses identity to achieve this goal.

The post Mythics, LLC Acquires Technology and Consulting Enterprise, Smart ERP Solutions, Inc, to Globally Expand Oracle Cloud Capability and Service Offerings appeared first on Mythics.

Predictoor DF138 rewards available. DF139 runs Apr 24 — May 1st, 2025 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 138 (DF138) has completed.

DF139 is live today, April 24. It concludes on May 1st. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3,750 OCEAN rewards and 20,000 ROSE rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF139 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 DF139

Budget. Predictoor DF: 3.75K 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.

DF138 Completes and DF139 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Key insights from Streaming Summit 2025: bundling, discovery, and monetization strategies in the evolving streaming landscape.

Does your research data management (RDM) platform easily support research data sovereignty, facilitate cross-jurisdictional collaboration, and regulatory compliance?

We’re happy to announce Season 12 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 12 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: 23rd of April— 23rd of May 12:00 PM UTC

🤔How Can You Participate?

Follow this link to join and earn:

https://zealy.io/cw/oceanprotocol/questboard

Season 12 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 post Modernizing Your Legacy Identity Infrastructure is Finally Possible appeared first on Radiant Logic.

Meet Emily—a compliance officer managing KYC processes for an international financial firm. Like many businesses, her firm relies on multiple third-party tools, each with its own subprocessors scattered across various countries. Every time a new customer submits their documents, the data embarks on a long and risky journey—hopping across networks, servers, and regions before returning as a completed KYC profile.

But what if that journey could be shorter, safer, and entirely within the organization’s control? Enter edge computing—a game-changer that keeps sensitive data local, secure, and compliant. Here’s a closer look at the difference it makes.

The Legacy KYC Data Journey

Emily’s current KYC process starts with a customer uploading identification documents through a third-party portal. These documents travel to cloud-based services for validation and verification, often crossing borders and passing through international subprocessors.

Each stop introduces new risks:

Data Exposure: Sensitive information is transmitted over multiple networks. Jurisdictional Complexity: Different data privacy regulations apply at each stage. Increased Latency: Every transfer adds time, creating frustrating delays for customers and compliance teams alike.

When regulations like GDPR or U.S. Data Privacy Framework require local data storage, this scattered process becomes a compliance headache—and a potential security vulnerability.

The Edge Computing KYC Data Journey

Now imagine the same process using edge computing. When Emily’s customer uploads their documents, something different happens:

Local Processing: The data is encrypted, authenticated, and validated on the customer’s device or a nearby edge node before it leaves the network. Direct Transfer: Once verified, only the necessary data is securely sent to Emily’s local server, staying within jurisdictional boundaries. Faster Decision-Making: No detours through third-party subprocessors or distant cloud servers—just fast, secure compliance processing.

With edge computing, Emily’s KYC process is not only faster but also privacy-focused, meeting data localization laws without added complexity​​.

Key Benefits of Edge Computing for KYC Compliance Data Sovereignty by Design
Edge computing keeps customer data within required jurisdictions, making compliance with data localization laws seamless. No international subprocessors, no regulatory gray areas—just clear control over where and how data is handled​. Stronger Security
By encrypting and validating documents at the source, edge computing minimizes data exposure during transmission. Sensitive information never travels unsecured through multiple systems, drastically reducing the attack surface​​. Reduced Latency and Costs
Processing data locally means faster verification times—often within seconds. This eliminates the lag caused by data bouncing between external servers and cuts cloud storage and transmission costs.

The Future of Compliance Is Edge-Based

For Emily’s firm, the switch to edge computing transformed KYC from a risky journey to a secure, streamlined experience. Customers appreciated faster onboarding, while Emily’s team gained confidence in their compliance processes, knowing sensitive data stayed secure and audit-ready.

Are you ready to take control of your compliance data journey? With iComply’s edge computing solutions, you can enhance privacy, reduce risks, and future-proof your compliance strategy. Let’s redefine compliance together.

👑 🤝 Partnership Highlight Safle x Puffverse: A Game-Changer for Web3 Gaming

We’re excited to announce our newest partnership with Puffverse A vibrant gaming multiverse reimagining fun in the decentralized world. Together, we’re set to revolutionize onboarding and identity in gaming by embedding Safle’s Unified ID and wallet infrastructure directly into the Puffverse ecosystem.

👉 Read the official announcement 👀

This collaboration marks another strong step forward in simplifying access, reducing friction, and powering player-first experiences in Web3.

📣 Marketing Highlights Plugged into LinkedIn to power up visibility and connect with the builders shaping the future. Unpacking how Safle is solving clunky onboarding and identity fragmentation once and for all. 🛠 Product Updates

Unified ID

✅ Smart contracts in testing ⚙️ Cross chain Relayers and indexers actively under development

Embedded Wallets

✅ React-based demo app completed 🚧 Developer version ready for integration testing

We’re laying the foundation for frictionless, identity-first, wallet-native gaming designed to plug directly into the games players love.

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

The Safle Team

More updates coming soon! 💫

 

GN HEARTLAND

How much you wanna bet the same journalists who slandered the Star Wars prequels are now spitting out trade war headlines like Battle Droids? Fair-weather fans. We’ve been ride or die for trade dispute discourse since 1999.

— playhaus

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+17.61%

$148.47

Helium ($HNT)

+14.08%

$3.81

Pyth ($PYTH)

+20.13%

$0.15

Raydium ($RAY)

+23.63%

$2.64

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 4.22.25)

Tariffs, Trade Wars, and Tokenomics

The US-China trade war isn’t just soybeans and semiconductors anymore. It has become a macroeconomic chess match with far-reaching consequences — and yes, even crypto’s starting to feel the ripple effects.

As the Trump administration dials up tariffs on Chinese goods in 2025, and Beijing retaliates in kind, industries on both sides of the Pacific are bracing for impact. But amid the chaos, there’s a rising signal in the noise. Web3 is quietly becoming a pressure valve, and Liquidity Pool Financing (LPF) might just be one of the breakout stars.

New US tariffs on Chinese tech, green energy components, and electric vehicles are reaching 145%. China is countering this with retaliatory tariffs of up to 125% and strategic export controls. Traditional finance (TradFi) is caught in the middle, with cross-border capital flows tightening and investor confidence rattled.

But decentralized finance (DeFi) doesn’t care about borders. On-chain liquidity doesn’t wait for central banks to approve a wire transfer. As global tensions fragment the old financial order, the permissionless nature of DeFi could find itself not just resilient, but essential.

Liquidity pools are the decentralized engine rooms of web3. At their simplest, they’re smart contracts where users deposit assets to enable trading, lending, and yield generation. But zooming out, LPs are a blueprint for programmable capital in a world where cross-border finance is increasingly politicized.

Imagine US-based manufacturers cut off from low-interest Chinese lending. Or Chinese startups blocked from dollar-based VC funding. LPF offers a workaround. Need working capital? Tokenize invoices and collateralize against stablecoins. Want exposure without political baggage? LPs enable pseudonymous lending — no passport checks required. Capital flight? Meet capital fluidity.

DeFi liquidity pools offer three distinct advantages in a tariff-fractured world:

Neutral ground: No SWIFT codes, no sanctions. Just code.

Real-time settlement: Capital moves at block speed, not bank hours.

Global participation: Anyone, anywhere, can LP, borrow, or build.

And the cherry on top? Yields. Unlike TradFi, LPs reward participants with real-time returns, often via governance tokens or LP fees. Access, and upside.

However, it goes without saying that web3 is not immune to its own landmines:

Regulatory uncertainty: The same governments waging tariff wars are still trying to define DeFi in courtrooms.

Smart contract risk: One bad line of code, and your liquidity is toast.

On-chain volatility: Markets move fast, and liquidity can vanish faster.

LPF isn’t a silver bullet — but it might be a bullet train compared to the horse-and-buggy pace of traditional trade finance.

TL;DR: The US-China tariff war is reshaping global finance. But in web3, where code is law and liquidity knows no borders, opportunity is brewing. If the old system is fragmenting, the next one might just be forged on-chain.

— Muhammed

Crypto Got Its Hermes Wings

I’d been anxiously awaiting SUI’s big announcement about “the largest consumer platform in America (later the world)” onboarding. Instead, I get this curveball: the Athens Stock Exchange (ATHEX), Greece’s financial titan, is going full web3 by choosing SUI to power their electronic book building (EBB) system.

Did I read that right? A national stock exchange embracing blockchain? That’s like your grandpa swapping his flip phone for a VR headset.

Let’s break down why this could shake up finance forever.

ATHEX, Greece’s go-to market for stocks and bonds, just teamed up with Mysten Labs — the minds behind SUI $SUI.X ( ▼ 6.49% ) — to bring their EBB process on-chain. EBB is how companies raise capital (think IPOs or bonds). ATHEX becomes the first national exchange to go public-chain with this. Mysten’s co-founder Adeniyi Abiodun even called it “a new era.”

This move promises faster trades, lower costs, and crystal-clear transparency. No more middlemen. If it works, it’s a billboard to the world that crypto tech can hang with the big dogs — maybe even turn some Wall Street heads.

Imagine trading stocks like tokens on a DEX: seamless, instant, fully on-chain. Tokenized bonds, simplified investing. A SUI blog even dubbed it “a first for on-chain order books.”

Regulations are always trickyn — especially for national exchanges. And SUI will need to prove it can handle ATHEX’s $15–$50M in daily volume. For reference, SUI’s already processed $626M daily with 65 million transactions in a single day. But a structured exchange? That’s a whole new beast. Security’s key, and SUI’s built in Move, one of the safest languages out there.

ATHEX isn’t massive enough to swamp SUI, but it’s no lightweight either. $10B in EBB issuance over five years makes it an ideal proving ground. If SUI thrives here, scaling to even bigger markets is in reach.

SUI’s engineered for speed and scale. Mysten Labs has a $300M+ war chest and ex-Facebook Diem engineers who’ve built for the big leagues. They’re even boots-on-the-ground in Athens, working shoulder-to-shoulder with ATHEX. Their CEO called SUI “uniquely positioned” for this mission.

The final platform, launched April 2025, includes zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). That means you can verify things like bids without revealing them — privacy, security, and compliance in one swoop. First fully on-chain stock order book. Huge.

It’s a big day when TradFi and DeFi go from stiff competition to team sport. Yeah, there are hurdles, but if this works, it’s a game-changer. I’m watching like it’s the playoffs. Crypto just got its Hermes wings.

— Branden

Patently Cumbersome

What do NFTs and intellectual property (IP) laws have in common?

I wish I had a good punchline for you, but I’m a data scientist, not a comedian. All I got for you are more buzzwords.

The answer: they are both governance methods for property that is often hard to own, like a brandmark, an image, a sound, a song, or a systems diagram. It got lost in the “right-click-save” discourse of the 2021 boom, but this is exactly why NFTs came onto the scene in 2018, leveraging the power of smart contracts and distributed recording ledger technology to evolve the worlds of IP.

Like most mass movements, as soon as the majority of the population is in on it, the narrative redirects and the revolutionary momentum is lost. (It’s better to find a band before they’re cool than after they’ve sold out.) Hence why, today, many only view NFTs as a get rich quick ponzi scheme. And, for the vast majority of projects in the collective consciousness, it is effectively just that.

After NFTs exploded into the mainstream in February 2021, headlines very quickly faded from artists like Beeple to con artist collectives like the Bored Ape Yacht Club and DeGods, who’ve swindled the masses out of millions while providing little more than a Walmart Fyre Festival — a mini music festival without any of the actual acts, but all of the intoxicants. And while membership passes are a great primitive use case for NFTs, their real power is in transforming data system architectures like the ones that power most of the websites and apps you interact with every day.

That’s where IP rights come in. Many supporters argue that capitalism, innovation, and our most recent innovation cycles — beginning with the industrial revolution — are all fundamentally tied to the idea of ownership rights. Inventors need to be able to own their products, they say, as a way to incentivize innovation and reward those who create new and useful solutions to everyday problems.

I certainly don’t disagree with the premise of that take, nor the clear impact it’s had. My position is simply that, in the age of AI, those laws are archaic, cumbersome, and a bottleneck to the future of problem solving.

The long and short of it is that AI is Pandora’s Box. Sam Altman, in all his eternal wisdom, opened it. There is no deconstructing the replicant LLMs that have been built off of essentially stolen data. But that is also the nature and requirement of the technology to exist — it needs the corpus of human knowledge in its current best state to be its teacher. So now that the LLM irrevocably does exist, what do property rights look like moving forward?

Think of it this way: AI can see all the existing patents, their supporting research, and the spaces in between. That’s how embeddings work. They are mathematical reductions of a concept, and their output is always novel, in the same way that one painting is always the same but each individual person will describe it differently. In other words, AI takes the concept of patent arms race to stalemate levels, all at the expense of the people who would benefit from the solutions.

So while I love the idea of owning an idea, it’s more likely that our future will look like chain-supported provenance, with individuals receiving a bibliographical citation for inspiring the discovery of the creation, rather than full-on ownership of it. As far as paths to monetization go, I personally believe that citation can be sufficient for building a business moat around being the inventor of something novel, while amplifying the other benefit of IP, creating pressure to innovate and improve to stay ahead of worthy competitors.

— El Prof

The post 48 – L(P)FG appeared first on playhaus TV.

For an AI agent to have agency — to act on data — it must have access to personal data. That means proving that it is a legitimate agent and getting permission to use a person’s data, instantly, seamlessly.

By Trevor Butterworth

Agentic AI promises to revolutionize digital interaction. Much like a human travel agent (although that may be a concept as familiar to some as a rotary phone), agentic AI gets us where we want to go online by taking our instructions and parameters and delivering solutions instantly.

An AI agent operates autonomously, negotiates multistep workflows, uses a “reasoning engine” to make decisions, adapts to its environment and new information, and interacts with databases and software  to achieve its goal — all without being piloted by a human.

If we’re going to use AI agents to achieve our goals, we’re going to need to give the agent permission to use our information. And the organization providing us with access to an AI agent is going to need to know that their agent has authenticated who we are and that the information we’re sharing is authentic and not fake. 

The alternative is chaos.

However, there is a simple solution to these challenges, one that leverages the rapid evolution in interoperable, decentralized identity technology.

 

1. Let’s start with access:

1. When a person uses a Verifiable Credential to login to a web-based AI Agent, Proven checks to see who the credential was issued by. For example, in the case of a Digital Passport Credential issued by an airline, the airline would confirm that it was the issuer of the credential, or that another approved issuer within a given ecosystem had issued the credential.

2. The person doesn’t need to manually enter login data to prove who they are. The person’s digital wallet software (where the credential is stored) creates a presentation that enables seamless authentication (using cryptography).

3. This mutual authentication takes place before any data is shared. 

Benefits

The AI Agent’s host system doesn’t need to store login or password information for users, removing a risk of identity theft from a data breach. The credential is cryptographically bound to the credential issuer, so it can’t be faked. The credential is cryptographically bound to the person it has been issued to, their digital wallet, and their device. It cannot be shared or stolen. Mutual authentication is instant. 2. Now, the AI agent asks for personal data:

1. The AI agent asks for permission to access the data in the credential.

2. The person consents to share their data.

3. The consent can be recorded for auditing.

Benefits

Explicit consent to data sharing is vital to meet the stringent requirements of data regulation on AI, especially in relation to the European Union’ GDPR.  The person has control over access to their personal data. They do not have to share it, They can opt out of using the AI agent. This control is vital for public confidence in agentic AI. 3. The person shares the data in their credential:

1. All the data in the credential is digitally signed, so the AI agent (and its host) can be certain it has not been altered.

2. Data can be shared selectively by the person, ensuring the AI agent receives only the necessary information to achieve its goal, meaning it can meet GDPR requirements for data and purpose minimization.

Benefits

The person doesn’t have to manually input the basic information needed for the AI agent to achieve its goal. For example, once permission is granted, the AI Travel Agent can instantly ingest a person’s name, address, loyalty program number, booking reference, flight number, passenger number, whether their passport is valid for at least six months, seat preferences etc. Different data can be combined and ingested from multiple credentials. This is just the start of the AI agent’s Verifiable Credential journey

Verifiable Credentials enable AI agents to perform efficiently and effectively, while delivering state-of the art digital identity privacy and security. These are simple, low cost steps that accelerate usability and provide consumer and regulatory confidence. 

But we can do more!

In the next blog, we’ll look at how Verifiable Credential workflows can provide a foundation for AI Agents to really flex their intelligence.

If you want to know more about Proven and how to implement the systems described in this blog, contact our team here.

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

The post Proven for AI: Verifiable Credentials enable AI agents to perform efficiently, effectively. appeared first on Indicio.

Not that long ago, non-human identities (NHIs) were governed by neglect; provisioned manually, tied to a cron job or batch script, maybe mentioned in a change ticket, and rarely touched again. No formal lifecycle, no regular reviews, and certainly no clear ownership. If you remembered to rotate the password once a year, you were ahead of the game.

That kind of ad hoc governance may have been tolerable in the on-prem world, but it doesn’t hold up in today’s environments. NHIs now sit at the heart of everything from cloud orchestration to API transactions. They scale faster than humans, act autonomously, and often outnumber user accounts by orders of magnitude.

Modern systems rely on NHIs—workloads, APIs, containers, data pipelines—to function. They’re created and destroyed in seconds. They make privileged requests across systems. And they rarely show up in traditional access review processes.

So who’s responsible for these identities?

Governance Models for NHIs

One of my colleagues takes a hardline view of NHI governance: every NHI should have a named human owner, just like every user account. It’s a familiar model, and it works, up to a point. But as infrastructure gets more complex, ownership becomes less about people and more about systems. Since I’m not convinced human ownership always works for NHIs, I wanted to dig a bit deeper. This blog post is the result.

Here are five governance models I think exist in the world, sometimes combined, sometimes purely their own thing. These are more my notes on the subject rather than a narrative post; I’d love your feedback as to any models I might have missed.

Want to stay updated? I write about digital identity and related standards—because someone has to keep track of all this! Subscribe to get a notification when new blog posts go live. No spam, just announcements of new posts. [Subscribe here] 

Human Stewardship: One Bot, One Human

Core idea: Every NHI is assigned a human owner who is responsible for managing its lifecycle and reviewing its access.

Example:
An integration with a payroll vendor uses a service account in your HR system. That account is assigned to the Payroll Manager, who gets pinged during quarterly access reviews to confirm it’s still needed and appropriately scoped.

Strengths:

Fits with existing IAM workflows Clear accountability Easier to audit

Limitations:

Doesn’t scale for environments with thousands of NHIs Owners often approve access by default, without understanding the technical context Orphaned NHIs become a problem when owners leave Functional Ownership: Tied to Role, Not Person

Core idea: Instead of a specific individual, ownership is assigned to a team or function based on operational responsibility.

Example:
Your DevOps team owns a CI/CD pipeline that deploys applications. The workload identity used by that pipeline is assigned to “Platform Engineering” in your IAM system or tagging scheme, not to a specific engineer.

Strengths:

Reflects how teams work today Works well for shared tools or infrastructure Reduces the need to reassign identities when staff change

Limitations:

Diffuses accountability if the team structure is unclear Requires coordination when multiple teams interact with the same identity Less effective when “function” and “ownership” don’t align Autonomous Lifecycle: Let the System Handle It

Core idea: NHIs are provisioned and deprovisioned automatically based on policies and runtime conditions—no human or team is directly assigned.

Example:
A containerized function spins up during an event-driven workflow in your payment processing system. It generates a short-lived identity for that execution context, with permissions scoped to the task. When the function completes, the identity is destroyed.

Strengths:

Extremely scalable Limits exposure by minimizing identity lifespan Reduces human error

Limitations:

Requires robust automation and observability Tougher to audit, especially for compliance Policy misconfigurations can be hard to detect GitOps Ownership: The Code Is the Owner

Core idea: NHIs are defined in code repositories, and the team that owns the repo is responsible for the identity.

Example:
An engineering team defines workload identities in Kubernetes YAML files managed through Git. Any changes to identity permissions must go through a pull request. The team that maintains the repository is responsible for keeping identities secure and aligned with policy.

Strengths:

Aligns with DevSecOps and infrastructure-as-code practices Makes governance auditable and version-controlled Scales with engineering workflows

Limitations:

Repo ownership doesn’t always reflect operational ownership Policies may drift if teams copy or fork configurations Developers may overlook security settings unless guardrails are in place Tag-Driven Governance: Metadata Rules Everything

Core idea: NHIs are governed through tags or labels that define ownership, sensitivity, environment, and other attributes used to drive policy.

Example:
An S3 bucket access role is tagged with env=prod, team=data, and owner=email@example.com. IAM automation tools use those tags to apply access restrictions, retention policies, and monitoring rules. When the owner tag changes, alerts are sent for review.

Strengths:

Enables scalable policy enforcement Supports dynamic environments and multi-cloud deployments Works well with automation frameworks like Terraform or Pulumi

Limitations:

Inconsistent tagging undermines policy enforcement Requires disciplined tagging practices across teams Can be bypassed if not integrated with enforcement mechanisms Why NHI Governance Matters

These models aren’t mutually exclusive. Most organizations end up with a mix:

Human ownership for persistent, high-risk identities Functional or Git-based ownership for shared infrastructure Automated governance for ephemeral workloads Tag-driven policies to tie everything together

That said, there’s a reason I’m researching this: non-human identity governance needs to be more strict than human identity governance. That’s not because machines are less trustworthy: it’s because they’re faster, quieter, and far more prolific. A misconfigured workload identity can do a lot of damage before anyone notices.

Think back to the BeyondTrust breach. A single, static API key—tied to an NHI with no clear governance—led to a major incident. The problem wasn’t just the key. It was the absence of lifecycle controls, automation, and ownership.

Rethinking IAM from the Ground Up

Managing NHIs well doesn’t just reduce risk. It also gives us a roadmap for what modern IAM could look like—automated, policy-driven, and flexible enough to work across platforms.

Standards like SPICE, WIMSE, and SCITT are laying the foundation for better tools and better governance models. But even without those in place, there’s work we can do now:

Review your NHI inventory Assign ownership or implement tag-based policies and be consistent about it Identify where automation can reduce standing privilege Align NHI access with actual workflows, not ideals Summary Table: Governance Models for NHIs ModelBest ForWatch Out ForHuman StewardshipPersistent, high-risk service accountsDoesn’t scale; risk of orphaned identitiesFunctional OwnershipTeam-managed infrastructureFuzzy boundaries; unclear accountabilityAutonomous LifecycleEphemeral, event-driven workloadsAuditing and monitoring complexityGitOps OwnershipIaC, DevSecOps environmentsDrift between config and realityTag-Driven GovernanceMulti-cloud, large environmentsTag inconsistency; enforcement blind spots Want to Go Deeper?

You might also like:

Understanding NHIs: Key Differences Between Human and Non-Human Identities The Challenges and ROI of Verifiable Credentials in Enterprise Use Cases

The post Who Owns the Bots? Rethinking Governance for Non-Human Identities appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

Adalet Bakanlığı’nın 2024 Adli İstatistik Raporu’na göre dolandırıcılık dosyalarında bir yılda yüzde 41 artış yaşandı. Bu davaların sonuçlanma süresi ise ortalama 1,5 yıl olarak açıklandı. TÜRKKEP’e göre, elektronik yazışmalarda KEP (Kayıtlı Elektronik Posta) kullanımı; bir başkası adına e-posta atılmasını, sahte içerikle kullanıcıyı kandırma girişimlerini ve ileti içeriğindeki hesap bilgilerine üçüncü kişilerin erişimini engelleyerek, iletişim kaynaklı dolandırıcılık girişimlerine karşı etkili bir koruma sağlıyor.

Early detection of document fraud is key to prevent serious and irreparable business damage. Thankfully, we run regular training sessions to ensure our customers are kept up to date with the latest fraud terms and techniques.

At IDnow, we take the risks posed by document fraud very seriously. The use of forged and fraudulent documents can massively disrupt operations, leading to reputational harm, loss of customer trust and ultimately cost a business millions in damages. 

This is why our Security Document Examination and Fraud Detection training program, developed in cooperation with multiple law enforcement agencies, from INTERPOL to the Macedonian police, equips our customers with the tools, knowledge, skills and confidence to detect and respond to document fraud effectively. 

After all, if there’s one thing that our diverse customer base shares it’s a common interest in enhancing their capabilities to examine and detect fraudulent documents.

How we help detect the most common forms of document fraud.  

Document verification and authentication are crucial to ensure that submitted documents are a) genuine and b) presented by the rightful holder. However, with thousands of different identity and travel documents in existence, it can be a significant challenge to differentiate between false and genuine documents. 

There are four commonly accepted forms of fraudulent documents: counterfeit, forgery, fraudulently used or obtained travel documents and fantasy or camouflage documents. Here, we share how we train our customers to detect each one. 

Counterfeit documents.

A counterfeit document is an illegally produced document, such as a passport, that is created to deceive or mislead. This type of document is neither legitimately manufactured nor legitimately issued by the recognized authority. Synthetic documents are also considered counterfeit documents. Counterfeiting is illegal and often associated with criminal activities, such as identity theft, fraud and illegal immigration.  

We train our customers to detect counterfeit documents by examining security features (watermarks, holograms and microprinting) under different light sources like UV lights and using specialized tools, such as magnifiers to check paper quality and texture for printing inconsistencies.

2. Forged documents.

Forgery is a fraudulent alteration of any part of a genuine document. Alterations are only made to certain elements, such as substituting photographs on the bio-page or altering variable data (e.g. name, date of birth, document number). Tampering may include the removal or addition of information.  

Forgeries can be detected by looking out for signs of tampering, including disturbed paper fibres or irregular lamination. Other tell-tale signs include inconsistent printing, such as mismatched fonts or disrupted patterns. Of course, the most obvious thing that we train our customers to be on the lookout for are data discrepancies, and photo signature irregularities. The use of UV lights and microscopes are essential, as these can reveal chemical treatments and differences in printing and personalization techniques that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye.

3. Fraudulently used or obtained genuine documents.

Of course, genuine documents can also be obtained fraudulently by using someone else’s personal information to apply for documents or providing false information on applications.  

The use of a genuine identity document by another person is identity theft. Here, an impostor uses the stolen, found or given identity document of another person without authorization pretending to be that person (also referred to similarity fraud) with the intent to commit crimes in that other person’s name. A person who uses a mask (synthetic mask attack) also falls under the category of identity theft.

Facial morphing refers to the synthesis of two facial images from different individuals. Morphing can fully transform one face into another but when the process is stopped midway, a morph image with a non-existent person, who resembles both people at the same time, will be created. As a result, multiple individuals can use the same document. There is a substantial risk of receiving a morph image when an individual’s photo is submitted to the issuance authority while applying for an ID document, instead of the photo being taken on-site. In this case, the obtained document itself is authentic and genuine, and it is extremely difficult to detect this kind of identity fraud. 

We train attendees to express caution when examining documents because even if secure identification documents are genuine, they might have been obtained illegally. For example, criminals often change their name through a legal process and then apply for a new secure identity document to evade detection by law enforcement to cross borders and open bank accounts.

4. Fantasy and camouflage documents.

A fantasy document refers to any security document, such as a passport, issued by a non-recognized state, whereas camouflage document can be a document issued in the name of a country that no longer exists. 

Fantasy documents mask the real identity or nationality of the holder and often bear the names of non-existent or historical nations, or fictitious issuing authorities. 

Detecting these documents involves searching for inconsistent components from different document sources. We train how to verify security features against genuine reference specimens and validate document numbers with issuing authorities.

Daniela delivers a training session on the use of fraudulent travel documents. A collaborative approach.

Since 2023, IDnow has been delivering Security Document Examination and Fraud Detection training. Our sessions are interactive, practical and adaptable to different industries. They feature multiple modules and practical exercises to hone document examination and fraud detection skills. In doing so, we help strengthen the document verification capabilities of our customers, enabling them to examine and identify fraudulent documents and other types of fraud, including money laundering, deepfakes and money mules. 

 Key components include: 

Hands-on analysis of genuine documents Tools and technologies used in document production Security features verification Classification of fraudulent documents Scenario-based learning to reinforce decision-making skills and detect fraud Up-to-date forgery detection techniques

Whether delivered in-person or virtually, the training is led by experts with backgrounds in fraud investigation, forensic analysis and law enforcement.  

As counterfeit travel and ID documents are widely regarded as a major threat to public order, we recommend all our customers to have at least a minimum knowledge and skills for security document examination and fraud detection.

Beyond training: Building a culture of trust and vigilance.

While tools and technology help, it’s people who are always the first line of defence. Our goal is to help organizations build a culture of awareness and responsibility, where every employee understands their role in protecting against fraud. 

Document fraud isn’t going away anytime soon — but with the right training and support, organizations can stay a step ahead. We’re proud to work alongside law enforcement and international organizations to empower our clients with the knowledge and strategies they need to safeguard their operations. 

As fraudulent documents affect every industry, we deliver training sessions to a wide range of customers from financial services, telcos, gambling platforms and many other industries.

For more information on how we work with our customers to shape the future of identity verification, meet regulatory requirements, and anticipate upcoming technological and industry challenges, check out our blog, ‘A collaborative affair: How IDnow works with its customers to innovate and tackle industry challenges.’

By

Daniela Djidrovska,
Forensic Document Examiner at IDnow
Connect with Daniela on LinkedIn

Untangling Complexity: How Can We Better Support Collaboration on Complex and Interconnected Problems?

Solving the world’s most pressing challenges — from climate crisis to social inequality — requires unprecedented levels of collaboration. Often, this involves many diverse organisations from different sectors, bringing varied perspectives and forms of value to the table. This is the realm of “complex collaboration.” Our project, Many-to-Many, delves into this space. It’s not about inventing collaboration itself but about exploring and improving the ways we structure it, particularly the governance, legal and operational frameworks that underpin these vital partnerships.

Many-to-Many is designed for groups who want to collaborate to solve complex challenges but require new ideas about value, ownership, and power.

Many-to-Many has been running for about two years, building on insights from an earlier initiative called Beyond the Rules, and has worked closely with various partners in real-world contexts. Through this process, we’ve gathered a wealth of detailed, complex information about what works, what doesn’t, and the frustrations people face when traditional structures clash with collaborative intentions. Recently, three core team members — Michelle, Arianna, and Gurden — spent a week together in Berlin. Our goal? To figure out how to transform this dense knowledge into an accessible, usable digital platform, sharing it with anyone who might find it useful and interesting.

Here’s a glimpse into our conversation about the project, the challenges, and our approach to sharing what we’re learning.

Michelle: So, we’re working on this project called Many-to-Many. At its heart, the idea is simple: tackling huge problems like climate emergency, housing crisis emergency, or urban waste management needs many different organisations, sectors, and types of value coming together. We want to be super clear — we didn’t invent the idea of people working together! That’s probably existed since humans have existed. What we have been focusing on is how the ways we currently enable this collaboration aren’t always helpful. Our project is about finding and supporting different approaches to what we call ‘complex collaboration’.

Gurden: And how long has this exploration been going on, and what led up to this intensive week in Berlin?

Michelle: This specific initiative, Many-to-Many, has been active for about two years, but it stems from work that’s been going on much longer under the banner of Beyond the Rules. We started Many-to-Many by prototyping with a small group of six organisations, asking, “What happens if we get together? Can we devise governance, organising principles, and legal structures that genuinely fit how we want to collaborate?” Since then, we’ve applied and tested these ideas in more complex, often place-based situations, learning and adapting as we go.

Gurden: It sounds like it’s really born from the ground up, working closely with networks and learning directly from people’s actual frustrations with existing systems?

Michelle: Exactly. There are loads of people trying to do this, and tons of collaboration methodologies out there. But a common frustration we observed is that even when collaborators agree on what they want to do and how, the formal structures that follow — like governance models or legal entity types — often don’t match their intentions. They end up defaulting to the status quo because available structures force them into old patterns. If you code collaboration into a traditional legal or governance structure, give it time, and it often starts behaving just like the systems people were trying to escape.

Gurden: Right, it forces you back into the old structures, even if you started with different intentions.

Arianna: And over the last two years, this work generated vast amounts of information, captured in various places like Notion knowledge base, presentations, reports, workshops and Miro boards. But these didn’t solve the need to share this knowledge effectively, right?

Michelle: That’s the perfect segue! Yes, working with all these different people and examples has generated so much dense information. It’s been a real struggle figuring out how to share it in a way that people can engage with it without being overwhelmed, yet ensure it’s deep and technical enough to be useful at the pointy end — like when you need to decide ‘who decides what?’ Finding a way to present that information across its full breadth and depth is exactly what brought us together in Berlin this week.

Arianna: I think it’s also crucial to understand the nature of the challenge. It’s not just about creating another linear presentation or a hundred-page report — those have been tried. The information itself is networked; things connect in complex ways, full of important details. That’s the real difficulty.

Gurden: It feels like the information wants to be dynamic, too. Like something you interact with, that unfolds differently depending on your needs, rather than just a static PDF. The goal is to spark conversations, right? To see how people actually use it. Arianna, you joined the project a bit later, what was your perspective coming in?

Arianna: Coming in after Michelle and others who had wrestled with this complexity for years, I saw that difficulty firsthand — moving from deep knowledge held in people’s heads and scattered materials to a format that’s shareable and understandable for specific users. The strategic visual design work involved helping the team diagram and synthesise information, but also exploring how to gather it all, perhaps in a digital tool or portal. We looked closely at specific things like contracting and how the underlying principles, the ‘deep codes,’ could be visualised and made prominent, not just talked about but actively present, even visually within a contract.

Gurden: How vital has visualisation been in this process? It sounds like it wasn’t just about designing the outputs, but part of the thinking process itself.

Arianna: Absolutely. In this project, visualisation is an investigative tool, part of a back-and-forth conversation. When we visualise a topic, it’s not the end point; it reopens the discussion. We can look at a diagram and ask, “Does this accurately reflect the concept? Is this the right way to explain it?” We even tested models that didn’t work, forcing us to rethink and re-explain the underlying topic. It’s a continuous dialogue using different tools — writing, talking, visualising. Prototyping the platform itself is the same; we’re thinking through the prototyping process, not just building something at the end.

Michelle: Arianna, could you also touch on the information architecture aspect? You did a lot of thinking around navigating this complexity, deciding what’s important, and building hierarchies of understanding.

Arianna: Yes. A key challenge was: what’s most important in a project where everything is important? Even small details can have significant impacts. So, instead of forcing a hierarchy immediately — which was a problem in earlier attempts to write things down — we initially tried giving everything equal weight. We looked at unusual examples, like open-world video games, where you have multiple entry points and freedom to explore. This forced us to define clear ‘entries’ into topics, allowing people to then dive deeper. That process helped us distinguish between entry-level information and more detailed, secondary content. We realised a pure ‘open world’ might overwhelm our target users who don’t have weeks to explore, so now we’re focusing on creating a clearer hierarchy and prioritising pathways based on user needs.

Simultaneously managing information flow, hierarchy, and the significance of small details in multiple contexts.

Gurden: I love that! Taking inspiration from unexpected places like video games to tackle something often seen as dry, like governance. It challenges the assumption that these topics are only for lawyers or experts and shouldn’t be questioned. For me, coming in freshest to the team, a key takeaway from our time in Berlin was reframing our goal. We aren’t just building a website; we’re taking it from the approach of designing a living service. We spent time defining who this service is for, their needs, their goals, mapping their potential journeys — from first-time discovery to repeat engagement. We also grounded ourselves in the project’s identity: non-authoritative, born from shared frustration, aiming simply to make life easier for people trying to collaborate in complex ways.

Michelle: That point about it being more than a website is crucial. It’s easy to say you want a “knowledge-sharing, living space,” but incredibly hard to do well. We want to share what we’ve learned, but critically, we need to ensure it’s useful and actually wanted. That’s why the emphasis on testing this week felt so solid — testing the pre-prototype, the prototype, the beta… The last thing we want to create is another ‘dead, dusty archive,’ as Arianna put it.

Arianna: Exactly. Two key words for me are honesty and carefulness. We’re trying to be honest with ourselves and others, avoiding overpromising. We have long-term goals, but we’re taking the time to think, test, use handmade drawings and multiple prototypes before jumping into code.

Screenshots and photographs of digital and paper prototypes.

Gurden: I agree. We are aiming to be realistic, especially when discussing community engagement. As Michelle said, it’s easy to say community engagement and just add a contact form somewhere but so much harder to actually foster a thriving group of humans. But what’s special about our work is that we have an existing, passionate community, and we have planned realistically how to engage them, acknowledging our assumptions and building in checkpoints to test them at each stage. The process itself is being designed with care.

Michelle: Okay, perhaps that’s a good place to pause for this first post. We’ve covered the background of Many-to-Many, why we gathered in Berlin, our different perspectives, and the careful, iterative approach we’re taking to share this complex but important work.

Thanks for reading and joining our journey, stay tuned for more updates as we further develop Many-to-Many. You can also join the Beyond the Rules newsletter by signing up here.

And a big thanks to the other members of our team — Annette and Angela, who weren’t with us in Berlin, but are key stewards of this work.

Untangling Complexity: How Can We Better Support Collaboration on Complex and Interconnected… was originally published in Dark Matter Laboratories on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

This National Volunteer Week we remind volunteers everywhere how important it is to stay safe while generously giving your time and talents to our communities.

Our advice is to not share your personal contact details with the many organizations, groups and individuals you meet as a volunteer.

Widely sharing personal phone numbers and email addresses puts volunteers at risk of identity theft, fraud, stalking, harassment and other safety concerns.

The safe option is to use MySudo to instantly create new, alternative contact information to use with all your volunteering contacts and organizations.

Using MySudo while volunteering online or in person means you instantly create and share dedicated volunteering-only contact details instead of your own personal ones, so that people you meet while volunteering can only contact you professionally and never personally. You don’t expose your personal life in your public role.

The MySudo app family also offers data removal from companies and VPN (and password manager is coming soon!). 

Here’s how to use MySudo this National Volunteer Week:

Download MySudo for iOS or Android. Set up a dedicated Sudo (a secure and instant digital identity) specifically for all your volunteering activities and emails, calls and messages. Depending on your plan, within that Sudo you’ll set up a secure email, phone number, and handle, and it’ll come with a private browser and the option for a virtual card, as well. Use your ‘Volunteering Sudo’ phone and email instead of your personal ones every time you fill out forms, sign up for activities, and give your details to the people you meet and help as a volunteer. You keep strangers at arm’s length and prevent your personal email from being added to mailing lists and your personal number from being shared with other volunteers and organizations without your consent.  Take advantage of end-to-end encryption on all calls, messages and emails between you and other MySudo users—and get all this secure chat for FREE when you use your Sudo handle! Keep your ‘Volunteering Sudo’ especially for all your volunteer activities to stay organized and on top of this important part of your life.

To recap, using MySudo for volunteering means:

Adding a layer of protection and control over your personal information and personal safety Maintaining your privacy even while engaging with the public as a volunteer Managing your online presence and reducing the risk of data breaches and spam Reducing the risk of stalking and harassment from strangers you meet   Organizing all your volunteering info and communications into a dedicated Sudo (and other areas of your life into their own Sudos, too!). This is called compartmentalization, the most powerful data protection strategy there is.

National Volunteer Week 2025 runs April 20 to 26 and is part of Global Volunteer Month. Anonyome Labs recognizes and thanks the many volunteers throughout the country who lend their time, talent and voice to make a difference in our communities. We see you and thank you! Please stay safe.

Remember, MySudo makes it easier for volunteers to engage in meaningful activities while safeguarding their privacy and personal information. Learn more.

Anonyome Labs’ Sudo Safe Initiative is a program developed to bring privacy to those at higher risk of verbal harassment or physical violence. Learn more.

Download MySudo for iOS or Android

Get MySudo Desktop

Get MySudo browser extension

New to MySudo? Start here

The post The #1 Tip for Volunteers: Protect your Personal Information with MySudo appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

It’s only the middle of April and I’m more optimistic than ever. Crucial refactoring of our data model enabled us to add white labeling, meaning our current customers are one step closer to the ability to resell access to our growbot tool under their own brand label, integrated with their own applications.

See clinicaLEAD.com or producematrix.com for the first working examples. (onboarding not in place; but it will give you access to playhaus.app should you take your login with your registration there)

Additionally, some of our one off project work has converted into another agency retainer for growth work, which is the way we sell our access to the software. Read on for continued reflections on Q1 and our focus for this quarter, and the remainder of the year.

*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.

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Subscribe playhaus BTS

Q1 featured the initial release of our growbot analytics feature suite, the addition of some productivity and advertising management tools, as well as clean up of it’s backend architecture from some earlier short sighted build decisions. We are proud to allow our existing clients to explore analytic reports, and monitor growth performance from 5 different sources, as well as run campaigns on Google & Facebook with it.

Financially Q1 has also been successful, with a new recurring customer coming on board, the continued growth of our existing contracts, as well as some ad hoc development project work that seems to becoming in even more frequently than before. While we haven’t quite returned to the highs we were feeling during Q3 of last year, all of our current contracts are with our direct clients, as opposed to the subcontracting work that drove a majority of that revenue.

As I alluded to, there are several deals near close with even more referrals seemingly on the wings. The growth in demand for our work is certainly welcomed, and thank you to friends of the business who’ve been making intros, especially locally here in KC. I wouldn’t be this far along support of all the great advisors I’ve been fortunate enough to interact with throughout my journey.

Looking forward as we discussed in the last email, I want to tighten up and put a bow on what we will call our “MVP”, and take a step back from leading development to focus back on our sales initiative. With the white label domain feature behind us, custom onboarding, and strip checkouts are truly the only elements that remain between us and a self serve version of the product.

Currently our burn rate & cashflow are in good balance. But we are still holding around $10k in debt that our $20k in contract work under contract will settle for us and finally put ahead. We just billed for $10k of, it but given the vendor payout system, we likely won’t see the payment until May, with the remainder coming in June. We are looking forward to our cash flow positive, Solana Summer.

I’m making it routine to show product updates, and talking more about our plans in a latest features video, so check it out!

playhaus ASKs/REQUESTs/INTROs

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.

We are live so for more information share the product page, or they can just sign-up directly on the app itself.

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+1.46%

$139.49

Helium ($HNT)

+9.11%

$3.47

Pyth ($PYTH)

-17.65%

$0.15

Raydium ($RAY)

+18.69%

$2.35

(Price changes reflect 1 Month as of 4.20.25)

**NFA** Our exit horizons are around December 2025. There maybe some nice local tops in the next 6 weeks. Never pull your entire bag.

Weather forecast says lot’s of volatility through September. Don’t get caught trading, look for great entrance prices with an eye towards the Q4 holidays season. NFA.

AFTER THOUGHTS

Solana // ETH price ratios are at all time highs as investors continue to better understand the importance of L1 data ownership and the cost of transaction speeds on decentralized computer systems.

Latest Content

Heart&SOL #47 (newsletter)

Weekly Mojo #36 (video)

The post Shipping Station appeared first on playhaus TV.

The post AML & KYC Compliance Demo Day: See the Top Solutions for Transaction Monitoring, KYC Compliance, and Business Entity Verification appeared first on Liminal.co.

I’m Akanksha Bhasin, and I’m all about building community for developers. I come from a developer background, and for over six years, I’ve been building and growing communities for developers. On top of that, I’ve spent the last four years diving into Developer Relations. I’ve had the chance to work with some fast-growing companies, helping them build their communities worldwide. That means getting the word out about emerging tech to developers, organizing significant events and hackathons, speaking at conferences, fostering partnerships, and supporting open-source projects.

My lifelong curiosity, from early science experiments and a fascination with astronomy, has propelled me into an exciting new orbit: officially becoming an Oktanaut at Okta! 🚀🌠🧑‍🚀

My journey into the tech world

My tech journey has been quite a ride! I began by experimenting with various things, including Arduino, different aspects of programming, and building AI applications.

What piqued my interest wasn’t just web development and the scope of AI applications. Back in 2018, when Google Assistant came out, I was fascinated by how voice could fit into our everyday lives, from controlling appliances to using apps, all with your voice! So, I started building Voice AI applications for Google Assistant and Alexa and eventually began teaching what I learned at professional meetups and colleges all over India, which then led to being featured at Google I/O for my work in Voice AI.

Building developer communities: my passion and journey

Driven by a passion for community building that began with Voice AI technology, I later founded Women in Voice, India, to empower more women to build careers in tech. Alongside this endeavor, I’ve delivered sessions worldwide, hosted hackathons and events, led Google Developer Groups on my campus, and volunteered to organize the largest DevFests in my region, which gathered 3,000+ developers.

My fondest memory has been in Mumbai, where I got to teach how to build AI applications in areas without much tech awareness and opportunities. Seeing someone’s face light up when they finally understood new technology was priceless and kept me going. Life is about giving back. Even if you have impacted just one person’s life, you have done something priceless.

Embracing developer advocacy at Okta

I’m so excited to join the Okta team; it’s a pinch-me moment! I love our principle of “Building a world where identity belongs to you!” Innovation is thriving, and change is here, making this the opportune and crucial moment for security.

Identity security and access management are the shields and the first line of defense for any software. They wrap every API, CLI, and SaaS workload in a magnetic field of strong authentication and privileged access. Without it, a compromised credential can topple an entire software system, just like a small puncture in a spacesuit; the whole mission can fail. With that, security can’t remain a checklist item; instead, security is the foundational layer of every enterprise application. I want to be part of this mission to help independent software vendors (ISVs) and developers secure user identities in their applications!

Let’s connect!

When I’m not geeking out about tech, you’ll probably find me dancing or exploring new places and cultures. If you catch me outside with my phone, I’m probably trying to capture a beautiful sky. These simple moments make me feel calm and happy. Connect with me on LinkedIn; I’d love to chat with you!

Trust is everything. Social media has connected us in powerful ways, but it hasn’t always given us the tools to know who we’re interacting with or why we should trust them.

In 2023, we launched our first layer of verification: letting individuals and organizations set their domain as their username. Since then, over 270,000 accounts have linked their Bluesky username to their website. Domain handles continue to be an important part of verification on Bluesky. At the same time, we've heard from users that a larger visual signal would be useful in knowing which accounts are authentic.

Now, we’re introducing a new layer — a user-friendly, easily recognizable blue check. Bluesky will proactively verify authentic and notable accounts and display a blue check next to their names. Additionally, through our Trusted Verifiers feature, select independent organizations can verify accounts directly. Bluesky will review these verifications as well to ensure authenticity.

A verified Bluesky account with a blue check. Trusted Verifiers

Blue checks issued by platforms are just one form of trust. But trust doesn’t come only from the top down; it emerges from relationships, communities, and shared context.

So, we’re also enabling trusted verifiers: organizations that can directly issue blue checks. Trusted verifiers are marked by scalloped blue checks, as shown below.

The New York Times account is a trusted verifier with a scalloped blue check.

For example, the New York Times can now issue blue checks to its journalists directly in the app. Bluesky’s moderation team reviews each verification to ensure authenticity.

When you tap on a verified account's blue check, you’ll see which organizations have granted verification.

Tap on the blue check to see which organization verified the user.

You can also choose to hide verification within the app — navigate to Settings > Moderation > Verification Settings to toggle it off.

How to Get Verified on Bluesky

You can self-verify by setting your domain as your username. We highly encourage official organizations and individuals to do this.

During this initial phase, Bluesky is not accepting direct applications for verification. As this feature stabilizes, we’ll launch a request form for notable and authentic accounts interested in becoming verified or becoming trusted verifiers.

“Welcome to our comprehensive blog, in which we will explore the role of face liveness verification in online security in detail.”

Those days have come when there is a long bunch of cyber criminals everywhere. Due to this, securing online sensitive information and valuable assets has become more important than ever. 

However, if you think strong passwords are sufficient for online and offline security, it is a wrong assumption. Especially when it comes to sensitive information of institutions like banks, medical stores, and government institutions.

So, what to do now……

Don’t worry, the astonishing rise of technology has paved the way for us to interact with security and defeat the criminals bravely. Such a gift provided by technology is called face liveness verification.

If you are hearing this term for the first time, this comprehensive blog is for you. In this guide post, we will briefly provide its overview and explain its role in online security in detail.

Don’t miss any single part of this guide…..

 

What is Face Liveness Verification?

Face liveness verification, also known as face liveness detection, is a method of online verification that is implemented by ensuring the actual presence of users. This cutting-edge technology prevents fraud that is often made by using fake images, videos, and documents.

There are two major types of this liveness detection for face recognition:

Active face liveness detection: In this type, users are said to perform specific functions such as blinking, smiling, and rotating their heads for authentication. Passive face liveness detection: This type of liveness detection is done by light reflection and texture analysis.

Once you understand this technology, it’s time to uncover its role in enhancing online security. Let’s proceed to the next section.

Why Face Liveness Verification Is Crucial For Online Security?

Read this section carefully, which includes the detailed role of face liveness verification.

 

1. Prevents Spoofing Attacks

One of the easiest ways that cybercriminals adopt to manipulate the systems is spoofing. As hinted earlier, for this, they use fake images, videos, and other documents in place of actual persons. This spoofing is done to deceive the system into thinking that real or legitimate users are trying to access the accounts.

However, where there is a face recognition SDK, there is no value in such thefts. We have discussed in the types that this recognition system asks users to perform specific functions that are not exclusive to these fake documents. By using this strategy, they easily distinguish between actual and fake users.

 

2. Improve User Authentication

The liveness detection for face recognition enhances users’ authentication, especially in sensitive environments. Basically, these sensitive environments, such as banks, colleges, and universities, can never provide an opportunity for cyber criminals to steal their sensitive data.

Here, once again, face liveness verification plays its pivotal role. Here you will surely ask, how? Well! We can understand this by describing an example:

Let’s suppose a criminal with a fake identity came to your university and asked for the sensitive information of students. They will behave like as if they are a relative of that student. Here, you can easily use liveness detection technology to identify whether they are real or fake.

 

3. Protects Against Account Takeovers

Identity theft is an ever-growing issue spreading all over the world. Sometimes, cybercriminals attempt to destroy the systems by using stolen passwords, usernames, and security numbers. Here, the face recognition SDK plays an unbelievable role and prevents fraud in two different ways.

The system can easily distinguish between a fake and a real person with the help of passive face liveness detection. This is done by users’ texture analysis and skin care when they are suspected. The system combines this detection method with traditional authentication methods, such as fingerprint with blood flow, and password with eye retina dilution.

4. Protection in High-Risk Digital Transactions

Digital transactions of money have become a normal part of our lives. On the contrary, with this transaction, there are a lot of chances of cyber theft. They can visit banks and other financial institutions with fake IDs and images, and behave as real users.

However, if the bank has implemented the face recognition SDK, the criminals will be reduced to nothing. After all, they can be easily suspected and punished as they deserve.

 

5. Prevent Fraud in Remote Environments

Many businesses shift from online to the remote environment. Due to this, online identity verification becomes a key challenge for them. Once again, face liveness verification will come back to back of cyber criminals……

With the rise of video conferencing, telemedicine, and remote transactions, ensuring that the person you are interacting with is authorized. Liveness verification system integrates with these remote platforms, minimizing the risks of online theft and crimes.

 

How to Find Face Liveness Verification Services?

After reading the importance of face recognition SDK, you will surely want to find such a service. Right? Don’t worry, not only service, but we will provide you with the complete solution that will implement all those things to prevent fraud, discussed in the upper sections. The solution is called Recognito.

Recognito is a well-known developer of face recognition programs with unmatched success in the NIST Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT). 

As a top supplier of identity checking solutions, it focuses on state-of-the-art technologies like face recognition, liveness detection, and ID document checking. This innovation provides the latest solutions to improve safety and guarantee trustworthy authentication in different fields.

 

Conclusion 

In this age, securing online assets and sensitive information is more important than ever. On one side, the number of cyber criminals is increasing. On the contrary, technology has also come on the ground in the form of face liveness verification. 

Many users ask us, What is this face liveness detection SDK? What is its role in improving online security? To answer them, we have created this comprehensive blog guide for them.

After reviewing this post, you will also learn everything about this technology. We have discussed its role in detail in enhancing security. If you are also one of those who ask for such services, we have given a possible solution in the form of Recognito.

Here, you must provide feedback to us to inform whether this blog is beneficial for you or not……

The post 36 – Governments Aren’t For the People appeared first on playhaus TV.

With Verifiable Credentials you can take an existing business relationship or process to the next level with fast-tracked trust.

By Tim Spring

A Verifiable Credential is a building block of decentralized identity. Think of it as a digital container that seals the information it contains. Attempt to tamper with the information, the seal breaks. Each container is bound to its point of origin, so you always know who issued the information inside. If you trust the issuer, you can trust the information. 

These qualities make Verifiable Credentials very powerful for sharing information, particularly digital identity information. Simple tech, big benefits

Think about it: a digital identity in a Verifiable Credential is immutable and traceable back to its issuer. This means:

Fraud reduction: The credentials can’t be faked or shared. I can’t borrow your identity or access it by stealing your phone. A Verifiable Credential can be bound to a combination of biometrics and code through device access, digital wallet access and liveness checks. There is also another layer of cryptographic binding between credentials.

There are no passwords to be guessed or hacked and no security questions to guess, no need for multifactor authentication. Even if a credential were to be “phished” or shared with a bad actor, they would not be able to present it as if it were issued to them.

Faster data sharing while reducing integration costs: Any data (within certain size limitations) can be stored this way and shared with anyone with the verifying software. Verifying software is simple to use on a mobile device. There are no database integrations necessary, removing the time, costs, and maintenance typically associated with data sharing.

Your organization can benefit today

The most important thing to get started is simply to decide who needs to know what. This translates into who is allowed to issue credentials, who will hold the credentials, and who will need to verify the credentials. 

A few examples:

Employee access

A company can issue its employees verifiable employment credentials, which the employees can hold and use to provide secure identity information for fast access to buildings and documents they need to work. This provides organization wide Single Sign-On (SSO) and identity management on both an individual and per role basis.

Trade associations

Trade associations can issue Verifiable Credentials to their members for proof of membership, certifications, and other benefit qualifications. Members can provide this information by scanning a QR code, avoiding the need to manage paper documents or searching a database. 

Biometric authentication

If you are using biometric authentication, you already have a database full of people’s biometrics. 

With Verifiable Credentials, you no longer have the security risk of storing this information in order to verify it. By issuing a biometric in a Verifiable Credential, a person can bring a proof of their own biometrics for authentication and access. All the software has to do is compare the tamper-proof biometric in the credential against the liveness scan. If they match, the person gains access. In addition to radically simplifying security, this solves the problem of deepfakes and other biometric identity fraud for remote access.

None of these examples need anybody’s permission to start using Verifiable Credentials and gaining immediate benefits. Verifiable Credentials are built to be privacy-by-design and enable compliance with current data protection regulations.

You don’t need to wait for government or digital identity projects to use this technology.

For example:

You don’t need to wait for the European Union or any other digital identity project to finish deliberations to use this technology. These projects are great — the EU has signalled that decentralized identity is the future and has provided specifications for its single market to start adopting it. But the multi-stakeholder nature of these ventures mean they are lagging behind market implementation. 

So, what do these large government efforts and global identity programs provide? A trusted foundation for new relationships. 

Frameworks and standards provided by these large efforts simplify the process of identifying new ecosystem partners and participants, which can be a major source of fraud. 

At Indicio, we’re building multi-credential, multi-protocol, and interoperable solutions that allow you to build at the cutting edge of technology while being able to seamlessly work with less advanced, or slower-to-deploy decentralized identity implementations.

Continuous backward compatibility is the perfect way to maximize competitive advantage. 

If you’d like to learn more about how to get started with Verifiable Credentials and decentralized identity our team at Indicio would be happy to help. You can reach out to our team of experts to set up a call here, or you can read more about what you need to get started here.

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

The post Reduce fraud and integration costs using Verifiable Credentials appeared first on Indicio.

In today’s digital world, identity is everything. From logging into enterprise systems to onboarding new customers in finance or healthcare, seamless identity access is critical. 

Yet many organizations still struggle with identity silos: isolated pockets of identity data that don’t talk to each other. These silos cause redundant identity checks, security blind spots, compliance headaches, and user frustration.

Whether you're running an identity verification platform, managing IAM infrastructure, or building digital onboarding flows, identity silos slow you down. They form when different departments, business units, or legacy systems maintain separate identity records, making it hard to know who’s who across your ecosystem.

In this blog, we’ll break down what identity silos are, how they form, and why they’re costing you more than you think. We’ll explore their impact across industries like finance and healthcare, and show how verifiable credentials offer a powerful solution to eliminate identity silos—improving security, reducing friction, and restoring trust in digital interactions.

With the UK’s Data Protection and Digital Information Bill advancing and a government-issued digital ID wallet on the way, identity verification (IDV) providers are entering a new phase of uncertainty and opportunity.

In our recent panel discussion with Yoti’s CEO Robin Tombs, legal consultant Richard Oliphant, and Dock Labs’ CEO Nick Lambert, we explored how the rise of reusable digital IDs is forcing IDV providers to rethink their role in the ecosystem.

Cumhurbaşkanlığı tarafından açıklanan Yargı Reformu Stratejisi ile e-Tebligat sisteminin yaygınlaştırılması, tebligat süreçlerinin sadeleştirilmesi ve usulsüz tebligatların önlenmesi hedefleniyor. TÜRKKEP’e göre, yapılan düzenlemelerle birlikte e-Tebligat ve KEP’in kullanım alanı genişleyecek; kamuda, özel sektörde ve bireysel işlemlerde daha yaygın hale gelecek. Ayrıca reform kapsamında, yurt dışındaki vatandaşlar için tebligat işlemleri de kolaylaşmış olacak.

Verida Vault Launches — Take Control of Your Personal Data in the Age of Private AI

Verida is thrilled to announce the official launch of the Verida Vault, a powerful web application designed to help users securely pull data from centralized platforms, manage their personal data, and connect to decentralized applications and private AI.

We’ve introduced a new authentication system that allows users to seamlessly access the Verida Network and Vault using email, crypto wallets, or their preferred social media accounts. This enables anyone to create a Verida Network account using their provide login option, ensuring users are no longer limited to using only the Verida Wallet.

What’s New

General Availability of Verida Vault: A streamlined web interface allowing users to securely manage their personal data, connect seamlessly to decentralized applications, and import data from centralized platforms. Universal Sign-In Support: Easily access your Verida account with your preferred identity provider:
• Google
• Apple
• Discord
• Telegram
• X (Twitter)
• Passkeys
• Email (One-Time Password)
• External crypto wallets (Metamask, WalletConnect, etc.) Enhanced User Experience: A simpler, intuitive onboarding process catering to both crypto enthusiasts and mainstream users. Powerful Features of Verida Vault Centralized Data Import: Pull your personal data securely from platforms such as Google and Telegram, with upcoming support for GitHub, Slack, Spotify, and more — all stored in an encrypted, user-controlled Vault. Secure Personal Data Management: Easily organize, secure, and manage your personal and private data. Personal Data Search: Quickly find information across your emails, messages, documents, and more. Data Utilization: Developers can access user data via APIs to generate value. In return, users may receive payment or a personalized product — all under your control. VDA Utility: $VDA is used to pay for access to encrypted personal data via Verida APIs. This creates real utility and organic demand for the token, powering use cases in decentralized apps and private AI. Access the Verida Vault

The Verida Vault provides an easy web interface for users to manage their personal data, connect to third party applications, and pull their data from centralized platforms.

Users can pull their personal data from platforms such as Google and Telegram, with upcoming support for GitHub, Slack, Spotify, and more. This data is encrypted and stored in a user-controlled personal data Vault on the Verida Network.

The Vault also provides a universal search connected to the user’s data; enabling easy search across emails, message history, documents and more.

Users can accept data access requests from third party applications, allowing them to connect their personal data with emerging personal AI applications.

Important: Verida Wallet Mobile App Deprecation

Please be aware that the Verida Wallet mobile app will be deprecated in favor of the Verida Vault. We strongly recommend users:

Backup Identity: Use our provided guide to export your Verida identity seed phrase. Transfer Funds: The crypto wallet feature will not transition to the Vault. Ensure you move your funds to another wallet or securely export your wallet seed phrase.

Support for the Verida Wallet mobile app will continue until May 30, 2025 at 23:59 UTC, giving users time to complete any necessary actions — such as exporting their DID or moving funds — to avoid loss of access or assets.

What This Means For You

Whether you’re a crypto enthusiast with multiple wallets or prefer traditional web2 login methods, you can now access the Verida Network without friction. This update represents our commitment to making decentralized data management accessible to everyone.

Ready to experience the new sign-in options? Access the Verida Vault today!

Verida Vault Launches — Take Control of Your Personal Data in the Age of Private AI was originally published in Verida on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

India’s Modi government has launched a mobile app that brings facial biometrics and enhanced privacy controls to its Aadhaar system, the national identity verification service used for everything from accessing public services to booking travel to opening bank accounts. It may also provide important lessons for a growing number of other digital identity initiatives worldwide.

Introduced in limited beta on April 8, the Aadhaar app is just the latest advancement for India’s ambitious Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—the so-called “India Stack” that has successfully helped boost financial inclusion across this country of 1.4 billion people, spur innovation, and supercharge a digital economy that’s second only to China in its pace of growth, and could soon be valued at $1 trillion.

Based on four API-enabled “layers”—identity, documents, payments, and empowerment—building the India Stack began in 2009, and has rapidly become the centerpiece of a digital transformation effort expected to propel India’s overall GDP to $8 trillion by 2030. But as its latest advancement in digital identity gains the attention of governments racing to catch up, it’s worth noting that India’s technological head-start goes way back—thousands of years, in fact.

From the Vedas to Aadhaar: A Legacy of Innovation

Bounded by the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast, this South Asian country’s traditions have always strongly embraced advanced technology, and the sanctity of an unalterable identity tied to the social good.

Its ancient Vedic texts and their stories of vimanas (flying chariots), Brahmastra (energy weapons), Ayruvedic medicine, and mathematics have long inspired, when not directly forming the basis for, innovations ranging from nuclear energy to aeronautics to software architecture, network design and more. And its Sanskrit Puranas include tales of King Harishchandra, who staked his identity on an unwavering commitment to truth and righteousness.

Not bad as far as digital age backstories go. Yet even so, India’s digital transformation over the past 16 years has been remarkable. As France’s Institut Montaigne points out, the DPI has pushed India to the top digitalization index of tax collection among emerging market economies. From mega-cities like New Delhi to Mumbai and from rural villages of Himachal Pradesh to Bihar, the DPI is designed to serve the public good and has enabled society-wide transformation in the way India provisions social services. It has also expanded access to education and, increasingly, digital health and agricultural services. At the heart—or rather, the start—of it all: digital identity.

Digital Identity Forms the ‘Stack’s’ Foundation

Today, more than 94% of the Indian population has a digital ID. Combined with smartphone penetration topping nearing 50% ,interestingly rural smart phone penetration is over 76%, Institut Montaigne estimates that more than three-quarters of the Indian population over the age of 15 has access to an account at a financial institution or via mobile wallet. In 2006, just 50% of Indian households had such access.

A significant contributor to the DPI’s success can be found in its building-block, or layered, approach, which include three overarching layers:

Digital Identity (or ‘Presence-less’) Layer

Aadhaar, which literally means “foundation” in Hindi, formed the Stack’s all-important first layer. In 2009, Aadhaar began as a digital identity card that has been able to provide definitive proof of identity to nearly 1.3 billion citizens—including those in its most remote areas. Each Aadhaar card includes the individual’s name, address, gender, and 12-digital unique identity number, and a photograph, and is backed by a fingerprint and iris biometric. What originally started with the vision of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to ensure the mass subsidies reached the right hands, today, it is used for everything from accessing government services to travel bookings to banking, and more.

Digital Documents (or ‘Paperless’) Layer

Indeed, possession of a verified biometric identity, and the ability to build a financial history, proved to be a game-changer—paving the way for the Digital Public Infrastructure’s second layer: Aadhaar-enabled document storage and sharing. This includes a digital locker (or “DigiLocker” for storing identity documents such as driver’s licenses, academic certificates, and more. Meanwhile, e-Sign and new e-KYC processes simplified access to financial services and ensured access to a basic savings and deposit account, credit, insurance, and a pension. Later, utilities and telecom companies were able to start piggybacking their services through this channel as well.

Digital Payments (or ‘Cashless’)

In 2016, the next layer—an instant, real-time mobile payments system called the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was added, enabling users to transfer funds between two bank accounts, whether for government services, or business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions. By 2023, the UPI had become the world’s largest real-time payments system in transaction volume, eclipsing PayPal, Brazil’s PIX, and even China’s Alipay. Today, 80% of all retail payments in India are made through this payment system. And overall, half the world’s daily digital transactions take place on the UPI. The statistics are staggering for 2024, a 172 billion UPI transactions (~46% growth y-o-y) transferred a total sum of INR 247 lakh crore (~US$ 2.9 Trillion showing a 35% growth y-o-y). Indeed, this Aadhaar-enabled system has been so successful, it’s being offered commercially to other nations as well.

Empowerment (or ‘Consent’) Layer

The final layer in the India Stack is a framework designed to give individuals control over their data, ensuring that personal data is only shared when they provide explicit consent. Users can approve, manage, and revoke consent agreements for data sharing with financial, health, and educational services. This “Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture,” or DEP, enables individuals to securely share their financial data with chosen institutions through intermediaries called consent managers or Account Aggregators. In addition to reducing fraud due to its integration with Aadhaar, this can potentially enable Account Aggregators to confirm creditworthiness without sharing specific personal information—thus reducing bias.

Now, There’s an App for That–But Is It Enough?

The mobile app released in April brings all these layers into the physical world in new ways, making it easier for users to share their Aadhaar ID details digitally, without the need to present physical copies at airports, shops, or hospitals, or hotels where ID details could be stolen or misused. ID verification is completed by scanning a QR code and allowing a real-time facial scan via their smartphone camera. Just as with online data sharing via the UPI, users can share only the necessary data, giving them more control over their personal information. The app arrives amid the rise of so-called super wallets—integrating Aadhaar-based identification, facilitating real-time bank transactions by UPI, and securely storing digital credentials. There’s no reason to think biometric identity verification for physical data sharing won’t soon be integrated as well.

But that’s not to say there aren’t challenges. Fraudulent QR codes for parking and other services have been used to scam citizens since the earliest days of the DPI. And just in recent weeks, authorities uncovered a nationwide scam involving fraudulent Aadhaar modifications, counterfeit documents, tampered biometric devices, and a fake Aadhaar portal used to make unauthorized changes to a victim’s Aadhaar information, such changing birthdate, or linking the Aadhaar account to a fraudster’s smartphone.

India-specific statistics are hard to come by, but globally, this kind of synthetic identity fraud led to as much as $3.2 billion in losses worldwide during just the first half of 2024. Incidences of new account fraud using synthetic identity info jumped 18% YOY during the same period—an all-time high. That said, its latest layer has the India Stack headed in the right direction—though it could be even stronger.

What Should Come Next

It’s hard to argue with the success of India’s full-throttle embrace of digital identity across its DPI. But there are some easy ways to make it even more powerful and secure.

For example: While the government has launched an unrelated stack called “Vishvasya” as part of an initiative to promote blockchain use, the India Stack does not yet use distributed ledger technology. In my view, digital identity’s fullest success can only be achieved through distributed technologies and the architectural advantages they offer. This is especially crucial given the country’s layered approach to leveraging digital identity. I believe the consent managers/Account Aggregators within the stack’s Empowerment layer are a step in the right direction—and their blind pass-through of personal information is key.

But distributed technologies hold the promise of a day when someone applying for a loan can choose which personal information to share, instead of opening their entire financial lives to a lender or dealer financing department, on their own—unlocking the Stack’s potential to curb bias and truly enhance financial inclusiveness.

It also means they could one day share third-party trust scores that allow them to demonstrate creditworthiness without revealing any personal information at all—bringing the microbusiness opportunities afforded to women through Aadhaar-based mobile services to a whole new level, for example. Remote and in-person identity verification and authentication becomes far more secure as well—easily enabling differentiation between legitimate users and imposters hiding behind stolen or synthetic identities.

India’s adoption of liveness tests during authentication through its new app is an excellent first step. Let’s hope its beta is a massive success and it goes into wide release sooner rather than later. But that’s only if they do it right.

To maximize effectiveness, the Indian government should consider adopting global best practices and standards—such as NIST 800-63-3, FIDO2, and ISO/IEC 30107-3—for its digital identity infrastructure and related liveness testing. These can serve as a strong foundation while the country works toward developing its own standards in the future. Only then will they be able to defeat virtually any attempt at identity spoofing. I may be biased, but it seems fitting for a nation with a legacy of technological advances dating back to the Vedas—and I have to believe King Harishchandra would approve.

Interested in digital identity-based authentication but aren’t sure where to start? Learn more about 1Kosmos, the only NIST-, FIDO2-, and iBeta biometrics-certified digital identity platform—and schedule a free demo today.

The post Digital Identity Spotlight: India appeared first on 1Kosmos.

Predictoor DF137 rewards available. DF138 runs Apr 17 — Apr 24th, 2025 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 137 (DF137) has completed.

DF138 is live today, April 17. It concludes on April 24th. For this DF round, Predictoor DF has 3750 OCEAN rewards and 20,000 ROSE rewards.

2. DF structure

The reward structure for DF138 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 DF138

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.

DF137 Completes and DF138 Launches was originally published in Ocean Protocol on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Bot traffic now makes up over a third of all web traffic, and streaming media is a prime target. Learn how to defend your platform from DDoS attacks, account abuse, and takeovers with Fastly’s advanced bot mitigation solutions.

🤝 Partnership Spotlight

Leveling Up with GameTerminal 🕹️

We’re thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with GameTerminal, a rising force in Web3 gaming infrastructure. This collaboration amplifies our mission to bring seamless, identity led onboarding and game native wallet experiences to developers and players alike.

👉 Read the official announcement 👀

📣 Marketing Momentum

Web3 Gaming Meets Cinematic Storytelling 🎥🗺️

Last week, we pushed boundaries on content by blending high impact storytelling with immersive visuals:

Unveiled GIFs and voiceover led videos showcasing Safle’s Unified ID, crafted to resonate with both developers and players. Rode the Ghibli wave with a side of gamer soul nostalgia and a whole lot of Safle energy. 🌕🏆 Visual storytelling with a purpose: spotlighting what matters
your identity, your assets, your rules. All connected, all yours.

This week, we tuned our message for the ones building the future Blockchain game developers 🧑‍💻🧩

Launched a content series addressing real-world dev pain points Fragmented user identities, complex integrations, and
low player retention. 🔻 Positioned Safle’s Unified ID as the core solution offering cross-chain support, simplified onboarding, and deep player analytics. Built narrative depth around our developer-first positioning, driving sharper engagement from technical and strategic communities. 🔧 Product Updates

Unified Identity, Simplified

Unified ID widget is transitioning from Design prototypes to a working product planned to be released soon. We will send a demo in the next week’s update. Development of wallet attestation smart contracts, indexers, and relayers is progressing rapidly, strengthening the backbone of our decentralized identity stack.

We’re not just building tools we’re crafting the infrastructure for the next generation of game native experiences.

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

The Safle Team

🚀 More updates coming soon!

Meet Alex—a compliance analyst onboarding a new corporate client. The company looks legitimate, but beneficial ownership is often more complex than it appears. With layers of holding companies and indirect stakeholders, missing key details could mean regulatory trouble—or worse. Fortunately, with the right system, Alex’s beneficial ownership reviews can be streamlined, secure, and insightful.

Alex’s Approach to Beneficial Ownership Reviews

Instead of hunting through emails and databases, Alex pulls director filings, shareholder lists, and organizational charts automatically from trusted global sources. This gives him an instant overview of the company’s structure and connections—even across multiple jurisdictions. Once the data is collected, Alex focuses on identifying individuals with 25% or more ownership or control. He cross-checks these key players against watchlists, sanctions, and adverse media to flag potential risks early.

To close the loop, Alex compiles findings into an audit-ready report—no manual spreadsheets or patchwork PDFs. With one click, he generates a detailed summary that tracks every step of his review, making audits painless and ensuring regulatory requirements are met. Real-time alerts and built-in compliance checks mean Alex stays proactive, not reactive.

Key Considerations for Complex Beneficial Ownership Trusts, Shells, and Hidden Layers: Ownership isn’t always direct. Many firms use trusts or shell companies to obscure control. A robust compliance platform helps uncover indirect ownership and manage ownership percentages with transparency. Global Variations in Ownership Laws: Each jurisdiction may have different thresholds and definitions for beneficial ownership. Your system should adapt to local regulations while maintaining a unified global view. Dynamic Ownership Changes: Ownership structures evolve due to mergers, investments, and leadership shifts. Continuous monitoring ensures you catch changes that could impact compliance long after onboarding.

Make Compliance Your Strength

With iComply, beneficial ownership reviews become an integral part of a smarter, more secure due diligence process. Automating data collection and verification saves time, reduces errors, and keeps your compliance team a step ahead. Ready to transform your approach? Let’s get started.

In an era where cyber threats are advancing at an unprecedented pace, the security of digital identities has become a national imperative. From AI-driven deepfake attacks, as addressed in the recent Executive Order (EO) M-25-21, to identity fraud and nation-state cyber campaigns, the vulnerabilities in digital identity are a persistent threat. The Executive Order (EO) 14144 on cybersecurity underscores the critical need for improved digital identity verification, fraud prevention, and secure authentication measures.

You may have heard the buzzwords lately—Microcredentials, open badges 3.0, verifiable credentials. It can be overwhelming to say the least.  

But the world of credentialing is moving into higher education and you don’t want your institution left behind, so here is your full guide on verifiable credentials (VC) in education.  

What Are Verifiable Credentials for Higher Education? 

In higher education, verifiable credentials are secure, digital representations of academic achievements and identity-based records.  

Universities can issue VCs for:  

Diplomas  Transcripts Course completions Student and Staff IDs Professional certifications And more

These credentials allow students to securely share their achievements with employers, boards, and other institutions without requiring manual verification from the university. By using cryptographic technology, VCs ensure authenticity, prevent fraud, and streamline the verification process, benefiting both students and the institutions that issue them.  

Digital Credentials vs Verifiable Credentials 

While the terms digital credentials and verifiable credentials are often used interchangeably, they have some major different in terms of security, verification, and ownership. 

Digital Credentials: Basic Digital Records 

Digital credentials refer to any electronic version of a traditional credential, such as a PDF diploma, an email confirmation of course completion, or a student ID stored in a university portal.  

While convenient, these credentials: 

Lack built-in verification (Employers or institutions must manually verify their authenticity)  Are easy to forge (PDFs and digital images can be edited or manipulated) Rely on central databases (Universities must store and confirm credentials, requiring ongoing administrative work)  Verifiable Credentials: Secure & Tamper-Proof 

Verifiable credentials (VCs) are a more advanced, fraud-resistant version of digital credentials. They are issued using cryptographic security, making them tamper-proof, instantly verifiable, and privacy-focused.  

Unlike basic digital credentials, VCs: 

Are instantly verifiable (Employers and institutions can check authenticity without contacting the issuing university) Can’t be altered or forged (Cryptographic signatures ensure credentials remain unchanged)  Are decentralized (Students own and control their credentials, eliminating reliance on a central database)

VCs provide increased trust and efficiency for all parties involved.

For universities, this means fewer manual transcript requests, fewer third-party verification costs, and reduced administrative burden.  

For students and alumni, it means the ability to prove academic achievement anytime, anywhere—with no delays, paperwork, or middlemen. 

Because verifiable credentials are built on privacy-by-design principles, they also limit data exposure. Students share only what’s necessary—such as verifying enrollment status or degree completion—without revealing full personal records. This selective disclosure is ideal for both data protection compliance (like GDPR) and enhancing student privacy.

Additionally, VCs are designed to be interoperable and future-ready. A credential issued by a university today can be used across platforms and systems tomorrow, supporting career transitions, further education, and international mobility.  

Universities that issue verifiable credentials are positioning themselves as innovators, enhancing student success and streamlining operations with scalable, secure technology. 

Why Universities Are Moving to Verifiable Credentials 

Traditional credentials create inefficiencies and security risks, while verifiable credentials provide a future-proof, automated, and fraud-resistant way to issue academic records. By adopting VCs, universities can streamline verification, reduce costs, and enhance trust for students and employers alike.  

But why are universities making this shift now? 

1. Strengthening the University’s Reputation & Trust 

Diploma fraud and fake credentials damage the credibility of academic institutions. By issuing verifiable, fraud-resistant credentials, universities reinforce their reputation as trusted, forward-thinking institutions. Employers and graduate programs can instantly verify a student’s qualifications, eliminating doubts about authenticity. 

2. Creating a Better Student & Alumni Experience 

Students and alumni frequently request transcripts, diplomas, and certificates for job applications, further education, or licensing. Verifiable credentials allow universities to provide these documents instantly—saving students time and reducing administrative burdens. 

3. Reducing Administrative Costs & Workload 

Traditional credential issuance and verification are time-consuming and expensive. Universities spend significant resources processing requests, verifying documents, and managing outdated systems. Verifiable credentials automate and streamline these processes, freeing up staff to focus on more strategic initiatives while cutting operational costs. 

4. Enhancing Security & Regulatory Compliance 

Data breaches and identity fraud pose serious risks to educational institutions. Verifiable credentials are privacy-first, encrypted, and compliant with global regulations like GDPR. Unlike centralized databases that are vulnerable to breaches, VCs allow students to control their own data, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. 

5. Creating New Revenue Opportunities 

Offering verifiable credentials as a premium service for alumni, employers, and continuing education programs opens new revenue streams for universities. Institutions can monetize digital credentialing services by charging for expedited verification, lifetime credential access, or industry-specific certifications. 

6. Future-Proofing University Credentials 

As industries shift toward digital identity ecosystems, universities that adopt verifiable credentials gain a competitive edge. By providing secure, portable, and instantly verifiable credentials, institutions establish themselves as leaders in innovation while meeting the evolving demands of employers, students, and regulatory bodies.  

The Future of Academic Verification 

Issuing verifiable credentials isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about enhancing security, improving the student experience, and strengthening institutional credibility. Universities that embrace this technology reduce costs, improve compliance, and create long-term value for students, alumni, and the broader education ecosystem.  

Anonyome Labs makes it easy. We empower institutions to issue secure, tamper-proof verifiable credentials that enhance trust, streamline operations, and deliver a seamless student experience. Whether you’re modernizing your student ID system or enabling alumni to prove their degrees, we’ll help you build the future of digital trust—today. 

Contact us to learn more or schedule a demo.

The post Why Universities are Issuing Verifiable Credentials  appeared first on Anonyome Labs.

The post Artificial Intelligence and Identity and Access Management appeared first on Radiant Logic.

 

GN HEARTLAND

TradFi investors must be feeling like American Idiots. Cause over here in DeFi, we’re having a… heh… green day.

(best fan caption gets featured in next week’s newsletter)

— playhaus

MONEY MONEY MONEY

TOKEN

PRICE CHANGE

PRICE

Solana ($SOL)

+20.00%

$126.38

Helium ($HNT)

+40.89%

$3.32

Pyth ($PYTH)

+8.54%

$0.12

Raydium ($RAY)

+32.00%

$2.07

(Price changes reflect past 7 days as of 4.15.25)

How to Keep Your Cool When Markets Freak

It might have been a boom week in the crypto space. But anyone who’s so much as downloaded the Binance app is just as familiar with the busts.

You can picture it: Bitcoin’s down 14% in two days. Your cousin’s texting a blurry wallet screenshot, yelling, “We’re doomed!” CNBC’s still on about tariffs. And you’re eyeing your portfolio, fearing a dumpster fire.

Welcome to crypto in 2025 — a wild ride that’s not slowing down.

Inflation’s up, consumer confidence is at a 45-year low, and market sentiment’s all over the place. One day you’re king; the next, you’re glued to charts like they’ll save you.

But I’ve seen enough dips to assure you: panic kills your portfolio. So grab a coffee. (Or a Xanax.) Breathe. And let’s talk staying cool when the market’s anything but.

Why Crashes Mess With Your Head

Our brains hate this chaos. A dip hits, cortisol spikes, and you’re one click from selling it all. When prices soar, dopamine makes you feel like a genius, ready to YOLO on a memecoin “Frank” hyped. It’s a cycle that leaves most broke, bald, or both.

Since 2021, I’ve watched my portfolio tank 30% in a week more times than I can count. But I held on, and it always rebounded, often stronger.

The takeaway? Emotions are lousy traders. (Pro tip: know crypto cycles and have an exit plan to avoid holding bags when the bull run fades.) Dips get easier, just another day.

Ignore the noise — talking heads on TV or X shouting FUD or WAGMI. Use your vice of your choice with moderation and stick to your plan.

Tools to Stay Chill

Here’s what keeps me grounded:

Ditch price alerts. They’re like a 2AM “u up” text from Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. You’d block him, so you should turn them off.

Set a schedule. Check charts morning and night. Stop doom-scrolling X rumors.

Touch grass. A walk by a river resets your soul. Nature ignores Bitcoin’s dip — that’s calming.

Find your crew. A group chat for the highs and lows saves sanity. Trust me.

Breathe deep. Try 4–7–8: inhale 4 seconds, hold 7, exhale 8. It’s a mental reset.

Write it down. Note why you bought each coin — solid tech, strong team? If nothing’s changed, don’t sell. My sticky note says: “Fundamentals good? Relax.”

These are my lifeline. Steal them, stay sane.

Old-School Wisdom, New-School Game

Marcus Aurelius said: “You have power over your mind, not outside events.” Crypto’s the same. You can’t stop crashes, but you can stop spiraling. Volatility’s just the game. Focus on your strategy, not headlines.

Next dip, breathe, watch your thoughts like clouds, and recall why you’re here. It’s mental yoga, no incense needed. Survive a bull-to-bear cycle, and you’ll have monk-level patience.

Zoom Out, Chill Out

Crypto’s a beast, 2025 included. The best investors stay calm. Pros shrug off 25% drops; newbies panic-sell at the first red candle. Guess who wins?

Try Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA). Set a weekly buy, toss in what you can, forget it. No timing dips, no stress — just stack coins and live. I’ve DCA’d since 2021; it’s smoother than playing guru.

So, next crash, ask: Am I panicking, or sticking to the plan? Step back, zoom out. Dips pass. Peace of mind’s the real win.

Text your cousin, “Chill, bro — WAGMI.” Despite Randi Zuckerberg’s best efforts, we didn’t. But with a little rational thought and deep breathing, you still can.

— Branden

Crypto’s Gamer Moment

Genuinely speaking, traditional gaming is still a walled garden where publishers hoard control, servers crash mid-match, and your hard-earned loot is locked in someone else’s ecosystem.

Then there’s decentralized gaming (GameFi) — a player-first revolution built on blockchain rails, where your gear, glory, and game data aren’t just files on a server, but assets you actually own. In decentraland, your inventory is truly yours.

At its core, GameFi swaps centralized servers for distributed ledgers, giving players sovereignty over their identities, inventories, and even the rules of the game. Think Runescape, if you could sell your half-full wine jug for a full-full bag of cold hard cash.

But decentralized gaming isn’t a monolith. Some titles flirt with decentralization through tradable NFTs or governance tokens. Others go full tilt — DAOs, dApps, and no CEO in sight.

So today, we’re breaking the game down to pixels — and sharing the cheat codes.

How It Works

Instead of logging in with a Google account and praying Ubisoft doesn’t revoke your battle pass, you connect your wallet. Your profile is a decentralized identifier (DID). Your fire sword? It’s a semi-fungible token. Your mount? A tradable NFT. Your XP? Maybe it unlocks DAO voting rights.

This isn’t theoretical. Illuvium, for example, rewards players with ILV tokens and lets them catch tradable creatures called illuvials. Solana’s semi-fungible tokens (SFTs) even allow basic gear to evolve into unique, upgradable NFTs — kind of like Pokémon meets RPG gear progression.

Benefits

Decentralized gaming brings four major upgrades to the table:

Security: Game states stored across global nodes = no more save wipes, fewer hacks.

Privacy: Log in with your wallet, not your email. No corporate data leaks.

Ownership: Items, currency, even avatars — all yours to keep, sell, or transfer.

Fairness: DLT-based validation makes cheating harder and transparency easier.

And then there’s the cherry on top: governance. In many games, owning tokens lets players vote on new maps, mechanics, or lore arcs.

Some projects even go full DAO — no dev overlords, just player-powered progress.

Downsides

But let’s not pretend it’s all pixel-perfect.

Despite the promise, decentralized gaming has its pain points:

Scalability: High gas fees and sluggish chains can kill real-time multiplayer vibes.

Interoperability: Items in one game don’t always play nice with others. Ethereum items aren’t cross-compatible with Solana or Hedera unless bridges are built.

UX friction: Wallets, seed phrases, swaps — it’s a lot. Web2 gamers might bounce before onboarding is complete.

What’s Next

Still, the future of GameFi looks anything but AFK (away from keyboard).

With studios like Animoca Brands and Helix building blockchain-native infrastructure , we’re moving toward a world where decentralized doesn’t mean janky. And as big-name publishers keep dropping broken AAA titles at full price, the appetite for player-run alternatives grows stronger.

What decentralized gaming needs now isn’t another pixelated farming sim or half-baked metaverse. It needs polish. It needs scalability. And most importantly, it needs to onboard the next million users without a 12-step tutorial on MetaMask.

TL;DR: It’s still early days for GameFi. But if you believe in a future where your loot is yours and your voice matters, you might want to start leveling up.

— Muhammed

Trekking for Precious Sound in a Music Desert

As a reminder that NFTs are more than silly collectible .jpegs — and, in fact, a foundational technology that enables data ownership — I decided to check in on other art forms for which the NFT model makes sense.

Four years ago, in the excitement of the last NFT craze, music NFTs emerged as a vision that was unable to manifest itself faster than the market collapsed. Maybe you’ve heard of platforms like sound.xyz, the OG market leader, or projects like Audius, which emerged in spite of the depressive bear market.

But I was looking for unsung platforms to bring you tokenized singing.

First, I found PlayTreks, a music distribution, analytics, and royalty management platform for independent record labels. The roadmap includes a product suit for minting NFTs (supposedly on our beloved Solana $SOL.X ( ▲ 5.25% )), as well as what appears to be an entirely separate marketplace streaming platform called The Playgrounds. (Going off the wallet connect options, almost certainly an Ethereum Virtual Machine-based project.)

However, a robust ecosystem it is not. Their token, $TREKS, hasn’t moved in more than 600 days, and boasts 26 holders. In other words, this admittedly intriguing project probably died during the bear. But that doesn’t mean the vision should. There’s something to be said for stringing the needs of independent record labels and their artists to the digital tools for distribution and promotion with the emerging web3 infrastructure.

Buying music, while archaic now, is a familiar transaction — and one kept frantically alive by starving artists with every small-batch vinyl pressing and Bandcamp Friday. So it’s not hard to envision a future where listeners don’t pay to stream music they own / have collected, but do pay a metered rate to access the media they don’t own. And all of those processes could be best automated by smart contracts managing digital assets, otherwise known as NFTs.

The music on this platform is still live, and I’m sorry to report it didn’t really impress me. I sampled 6 different artists, but was unable to find one I truly liked. So here is one of the most popular titles on the platform, which were somehow all published on the same date — my 28th birthday, October 24, 2022.

Meet Lucas Reis, whose track “Deserto” offers a mariachi / country crossover catered to a Spanish speaking crowd. It puts me at ease and makes me feel like I’m on the way from the airport to the beach in some tropical destination. I’m sure I’m doing a disservice to the whole thing with my description.

He is a small, but active artist worth checking out, and arguably a visionary. He refers to his genre as Breggae. It may not be the type of music I’d pay to stream infinitely, but hey. Breggers can’t be choosers.

— El Prof

The post 47 – Crypto Gamer Moment appeared first on playhaus TV.

As CEO of HYPR, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of identity security. And right now, one of the most significant shifts we're witnessing is driven by the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence. While AI offers incredible potential, it also presents formidable challenges, particularly in the realm of identity verification. The uncomfortable truth is that the era of relying solely on scanning a driver's license or passport to prove someone is who they claim to be is rapidly coming to an end. AI has made forging these documents disturbingly easy, rendering traditional methods dangerously inadequate.

How Advanced AI Undermines Traditional Document Checks

We've all seen the headlines about generative AI tools like GPT-4o, Midjourney, and others. Their ability to create text, images, and even video from simple prompts is astounding. Unfortunately, this power extends to creating highly convincing counterfeit identity documents. What once required specialized skills, equipment, and significant time can now be achieved by malicious actors in mere minutes.

This isn't a theoretical future threat; it's happening now. The implications for businesses relying on Know Your Customer (KYC) and employee identity verification processes are immense. From financial institutions onboarding new clients to travel companies verifying passengers, the foundational assumption that a presented document is genuine is crumbling under the weight of AI-driven forgery. This ease of access to sophisticated forgery tools democratizes identity fraud on an unprecedented scale, posing a severe risk to businesses and consumers alike.

How AI Like GPT-4o Can Effortlessly Create Convincing Fake Passports and IDs

The alarming reality of AI's forgery capabilities was starkly demonstrated recently in a widely shared post on LinkedIn by Borys Musielak. He highlighted just how simple and accessible this threat has become.

As Borys shared, using generative AI capabilities available in models like GPT-4o, it took him a mere five minutes to create a convincing digital replica of his own passport. This wasn't a theoretical exercise; it was a practical demonstration yielding a fake document that, in his assessment, would likely sail through many automated KYC systems currently in use without raising any red flags.

Borys's conclusion was blunt and accurate: "Photo-based KYC is done. Game over." And he's absolutely right. He further noted, "any verification flow relying on images as 'proof' is now officially obsolete. The same applies to selfies. Static or video, it doesn’t matter. GenAI can fake them too."

This isn't about spotting blurry, amateurish fakes anymore. We're talking about high-resolution images possessing all the visual hallmarks of genuine documents, generated with frightening speed and ease. To the untrained human eye, and critically, to many legacy automated verification systems, these fakes are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. These systems, often designed to spot layout inconsistencies or basic digital manipulations, are simply not equipped to detect pixel-perfect forgeries created by AI trained on vast datasets of real documents.

The types of foundational documents now easily counterfeited digitally include:

Passports: Essential for international travel and high-value transactions. Driver's Licenses: Widely used for domestic identification, age verification, and accessing services. National ID Cards: Key for government services, voting, and proof of citizenship in many countries. Birth Certificates: Often the root document used to obtain other forms of identification. The sheer speed and quality achievable mean fraudsters can generate fake credentials on demand, tailored for specific targets or designed to bypass particular security checks. The core vulnerability lies in the fact that these traditional documents were designed for a pre-digital, pre-AI world. Their security features often rely on physical inspection (holograms, watermarks, special inks) which are completely irrelevant in a purely digital verification process based on submitted images. Visual layout consistency, once a reliable indicator, is now something AI can replicate flawlessly.
The Imminent Obsolescence of Just Using Document-Based Identity Verification

The consequence of this AI-powered forgery capability is stark: traditional, document-centric identity verification is becoming obsolete as a standalone method. Relying solely on a submitted image of an ID, or even pairing it with a selfie (which can also be faked using deepfake technology), is no longer a sufficient security measure.

Why is this the case?

Perfect Replication: AI can analyze thousands of genuine documents and learn to replicate their structure, fonts, layouts, and subtle visual elements with near-perfect accuracy. Beyond Static Images: The threat isn't limited to document images. AI can generate fake selfies ("deepfakes") and even manipulate video feeds in real-time, fooling liveness checks that require a user to blink or turn their head. Ease of Bypass: Fraudsters armed with these AI-generated fakes can easily circumvent onboarding processes, open fraudulent accounts, launder money, and commit other serious crimes, leaving businesses liable and customers vulnerable.

Continuing down the path of document-only verification is like putting a padlock on a screen door. It looks like security, but it provides no real protection against a determined adversary armed with modern tools. Businesses clinging to these outdated methods are not just failing to stop fraud; they are actively exposing themselves and their legitimate customers to significant financial and reputational risk.

Multi-Factor Identity Verification: The Necessary Path Forward

So, if documents alone are no longer reliable, what's the answer? The solution lies in a multi-layered, multi-factor approach to identity verification. Instead of relying on a single, forgeable piece of evidence, we must validate multiple, independent factors simultaneously during a single user interaction.

Think of it like securing a high-value facility. You wouldn't rely solely on a single keycard; you'd incorporate security guards, cameras, biometric scans, and access logs. Similarly, robust identity verification requires multiple signals triangulated together to build confidence in the user's identity. This dramatically increases the complexity and cost for fraudsters, making it exponentially harder to bypass checks using only a fake document.

Essential Components of Secure Multi-Factor Verification

A truly secure multi-factor identity verification process doesn't just ask for more things; it intelligently combines different types of signals. At HYPR, we believe the essential components include:

User's Device Trust: Is the user interacting from a device (phone, computer) that is known and trusted? Analyzing device integrity, reputation, and security posture provides a critical anchor. Leveraging technologies like passkeys, which bind the user to the device cryptographically, adds a powerful layer. Location & Network Context: Does the user's location (derived from IP address, GPS, network signals) align with expected patterns? Is the network connection suspicious (e.g., coming from a known VPN or proxy associated with fraud)? Contextual data provides vital clues. Advanced ID Document Validation (As One Factor, Not the Only Factor): We remotely analyze submitted document photos using sophisticated digital forensics to detect forgery and cross-reference key information against trusted national databases.  Simultaneous Validation & Orchestration: Crucially, these factors must be checked together in a single, orchestrated session. A fraudster might be able to spoof one factor (like location via a VPN) or possess a fake document, but faking a trusted device, a plausible location, and passing advanced document checks all at the same time is significantly more challenging. This orchestrated, multi-signal approach creates a security posture far stronger than the sum of its parts.
Benefits of Multi-Factor Approach Over Document-Only Verification

Adopting a modern, multi-factor verification strategy delivers tangible advantages:

Dramatically Reduced Fraud: Makes it exponentially harder for fraudsters to succeed with only fake documents. Layered Security: Creates multiple barriers; if one factor is compromised, others still stand guard. Enhanced Compliance: Helps meet evolving regulatory requirements that increasingly recognize the limitations of document-only checks. Improved User Experience: Modern solutions can orchestrate these checks seamlessly in the background, often requiring less active user participation than more cumbersome processes. Increased Trust: Demonstrates a commitment to highest security, reassuring users that their identities are being properly protected. The Inevitable Path to Verified Digital Identities

Multi-factor verification is the crucial defense against current threats. But the long-term solution involves moving beyond verifying static documents altogether and embracing verified digital identities.

Think of a physical wallet containing your driver's license, credit cards, and health insurance card. A digital identity wallet securely stores verified, cryptographically signed digital credentials on your smartphone or device. When you need to prove your identity online, you present the relevant digital credential from your wallet, which can be verified instantly and securely without transmitting unnecessary personal data.

Flaws in Traditional KYC Processes Across Industries 

The reliance on outdated, document-centric KYC is a systemic vulnerability affecting numerous sectors:

Banking & Finance: Exposure to account opening fraud, money laundering, and regulatory fines. Insurance: Fraudulent claims, policy inception fraud based on fake identities. Travel & Hospitality: Circumvention of watchlists, booking fraud, non-compliance with passenger verification mandates. Cryptocurrency Exchanges: High susceptibility to money laundering and sanctioned individuals using fake IDs. Gig Economy & Marketplaces: Platform abuse, background check evasion, trust and safety issues. Government Services: Benefits fraud, unauthorized access to citizen services.

In all these areas, the risks of clinging to document-only verification are clear: rampant fraud, regulatory penalties, operational inefficiencies dealing with fraud fallout, and perhaps most damagingly, the erosion of customer trust.

Digitally-Verified Identity: The Necessary Evolution of KYC

The future of secure and user-friendly KYC lies in verified digital identity. Forward-thinking governments and regulatory bodies, like the EU with its eIDAS 2.0 framework and digital identity wallets, are already paving the way. This approach offers a paradigm shift:

Cryptographically Secure: Identity data is bound to the user and verified using strong cryptography, making forgery virtually impossible. Verifiable Credentials: Users present specific, verified attributes (like "is over 18" or "is a resident of X state") without revealing underlying sensitive data. Interoperable Standards: Built on common standards ensuring compatibility across different services and jurisdictions (e.g., eIDAS, GDPR principles of data minimization). User Control & Privacy: Users control their own identity data within their digital wallets. Seamless Experience: Enables secure, passwordless authentication and instant identity verification, creating a frictionless user journey. Verified digital identity isn't just about better security; it's about creating a more efficient, private, and user-centric digital world. It represents the true evolution of KYC for the digital age.
Choosing the Right Digital Identity Verification Partner

Transitioning to a modern identity verification strategy requires the right technology partner. As you evaluate solutions, consider these key aspects:

Multi-Factor Verification: Does the platform incorporate device trust, location context, behavioral signals, and advanced document checks with sophisticated orchestration? Does it have proven fraud detection capabilities against modern threats? Seamless User Experience: How easy is the verification process for legitimate users? Does it work across web and mobile, and for various use cases (onboarding, login, transaction verification)? Compliance & Standards: Does the solution support relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and emerging digital identity standards? Integration & Flexibility: How easily can the platform integrate with your existing technology stack (via APIs, SDKs)? Can it adapt to your specific risk policies and workflows? Future-Proofing: Does the provider demonstrate a commitment to innovation and staying ahead of evolving threats like AI-driven fraud? Stay Ahead of Fraudsters with Multi-Factor, Digital Identity Verification

The security landscape is shifting beneath our feet. AI-powered tools have democratized sophisticated identity fraud, making traditional document verification methods dangerously inadequate. Waiting to act is no longer an option

By embracing a multi-factor identity verification strategy, incorporating signals like device trust and location context alongside advanced document checks, businesses can build immediate, robust defenses. Looking ahead, the transition to verified digital identities offers a path to even greater security, privacy, and user convenience.

At HYPR, we are committed to providing the solutions organizations need to navigate this complex environment. Protecting your business and your customers from identity fraud in the age of AI isn't just good practice; it's an imperative for building and maintaining trust.

Ready to modernize your identity verification process and safeguard your organization against AI-driven threats?

Subscribe to our updates to receive expert insights and learn how HYPR's multi-factor verification and digital identity solutions can protect your business and customers.

Antalya’da düzenlenen 12. Kamu Bilişim Zirvesi, kamu ve özel sektör temsilcilerini bir araya getirdi. 600’ün üzerinde katılımcının yer aldığı etkinlikte; dijital dönüşüm, milli teknoloji hamlesi, dijital ekonomi, blockchain ve kamu-özel sektör iş birlikleri gibi başlıklar öne çıktı. Etkinliğe katılan TÜRKKEP; Kayıtlı Elektronik Posta (KEP), e-İmza, e-Belge, e-Saklama, e-Mühür ve Kurumsal Çözümlerden oluşan ürün ailesiyle ziyaretçilerin yoğun ilgisini çekti.

When we talk about introspection in digital identity, we’re not just talking about what happens in OAuth 2.0. Yes, there’s a token introspection spec, but this post is about something broader: the idea that platforms—especially browsers—can inspect and influence the identity data being exchanged.

Is that a good thing? Apple and Google disagree on just how much introspection is required. And, unfortunately for my piece of mind, I can definitely see both sides of the argument.

What Is Introspection in Web Identity?

In OAuth, introspection allows a system (typically a resource server) to ask a trusted party whether a token is valid and get details like the user, scope, and expiration time.

But the concept of introspection has grown. On the web, it now also means the ability of browsers or platforms to inspect credential requests and responses in order to enforce policy, mediate UX, or protect users.

When a platform introspects, that could mean:

Checking the structure of the credential request Verifying the origin of the Verifier Filtering or transforming claims before they reach the user Blocking requests that don’t meet policy requirements Mediating consent UX on behalf of the user

The question is: how much of that should the browser do by default?

Some say introspection is essential to prevent misuse and protect people. Others argue it creates surveillance risks and makes systems harder to build and scale. Both arguments make valid points, and Apple and Google are not entirely aligned. If you’re expecting a consistent user experience across browsers and mobile platforms, this split is a problem.

A Quick Aside: Inspection vs. Introspection

(Because language matters and I needed to look this up myself.)

Inspection is about checking whether something is safe to process, typically by looking at its structure or syntax.
Introspection is about understanding what something means and making decisions based on its content.

In digital identity:

Inspection might involve validating that a request is well-formed and doesn’t contain code injection attempts. Introspection would involve analyzing the claims being requested and deciding whether they’re appropriate to show to the user, or even whether the request should be blocked.

To put it another way:

Inspection asks, “Is this safe to handle?”
Introspection asks, “What is this trying to do?”

That distinction matters, especially when deciding how much power the browser (or any other entity in the system) should have.

Two Tech Giants, Two Opposing Philosophies

I don’t think you’ll find these positions formally documented anywhere, but based on conversations I’ve had and observed, it boils down to this:

Apple enforces stricter policies that require any credential request passed from the browser to the OS to be syntactically valid and free from malicious content (which means they need to see that content). Google takes a different approach: validating format but delegating deeper inspection to the wallet itself. That’s similar to how they handle passkeys with external providers.

Both companies agree that the browser, as the user agent, has the right to intervene if it believes a request is actively malicious, but they differ in how proactive the browser should be by default.

These positions ultimately shape APIs, UX flows, and developer expectations across major identity protocols. They even impact regulatory discussions as lawmakers argue about what they most want to protect the user from: Big Tech or everyone else.

(For a closer look at how these differences are shaping actual standards work, including the emerging Digital Credentials API at the W3C, I covered some of the details in this earlier post.)

Want to stay updated? I write about digital identity and related standards—because someone has to keep track of all this! Subscribe to get a notification when new blog posts go live. No spam, just announcements of new posts. [Subscribe here] 

Enter Alice: A Real-World Example of Identity in Action

We all love Alice; she is the subject of many a tech story! Let’s say Alice goes to vote in a local election. She’s asked to scan a QR code, which opens her phone’s browser. The verifier (e.g., the state election site) sends a request to her digital identity wallet asking for name, age, home address, and proof of citizenship.

The problem? That’s not a single request. It’s really four separate ones. And Alice has more than one credential that could answer each, e.g., a mobile driver’s license and a mobile passport. Who decides which credentials are shown to Alice? Who ensures that the request is legitimate and not asking for too much?

That’s where introspection—by the browser, wallet, or platform—becomes a question of control.

It’s worth pointing out that neither Apple nor Google has said they want the browser to inspect everything or nothing. What they’ve done is adopt different implementation strategies:

Apple enforces stricter content validation between browser and OS. Google favors letting wallets handle most decision-making, as long as requests are well-structured.

Both reserve the right to step in if a request seems actively harmful. But their default assumptions about the browser’s role do differ, and that shapes how developers must design for each environment.

Should the Browser Mediate or Stand Back?

If the browser only performs inspection, Alice’s experience might depend entirely on the wallet. That could mean an inconsistent user experience, especially if she has multiple wallets or credentials from different issuers.

If the browser goes further—into introspection—it could help Alice choose appropriate credentials, warn her if a verifier is overreaching, or even block suspect requests.

But that also means the browser has access to more metadata about what’s being requested and how Alice is interacting with verifiers. That’s a privacy concern in itself and ultimately a trade-off each platform has to make.

What This Means for Digital Identity Developers

The lack of consensus means that digital identity wallets, verifiers, and browsers are often behaving differently depending on what platform you’re using or developing for. That leads to:

Inconsistent user experiences Confusing or overly technical prompts Incompatibility between ecosystems

These differences are baked into major specs: OpenID for Verifiable Credentials (OpenID4VC) for digital credentials in general and ISO 18013-5 for mobile driver’s licenses all take a stance on who gets to inspect what.

These aren’t just product design differences—they affect how global standards get written. If the browser is deeply involved, specs like OpenID4VC or ISO 18013 need to account for that. If not, then the wallet has to take full responsibility for consent and UI, which introduces fragmentation risks across platforms.

Developers are caught in the middle, trying to build usable systems that work across platforms with different requirements.

TL;DR: What’s at Stake with Introspection? For users: Do you want the browser to protect you—or stay out of the way? The answer to that guides what platform provider you choose. For developers: Do you build for Apple-style control or Google-style neutrality? Unfortunately, the answer is probably “both.” You job is complicated. For standards folks: Do your APIs assume the browser mediates—or just observes? You’ll probably have to be more careful to build in feature detection (among other things).

The answers affect more than architecture; they shape the identity experience itself.

So, Is Introspection the Bug or the Feature?

In digital identity, introspection can be either.

When done right, it helps prevent overreach, clarify consent, and improve trust. When done poorly, it increases complexity, leaks sensitive data, or just gets in the way.

What’s needed is nuance, which is insanely challenging. Right now, we’re stuck in a binary: inspect everything or inspect nothing.

What Comes Next?

Should browsers protect users from overly ambitious verifiers? Or is it time to let wallets and holders take full responsibility?

The question isn’t just technical. It’s political, ethical, and practical. And like so much in identity, it comes down to one thing:

Who do we trust to protect Alice?

I’d love to hear how others are thinking about this. Is there a better path forward? Should introspection evolve or be reined in?

The post Is Introspection a Bug or a Feature? appeared first on Spherical Cow Consulting.

We founded Liminal in 2022 with a radical idea: that the future of intelligence wouldn’t be delivered through static reports or one-size-fits-all dashboards but through real-time, contextual insight embedded directly into the decisions that matter most. That idea led to Link, our core platform, and a broader vision to transform how leaders in complex and regulated industries navigate change, assess risk, and act confidently.

Today, I’m thrilled to share that Liminal has raised $8.5 million in Series A funding, led by Noro-Moseley Partners, with participation from early strategic investors and customers who have supported our vision.  $8.5M Series A Funding Fuels Liminal’s Intelligence Platform

This milestone is about much more than capital. It validates the market need, the strength of the team, and the urgency of the problem we’re solving. Most importantly, it fuels us to build the next generation of intelligence products that enterprise leaders can’t live without.

Why Now, Why Liminal?

Enterprise decision-makers are under more pressure than ever. Go-to-market teams face shrinking budgets and rising complexity. Risk and compliance leaders are overwhelmed by shifting regulations and increasingly creative threat actors. Product and strategy teams are expected to see around corners.

And yet, the tools they rely on are fragmented, slow, and outdated. Static research reports. Siloed dashboards. Intelligence that’s often too late, too shallow, or too generic to be useful.

We believe the answer isn’t “more data.” It’s better intelligence—delivered in real-time, tailored to the task, and embedded directly in workflows.

That’s the future we’re building at Liminal. And this round accelerates that mission.

Where We’re Going

With this Series A funding, we’re focused on three core priorities:

Product Innovation: Expanding Link and launching new tools that meet our users where they are. This includes products like Sales Hub, which was launched in March and brings real-time, contextual market and competitive intelligence into the hands of go-to-market teams. Scalable Infrastructure: Building a data pipeline and delivery engine that supports the speed, scale, and specificity our customers demand. Customer Success & Growth: Deepening our partnerships with enterprise clients and growing our advisory, research, and support capabilities to help every customer extract maximum value from our platform. What Makes Us Different

We believe that great intelligence is:

Dynamic: It adapts as the market evolves Granular: It breaks down complexity into its most actionable parts Embedded: It shows up where and when decisions are made

This is why we started by focusing on highly regulated, rapidly shifting domains like cybersecurity, financial crime, fraud prevention, and trust and safety. These are the areas where the cost of bad information is highest and where our platform can deliver immediate value.

Our approach combines human expertise, proprietary data models, and a flexible delivery system that brings intelligence into Slack, Salesforce, product roadmaps, sales playbooks, and executive dashboards—wherever needed.

A Thank You to the People Who Made This Possible

We wouldn’t be here without the support of our customers, early investors, partners, and team. To our early adopters, thank you for believing in our mission and pushing us to build something that truly works for you.

The Road Ahead

Raising a Series A isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of our next chapter. We’re more energized than ever to push the boundaries of what’s possible in enterprise intelligence.

We’re building Liminal for leaders who can’t afford to wait for answers, teams that need to see what’s changing in real-time, and companies that want to turn complexity into a competitive advantage.

We’re just getting started.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to learn more about our platform or what we’re building next. We’d love to hear from you.

The post Raising Our Series A: Building the Intelligence Platform for Complex Markets appeared first on Liminal.co.

HE institutions have some very valid concerns regarding engagement with emerging RDM solution providers but they have shared goals in addressing security, collaboration, and regulatory compliance.

Securing America’s Digital Destiny is no small task, but it was the focus of our latest live event featuring a powerful voice in the identity space: Jordan Burris, Head of Public Sector at Socure and former White House advisor on cybersecurity and digital identity. 

Jordan explored the deep-rooted challenges in today’s fragmented digital identity systems and laid out a five-pillar blueprint for building a more secure, inclusive, and fraud-resistant identity ecosystem. Topics included making digital identity part of critical infrastructure, establishing a national strategy, adopting a continuous identity model, and striking the right balance between privacy and trust.

Below, we’ve summarized the main insights and takeaways from the session, organized by topic. Whether you missed the live event or want a recap, these points highlight the most actionable ideas for anyone working on the future of identity.

Take back control of your content. Fastly AI Bot Management lets you manage AI bots, block unauthorized scraping, and protect your intellectual property.

Hey folks 👋

It’s that time again - here’s the latest from Kin.

As always. we have new features, some teases, and some places we’d love your input.

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

What’s new with Kin 🚀

We’ve mostly been hard at work on data collection and review over the last few weeks, given our release of Voice Chat to Early Access iOS users. Still…

Technical improvements in Voice Chat and beyond 🎙️✨

The response to our Voice Chat in Early Access on iOS has been incredible - so many stabilization and quality-of-life updates have come out of it so far, and are continuing to.

So, if you gave at a go and haven’t been back, now’s the time.

As a reminder, here’s how to test it out:

1. Update Kin to version 0.3.10 from the App Store
2. In Settings, turn on “Early Access” (make sure “Help Improve Kin” is enabled too)
3. Start a conversation and tap the mic to talk with Kin

We’d still love your honest thoughts as we prepare it for release - you can drop your feedback in the app by taking a screenshot, or share it in Discord (or comment under this post).

And, again, Android fam.

We’re expecting to get you early access in the next few weeks.

I know it’s a while - but make sure that Early Access option is enabled, so you can chat on day one.

Speak Aloud 📢

Those of you that have been with us a while may remember our ‘Speak Aloud’ feature that used to live in the input field.

We’ve brought it back - just long-press on a message and hit ‘Speak Aloud’ to have Kin read it to you.

Perfect for when you just need to hear something.

Sharing is (still) caring 🫂

We’ve updated our in-app sharing once again.

Now, when you share the app right from the main menu or your chat list, you can do it with a personalized link.

Still one tap.

And you're still the friend who always finds the best stuff - now it’s just clear it came from you.

Journal much? 📓

We’ve seen a massive increase in people using Kin’s Journal feature - and we’re here for it.

So much so, that we’ve set aside some time to make it fit our users better - you all just need to tell us how.

Got something to tell us? Suggest an improvement using the ‘suggest improvement’ button from the support section of the main menu.

If you’d like more of a conversation about the feature, you can drop a suggestion in the '#ideas’ channel of our Discord instead.

Good Kin, bad Kin ☯️

Lastly, it’s now possible to let us know whether a particular response from Kin was particularly good or bad.

Don’t worry - we can’t read the message. You’ll just be letting us know that Kin did a good (or bad) job.

All you need to do is long-press on the message, and select accordingly from the menu.

Our current reads 📚

Article: OpenAI overhauls ChatGPT’s memory of past chats
READ - techradar.com

Article: The impact of the current ChatGPT image trends
READ - BBC News

Article: Google deploys AI to manage US power grid
READ: Reuters

Article: EU building more AI data centres
READ: The Guardian

Our online vibe ✨

Go here to check out one of our latest videos that’s starting conversations about being empathetic with yourself.

This week’s super prompt 🤖

“How can I be more empathetic to myself and others?”

‍Quiz me to assess my empathy and self-compassion, based on two frameworks: the six elements of self compassion, and the three tenets of empathy. After each answer, give personal feedback, highlight strengths and growth areas, and offer practical tips - all in simple, relatable language.

If you have Kin installed and updated to the latest version (0.3.11), click the link below to get some help learning about your approach to empathy.

As a reminder, you can do this on both Android and iOS.

Open prompt in Kin

Keep sharing your thoughts 💡

As you might have guessed, 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 ethical, personal AI.

Until next time,

The KIN team