Data is now a trillion-dollar industry, where most of it is harvested, siloed and monetized by large tech companies, leaving the user out of the value equation. While data privacy is an increasing concern, partly due to the way data is held (and occasionally lost) by centralized corporations, data is undoubtedly the asset of the future as the world continues to become increasingly digital. And that’s why data-powered digital advertising still powers the internet. Michael Luckhoo, co-founder of the Cirus Foundation, shares their view on how data should be protected, why the ownership economy is gaining momentum, and what Cirus …

The regulators are closing in. It’s one thing to unbundle market functions to their parts ― custody, aggregators and Prime Brokerage ― to satisfy institutional compliance departments. It’s another to keep regulators happy. From the Financial Action Task Force pushing forward with its guidance for Travel Rule compliance to the still-evolving European Markets in Crypto-Assets regulatory framework, and the somewhat clumsily-handed U.S. infrastructure bill, the regulators are slowly tightening their noose, and I fear this may be the start of a multi-year staring match ― with the decentralized finance (DeFi) market now firmly in their sights, too. Related: DeFi: Who, …

Smart cities are steadily garnering attention worldwide as they become points of aspiration for many jurisdictions. There is a very clear relationship in these urban utopias between the citizens for whom they are built and the systems, networks and devices that enable their safe, secure and efficient operation. Most importantly, they will be built on entirely new financial technology infrastructure that supports the flow of micropayments over financial “plumbing,” in a similar way that other essential utilities (water, energy, data, etc.) flow over pipes, cables and fiber. The principal aim of a smart city is to optimize city functions and …

Bitcoin is back above $50,000 and bulls are currently attempting to secure a daily close above the oft-disputed level. The strength of Bitcoin (BTC) has also helped to kickstart momentum in the altcoins and at the time of writing, several tokens are seeing gains in excess of 20%. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the biggest gainers over the past 24 hours were Linear (LINA), Secret (SCRT) and Presearch (PRE). LINA moves closer to launching full governance features Linear is a decentralized delta-one asset protocol that is cross-chain compatible between the Ethereum network and the Binance Smart …

Bullish sentiment returned to the cryptocurrency ecosystem on Oct. 1 after a 10% spike in the price of Bitcoin (BTC) lifted it above the $47,500 level and resulted in the liquidation of more than $270 million in short positions. The altcoin market quickly followed suit with a majority of the tokens in the top 200 registering double-digit gains for the day. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that the biggest gainers over the past 24 hours were Oasis Network’s ROSE token, Axie Infinity Shards (AXS) and Icon’s ICX token. The allure of privacy draws traders to Oasis Network …

One of the familiar themes seen in previous crypto market cycles is the shifting market caps, popularity and ranking of the top 10 projects that see significant gains during bull phases, only to fade into obscurity during the bear markets. For many of these projects, they follow a recognizable boom-to-bust cycle and never return to their previous glory. During the 2017–2018 bull market and initial coin offering (ICO) boom, which was driven by Ethereum network-based projects, all manner of small smart contract-oriented projects rallied thousands of percentage to unexpected highs. During this time, projects like Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), …

Large-scale data breaches and the abuse of data by cybercriminals have become an everyday reality. Data is being utilized to drive massive profits in big tech and beyond. In 2018, a breach at Marriott Hotels resulted in 500 million records being stolen, and just earlier this year, Facebook had an enormous break where the details from 533 million users were taken. Cirus is offering individuals new financial opportunities through data monetization using the power of Web 3.0. With over 4,000 Cirus devices currently deployed in real households, the Cirus team is aiming to propel a new ownership economy. By harnessing …

Are there use cases beyond crypto? The issues facing hardware wallets are not exclusive to the crypto sector by any means. Across multiple sectors around the world, there are a number of industries that have critical systems. They face the same challenge: Remaining up to date and fortified against attacks from the people who are trying to infiltrate. Every government runs critical systems — alongside the military, hospitals, space agencies, nuclear plants, airports, chemical plants, unmanned train networks, banks and stock brokers. The ramifications if these critical systems are compromised can be severe. Lives can be put at risk if …

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson believes that digital assets may play an important role in offering financial privacy to Afghani citizens following the withdrawal of US forces. In a Wednesday interview with CNBC, Charles Hoskinson, a co-founder of Ethereum and founder of Cardano, expressed his expectation that “cryptocurrencies will play a larger role in Afghanistan [...] in the war for and against the Taliban forces.” Hoskinson highlighted the need for financial privacy-preserving technologies in Afghanistan, stating: “Afghan’s digital life is now under scrutiny, the last two decades are being reviewed by a regime that if you expressed your opinion in ways …

Sweeping legislation allowing officials from the Australian Federal Police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission to target suspected criminals online has passed through the country’s parliament with bipartisan support. On Aug. 25, the Identify and Disrupt bill passed through Australia’s Senate, introducing three new warrants allowing authorities to take unprecedented action against suspected cybercriminals. The new warrants authorize police to hack the personal computers and networks of suspected criminals, seize control of their online accounts and identities, and disrupt their data. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews praised the broad expansion of powers available to Australian authorities targeting cyber actors. “Under our …

Monero (XMR), the largest privacy-focused cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has posted a 20% price surge following the launch of the Atomic Swap implementation program last week. On Friday, the Monero Project officially announced a rollout of the Atomic Swap implementation developed by the cross-blockchain protocol COMIT Network, aiming to simplify trades between XMR and Bitcoin (BTC). Following the launch of Monero Atomic Swaps, XMR has seen a notable surge, with its price rising from around $265 on the launch day to an intra-week high of $331. At the time of writing, the privacy-centric cryptocurrency is trading at $318, down around …

Today’s consumers are willing to trade their data for personalization but have fast-growing concerns about data privacy. In a survey from a digital security and credential issuance company Entrust, only 21% of the respondents trust established global brands to keep their personal information secure. As data privacy pressure on Big Tech increases, these companies are starting to make significant investments in security solutions. Regulations around the world are evolving rapidly Last year, as more and more people spent time at home due to COVID-19 lockdowns, internet usage went up. And as usage has gone up, so too has consumer awareness …