Opera now enables users to access decentralized web pages through a partnership with Unstoppable Domains, a tech firm backed by prominent Bitcoin (BTC) advocate Tim Draper. The collaboration entails Opera’s integration of Unstoppable Domain’s .crypto domain extension, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on March 26. This will allow the browser’s users to surf decentralized websites, as well as make cryptocurrency payments. No more middleman As the announcement further explains, blockchain domains are stored by the owner instead of by registrar firms, and decentralized websites are stored on peer-to-peer networks, not cloud services. This makes it possible to conduct …

The Ethereum-based social media app, Pepo, has integrated with video conferencing platform, Zoom, to facilitate live streaming. Pepo Live Events is currently exclusively available in beta on the platform’s website and has not given an estimate for when it plans to enable mobile functionality. Pepo integrates Zoom for live streaming Only Pepo community admins are able to stream live, however, anyone can participate in the live events. All events streamed on the platform are recorded, and are limited to a time limit of three hours. Pepo's decision to integrate Zoom suggests an increase in demand for live streaming services amid …

A team based in Madrid, one of the epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic, has released an Iota Tango platform that helps combat the coronavirus. AidSquad GeoDB is a decentralized peer-to-peer big data sharing ecosystem which returns value to its creators, the users. Luis Gelado, GeoDB CEO and founder shared with Cointelegraph his rationale for creating AidSquad: “Having stayed home for a few weeks, one weekend, I felt a little bored, so I started thinking: we have to do something. We have a chance to develop something for a concrete problem, give back to society”. Source: GeoDB A user inputs his …

Block.one — the company behind EOSIO (EOS), has injected $150 million into its controversial blockchain-based social media network, Voice. Announced on March 26, the investment comprises $50 million in intellectual property assets and $100 million. The injection is intended to give Voice the resources needed to operate independently from Block.One. Voice is in closed beta Voice is currently in closed beta testing and is exclusively available to U.S. users. The platform is built on top of the EOSIO protocol. Users must verify their identity to use the platform, after which they can earn Voice tokens according to their participation in …

As the coronavirus continues to spread a total lockdown across the world, governments are creating the foundations for a new society of total surveillance. Can we stop the global pandemic without sacrificing our freedom? I believe we can, but the technology we deploy today should preserve privacy, not destroy our liberties due to global panic. Suspending fundamental rights during a crisis may seem comforting, but historically, the declaration of a state of emergency without end leads to new forms of fascism. Yet, from the Chinese censorship of doctors during its COVID-19 outbreak to the absurd lack of preparedness for a …

Chinese social media giant saw a massive data breach result in data of millions of users available for sale on the dark web. According to a March 19 report from Chinese blockchain news outlet Jinse, basic account information of 172 million users was available, priced at 0.177 BTC. The account information for sale included user ID, number of Weibo posts, number of fans and followers, gender and geographical location. Weibo confirmed the privacy issue yet deleted the post later on According to Jinse, Weibo’s security director Luo Shiyao responded to the incident in a now-deleted post, explaining that: “Users' mobile …

At the end of January, a poll apparently confirmed community support for a new mining reward-distribution structure for the Zcash (ZEC) network, whereby more will flow into the developer fund. Still, the decision proved to be rather controversial. Electric Coin Company, the firm behind Zcash, announced in a Jan. 2 blog post that a community poll on the Zcash Improvement Proposal 1014 — referred to as ZIP 1014 — showed a consensus for implementing a 20% fee on mining rewards. The results showed that 77 people, or 87.5% of all votes, were in favor of the implementation, while just 11 …

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has announced a partnership with South Korean data intelligence startup, S2W Lab, to analyze dark web activity, including cryptocurrency transactions. The startup announced the partnership on March 20 — with S2W Labs signing a one year contract with Interpol. Interpol sets its sights on the dark web S2W Lab claims to have “captured a massive amount of Dark Web data” and “established a Dark Web database.” The S2W examines the data using artificial intelligence to establish “links among multiple domains and among multiple timeframes.” S2W boasts that it has secured several patents “on the …

Governments are now considering tracking online user data as a way to fight the rapid spread of COVID-19. As a result, the question of personal data privacy is increasingly becoming a subject of discussion within the crypto community. On March 17, the Washington Post reported that the United States government was in talks with internet giants like Facebook and Google about using smartphone location data to combat COVID-19. One highlighted tactic includes tracking whether people are self-isolating in a way that successfully stems the outbreak, as has already occured in Israel, China, and Iran. In recent years, leaders in the …

Privacy is a core characteristic of cryptocurrencies. Despite mainstream conception, however, it is not the primary goal of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH), and is more of an ancillary benefit of using cryptography. The situation is altogether different for cryptocurrencies that seek to maximize anonymity when transacting on the network. Networks like Monero (XMR) and ZCash (ZEC) have soared in popularity, making up part of the handful of leading cryptocurrencies by market cap based on strong guarantees of privacy. Both blockchains offer users virtually complete privacy assurances — Monero with the CryptoNote technology suite, and ZCash deploying the …

Earlier today, March 16, Brave filed a formal complaint against Google with the lead General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enforcer in Europe. In a February Cointelegraph interview, Dr. Johnny Ryan, Brave’s chief policy and industry relations officer, explained that Google is abusing its power by sharing user data collected by dozens of its distinct services, creating a “free for all” data warehouse. According to Ryan, this was a clear violation of the GDPR. Aggravated with the situation and the lack of enforcement against the giant, Ryan promised to take Google to court if things don’t change for the better. Complaint …

Ethereum-based social network Sapien has unveiled updates to its platform, as well as a partnership with the initial exchange offering project, Matic Network. “After several months of development, we’re launching the next release of our platform, called Alpha Persei,” Sapien Network co-founder and CEOAnkit Bhatia told Cointelegraph in an interview. “This is a revamped platform across the board,” he said, highlighting new aspects such as Portis wallet integration and rewards engine reconstruction. Sapien also secured placement on KyberWidget, allowing trading between Sapien (SPN) tokens and Ether (ETH), according to a statement. Sapien partnered with Matic Network for future developments Sapien …