The Unchained Web #110

If you enjoy and find value in the newsletter, please feel free to donate for its upkeep and independent nature as much as you think is fair:

Monero Wallet Address:

42EkgN23XZoLJXrgMJjrRM7jYpmirk1WvWUWc2SDF6kZAXVzHMGy5XB8JM8Vce3iHGKh9H8ACWF9J6ErrfKCP48mL2yeWcw

Bitcoin Wallet Address: bc1q4283c60tv2p7exfeu2ql7dk2n7utswgl43n2fk

ETH & ERC-20 Address: 0xD16429e3F253f50CfF306B2bE8966ce935332116

BNB & BRC-20 Address: 0xD16429e3F253f50CfF306B2bE8966ce935332116

Reclaim (some) Privacy Webinar Series: Intro to SearXNG & other privacy engines

In April, I am planning my first webinar in a series focused on privacy. The specific webinar will be focused on why Google may not be the best search engine to use and the SearXNG meta search engine and how it can be used to enhance privacy when using a search engine to research or find something to one's interest.

If you are interested in the topic, feel free to click "attend" on the link to the event below: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7167975601373458433/about/

Reclaim (some) Privacy Webinar Series: Intro to SearXNG & other privacy engines

In April, I am planning my first webinar in a series focused on privacy. The specific webinar will be focused on why Google may not be the best search engine to use and the SearXNG meta search engine and how it can be used to enhance privacy when using a search engine to research or find something to one's interest.

If you are interested in the topic, feel free to click "attend" on the link to the event below: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7167975601373458433/about/

Musk Takes a Stand, Challenges Pro-Censorship “Misinformation” Researchers Over Alleged “Hate Speech” Smears

Elon Musk, the tech tycoon who rebranded Twitter as X, has issued a warning and threatened legal action against the nonprofit organization Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). Musk's lawyers accused CCDH of making false claims about Twitter in eight different reports last year, including allegations that Twitter failed to control hate speech on its platform. Musk's representatives believe these claims are damaging to the rebranded platform and its digital advertising business. CCDH's head, Imran Ahmed, responded, accusing Musk of wanting to silence critics to allow hate and misinformation to thrive on the platform. Click here for more info.

LeetSwap Losses Mount as Liquidity Exploit Costs Providers $600,000

Peckshield, a security firm, discovered an exploit in LeetSwapDEX, which resulted in a loss of $13 million. The exploit was attributed to the LeetSwapV2Pair::_transferFeesSupportingTaxTokens() function in one of the DEX's smart contracts. LeetSwap faced another major exploit earlier when $12.5 million was withdrawn from their Base meme coin Bald. Despite claims of forking code from Solidly, LeetSwap is the largest decentralized exchange on Coinbase's Base network. In the first half of 2023, DeFi hacks cost investors $480 million, with concerns rising about further vulnerabilities. Another significant hack occurred on Curve DEX, where hackers stole $70 million using a reentrancy bug in the Vyper compiler, affecting several smart contracts. Curve is a crucial pillar of decentralized finance due to its core features supporting liquidity for stablecoins used in various DeFi projects. Click here for more.

Cardano Makes Significant Leap in Speed and Efficiency With Latest Upgrade

Input Output Global (IOG), the engineering team behind Cardano, introduced Mithril, a protocol aiming to enhance scalability by improving node syncing time without compromising security. Mithril allows developers to deploy light clients and mobile applications, making sidechain operations smoother. The protocol works with three main components: the signer, the aggregator, and the client. Cardano plans to match Solana's performance with Mithril's help, but the number of core developers has declined by around 12.3% in the past year. Despite this, decentralized finance (DeFi) activity in the Cardano ecosystem is increasing, with a Total Value Locked (TVL) of $182.83 million. Click here for more.

AI Experts Raise Concern Over Meta’s Personas Chatbot

Meta, the company behind Facebook, is planning to launch AI chatbots called "Personas" for its four billion users by September. These chatbots can mimic different personalities, including historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, and their primary purpose is to engage with users. However, there are concerns about data collection, as the chatbots could potentially gather extensive user data for targeted advertisements and recommendations. Despite no official confirmation, Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, mentioned that the company would share its AI roadmap in September. Additionally, Meta is working on an open-sourced commercial version of AI models to compete with Google and OpenAI. With increasing competition and advancements in AI, leaders from tech giants have pledged to maintain responsible AI development at the White House. Click here for more.

Binance plans to first list 34 tokens in Japan as it re-enters the market

Binance Japan is set to launch full services in August and plans to list 34 tokens initially, making it the exchange with the most offerings among domestic rivals. The platform will also list Binance's native token, BNB, for the first time in Japan. The move comes after Binance's re-entry into the Japanese market following the acquisition of Sakura Exchange BitCoin, allowing it to be regulated by the Japan Financial Services Agency. Binance aims to offer spot trading, Earn products, and its NFT marketplace to new customers in Japan. Click here for more.

How Ralph Lauren’s ‘phygital’ boot sale in Fortnite shows benefits —?and limits — of virtual commerce

Fashion brand Ralph Lauren is set to launch the Polo P-Wing Boot, a physical shoe based on a digital Ralph Lauren garment sold in the game "Fortnite" last year. The brand is exploring the metaverse as a product testing and commerce channel, aiming to connect the virtual and physical worlds. The boot will be available for $250, with only 200 pairs manufactured. Ralph Lauren is also introducing a custom-branded "Fortnite" experience called "Race to Greatness by Polo Ralph Lauren" to support the boot sale. While this "phygital" release is a step towards virtual commerce, it still requires purchases to be made exclusively through RalphLauren.com, rather than within the game. Ralph Lauren plans to continue exploring virtual commerce opportunities and allowing customers to buy garments directly through games and virtual platforms in the future. Click here for more.

Crypto staking rewards are taxable once received : IRS

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a new ruling, Revenue Ruling 2023-14, stating that crypto investors must report crypto staking rewards as gross income in the year they were received. This ruling applies to cash-method taxpayers who receive cryptocurrency as remuneration for validating transactions on proof-of-stake blockchains, whether staking directly or through a centralized exchange. The fair market value of the rewards should be included in annual income and determined at the time the assets are received and the investor gains control over them. The IRS previously subjected crypto-mining rewards to income and capital gains tax but had no provisions for staking rewards until now. The ruling is seen as treating crypto staking similar to stock dividends. Click here for more.

Judge rejects motion to dismiss Terraform case, disagrees with Ripple decision

A U.S. judge has denied Terraform Labs' motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against the company and its founder, Do Kwon. The SEC had accused them of orchestrating a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud. The judge rejected the argument that the SEC lacks authority to regulate crypto tokens without Congressional authorization and also dismissed Terraform Labs' objection citing the "Major Questions Doctrine." The judge's ruling also rejected a previous decision that ruled Ripple did not violate securities laws when selling its XRP token on public exchanges. The judge's analysis emphasized that tokens may be considered securities, and the court refused to distinguish between different tokens based on their manner of sale, which could impact similar cases. Click here for more.

Researchers develop blockchain verification service for cultural artifacts

Computer scientist Adel Khelifi from the University of Abu Dhabi and archaeologist Mark Altaweel from University College London have developed a Web3-based verification-as-a-service model called Salsal. The service aims to determine and record the authenticity and provenance of cultural artifacts, bridging the world of historical artifacts with an on-chain validation system that cannot be manipulated. Salsal will be offered to cultural heritage organizations, providing a protocol for identifying, grading, and recording information about specific artifacts using technology tools. Once artifacts are validated by experts, they can be turned into Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) whose data is stored on the blockchain, ensuring accurate documentation of ownership transfers. The researchers hope for mass adoption of Salsal, envisioning a paradigm where curators seek validation of their collections through the service to prevent theft and looting and establish provenance. Click here for more.

German government watchdog launched Worldcoin probe in November 2022

The Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA) has initiated an investigation into the human identity verification project called Worldcoin due to concerns over its use of biometric data. The German data watchdog began the probe in November 2022, focusing on Worldcoin's practice of using retinal scans for identity verification. BayLDA's President, Michael Will, expressed worries that the technology used by Worldcoin was not well-established or adequately analyzed for transferring financial information, posing potential risks for users. The French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty and the Information Commissioner's Office in the UK have also raised questions about Worldcoin's data collection methods. Despite these concerns, the project has attracted significant interest from users worldwide, and since the launch of its token in July, it has seen a high number of verifications through iris scans. Prominent figures in the crypto space, such as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Block CEO Jack Dorsey, have already given their opinions on the project, and some users have highlighted potential benefits, including helping those affected by financial collapses. Click here for more.

If you enjoy and find value in the newsletter, please feel free to donate for its upkeep and independent nature as much as you think is fair:

Monero Wallet Address:

42EkgN23XZoLJXrgMJjrRM7jYpmirk1WvWUWc2SDF6kZAXVzHMGy5XB8JM8Vce3iHGKh9H8ACWF9J6ErrfKCP48mL2yeWcw

Bitcoin Wallet Address: bc1q4283c60tv2p7exfeu2ql7dk2n7utswgl43n2fk

ETH & ERC-20 Address: 0xD16429e3F253f50CfF306B2bE8966ce935332116

BNB & BRC-20 Address: 0xD16429e3F253f50CfF306B2bE8966ce935332116

Reclaim (some) Privacy Webinar Series: Intro to SearXNG & other privacy engines

In April, I am planning my first webinar in a series focused on privacy. The specific webinar will be focused on why Google may not be the best search engine to use and the SearXNG meta search engine and how it can be used to enhance privacy when using a search engine to research or find something to one's interest.

If you are interested in the topic, feel free to click "attend" on the link to the event below: https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7167975601373458433/about/

Brought to you by Alexandros Dolgov CBA? (Study/Bitcoin)