MetaMask, a popular Ether (ETH) wallet and browser extension, has just released a new major application upgrade. Announcing the news on July 2, MetaMask outlined that the new update, MetaMask Version 8, offers a number of new features like enhanced privacy control and a new account-login system. MetaMask users can now switch between several accounts to protect privacy MetaMask’s new “Unparalleled Privacy Control” feature is focused on protecting private user information while connecting the app to a certain website. As such, MetaMask V8 offers users to select one or more accounts for a certain website or even create a new …

According to crypto advocate Roger Ver, Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is the only “recent” coin to be widely used on the dark web. “The only other coins being used on the darknet markets are the coins that have been around for a long time like Bitcoin, of course, then Monero,” Ver said. Coinelegraph’s investigation showed that although BCH does reach the Dark Web, it's far from being a leading cryptocurrency there. This is surprising: while privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Monero commonly protect the identities of darknet buyers and sellers alike, Bitcoin Cash has some technical features that can bring its level of …

Multi-platform blockchain explorer Blockchair has added a “privacy-o-meter” for every Bitcoin (BTC) transaction that identifies which part is the change. This is the key to tracing a chain of transactions on the blockchain. While the Bitcoin blockchain is theoretically transparent, in practice it can be hard to identify the true flow of funds. Unless the wallet is drained completely, every transaction includes at least two unspent transaction outputs (UTXO), where one of them is returned to the sender as change. Blockchair uses several basic and advanced heuristics to assign a privacy score. For example, in a low privacy transaction one …

Privacy blockchain Incognito has released Kyber Privacy (pKyber), a privacy feature for decentralized finance within the Kyber Network for users from both parties to trade anonymously. First announced on April 24, Incognito’s open-source technology enables anonymity for smart contract-based protocols, making it possible for any Ethereum-based decentralized app to integrate pKyber. Making DeFi private The company claims that the DeFi environment is increasingly facing privacy concerns from seasoned crypto users and traditional investors looking to explore “a new economy.” Within the integration, Incognito will offer users the option to hide their activity from the public Ethereum ledger. Speaking with Cointelegraph, …

Ghost Coin, the proof-of-stake privacy coin led by John McAfee, can now be used in vending machines in Hong Kong Disneyland. Ghost announced on Twitter that it partnered with crypto payment system ivendPay to deploy the coin in over 60 vending machines around Hong Kong, even those in Hong Kong Disneyland. “When we 1st launched $GHOST our vision was not only to focus on #Privacy but also on real user adoption,” Ghost said on Twitter. The privacy coin and distributed exchange went live last week amid the ongoing controversy surrounding it. Ghost distributed exchange replaced the McAfeeDEX distributed exchange in …

Contrary to popular belief, privacy is not for those with something to hide but with everything to lose. Authoritarian governments across the globe are increasingly using surveillance to control their citizens at the expense of personal freedoms and civil liberties. The privacy of one’s financial transactions is intricately linked to one’s personal liberty. Without privacy (and financial means), true freedom is at risk. We are rendered powerless to resist oppression. The promise of cryptocurrency is that it is uncensorable and unseizable money for the people. But Bitcoin (BTC), which was supposed to be like peer-to-peer digital cash, lacks privacy, which …

Three Republican senators introduced a bill to end “warrant-proof” encryption on June 23. It invokes national security as a pretext for requiring device manufacturers and service providers to assist law enforcement by providing access to encrypted data. Pedophiles & national security The Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act is sponsored by Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). According to GovTrack, all three senators score high on the conservativeness scale, with Blackburn receiving a perfect 1.00. Graham is also one of the sponsors of the EARN IT Act, which many privacy advocates heavily criticized for what they …

Major privacy-oriented cryptocurrency, Beam (BEAM), is making its first official move towards decentralized finance, or DeFi. In anticipation of Beam’s soon-to-come hard fork, the team behind the project updated a number of relevant specifications, paving the way to the so-called “Confidential Defi,” Beam announced to Cointelegraph on June 24. Confidential Assets are at the core of Beam’s future DeFi offering Scheduled for June 28, the hard fork will enable Confidential Assets, or Beam CA — independent tokens on the Beam network. Beam CA will be a key component in the future Beam’s DeFi offering, Beam advisor Guy Corem said. Beam …

Telegram, a major privacy-focused messaging app, has suffered a data leak that exposed some personal data of its users on the darknet. A database containing the personal data of millions of Telegram users has been posted on a darknet forum. The issue was first reported by Russian-language tech publication Kod.ru on Tuesday. According to the report, the database contains phone numbers and unique Telegram user IDs. It remains unclear exactly how many users' data was leaked while the database file is about 900 megabytes. About 40% of entries in the database should be relevant Telegram has reportedly acknowledged the existence …

Some entrepreneurs have been trying to increase data privacy by combining encryption and blockchain technology. There are projects like Oasis Labs and Enigma that focus entirely on preserving users’ privacy. Meanwhile, others have been focusing on preventing data retention by companies. Thus, there is no way to guarantee that personal data is deleted in a company’s data system. Blockchain technology’s reliable consensus ensures that people’s data is used correctly. Protection against software and hardware attacks Companies like Oasis Labs, which designed the Ekiden system, run smart contracts outside the blockchain within a Trusted Execution Environment, or TEE, node to enable …

Russia’s decision to lift its two-year Telegram ban is going to mark the beginning of a broader movement to protect privacy-focused apps like Telegram, the company’s CEO says. Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, issued a statement in response to Russian authorities officially terminating the ban on the messaging app in the country last week. Telegram’s progress in Russia to help other countries In a June 21 Telegram post, Durov said that the company will not rest on its laurels, and is planning more efforts to support Telegram in other countries like China and Iran. According to Durov, the …

John McAfee’s controversial Ghost distributed exchange is now live, the cryptocurrency advocate announced on Twitter over the weekend. The Ghost distributed exchange is related to McAfee’s privacy project Ghost, a Proof of Stake privacy coin intended for more anonymous transactions. McAfee clarified on social media that Ghost will replace the McAfeeDEX distributed exchange. The Ghost main net itself is expected to go live on June 22. Ghost has been the subject of contention for months especially after McAfee himself admitted Ghost “copy-pasted” parts of its white paper from PIVX. Even so, he seemed poised to sue PIVX--an open-sourced protocol--for defamation. …