October, 2020

Data encryption a threat to fighting child sexual abuse, says DOJ
Blockchain, Events
29/10/2020
19

Data encryption a threat to fighting child sexual abuse, says DOJ

The U.S. Department of Justice has released an international statement claiming that end-to-end encryption “poses significant challenges to public safety,” including sexually exploited children.

In an Oct. 11 statement from the DoJ, the agency called on technology companies to work with the government to find a solution for strong data encryption with the means to allow the investigation of illegal activity and content. The department stated end-to-end encryption that hindered law enforcement from accessing certain content creates “severe risks to public safety.”

The statement was signed by the DoJ, the Home Department of the United Kingdom, the Australian Minister for Home Affairs, India, Japan, a New Zealand Member of Parliament and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Canada.

In particular, the DoJ stated such encryption — in which only the senders and receivers can access the data being sent — undermined law enforcement from “investigating serious crimes” and “protecting national security.” In addition, a tech company’s ability to identify and respond to child sexual exploitation and abuse, violent crime, and terrorist propaganda may be compromised, claimed the department.

Citing a 2019 report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the government agency implied end-to-end encryption needed to be implemented with a solution to safeguard children, or it would undermine the current system of reporting such exploitation.

“In 2018, Facebook Messenger was responsible for nearly 12 million of the 18.4 million worldwide reports of CSAM [child sexual abuse material to the NCMEC],” the DoJ said, citing a 2019 statement from the WePROTECT Global Alliance. “These reports risk disappearing if end-to-end encryption is implemented by default, since current tools used to detect CSAM do not work in end-to-end encrypted environments.”

Elected officials in the United States have already acted to seek a legislative solution to investigating the illicit activities to which the DoJ referred.

In June, three Republican senators put forth a bill that would outlaw end-to-end encryption for technology companies, requiring device manufacturers and service providers to assist law enforcement by providing access to encrypted data. The bill, named The Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act, is currently under review in the Committee on the Judiciary. There is also the EARN IT Act, a proposed bill that would require digital messages to first pass through government-approved scanning software in order to monitor for malicious criminal activity.

Proponents of both bills have claimed their purpose would include protecting children from sexual abuse. However, many privacy advocates have heavily criticized the bills’ sponsors for what they perceive as the government encroaching on personal freedoms.

Though its statement focused on end-to-end encryption, the DoJ stated it would extend its efforts to “device encryption, custom encrypted applications and encryption across integrated platforms.” The government agency claimed it would hold a “respect for privacy” at the forefront of any legal framework.

“We challenge the assertion that public safety cannot be protected without compromising privacy or cyber security,” the DoJ stated.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/data-encryption-a-threat-to-fighting-child-sexual-abuse-says-doj

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Naming and cryptos
Altcoins, Bitcoin, Events, Multimedia
26/10/2020
17

Naming and cryptos

Naming sponsors have been established in Greek basketball in recent years, in contrast to what happens in football where there are simply no corresponding agreements for the PAE.

With sponsorships that offer valuable financial “breath” to the teams and “support” their budgets, in a difficult time for their income in the midst of a pandemic and the consolation is that the companies interested in promoting themselves through the Greek (basketball) market multiply.

Several OEMs make deals – in the model of the Italians, “fashion” that began in previous decades – and in this year’s Basket League 6 championship – from 12 – go to the first jambol with a sponsor in their name!

A jambol that comes a week late, due to the well-known problems they faced as “more than five” 2 of the 12 teams of A1, the Ionian Hellenic Coin and Messolonghi BAXI. After “running” for a few days, the Nikaians managed to present a complete file to the Professional Sports Committee to secure the necessary certificate of participation in the Greek basketball championship, something that happened to the newly enlightened Messolonghi. Any shortcomings were covered, the licenses were given by the EEC and all is well… And let’s go to the “roast”!

The 3 “old” of these 6 sponsors are: OPAP, the far leading brand of the Basket League (and the Euroleague) in its 5th consecutive year of cooperation with the 6-time European trophy winner and 39-time Greek champion Panathinaikos (as Megas Sponsor with PAME STIHIMA on the jersey) and 3rd in a row as a naming sponsor, H Hotels with the Colossus of Rhodes and Megabolt with Lavrio.

The 3 new “players”? Hellenic Coin with Ionikos of Nice, the historical team that highlighted the huge Panagiotis Giannakis and the Bread Factory chain with Larissa.

“Behind” the absolute leader of the gambling market and the largest “blood donor” of Greek sports (Panathinaikos OPAP), follows, sectors such as fintech and a cryptocurrency company (Ionian Hellenic Coin), a chain of bakeries / confectioneries (Larissa Bread Factory), a strong hotel brand (Colossus H Hotels), a company with 40 years of specialization in screws and support systems, from drills, wood screws, cement screws etc. to shipping products (Lavrio Megabolt) and a water and heating company (Messolongi BAXI / former Charilaos Trikoupis)! Last year Peristeri also had Winmasters in its σή brand

Who are the 3 new sponsors of the A1 teams?

THE 3 NEW DEALS IN A1 OF GREEK BASKETBALL

In Ionikos, the position of the network of Affidea diagnostic centers in the name of the association was taken by Hellenic Coin, which was created in 2015 and manages the first Greek cryptocurrency.

A digital currency (HNC), an alternative to the euro and an analogue of Bitcoin. CEO of Hellenic Coin is Vangelis Tsapas, a stockbroker with activities in shipping as well. A ν basketball man, who led the “miracle” at the Keratsini Lighthouse and led him from the local championships to the A1 and the cup final, now boss in Ionikos.

Naming and cryptos
In Larissa, the “companion” of the team becomes the Bread Factory (creation of the former volleyball player Ilias Petropoulos), which started in 2016 and since then is constantly expanding in products, as the “multi-space bread” in Holargos offers wine cellar, grocery, meats, meats, meats , as well as coffee, food. In the capital of Thessaly makes its first opening outside Attica, with its 7th store…

As for the new member of the “list”, Hydromarin SA is a company that has been active in the Greek market since 2002 and belongs to the Cherbros Group.

It holds a leading position in the field of water supply and heating, having complete solutions in a nationwide network of 1200 specialized stores with full technical support and is the exclusive representative of VAHI products, the largest European gas boiler factory.

With this brand, he will appear on the jersey of the newly enlightened Mesolongi BAXI or former Charilaos Trikoupis, a name with which he won the title of champion in A2 and from this year he will play in A1!

Michalis Kosmetatos- THE OBJECTIVE.GR

Source: https://www.theobjective.gr/2020/10/23/%CE%BA%CF%81%CF%85%CF%80%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%AF%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1-%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%BE%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B4%CE%BF%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%B1/?fbclid=IwAR3LpY2VrSklZkETw94v_k2wrYYUnUWSpuErzMj1AeK66qM4I88m

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PayPal to allow cryptocurrency buying, selling and shopping on its network
Altcoins, Bitcoin, Multimedia
23/10/2020
15

PayPal to allow cryptocurrency buying, selling and shopping on its network

LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) – PayPal Holdings Inc joined the cryptocurrency market on Wednesday, allowing customers to buy, sell and hold bitcoin and other virtual coins using the U.S. digital payments company’s online wallets.

PayPal customers will also be able to use cryptocurrencies to shop at the 26 million merchants on its network starting in early 2021, the company said in a statement.

PayPal hopes the service will encourage global use of virtual coins and prepare its network for new digital currencies that may be developed by central banks and corporations, President and Chief Executive Dan Schulman said in an interview.

“We are working with central banks and thinking of all forms of digital currencies and how PayPal can play a role,” he said.

U.S. account holders will be able to buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies in their PayPal wallets over the coming weeks, the company said. It plans to expand to Venmo and some countries in the first half of 2021.

Other mainstream fintech companies, such as mobile payments provider Square Inc and stock trading app firm Robinhood Markets Inc, allow users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, but PayPal’s launch is noteworthy given its vast reach.

The company, based in San Jose, California, has 346 million active accounts around the world and processed $222 billion in payments in the second quarter.

PayPal to allow cryptocurrency buying, selling and shopping on its network

Cryptocurrencies tend to be volatile, making them attractive to speculators, but a lot less appealing to merchants and shoppers. Transactions have been slower and more costly than other mainstream payment systems.

Cryptocurrency payments on PayPal will be settled using fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, meaning merchants will not receive payments in virtual coins, the company said.

Many central banks around the world have expressed their intention to develop digital versions of their currencies in the coming years, while Facebook Inc-led the creation of a cryptocurrency project called Libra in 2019. PayPal was a founding member but dropped out after a few months.

PayPal, which has secured the first conditional cryptocurrency license from the New York State Department of Financial Services, will initially allow purchases of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies called ethereum, bitcoin cash and litecoin, it said. It partners with Paxos Trust Company to offer the service. (Reporting by Anna Irrera; Editing by Richard Chang)

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/paypal-cryptocurrency/paypal-to-allow-cryptocurrency-buying-selling-and-shopping-on-its-network

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8 Reasons for trading cryptocurrencies
Altcoins, Bitcoin, Eco System of We Greece
19/10/2020
16

8 Reasons for trading cryptocurrencies

In previous years, paying with cryptocurrencies was really difficult. You have to find retailers that would accept digital coins at the checkout and this of course was not easy.
Although they have been available for over a decade, only now are traditional businesses beginning to realize the benefits of adding cryptocurrencies as a payment method. Starbucks, one of the most famous coffee chains in the world, plans to integrate direct payment with cryptocurrencies by 2020.
Certainly, for those who pay for their double, plain, non-fat, mint-flavored and white chocolate cappuccino with Bitcoin in more than 30,000 stores worldwide, it is an important step in terms of mass adoption. But let’s face it. It’s not going to make your life any easier if you want to pay for other things with cryptocurrencies.
Some companies develop cryptocurrency debit cards, which allow payment with the most popular virtual currencies anywhere. This means that even if the retail store does not accept cryptocurrencies, you can still use them for payment using such a card.
The question that remains is one.
Do you really want to pay with cryptocurrencies for your next shopping?
Do not think that there are disadvantages to paying with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
For example, if you pay for a T-shirt with Bitcoin today and the price of Bitcoin goes up tomorrow, you may end up paying more for the same item. However, it is possible to mitigate opportunity costs by using stablecoins instead of volatile cryptocurrencies.
Now, let’s look at the reasons why you should pay with cryptocurrencies in the future.

1. Low fees

Banks, along with other financial institutions, provide incentives for people to keep their hard-earned money in their vaults. Banks are smart. They try to entice people, making them believe that keeping money in their own accounts is simply the best option for securing their money.
Emerging Challenger banks, such as N26 or Revolut, work hard to make banking services friendly and convenient for the general public. However, these facilities come with a cost. These banks charge fees of all kinds – ATM fees, merchant fees, debit and credit card charges, inactivity fees, maintenance fees, foreign transaction fees and the list goes on and on.
At the end of the year, you realize that you have lost a lot of money due to a large number of micro-charges, imposed by the institutions themselves, who promised to take care of your money.
The banking system did not face real competition until the appearance of cryptocurrencies. With digital currencies, transactions are not processed by brokers, thus significantly reducing fees. Blockchain fees only reflect the energy spent on recording a particular transaction and this tends to be a minimal cost compared to the normal bank fee.

2. Improved data protection

Banks, credit institutions and service providers have control over the personal information belonging to their customers. This information includes name, age, net worth, assets, account balances, credit, home address, employers and more. If any of these data points fell into the wrong hands, the consequences could be dire for your bank account.
Cryptocurrency payments offer an alternative that includes limited data from users.
Paying digitally allows you to stay away from any impersonation. While a third member may require your name, your remaining information remains confidential.

3. The cross-border nature of cryptocurrencies

Globalization has given us choices. If you think that local stores have high prices, you can find alternatives in other countries. But cross-border transactions can lead to extra charges and delays.
Sending money from one country to another is a costly, time consuming and slow process that leaves recipients with less money in their pockets. The money goes through a series of exchanges before reaching their final destination.
The use of cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, is flawless. Funds move from point A to point B without interruption, in seconds and with extremely low charges.

4. E-commerce friendly

The number of cryptocurrency users is growing despite the declining market trend.
Thus, it is vital for business owners to allow customers to pay the way they want.
Retailers could also benefit from accepting digital currencies. The BitPay online payment portal already processes $ 1 billion in cryptocurrency transactions annually.
Processing their credit and debit card payments costs them money, while cryptocurrencies are usually credited directly to their accounts at no charge. Shopify and Etsy merchants have recently integrated cryptocurrencies into their coffers.

5. Easy to use and safe

With the advent of NFC technology, the number of people actually scanning their cards has dropped significantly. Today, all you have to do is take out your smartphone and… finally! The payment is done.
But while this sounds like a lot, it also exposes you to some additional risks. Those with NFC readers could easily access your card data and – possibly – your funds.
Cryptocurrencies offer an equally convenient way to pay digitally using your phone, but they do have additional security measures that prevent intruders from accessing your personal data. One could either transfer cryptocurrencies directly to a business from his wallet or use a prepaid cryptocurrency card with the specific amount required to purchase.

6. Increasing adoption

There are over 42 million cryptocurrency wallets out there. And that number does not seem to be declining. Quite the opposite. What started as an experiment in a basement a decade ago has turned into a multi-billion dollar market and an alternative to the traditional financial system.
Cryptocurrencies are now being adopted en masse with large companies such as Facebook and Telegram developing their own currencies. At the same time, central banks are already experimenting with the CBDC and China is expected to launch the digital yuan. Countries struggling to manage their own economies, such as Zimbabwe and Venezuela, are also turning to cryptocurrencies to fight inflation.

7. Complete capital control

Old payment systems are structured by third parties. It’s your money, your account, but the bank still has tremendous control. Your account may be frozen or closed if the bank deems it necessary.
With cryptocurrencies, you are the owner of your wallet and you act as your own bank. You control it completely, as does the money (digital assets) stored in it.

8. Tax implications

Governments around the world are still struggling to figure out how to regulate or tax cryptocurrencies. At present, some US states only tax them when converted to fiat currency. Therefore, paying with cryptocurrencies allows you to reduce the tax burden.

Source: www.wegreece,com.gr

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ARE CRYPTO AND BLOCKCHAIN KEY TO A TECH RENAISSANCE
Altcoins, Bitcoin, Blockchain, Events
14/10/2020
16

ARE CRYPTO AND BLOCKCHAIN KEY TO A TECH RENAISSANCE?

ARE CRYPTO AND BLOCKCHAIN KEY TO A TECH RENAISSANCE

A former director of the US Mint thinks that the market will gravitate toward these solutions

A panel discussion at COSM explored the future of crypto currencies like Bitcoin and blockchain technologies in general. What might they mean for global money, global security, and internet architecture?

The panel, moderated by Wired contributing editor Spencer Reiss, comprised futurist George Gilder, Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, Ed Moy, former Director of the U.S. Mint, and William Dembski, mathematician, entrepreneur, and philosopher:

Can Crypto and Blockchain Reverse the Tech Decline (and Enable an Internet Renaissance)?

 

Here are some snatches from the dialogue (aired September 11, 2020):

George Gilder (on what’s wrong with the internet):

“It’s a broken paradigm. How do you tell a broken paradigm? The more money you spend on it, the worse it gets. Last year, we had a billion breaches of private data. This year, we’re spending roughly 20-30% more on internet security and we’re on track for three billion breaches. To have IP addresses is like having public keys with no private keys. It’s a failed foundation for a secure system. And we have a solution in the new cryptographic inventions that blockchain epitomizes.”

Steve Forbes (on the challenge of disruptive technologies in general, citing his industry as an example): 

“When we started our electronic publishing in the mid-90s, most publishers thought you just took a printed page and put it on line. And that was electronic publishing. That was like, when Edison and others invented film 120 years ago. Some people thought that a fature film was like filming a stage play. No. Very different medium. One of the first things we did was separate Forbes.com from Forbes Magazine. Separate staff, separate buildings, separate support systems. We wanted the baby away from the rollover of the mother. The other thing we did was, we went beyond the content of Forbes Magazine. We used a lot of outside content. We didn’t restrict ourselves to what appeared in Forbes Magazine.”

(Later, Forbes tried combining the two operations but found it extremely difficult. Steve Forbes “It’s amazing how difficult it is to combine two different cultures.”)

Steve Forbes: “One of the things about these kinds of transitions is that there is no play book, no formula, no painting by the numbers… when a disruptive technology comes along, what do you do? You don’t know what to do. You are experimenting constantly.”

Ed Moy (on how cryptocurrency and blockchain could become part of everyday transactions):

“First of all, I hope government doesn’t lead it because we will all be in trouble then. When you look at fiat currency, fiat currency is in essence the government’s monopoly on money and I’m not familiar with that many monopolists who are willing to voluntarily give up their monopolist position. And so government has a vested interest in keeping the system the way it is. The reason I went from an “old money” guy to the future of where I think money can go is that this is a private sector alternative to government’s monopoly. I don’t ever see this as a complete substitution where governments give up their monopoly… but I do think that the market will gravitate toward these solutions.

Further: Chair of Forbes Media says money is about trust. Experts forecast the future of money in general at COSM. Will money be “real” in an information society? Now that Facebook is proposing Libra, a cryptocurrency, this might be a good time to ask.”

Jay Richards’s interview with William Dembski at COSM (aired June 26, 2020) asking,

“Is it possible to create a decentralized, information-based currency?” Dembski offers a thought experiment: “Can you, as a lone individual, create currency that is going to then be created by the individual, but will have legitimacy? That will have intrinsic value rather than depending on some sort of fiat authority trust. And so that was the thought experiment. And it uses some insights from Bitcoin, but I think it goes much further. So I need a blockchain, I need a computation to be scarce. And when I get those certain minimal assumptions, I need to have hashing where you’ve got these one way functions that really mix things up. And if I’ve got public key cryptography, it seems I can get a system that’s very minimal infrastructure. I just need a blockchain that keeps the blocks in an order. No backdating. That’s the problem…”

Πηγή: https://mindmatters.ai/2020/10/are-crypto-and-blockchain-key-to-a-tech-renaissance/

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US Space Force taps blockchain firm Xage Security for data protection
Blockchain, Multimedia
05/10/2020
17

https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-space-force-taps-blockchain-firm-xage-security-for-data-protection

The recently created United States Space Force, or USSF, and the U.S. Air Force Research Lab has chosen blockchain firm Xage Security to develop data security systems.

In a statement, Xage Security said it was awarded a contract to provide end-to-end data protection for the USSF. The company will employ its blockchain-based Xage Security Fabric solution for the project.

The company said Xage Security Fabric has a unified platform that can secure all systems and removes single points of entry so hackers can’t wipe information. It will allow the USSF to verify who accesses systems, ensure satellites continue to function securely even if ground equipment goes offline, and protect data until fully transferred to operational units.

This is the second contract Xage Security won from the U.S. Air Force, following the first one signed in December 2019.

The USSF was established in December last year to defend space and acquire military space systems. According to the University of Illinois, space systems are infrastructure and vehicles that work together to perform outer space tasks. These can be satellites or even spaceships. Since many space systems heavily rely on communication and geographical positioning, it’s crucial that data being sent through cannot be compromised.

Xage Security CEO Duncan Greatwood said blockchain meets many of the complex needs of the USSF:

“The USSF requires decentralized enforcement of security to establish space domain resilience and objective situational awareness––across every asset and data element. We built the Xage solution to serve the needs of complex critical infrastructure systems, and are excited to bring the Xage solution to the Space Force in the form of a blockchain-protected space system security.”

The U.S. Department of Defense, which oversees all military branches including the Air Force and the USSF, has been interested in blockchain for a while. It awarded Indiana-based blockchain firm Simba Chain a contract to provide security for sensitive research and development data in March this year. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has also been involved in blockchain since 2019.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-space-force-taps-blockchain-firm-xage-security-for-data-protection

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Screen Shot 10-02-20 at 11.17 AM
Blockchain, Events, Multimedia
02/10/2020
19

The US is number one…in blockchain patents

But the company with the most patents isn’t even American.

Despite Chinese firm Alibaba filing the most patents so far this year, the United States still takes the lead as the country with the most blockchain patents, a Sept. 17 report from intellectual property consultancy KISSPatent said.

IBM and Alibaba hold the most blockchain patents. Alibaba has filed more than 200 patents while IBM filed a little over 100. But other U.S.-based companies like Bank of America and Mastercard have also filed several patent applications bumping up the total for the U.S. According to KISSPatent, more blockchain patents have been filed in the first half of 2020 than all of 2019.

The U.S. has 2,112 patents, followed by the Cayman Islands with 350 filings and Canada with 118. The rest of the top six are Japan with 108, South Korea with 87 and China with 77 patents. The Cayman Islands is second as Alibaba’s subsidiaries headquartered in the British Overseas Territory filed these applications.

Although Chinese companies are often represented in various top 10 blockchain patent lists, not all of the companies work solely on blockchain. KISSPatent says these companies have blockchain applications as part of their technology portfolio. The reason China filed so many patents, the report said, was to avoid some trading sanctions overseas. It explained that:

“They’ve learned from the example of Xiaomi, the “Chinese Apple,” which was blocked from selling its smartphones in its foray out of China – because the Swedish Ericsson held so many patents.”

The US is number one...in blockchain patents

The most popular category of patent filing, representing half of all patents, is fintech applications. These include applications using cryptocurrencies and those supporting the storage or the exchange of cryptocurrencies. Other popular categories are patents for decentralized business platforms, solutions deployed over blockchain, business services with a financial component and healthcare and traditional banking services on a blockchain.

Many industry players have expressed concern over patent trolling, so Square helped launch the Cryptocurrency Open Patent Alliance. The group wants to democratize access to innovative technologies.

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/the-us-is-number-onein-blockchain-patents

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