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Showing posts with the label technology

From memes to biometrics: Reddit could soon require eye scans

World, the Sam Altman-owned iris scanning firm, is reportedly in talks with Reddit about introducing the eyeball-based World ID system on the social platform. As reported by Semafor, sources familiar with the dealings say that World ID may be coming to Reddit soon. This ID, when verified using someone’s eyeballs, supposedly certifies them as a “unique human.” World also goes by the name World Network and rebranded from Worldcoin last year. The tech firm recently inked partnerships with Tinder, Razor, and payments firm Visa and officially launched in the UK and US this year. Before its UK launch, World previously caught the attention of the country’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2023, which announced an inquiry into the firm . The ICO spokesperson has since told Protos that it has scrutinized World while “clearly setting out our expectations to ensure compliance.” They said World has made some changes since this engagement.  Over half of W...

AI-Powered Robots Could Aid US Fiscal Crisis, Says David Sacks

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AI-powered robots fiscal crisis discussions have, right now, taken center stage after David Sacks, the White House AI and crypto czar, proposed automation as America’s potential financial savior. During a recent “All-In” podcast, Sacks suggested that, at the time of writing, US debt automation through advanced robotics could address mounting fiscal challenges without traditional budget cuts and also tax increases. Also Read: Goldman Sachs: MAG7 Hits 7-Year Low Amid AI, Trade & Antitrust Fears Can AI Robots and Automation Help Solve the US Debt Crisis? Source: NBC Sacks Proposes AI-Powered Economic Revolution The White House official outlined how AI in government spending could be, such as through technological advancement, revolutionized. Sacks acknowledged current fiscal problems and also presented his robotics economic recovery vision. Sacks had this to say: “I don’t like America’s fiscal picture at all, but what if the AI and robotics revolution p...

Solana mainnet down almost a year after last major outage

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Solana engineers have confirmed that the ecosystem’s mainnet has suffered its first major outage of 2024. An incident report confirmed on Tuesday that “Engineers from across the ecosystem are investigating an outage on mainnet-beta.” According to Solana blockchain trackers, blocks were last processed at just before 10:00 UTC. Read more: Jupiter’s massive insider allocation of Solana airdrop JUP “Block progression is currently halted, core engineers and validators are actively investigating,” added Solana validator Laine via X (formerly Twitter). Following the news of the Solana mainnet outage, its SOL token fell 2% to $94 . According to Solana’s status page, this is the mainnet’s first major outage since February last year when it reportedly suffered disruption lasting nearly 19 hours. Got a tip? Send us an email or ProtonMail. For more informed news, follow us on X,  Instagram ,  Bluesky , and  Google News , or subscribe to our  Y...

Ripple’s technology chief shows support for proposed XRPL governance changes

Ripple’s chief technology officer, David Schwartz, has recently expressed his views on a new governance proposal for the XRPL Foundation. In an X post on Jan. 29, Schwartz highlighted the significance of community involvement in shaping the proposal, which he referred to as a “straw man” and as a preliminary concept intended to kickstart discussions and attract a wide range of ideas. Appreciate this public clarity from you, @sappenin. David also shared his proposal with me as a courtesy beforehand, as he did with XRPLF, and the Foundation was receptive to the proposal. At the end of the day though, he, like any other community member, doesn’t need… — David "JoelKatz" Schwartz (@JoelKatz) January 29, 2024 Schwartz emphasized the proposal’s goal to improve the transparency and democratic nature of XRPL governance . He pointed out that presenting such ideas does not require special permission, as every community member is entitled to contrib...

What is the difference between DApps and protocols?

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Discover the contrasting functions of DApps and protocols in the blockchain world, and gain insights into how they contribute to the growth of decentralized technologies. In recent years, the rise of blockchain technology has paved the way for groundbreaking innovations in the realm of decentralized systems. Among the revolutionary concepts are decentralized applications (DApps) and protocol s. While both are integral components of the decentralized ecosystem, they serve distinct purposes and play different roles. This article explores the contrasting characteristics of DApps and protocol s, shedding light on their respective functionalities and importance in the world of decentralized technologies. Understanding DApps Software programs that run on a decentralized network of computers rather than a centralized server are known as decentralized applications or DApps. They make use of blockchain technology to guarantee immutability, security and transparency. Like traditional applicatio...

How and why do stablecoins depeg?

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Discover the causes and mechanisms behind stablecoin depegging. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency designed to have a stable value relative to a specific asset or a basket of assets, typically a fiat currency such as the U.S. dollar, euro or Japanese yen. Stablecoins are designed to offer a “stable” store of value and medium of exchange compared with more traditional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), which can be highly volatile. Fiat money, cryptocurrencies, and commodities like gold and silver are examples of assets used to collateralize or “back” stablecoins. Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC) and Dai (DAI) are a few examples of stablecoins pegged to the U.S. dollar. Stablecoins can also be algorithmically stabilized through smart contracts and other mechanisms that automatically adjust the supply of the stablecoin to maintain its peg to the underlying asset. Despite the potential benefits, stablecoins are not without risks. The most significant risk with any ...

Hong Kong issues HK$800m in tokenized green bonds

The bonds were underwritten by four banks and priced at a yield of 4.05%. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR Government) announced on Feb 16 that it had issued HK$800 million in tokenized green bonds , under the Government's Green Bond Program (GBP). The bonds were underwritten by four banks and priced at a yield of 4.05%. According to the announcement, the platform used Goldman Sachs' tokenization protocol GS DAP for the bond, which uses a private blockchain network to settle security tokens representing the beneficial interests of bonds in a T+1 payment-vs-payment (DvP) manner, and cash tokens representing claims on the HKMA's Hong Kong dollar legal tender.  Tokenization, the process of representing assets or securities as digital tokens, is a relatively new concept in the financial world. By using blockchain technology to create digital tokens, issuers can provide more transparency, efficiency, and ...

Mastercard partners with Polygon to launch Web3 musician accelerator program

The program will help five emerging artists set up and manage their brands in the Web3 space, and is also aimed at educating people in the music scene on what avenues Web3 tech can offer them. Global payments giant Mastercard is ramping up its exposure blockchain tech yet again, after announcing a Polygon-based accelerator program to help musicians build their careers via Web3. The firm announced the "Mastercard Artist Accelerator" program via a Jan. 7 blog post, outlining that from this spring, it will connect five emerging musicians from across the globe with mentors that will  help them set up their brand in the Web3 music space. "The artists will gain exclusive access to special events, music releases and more. A first-of-its-kind curriculum will teach the artists how to build (and own) their brand through Web3 experiences like minting NFTs, representing themselves in virtual worlds and establishing an engaged community," the post reads. The program will cul...