Identity
Crypto scammers are using black market identities to avoid detection: CertiK
Crypto scammers have been accessing a “cheap and easy” black market of individuals willing to put their name and face on fraudulent projects — all for the low price of $8, blockchain security firm CertiK has uncovered. These individuals, described by CertiK as “Professional KYC actors” would, in some cases, voluntarily become the verified face of a crypto project, gaining trust in the crypto community prior to an “insider hack or exit scam.” Other uses of these KYC actors include using their identities to open up bank or exchange accounts on behalf of the bad actors. According to a Nov. 17 blog post, CertiK analysts were able to find over 20 underground marketplaces hosted on Telegram, Discord, mobile apps, and gig websites to recruit KYC actors for as low as $8 for simple “gigs” lik...
Are decentralized digital identities the future or just a niche use case?
As users take advantage of online services and explore the internet, they eventually create a digital identity. This type of identity is then tied to central entities like Google and Facebook, which make it easier to share data with new services through simple sign-in buttons. While these digital identity management systems are convenient, they are relying on centralized intermediaries that hold and control user data. Personal identifiers and attestations are in their hands, and they can decide — or be forced — to share this information with other parties. Blockchains offer a solution: decentralized digital identities. These allow individuals to manage information related to their identities, create identifiers, control who they’re shared with and hold attestations without relying on a cen...
What is decentralized identity in blockchain?
Self-sovereign identity is a concept that refers to the use of distributed databases to manage PII. The notion of self-sovereign identity (SSI) is core to the idea of decentralized identity. Instead of having a set of identities across multiple platforms or a single identity managed by a third party, SII users have digital wallets in which various credentials are stored and accessible through reliable applications. Experts distinguish three main components known as the three pillars of SSI: blockchain, verifiable credentials (VCs) and decentralized identifiers (DIDs). Blockchain is a decentralized digital database, a ledger of transactions duplicated and distributed among network computers that record information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack or cheat. Seco...
Are Bitcoin transactions anonymous and traceable?
It can be difficult to track Bitcoin transactions when people use various wallets and Bitcoin mixers. These factors disrupt the search process and take up a lot of time. Despite the fact that it is challenging for users of a Bitcoin wallet to conduct transactions completely anonymously, there are several ways to get close to anonymity. For example, it is possible to use a cryptocurrency mixer. In this case, it is a Bitcoin mixer, which ensures that it is more difficult to make Bitcoin traceable. This is done by mixing BTC transactions from different people together in a pool, then sending the transactions to the intended addresses. In addition, wallets can also be very difficult to monitor. If someone does not want their activities on the Bitcoin network to be traceable, it is possible to ...
Web3 games incorporate features to drive female participation
Although there is still an apparent lack of women in the Web3 sector, blockchain-based games geared toward women may help drive inclusivity. A recent report from the Entertainment Software Association found that 48% of gamers in the United States identify as female. It has also been noted that nearly half of all gamers in the world are women. The interest that women have taken in the billion-dollar gaming sector is notable. This, combined with the massive growth being projected by the GameFi industry, is a key reason why a number of Web3 games are being built specifically for female users. Beryl Chavez Li, co-founder of Yield Guild Games — a global play-to-earn gaming community — told Cointelegraph that she believes blockchain-based games like Axie Infinity have started to see an upt...
Identity and the Metaverse: Decentralized control
“The Metaverse” and “Web3” are the buzzwords of the moment, with their concepts permeating across the worlds of fintech, blockchain, and now even mainstream media. With decentralization thought to be at the core of the Web3 Metaverse, the promise of a better user experience, security and control for consumers is what’s driving its growth. But with users’ identities at the heart of the Metaverse, coupled with unprecedented amounts of data online, there are concerns over data security, privacy and interoperability. This has the potential to hinder the development of the Metaverse, but both regulated and self-sovereign identities could play an important role in ensuring that we truly own our identity and data within this new space. Related: Digital sovereignty: Reclaiming your private data in...
4-digit ENS domains spike in demand this week and continue soaring
Ethereum Name Service, or ENS, .eth domains ranging from 0000 to 9999 have recently been causing a stir among NFT investors, speculators and enthusiasts alike. Even though three- and four-digit names have been around for years, the number of people registering for ENS domains and purchasing these digit number names on secondary markets over the past week has significantly affected the market’s trading volume. According to a Dune Analytics dashboard for ENS, the spike in sales began on April 21, and the number of eth. name registrations has since jumped from 2,721 to 21,188 by April 28. Over the last seven-day period, ENS domains’ trading volume on OpenSea climbed by 3,333% to 2,613 ETH, or $7.3 million, at the time of writing. The last 48 hours have seen the most...
Buenos Aires to accept crypto for tax payments, launch DLT-backed citizen profiles
The capital of Argentina and an agglomeration with more than 12 million citizens, Buenos Aires will make blockchain a vital part of its digitalization drive. Specifically, the city will accept public financial transactions in crypto. As city Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta revealed in his Steve Jobs-styled presentation on April 25, the 12-step development plan titled “Buenos Aires +” envisions a significant increase in crypto and blockchain adoption. Con Buenos Aires + vamos a dar un paso más en el camino hacia un Estado facilitador que desburocratice y agilice los procesos. Un camino en el que el Estado sea el que se acerca a la gente, y no al revés. pic.twitter.com/yi6fUMmAUI — Horacio Rodríguez Larreta (@horaciorlarreta) April 26, 2022 The city authorities intend to launch a platf...
FTX joins other crypto goliaths to promote autonomy over sensitive information
Centre, an open-source technology project developed by Coinbase and Circle, has onboarded crypto exchange FTX and Alkemi Network as its latest partners to collaborate on Verite. Verite is a set of shared decentralized identity protocols — developed by Centre — to empower crypto-centric individuals and businesses by granting total control of personal information. Supporting Verite’s commitment to collaborate on shared decentralized identity standards, FTX and Alkemi have added to the list of 14 crypto companies, which include Coinbase, Circle, Hedera Hashgraph, Ledger, the Solana Foundation and more. Verite launch partners include @circlepay , @blocks, @Algorand, @coinbase, @compoundfinance, @ConsenSys, Espresso Systems, @hedera, @Ledger, @MMInstitutional, @phantom, @SolanaFndn, @Spru...
Total targets more renewable electricity, LNG production by 2030
Total Companies in Nigeria has unveiled its corporate vision in line with the change of the Total Group to TotalEnergies. The organisation aims to produce more renewable electricity and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by 2030. The oil major also outlined its broad energy lineup that includes oil, gas, electricity, hydrogen, biomass, wind and solar. TotalEnergies is committing $60 billion to investment in renewable energy in the next 10 years, with 10 per cent of that investment expected to come to Nigeria. Speaking at a virtual parley with journalists, the Executive General Manager, Total Country Services, Mrs. Bunmi Popoola-Mordi, highlighted steps that would help in adapting the new name, logo and visual identity of the company. THISDAY had reported that the shareholders of Total Group, had ...
Chad accuses CAR of killing six of its soldiers
The Chad government on Monday accused the Central African Republic (CAR) of killing six of its soldiers in an attack on an outpost in the south of the country. “The Central African armed forces attacked the outpost of Sourou in Chad on Sunday morning … killed a Chad soldier, injured five and kidnapped five others who were then executed in Mbang on the Central African Republic side,” Chad’s Foreign Minister Cherif Mahamat Zene said in a statement. The CAR regularly accuses its northern neighbour of supporting armed rebel groups from inside Chad. The identity of the alleged CAR rebels is yet to be confirmed but a senior Chad security official told AFP news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity, that the rebels were members of Unity for Peace in Central Africa (UPC). The UPC is one of CA...
Missing community leader found dead in Warri river
The corpse of a missing leader of Igbudu community in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Victor Onotata Midehire Oghenevwede (alias Ogbogbo) has been found floating in a Warri river. The deceased, Onotata Midehire Oghenevwede (alias Ogbogbo), before he was declared missing two weeks ago, was the Defence Secretary of Igbudu community. His body was found dead and floating in Warri River on Friday, May 21, 2021 which threw residents of the ancient Agbarha Warri community of Igbudu into mourning. It was gathered on Saturday that bruises were found on his face and body while his hands and legs were tied with a rope. Ogbogbo was said to be sporting Igbudu Community Anti-Cult vest as of the time he was declared two weeks ago and murdered. Feelers had it that three days after...
