The Unchained Web Daily #140

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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/

Mixin Platform Suspends Deposits, Withdrawals After $200M Security Breach

Mixin Network experienced a security breach resulting in potential losses of up to $200 million, according to a tweet by the team. The project offers a wallet for cross-chain asset transfers and a decentralized exchange for various cryptocurrencies. The attack targeted the network's cloud service provider, leading to temporary suspension of deposit and withdrawal services. The team plans to reopen these services after consensus among all nodes. Mixin Network's transactions are validated by 35 mainnet nodes, and the founder, Feng Xiaodong, will address the incident in a public livestream. The project had security audits from firms like SlowMist, IO Active, and CertiK, but critics questioned its decentralization claims due to the mention of a "cloud service provider." For more details, click here.

Arbitrum DAO takes $56M of unclaimed ARB as airdrop deadline ends

Arbitrum, a prominent layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, has transferred 69.4 million unclaimed ARB tokens, valued at approximately $56 million, to its decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), Arbitrum DAO. This move means that users can no longer claim ARB tokens, as highlighted by the Arbitrum Foundation. These unclaimed tokens constitute 0.69% of the total supply of 10 billion ARB tokens, with 93% of eligible users having already claimed their share. Arbitrum, created by Offchain Labs in 2021, introduced the ARB governance token in March 2023, which allows holders to participate in the Arbitrum DAO's on-chain governance protocol. This action aligns with Arbitrum Improvement Proposal 7 and follows the DAO's establishment six months ago. For more details, click here.

North Korean Lazarus Group amasses over $40M in Bitcoin, data reveals

The Lazarus Group, a North Korean hacking collective, currently holds approximately $47 million in cryptocurrency, with the majority being in Bitcoin (BTC), according to data from Dune Analytics. The wallets associated with the Lazarus Group contain around $42.5 million in BTC, $1.9 million in Ether (ETH), $1.1 million in Binance Coin (BNB), and an additional $640,000 in stablecoins, primarily Binance USD (BUSD). However, this amount has decreased from the $86 million the group held on September 6, shortly after the Stake.com hack in which Lazarus was involved. Despite being highly active, the group's wallets do not contain privacy coins like Monero, Dash, or Zcash. The FBI and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) have identified 295 wallets owned by the hacking group. It's worth noting that these holdings could be even higher, as the data is based on publicly available information. The Lazarus Group has been implicated in various cryptocurrency-related hacks, including the attack on CoinEx, which resulted in a loss of at least $55 million, and thefts totaling over $200 million in 2023, as reported by the FBI. Click here for more.

Coinbase secures AML registration from the Bank of Spain

Coinbase has obtained an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance registration from the Bank of Spain, marking a significant step in its European expansion. With this registration, Coinbase can now offer its full range of services to retail and institutional users in Spain while complying with the country's national legal framework. Spanish users will be able to custody their crypto assets on Coinbase and buy and sell crypto assets in euros. The move comes as Spain experiences growing interest in digital assets, with 29% of adults believing that crypto is the future of finance. Crypto has also become Spain's second most preferred payment method, surpassing traditional bank transfers. Coinbase has been actively seeking regulatory compliance worldwide and has obtained VASP registrations in multiple countries, including Italy, Ireland, and the Netherlands. This expansion aligns with Coinbase's efforts to establish a strong presence in Europe. For more information, click here.

Coinbase CEO warns against AI regulation, calls for decentralization

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has expressed his belief that artificial intelligence (AI) should not be regulated. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Armstrong argued that AI development needs to progress rapidly, citing reasons such as national security. He also contended that regulation, despite good intentions, often has unintended consequences that stifle innovation and competition. Armstrong drew parallels with the internet, suggesting that the lack of regulation during its early stages contributed to a "golden age of innovation." He proposed a decentralized and open-source approach to protect the AI space rather than imposing regulations. This perspective contrasts with the growing trend of jurisdictions around the world considering AI regulation and its potential impacts on competition and consumers. Click here for more.

Amazon Boosts AI Presence With $1 Billion Anthropic Stake

Amazon has announced a substantial investment of $1.25 billion in Anthropic, a startup focused on AI safety. This investment could potentially increase to $4 billion depending on certain conditions. Anthropic is known for its AI assistant, Claude 2, which competes with advanced AI models like ChatGPT and Google's Bard. The move will provide Amazon with access to large language models similar to ChatGPT, allowing its engineers to explore and develop AI applications. This investment is part of Amazon's efforts to strengthen its position in the AI landscape, particularly in the corporate sector, and expand its cloud infrastructure provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS). It marks one of Amazon's most significant investments directly related to AWS. In contrast, Microsoft invested $10 billion in OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, for a 49% stake. Anthropic's founders, Dario and Daniela Amodei, previously worked at OpenAI but left in 2021 to start Anthropic with a focus on advancing AI safety. Their AI assistant, Claude 2, employs Constitutional AI principles to enhance safety by evaluating its own adherence to rules, reducing the potential for misuse. The investment is in line with Amazon's goal of offering customers various AI models and solutions through its platforms. It also reflects the broader competition among tech giants in the AI space. Click here for more.

Bitcoin Mining Rigs Uncovered in Venezuelan Prison ‘Gang Headquarters’

During a raid at Tocorón prison in Aragua state, Venezuelan authorities discovered a Bitcoin mining rig. Tocorón prison is known for housing the notorious crime syndicate Tren de Aragua and being involved in various illicit activities, including Bitcoin mining. Bitcoin mining profitability is relatively slim in 2023, but by using the prison's electricity, criminals may have achieved better margins than most. The crackdown on Tren de Aragua, which involved 11,000 personnel, revealed not only typical contraband items but also Bitcoin mining rigs, highlighting the cryptocurrency's reach even in the darkest corners of society. Similar incidents have been reported, including a drug trafficking ring operating Bitcoin mining in Chile. Additionally, Banco de Venezuela, the country's largest bank, recently experienced a ransomware attack, further complicating the crypto landscape in Venezuela and contributing to regulators' deteriorating sentiment towards cryptocurrency in the country. 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)