Category Archives: Decentralization

How blockchain is reshaping the entertainment industry Q&A with EarnTV – Cointelegraph

In the ever-evolving landscape of entertainment, the convergence of watch-to-earn and blockchain technology is reshaping the way users consume and engage with media content. This dynamic fusion offers a range of possibilities, from rewarding viewers for their time spent watching to creating transparent and decentralized ecosystems.

These opportunities inspired Pascal Vallat, a seasoned professional in marketing and digital media to create EarnTV, a platform that aims to revolutionize the way users consume and engage with media content.

In this interview, Vallat explained his view on how blockchain can transform the entertainment industry and create new opportunities for viewers, content creators and stakeholders alike.

Cointelegraph: Can you start by sharing your journey in the digital media and linear television industry, and how it influenced your decision to start EarnTV?

Pascal Vallat: With 20 years of experience in marketing, data, television and digital media, I have seen the industry evolve firsthand. The rise of streaming and the growing demand for personalized content inspired me to create EarnTV. I saw an opportunity to improve the viewing experience, reward viewers and empower content creators through blockchain and Web3 technologies. EarnTV is my vision to bridge the gap between viewers, content owners and advertisers, creating a fair and rewarding ecosystem for all.

CT: How would you describe the shift from traditional models to Web3 and blockchain technologies in the media and entertainment industry?

PV: The shift from traditional models to Web3 and blockchain technologies is transformative. It brings transparency, decentralization and new opportunities for producers, rights holders, top studios and viewers. Blockchain ensures immutable records, while smart contracts enable fair distribution of rewards and tokenization unlocks new forms of value exchange. This shift empowers individuals, removes intermediaries, and enables direct engagement between creators and consumers. It opens the door to innovative monetization models, personalized experiences, and a more inclusive media and entertainment landscape.

CT: Could you explain how the EarnTV platform leverages blockchain technology to transform the viewing experience for users?

PV: EarnTV leverages blockchain to transform the viewing experience in several ways. First, it enables secure and transparent transactions through smart contracts, ensuring a fair distribution of rewards to viewers. Second, the decentralized nature of blockchain eliminates intermediaries, reducing costs and increasing revenue opportunities for content creators. Third, tokenization allows viewers to earn rewards simply by watching content, creating a seamless and engaging experience. Finally, blockchain enables the creation of the ETV token, which unlocks additional benefits for viewing, liking, sharing content, inviting friends and generating value within the EarnTV ecosystem.

Source: EarnTV

CT: You recently announced the ETV token presales. Can you tell us more about this and what it means for the future of EarnTV?

PV: The ETV token presales mark an important milestone for EarnTV and its future. The ETV token serves as a utility token within our ecosystem, allowing users to earn rewards, access exclusive content and engage with the platform. By participating in the presales, supporters can acquire ETV tokens at an early stage and benefit from potential future appreciation. These funds will fuel the development of EarnTV, allowing us to enhance the platform, expand partnerships and deliver an innovative entertainment experience.

CT: Can you explain the concept of Watch to Earn? How does this offering set EarnTV apart from other platforms?

PV: Watch to Earn is a core concept of EarnTV that sets us apart from other platforms. Simply put, viewers are rewarded with ETV tokens for the time they spend watching movies, TV shows and premium fast channels. This innovative approach recognizes the value of viewers attention and turns it into tangible rewards. Unlike traditional platforms, EarnTV directly benefits its users, creating an engaging and rewarding ecosystem that incentivizes viewing and fosters a strong community of content enthusiasts. We launched EarnTV on all devices with 2,000 hours of content and 200 premium fast channels. Time spent watching content is rewarded with the ETV utility token.

CT: What is the ETV NFT Movie Club"_blank" data-amp="https://cointelegraph-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/cointelegraph.com/learn/what-are-nfts-and-why-are-they-revolutionizing-the-art-world/amp" href="https://cointelegraph.com/learn/what-are-nfts-and-why-are-they-revolutionizing-the-art-world">nonfungible tokens (NFTs). Members of the ETV NFT Movie Club can get early access to highly anticipated films and engage in immersive movie-related experiences. By participating in the club, viewers gain privileges and become part of an exclusive community of film enthusiasts. Its a way for us to reward our users with memorable cinematic experiences and foster a deeper connection with the entertainment industry.

CT: What are some of the key challenges youve faced in deploying a blockchain-based video content delivery protocol, and how have you overcome them?

PV: Implementing a blockchain-based video content delivery protocol has its challenges. One of the key challenges is scalability, ensuring that the platform can handle a large number of concurrent users and deliver a seamless streaming experience. Weve addressed this by leveraging scalable blockchain solutions and optimizing our infrastructure for high-performance delivery.

Another challenge is user adoption and education. To overcome this, weve focused on providing an easy-to-use interface and educating our community about the benefits and features of blockchain technology, building trust and fostering engagement. The benefits of decentralized storage are also part of our value proposition to all rights holders who want to join our content fandom.

CT: Given the dynamic nature of the industry, how do you see the future of EarnTV and the role of blockchain technology in media and entertainment?

PV: The future of EarnTV is bright, driven by our commitment to innovation and the transformative potential of blockchain technology. We envision EarnTV empowering viewers, content owners and advertisers alike, and becoming the leading cross-platform video content delivery protocol.

Blockchain technology will continue to play a central role in ensuring transparency, trust and fair rewards within the ecosystem. As the media and entertainment industry evolves, we will adapt by introducing new features, expanding partnerships and pioneering new ways to enhance the viewing experience while remaining at the forefront of blockchain adoption.

CT: Finally, could you share any upcoming features or plans that users should look forward to on EarnTV?

PV: Users can look forward to the launch of our decentralized hub, which will give content owners more control and monetization options. Were also expanding our partnership network to offer a wider range of content, ensuring a diverse and engaging selection for our viewers. In addition, were working to introduce innovative features such as interactive NFT experiences and enhanced social features to foster a vibrant community within EarnTV.

Disclaimer. Cointelegraph does not endorse any content or product on this page. While we aim at providing you with all important information that we could obtain in this sponsored article, readers should do their own research before taking any actions related to the company and carry full responsibility for their decisions, nor can this article be considered as investment advice.

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How blockchain is reshaping the entertainment industry Q&A with EarnTV - Cointelegraph

What Is Web3? A Decentralized Internet Via Blockchain Technology – Yahoo Finance

Web3 (or Web 3.0) will revolutionize the way we use the internet by incorporating decentralization via blockchain technology. Some believe it will change the internet the way bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptos have altered the financial paradigm. In order to understand Web3, its helpful to understand Web1 and Web2:

Web1 (or Web 1.0) is what we now call the internets early days. Web1 allowed you to consume internet content, but little else. Internet websites were static and non-interactive; you could merely send simple one-way messages or emails. Companies were starting to build their own web sites but largely as a glorified press release; it wasn't a way to interact with the public.

In this way, you could compare Web1 with a physical newspaper. Composed of paper and ink, you are only a content consumer. There is no way to transparently see how popular an article is or who is reading it and you cant interact with fellow readers.

Survey Says: Nobody Knows What Web3 Is

Web2 (or Web 2.0) is what most people simply think of as the current internet. Web2 is interactive and allows you to create your own content, comment and react to content, and interact with other users. This enabled the creation of social media networks and other interactive sites like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, etc. Using our previous comparison, you could think of Web2 as our newspaper migrating to a website that allows you to interact in ways previously not possible.

Web3 is a response to concerns over personal data usage and internet privacy. In Web2, user data is largely controlled by major social media platforms, web browsers, and websites. Web3, conversely, is designed to be a more transparent and censorship-resistant version of the internet. More democratic than its Web2 predecessor, it puts people in control of both internet architecture and user data.

Using blockchain-based protocols in concert with AI,

Web3 is a decentralized version of the internet that allows users to own their own data.

Beyond that, Web3 embraces the crypto ethos and is designed to be permissionless (no centralized gatekeepers), trustless (no need to place trust in a third party), and open to all (little-to-no censorship of individuals/ideas).

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What Is Web3? A Decentralized Internet Via Blockchain Technology - Yahoo Finance

An ‘AI Manifesto’ for CEOs; here’s how to approach artificial … – Baltimore Sun

ChatGPT, its GPT-4 iteration and the broader advancement of generative AI are raising the stakes for companies that are expected to incorporate this technology. CEOs, boards and top executives in such a spot should step back and meet the challenge with a big picture approach that systematizes a set of proven strategies.

AI as the next competitive weapon for business relevancy, and profitability means companies must transform from digital enterprises to intelligent enterprises. The latter successfully integrates AI, machine learning, data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT) to drive innovation, optimize processes and create new revenue streams.

Begin by adopting an AI first mindset. Adapt your organizational structure to the reality that intelligence increasingly resides in many parts of the company. It further means nurturing and investing in talent accordingly and being cognizant of the regulatory and compliance pressures.

Also, think of Intelligent Enterprise as an augmented organization where AI and humans are complementary while adapting to the surroundings and competitive atmosphere. Its forward-looking. Its able to both exploit its current competitive advantages and explore and experiment with new innovations and ideas that emerge from its workforce. Good examples include the Ocado Smart Platform, an end-to-end e-commerce, fulfillment and logistics platform for grocers from the British online supermarket and tech company, and Netflixs leveraging AI to analyze data on viewer preferences and behavior. This has informed decisions about what types of content to produce and how to market it and has yielded hit series like House of Cards.

AI systems enable decision decentralization empowering employees with intelligence at their fingertips and allowing companies to shift responsibility to individuals closest to the outcomes of the decisions. Toyota pioneered decision decentralization in manufacturing, via Jidoka. Decentralization further enables different parts of the organization to fix technology flaws and hire their own experts. For example, the materials science company W.L. Gore & Associates is organized into self-managing teams under its lattice model with employees encouraged to take on different roles and responsibilities based on their interests and skills.

A vision for nurturing and enhancing talent is critical. A good model is Coca-Colas Data Science and Analytics Academy for employees across departments and job roles, which has helped optimize operations, improve supply chain management, and enhance customer experiences using AI-powered solutions.

Confidence also must be elicited in stakeholders and regulators. Decentralized intelligence and decision-making will behave in sometimes unexpected ways, as will government regulations of AI-based systems and decisions. Furthermore, different countries may have different perspectives on societal impacts of AI-based systems (privacy, autonomy, etc.). Microsoft has a model for such mitigation with its AETHER (AI and Ethics in Engineering and Research) committee of experts in computer science, philosophy and law to review and advise on legal and ethical implications.

Humancentric not artificial intelligence is most essential to success and survival in this emerging era. As a recent study involving 1,500 firms in a range of industries indicates, indicates, the largest rate-of-return will be made with Human 2.0 humans and AI-based machines working together to yield intelligent decisions, i.e., true intelligence.

To position your company for maximum value from integrating the gains from technology, especially AI with human ingenuity and capabilities, refer to the checklist below as an AI Manifesto for the Intelligent Enterprise CEO:

AI is human augmenting rather than human replacing. AI-based automation may be tempting as a panacea for cutting costs, and this may be of value in the short run. But humans connect with customers better. As future technology and markets change constantly and rapidly, customers will increasingly make decisions based on trust and empathy.

G. Anand Anandalingam (ganand@umd.edu) is professor of management science at the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business, and Alwin Magimay (alwinmagimay@hotmail.com) is global head of AI for PA Consulting, London, U.K.

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An 'AI Manifesto' for CEOs; here's how to approach artificial ... - Baltimore Sun

Press Advantage Adds GoMedia Network and Leverages Blockchain Technology to Verify the Syndication of Press Releases – Yahoo Finance

SAN MATEO, California and CHICAGO, Illinois - (NewMediaWire) - June 26, 2023 - Press Advantage, a leading provider of press release distribution services, today announced a major upgrade to its distribution network with the addition of the GoMedia Network and the integration of PRVerified, a blockchain-based proof of syndication solution provided by PRConnect that brings unprecedented online transparency at the point of syndication.

Comprised of over 100 branded local media sites throughout the United States, the GoMedia Network is further enhanced by PRVerified which provides readers with ready access to both the syndicated copy of the press release and the original source copy. The initial hash of the release is posted on the blockchain and can be rehashed through an intuitive, single-click interface to check for a match. The immutability of the blockchain enables Press Advantage to provide this level of irrefutable verification at the point of syndication to all of Press Advantage clients for no additional cost.

"The integration of GoMedia and PRVerified further solidifies Press Advantage's commitment to providing exceptional service and innovative solutions to its clients," said Jeremy Noetzelman, CEO of Press Advantage.

PRVerified uses the SHA-256 one-way cryptographic hash function to tokenize the original instance of the press release. Rather than storing the hashes in a private database, PRVerified leverages blockchain's inherent transparency and decentralization to store and share the hashes on the publicly-accessible Peercoin blockchain.

"By leveraging blockchain technology, Press Advantage aims to set new industry standards for trust, transparency, and accountability in press release distribution," added Mr. Noetzelman.

"PRConnect welcomes the opportunity to work in tandem with Press Advantage to fast track the development of new products and services," said Wing Yu, CEO of PRConnect. "We believe that blockchain technology and AI will revolutionize the press release industry by changing each and every aspect of the content syndication workflow."

PRVerified is now available for all of PRConnect's clients and can be activated within one business day. It can also be accessed as a widget associated with the press release's GUID and deployed on any Web2 site or Web3 dApp.

About Press Advantage

Press Advantage is a full-service press release distribution service provider composed of an elite team of marketing and SEO experts from Velluto Tech Incubator. They are one of the most reputable PR distribution companies in the US, based on a number of positive reviews and recommendations received from their previous clients. For more information, please visit http://www.pressadvantage.com.

About PRConnect

PRConnect is a leading content syndication and amplification firm that provides reliable service, innovative technology and custom solutions to help wire services and content marketers reach and engage audiences. For more information, please visit http://www.prconnect.com.

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info@prconnect.com

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Press Advantage Adds GoMedia Network and Leverages Blockchain Technology to Verify the Syndication of Press Releases - Yahoo Finance

The FDA Inspires Confidence in Decentralized Clinical Trials With New Guidance for Future Success – Yahoo Finance

The FDA has released new guidance for decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) for drugs, biological products, and medical devices to improve DCT implementation. Dr. Harsha Rajasimha, Founder and CEO of Jeeva Informatics, has been a vocal proponent for the increased adoption of decentralized and hybrid clinical trials. DCTs promote diversity among the participant population, create more flexibility and access to boost patient recruitment and retention, and ultimately improve trial outcomes with real-world data from a more representative population. To effectively implement DCTs, the FDA recommends adequate training, proper oversight, and thorough risk assessment and management.

TYSONS CORNER, Va., June 27, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As of June 2023, there are 455,756 active clinical trials in all 50 U.S. states and 221 countries worldwide.(1) Unfortunately, studies indicate that the overall success rate of clinical trials is only 7.9%, meaning that, statistically speaking, over 90% of those trials will be unsuccessful.(2) Dr. Harsha Rajasimha, Founder and CEO of Jeeva Informatics, explains, "The exceedingly high failure rate of clinical trials is not necessarily due to the lack of efficacy of the treatment being studied, but it's often the lack of efficacy of the study itself." It appears that the FDA is aligned with this view, given its recent guidance for the industry that encourages it to further modernize its approach to clinical trials to help boost outcomes and lower costs.

One trend in the clinical trial space that is helping to tackle the problem is the evolution of Hybrid and Decentralized Clinical Trials. The FDA has recognized the significant advantages of DCTs and is looking towards broader adoption after their successful implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FDA cites the following benefits of DCTs:

Improving convenience for clinical trial participants.

Alleviating the burden on caregivers.

Expanding access to more diverse populations.

Improving trial efficiencies.

Facilitating research on rare diseases.

Enabling broader participation for populations with limited mobility.(3)

Story continues

To these ends, the FDA has recently introduced new guidance to support DCTs in researching the efficacy of investigational drugs, biologics, and medical devices. The new guidance provides recommendations to address the unique challenges for DCTs. There needs to be coordination of all trial activities across multiple locations to address the prevalent issues of design, feasibility, implementation, and analytical considerations to facilitate the decentralization of the trial.

To make clinical trials more accessible, the FDA recommends convenience strategies for participants, such as telehealth visits when physical interaction is not necessary, employing local healthcare personnel (HCP) to perform in-person assessments, and providing HCPs with comprehensive training in following research protocols regarding the proper administration of investigational products (IPs).(4)

To manage DCT operations, the FDA suggests using software that is versatile and can be utilized on various platforms such as tablets, cell phones, and personal computers; it should also be able to handle multiple investigative functions, including:

Managing electronic informed consent.

Capturing and storing reports from remote trial personnel, local HCPs, and remote clinical laboratory facilities.

Managing electronic case report forms (eCRFs).

Scheduling trial visits and other DCT-related activities.

Tracking IPs that are shipped directly to trial participants.

Syncing information recorded by digital health technologies (DHTs).

Serving as communication tools between DCT personnel and trial participants.(4)

Rajasimha notes, "Collecting, tracking, and analyzing data in real-time generates immediately actionable insights and helps to identify opportunities, reduce risk, and make better decisions. With the FDA's continued support and guidance, decentralized and hybrid clinical trials can continue to gain momentum and cement their role in the future of clinical research."

Pharma companies typically spend over $60 million on a large clinical trial.(5) If regulatory bodies deem the gathered data invalid, the loss could devastate the clinical trial and possibly the company altogether. Because the FDA holds biopharmaceutical companies responsible for regulatory compliance via audits, these companies need to make sure they are in compliance at all times with a system that not only complies with regulatory and security requirements but also provides human-centric and flexible real-time monitoring of sites, patients, and their data.

By using platforms that check all regulatory, security, and patient care boxes, like Jeeva eClinical Cloud, biopharmaceutical companies can be fully compliant from the start, saving money, time, and effort.

A human-centric, secure, unified, and flexible platform that is designed specifically for decentralized and hybrid trials and adheres to FDA guidelines and recommendations can accelerate clinical research timelines over 3x faster. This is what Rajasimha and his team have worked tirelessly to deliver to their sponsors and CRO customers since the start of the COVID pandemic.

About Jeeva Informatics The personal experience of losing a child born with a rare congenital disorder and a brother with a chronic disease became the springboard for Dr. Harsha Rajasimha to apply his years of postdoctoral training at the NIH and FDA to accelerate therapies for rare and common conditions. Patient travel requirements and the pandemic forced the demand for decentralizing clinical trials and embracing digital technologies needed to accelerate the process of bringing new medicines or vaccines to patients who need them over three times faster. Jeeva set out to focus on mitigating risks to emerging biopharma clinical trial sponsors as true technology partners, seeking time and cost-efficient ways to execute early-stage clinical trials with minimal risk without compromise. Their reduction of the logistical burdens on patients and study teams by over 70% has resulted in their eClinical platform being selected by a joint venture of Georgetown University Medical Center and Frantz Medical Group for a major cancer trial. The Virginia-based company's modular software-as-a-service platform is fully scalable and facilitates patient enrollment, engagement, and evidence generation in clinical trials on any browser-enabled mobile device. Visit https://jeevatrials.com/.

References 1. Trends, charts, and maps. ClinicalTrials.gov. (n.d.). clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/resources/trends. 2. Kim, E., Yang, J., Park, S.; Shin, K. (2023, May 11). Factors affecting success of New Drug Clinical Trials. Therapeutic innovation; regulatory science. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10173933/. 3. Commissioner, O. of the. (n.d.). FDA takes additional steps to advance decentralized clinical trials. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-additional-steps-advance-decentralized-clinical-trials#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20FDA%20has%20long%20considered,said%20FDA%20Commissioner%20Robert%20M. 4. Decentralized clinical trials for drugs, biological products, and ... (n.d.-a). fda.gov/media/167696/download. 5. Clinicubes. (2022, September 12). Many stakeholders + different costs = complex clinical trial (part 1). Clinicubes. clinicubes.com/many-stakeholders-different-costs-complex-clinical-trial-part-1/

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The FDA Inspires Confidence in Decentralized Clinical Trials With New Guidance for Future Success - Yahoo Finance

Brussels Conference: STJ Supports the CSSR Recommendations – Syrians for Truth and Justice

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As part of the 2023 Seventh Brussels Conference on Supporting the future of Syria and the region, the representative of the Civil Society Support Room (CSSR), Mr. Bahjat Hajar, delivered a speech at the ministerial meeting that followed the dialogue day. Mr. Hajar conveyed the recommendations and outcomes of the four working groups that brought civil society experts from different parts of Syria to discuss substantive Syrian crisis issues common to all Syrian parts.

The CSSR was established in January 2016 by the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria (OSE-Syria) as a mechanism to consult with a broad and diverse range of civil society actors. Through the CSSR civil society actors can meet, interact, and provide their insights and ideas to the OSE-Syria, relevant UN actors and international stakeholders.

Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) stresses the importance of adopting and applying the recommendations of the CSSR, delivered by Mr. Hajar, in order to reach an inclusive national discourse based on democracy, equality, and justice. STJ regrets the inability of two members of the CSSR to attend the conference, wishing for additional efforts from organizers in the coming years to include more voices from inside Syria and neighboring countries.

Here is Mr. Hajars speech:

Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, ministers, Ambassadors, envoys, your excellences, and dear colleagues in Syrian civil society, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am speaking to you today as a member of the CSSR, which was established by the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria based on UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2254 as a mechanism for including the Syrian civil society in the UN-facilitated political process. Over a year and a half, members of the room divided into four working groups, brought civil society experts from different parts of Syria and of different specialties to discuss substantive Syrian crisis issues common to all Syrian parts.

The experts broke up into four groups based on specialization:

The groups involved in constructive deep technical discussions led to reverse political polarization and establish an inclusive discourse based on justice, democracy, and peace.

I am here with you today to faithfully deliver the outcomes and recommendations of the four groups,

First, the civil society space and civic values group:

The group concluded that supporting the process of change requires,

Second, the economy, recovery and development perspectives group;

The group made a number of recommendations, the most important of which:

Third, the protection priorities for Syrians group

This group discussed the standards of a safe environment and emphasized the need to provide a basic social protection floor for all Syrians. The group recommended,

Finally, the local governance and decentralization group;

of which I was a member; saw decentralization as an essential step towards ensuring the integrity of the country, peacebuilding, and democratization. The group suggested basing on the current legal framework (The Local Administration Law Decree No. 107) to appraise the countrys experience and propose reforms in the political, economic, social, and service frameworks to improve governance by drawing on the experiences of all Syrian parts and the expertise developed. Accordingly, we make the following recommendations:

All four groups stressed the need to guarantee the rights and interests of women and youth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

After Syrians decades of democratic quest and their 12 years of suffering, we, the Syrian civil society, still striving to achieve a democratic, civil, and modern state free from tyranny, violence, and radicalization, which can fulfill our objectives. We also work to preserve Syrias unity and stability and achieve its social cohesion and build its future.

Despite Syrias deadlock and the divisions between the de facto powers, and in light of the complete stalemate in the Syrian political process, the establishment of parallel tracks that are of no relevance to UNSCR 2254, and the absence of a real international action to address this reality; the Syrian civic space remains a main carrier of the values of the democratic movement of the Syrian people. Furthermore, the safe common spaces that provide an opportunity for a Syrian-Syrian dialogue will contribute to making positive progress toward implementing UNSCR 2254. This will be through producing insights, strategies, practical approaches, and new programs that enable us to progress towards achieving our goals within a democratic environment that respects human rights standards and celebrates freedom, difference, and diversity.

Greetings from the CSSR- the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria.

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Exploring DeFi: Revolutionizing finance through Blockchain and … – Guardian Nigeria

In contemporary times, the world of finance has experienced a remarkable transformation, giving rise to a revolutionary concept known as Decentralized Finance, or DeFi. Built on the principles of Blockchain technology, DeFi has the potential to redefine conventional financial systems.

This mechanism provides Lending, Borrowing, Derivatives, Liquidity Provision, Trading, Asset Management, Insurance, Oracle, and other traditional financial products on the Blockchain without brokers. Everyone can participate, ushering in an era of financial democratization that is faster and cheaper.

Additionally, it offers greater accessibility, transparency, and control to individuals worldwide, irrespective of geographical jurisdiction. If youre new to DeFi, this piece will provide a comprehensive introduction to its workings, utilization, pros and cons, the future it holds, and how it compares to Centralized Finance (CeFi).

At its core, DeFi refers to a decentralized financial ecosystem that operates without intermediaries, such as banks or other centralized institutions. Instead, DeFi relies on Blockchain technology, primarily Ethereum, to create Smart Contractsself-executing agreements that facilitate and automate financial transactions.

These Smart Contracts, powered by decentralized applications (dApps), enable users to engage in various financial activities, including lending, borrowing, trading, investing, and several financial products and services. Guided by codes and immune to immutability and fraud, it is peer-to-peer.

DeFi opens up a world of possibilities for individuals seeking to participate in financial activities without relying on traditional institutions. Here are some of the fundamental utilization areas of DeFi:

Lending and Borrowing: DeFi platforms allow users to lend their Crypto assets and earn interest, while borrowers can access funds using their Crypto holdings as collateral. Therefore, the methodology eliminates the need for credit checks and provides greater accessibility to financial services.

Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs): DeFi facilitates peer-to-peer trading on decentralized exchanges, enabling users to trade cryptocurrencies directly from their wallets. DEXs enhance privacy, security, and liquidity while reducing the risk of hacking or manipulation.

Stablecoins and Payments: DeFi introduces stablecoins, Cryptocurrencies pegged to a stable asset like fiat currency, to provide stability and enable seamless and borderless transactions. These stablecoins power DeFi payments, making cross-border transactions faster and more affordable.

Yield Farming and Staking: DeFi offers opportunities for users to earn passive income by participating in yield farming or staking. Yield farming involves providing liquidity to DeFi protocols and earning rewards, while staking involves holding and validating Cryptocurrencies to secure the network and earn staking rewards.

Like any innovation, DeFi comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. Heres a quick overview:

The future of DeFi holds immense prospects. Since technology advances and scalability solutions emerge, DeFi is expected to witness broader adoption and innovative use cases. Some anticipated developments include improved user interfaces, increased interoperability between different DeFi protocols, integration with traditional finance, and the emergence of decentralized derivatives and insurance markets.

Further, the world is moving toward digitization which is in tandem with DeFi. With a Smartphone, even the poor in the global South can access financial products and services previously available to developed countries.

Incremental sound policy formulation around these emerging technologies will create opportunities for the unbanked and underbanked in developing regions like Africa to be part of the global economy. DeFi is thus a tool to extinguish a central impediment standing in the way of sustainable development and human freedom globally.

DeFi and CeFi represent two distinct paradigms in the financial landscape:

Decentralized Finance (DeFi): DeFi emphasizes decentralization, transparency, and open access. It leverages Blockchain technology to eliminate intermediaries, allowing users to retain control of their funds and participate directly in financial activities.

Centralized Finance (CeFi): However, CeFi, on the other hand, refers to the traditional financial system characterized by centralized institutions like banks and financial intermediaries. CeFi delivers customary services but is often associated with limitations such as restricted access, high fees, and slower transaction times.

While both DeFi and CeFi have their merits, DeFis potential to democratize finance, increase financial inclusion, and provide innovative solutions makes it an exciting, empowering, and rapidly evolving space.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) can reshape the global financial landscape, empowering individuals with greater control over their financial activities and fostering a more inclusive global economy. By leveraging Blockchain technology, DeFi offers numerous opportunities for lending, borrowing, trading, and investing while also addressing the limitations of traditional finance.

However, as with any emerging technology, it is crucial to stay informed, conduct thorough research, and understand the risks associated with participating in the DeFi ecosystem. Dont invest your hard-earned money without understanding the technology first.

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The early concept of Bitcoin Decentralization | Branded Voices … – Native News Online

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All-time hit scoring Bitcoin has become a highly profit-based cryptocurrency in terms of financial traits. These crypto prices keep on rising and continue to touch highs. Today's economic landscape prefers to use BTC assets due to its unique qualities and currency economic landscape. However, the financial organizations occupied with the power have been reduced through Bitcoin as discovered by Satoshi Nakamoto which planned to reduce the dependency on the centralized system and authorize people to make their transactions free of cost. You can visit https://quantumflash.io/ if you are looking for a reputable trading platform that will help you earn more profit.

However, most of the organizations have been taking care of work regarding Bitcoin mining, comprising Foundry, a digital currency group (DCG) subordinate concentrated on digital asset mining. After executing months of the beta system, Foundry has opened up its mining pool for some institutional mining purposes. Moreover, after every four hashes, Foundry has successfully maintained its 10th position in the mining pool in terms of power generation. The Twitter account of Barry Silbert reveals that the DCG's Chief Executive Officer contends that Foundry has successfully placed its 5th position in the mining pool and further gives signals for the advance breaking of the Chinese mining pool monopoly.

Mining share adopted by the US

The American institutions were expecting to make a demand for the US mining pool for purchasing purposes and are also filled with almost $550 million into the mining equipment which reflects its bullish expectations. further step mining solutions in Countries like North America launching its mining pool and further have been offered by the Foundry, which is a leader in mining equipment. The expected estimation Beta testing where it successfully mined about 790 Bitcoins since November 2022. Now on May-23, the count has reached 38 blocks.

On May 23, a partnership with Bitfarm was launched with a significant hash rate of 20 % to boost the network. Bitfarm will soon start its launching platform to execute partnership works with Bitfarm where the core motive will be to 1500 machines with a minimum payment of as little as 15%. Moreover, as and when North America joined the mining pool with block caps, they have contributed more than 1.2 with almost 11,000 machines used to do mining work to the US mining pool due to which the computing power of the network is growing.

The significant impact of the mining pool

Although Mining Bitcoin has turned into a beneficial industry, farms need to permit the cheapest energy sources. Due to this China allowed conditions in favour of renewable energy with inexpensive circumstances. However, as compared to others, Mustafa Yilham has declared that they can illustrate with more valuable and dedicated sources of energy. In addition to this, in Xinjiang, alternative farms will be found by the miners to maintain their earnings. Although Miners within China are pursuing to emigrate after the occurrence, which clattered the cost of Bitcoin.

The contrary part of Bitcoin decentralisation

A data review on the website of Bitcoin named BTC.com, states that although there are multiple pools available on the mining pool still Foundry only accounted for 5% of all the blocks mined on the last day. But this theory was contradicted by the tweet given by Barry Silbert who claimed that the sharing network of his company is about 8% globally. However, decentralisation is not possible to complete as long as Bitcoin becomes the primary requirement of every single individual.

The Decentralization of Bitcoin

Five big companies-controlled Bitcoin's operations causing troubles in respect of centralization power. However, the Bitcoin network could be sabotaged by a 52% attack where one commodity supervises 52% of the networks hash rate and can modify block composition. According to an examination by Token Analyst, 50% of the network hash rate is from China.

Conclusion

Multiple resources are responsible for Bitcoin mining and the network hash rate growth stimulates the access obstacle for any at-home rig. However, the Proof-of-work is dependent on energy consumption at a large scale. Moreover, the data from Foundry indicates that financial assets are required urgently to provide financial help for such tasks. However the recently ongoing Bitcoin decentralisation controversy focused on the centralization of power inside mining tools. However, the rays of light brighten the thought when the largest mining pool name Brains which also works to operate Slush Pools aims to target the centralization with Stratum V2.what else what the network of power can be brought down to the someone level, thus developing a censorship-free network.

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Medicaid Decentralization Is a Disaster – The American Prospect

During the pandemic, the federal government temporarily forbade states from kicking people off their Medicaid rolls, and provided extra funding to cover the expense. By late 2022, enrollment had indeed ballooned by 21 million, or nearly 30 percent.

But that prohibition ended in April this year, and sure enough people are now being kicked off the coverage by the hundreds of thousands, as my colleague David Dayen recently pointed out. The most recent estimate comes from David A. Lieb and Andrew DeMillo at the Associated Press this week, and they find that over one million people have lost coverage. The reason: Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork.

Its a lesson in the downsides of Medicaids federalized and means-tested structure.

States design and operate Medicaid within federal guidelines, and this gives conservative states run by vicious ideologues like Ron DeSantis or Sarah Huckabee Sanders wide latitude to kick people off the program intentionally or with deliberate incompetence. Per AP, Florida alone has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most among states. The other largest enrollment declines are seen almost entirely in red states like Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.

More from Ryan Cooper

This problem is made worse by Medicaids complex eligibility requirements, which include income and asset tests that vary based on the age and status of the enrollee, as well as across states. Most enrollees have a vague at best understanding of the rules, or when and how to file the necessary paperwork, or are now learning about these draconian strictures. One diabetic retiree in Pittsburgh learned that he would have to get rid of $60,000 in his retirement savings or lose coverage, requiring him to pay $700 per month for insulin out of pocket.

Medicaid has been largely privatized over the years: Some 72 percent of enrollees are now in managed care organizations run by private companies. That provides a theoretical incentive for those companies to get enrollment as high as possible so they can make more money. But as weve seen with the student loan servicers debacle, government contractors are just as prone to Kafkaesque bureaucratic errors as any government agency. (One of them, Maximus, contracts for both student loan servicing and Medicaid eligibility determination in 13 states.)

One easy idea to reduce eligibility mistakes would be to impose maintenance of effort rules on companies or states such that if they kick too many people off erroneously, the companies get booted off Medicaid themselves, or the state gets financially penalized.

But a better idea would be to federalize the program entirely, and ease up on the eligibility rules. Roll Medicaid and Medicare into one program (thus removing control from merciless red-state governors) and loosen up income and asset tests (especially for retirees). Make enrollment happen automatically as much as possible, like for anyone under the age of 26 or for anyone on Social Security Disability Insurance. Best of all would be to put every American onto the program for life, thus making it impossible to ever lose coverage.

Ryan Cooper is the Prospects managing editor, and author of How Are You Going to Pay for That?: Smart Answers to the Dumbest Question in Politics. He was previously a national correspondent for The Week.

June 20, 2023

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Medicaid Decentralization Is a Disaster - The American Prospect

Shardeum solving the blockchain trilemma | nasscom | The Official … – NASSCOM Community

Blockchain technology has undoubtedly revolutionized various industries, promising enhancedsecurity,transparency, anddecentralization. In the rapidly evolving landscape ofblockchain technology, one of the most pressing challenges faced by developers and businesses alike is the blockchain trilemma, which refers to the trade-off between scalability, security, and decentralization. Balancing these three pillars has been a long-standing issue within the blockchain community. But now, a groundbreaking solution has emerged to tackle this trilemma head-on:Shardeum. By harnessing the power of sharding, Shardeum aims to provide a scalable, secure, anddecentralized blockchain ecosystem, offering a promising future for the blockchain industry. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of sharding and delve into how Shardeum is paving the way for a new era of blockchain technology.

Consider the scenario where you assume the role of a superhero entrusted with the crucial mission of safeguarding the world from an imminent catastrophe. Your decision-making process involves selecting two superpowers out of three available options: flight, super strength, and invisibility. It is important to note that you can only possess two powers simultaneously, adding an element of strategic choice to the equation.

Analogously, the concept of the blockchain trilemma presents a similar predicament withindecentralized networks. In this context, the three superpowers are decentralization,security, and scalability. Just like our superhero protagonist, decentralized networks face the constraint of being able to possess only two of these superpowers concurrently.

The blockchain trilemma holds considerable significance in the realm of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology and was originally introduced by Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder ofEthereum. This term describes the challenge faced byblockchain technology, where it is difficult to achieve all three fundamental properties simultaneously: security, scalability, and decentralization. According to Vitalik, it is typically only possible to have two of these properties at a given time, inevitably sacrificing the third one. As security plays a crucial role in publicblockchain platforms, they frequently face the trade-off between scalability and decentralization when making decisions.

Bitcoin, the pioneering and widely recognized blockchain-based cryptocurrency, exemplifies the blockchain trilemma in practice. Bitcoin prides itself on its high degree of decentralization, with numerous nodes dispersed worldwide. This decentralized nature enhances its security, as no single entity or collective holds control over the entire network, bolstering its resilience against potential attacks. Nonetheless,Bitcoinfaces challenges when it comes to scalability as it can only handle a restricted volume of transactions per second. Consequently, during periods of heightened demand, the network can experience congestion, leading to elevated transaction fees. In comparison to established credit card processors like Visa and Mastercard, Bitcoin falls short, as these competitors can swiftly process transactions within milliseconds.

Although layer 2 solutions and applications have helped alleviate the scalability problem, the advancements made so far have been mostly incremental in order to meet industry requirements. While the goal is to transition fromWeb2 to Web3, it is important to recognize that Web2 offers a user experience that is familiar and efficient on a global level. ForWeb3to effectively replace Web2, it must significantly increase its throughput capacity to facilitate widespread adoption and enable the full realization of blockchains inherent benefits, such as enhanced security,privacy,and decentralization.

Sharding has been a familiar concept in the blockchain industry for quite some time and has been extensively explored by prominent layer 1 blockchains likeEthereum. It has been long recognized as an effective solution for improving scalability in various applications, particularly within centralized databases. But how does sharding actually enhance the scalability of centralized networks? Put simply, sharding involves dividing the task of validating and confirming transactions into smaller, more manageable fragments, known as shards. While sharding is undoubtedly the most effective approach to addressing scalability concerns, implementing it in blockchain-based networksis considerably more challenging compared to centralized databases.

Shardeum brings forth an encouraging development as it implements a unique approach to consensus and processing, operating at the transaction level instead of the block level. Furthermore, the network employs dynamic state sharding to distribute the computational workload, storage, and bandwidth evenly and dynamically across all nodes. This groundbreaking technique enables parallel processing of transactions and significantly reduces the burden onvalidator nodes, as they only need to store the state data of the transactions they are directly engaged in.

Dynamic state sharding holds immense significance in the realm ofShardeum. Its importance lies in enabling the network to sustain consistently low transaction fees for both developers and end users. It is crucial to clarify that dynamic state sharding represents the cutting-edge iteration of sharding techniques, encompassing state, transaction/network, and static state sharding.

In contrast to previous versions, this solution adeptly addresses various challenges including extended latency, vertical scalability (as opposed to linear scalability), sybil attacks, limited finality, and the absence of cross shard composability. However, it is essential to note that dynamic state sharding also stands as the most intricate approach to partitioning a networks state.

Shardeum operates with a network that lacks a predetermined set of fixed shards or nodes. Instead, nodes within theShardeum networkpossess the freedom to relocate and adapt to accommodate varying amounts of data, functioning as dynamic shards. The implementation of dynamic state sharding is seamlessly integrated with Shardeums auto-scaling capability. As a result, the network can autonomously regulate the quantity and dimensions of shards in response to the existing workload. This dynamic adjustment empowers the system to enhance performance and sustain exceptional scalability as it expands and progresses.

Dynamic state sharding onShardeumovercomes the limitations of static state sharding by allowing the network to adapt and expand based on changing demand. It addresses two critical issues: facilitating dynamic growth by creating new shards in real-time to accommodate increasing demands, and eliminating the bottleneck caused by sequential processing in static state sharding. With dynamic state sharding, transactions can be processed in parallel across multiple shards, improving network efficiency and reducing latency. By adopting dynamic state sharding,blockchain networkscan achieve scalability and improved performance. On Shardeum, dynamic state sharding assigns dynamic address ranges tovalidator nodesacross multiple shards, achieving consensus at the transaction level and supporting cross-shard composability.

In a sharded environment, cross-shard communication allows transactions to access and utilize data from different shards. This enables the execution of challenging transactions andsmart contracts. Atomic composability ensures that transactions are executed atomically, minimizing the risk of failures or an inconsistent blockchain state.Shardeumensures effective execution of complex transactions and smart contracts while maintaining blockchain integrity and consistency.

By adding nodes from its standby validator pool during peak demand,Shardeums networkachieves instant increases in transaction throughput. This unique feature allows the network to scale linearly, making it the firstWeb3 networkwith such capability. This scalability positively impacts various aspects of theblockchain network, including throughput, decentralization, security, and transaction fees that remain constant regardless of network demand. Shardus, Shardeums underlyingprotocol, has already demonstrated 500 TPS with 100 nodes in the past three years. Shardeum has set its sights on attaining even greater figures, targeting a potential milestone of 1 TPS (transactions per second) or higher per node. This accomplishment would represent a notable advancement for theWeb3 ecosystem. In comparison, existing blockchain networks with around 2,000 active nodes can only process an average of 350 TPS, while traditional Web2 platforms like PayPal and Visa process an average of 5,000 TPS daily.Shardeumenvisions mobilizing millions of nodes, enabling over 1 million TPS and empowering DApps to serve billions of users while eliminating middlemen exploiting data and privacy.

Shardeum utilizes a unique consensus algorithm called Proof-of-Quorum (PoQ) to validate and update transactions. Unlike traditional algorithms like Proof-of-Work (PoW), PoQ allows nodes to validate transactions individually upon receipt, followed by sharing the information with other nodes in a consensus group. This strategy guarantees that all nodes within the group possess knowledge of every transaction, resulting in a trustless assembly of votes or a quorum in the form of receipts. When more than 50% of the receipts are obtained, transactions are confirmed and updated on the network. Before being sent to archive nodes, individual transactions are grouped together.

Shardeum aims to enhance security through a unique combination of Proof of Quantity (PoQ) andProof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanisms. A specified amount of coins is required to be staked, thereby reducing the risk of potential misbehavior. Additionally, the network assigns a random node ID tovalidator nodesusing the consensus algorithm. In addition to validator and archive nodes,Shardeumalso includes standby nodes, which serve as backups and can accommodate increased demand. The network dynamically rotatesvalidatorand standby nodes using the node IDs, making it highly challenging for malicious actors to seize control of the network.

Auto-scaling is a crucial feature that allows a network to adjust its capacity according to demand.Shardeums protocolautomatically detects the networks current capacity and adjusts the number of active validator nodes and shard size accordingly. This ensures optimal performance and incentivizes the network to operate efficiently. Additionally, Shardeum aims to promote decentralization by making it easy for average individuals to join and operate a node with minimal resources.Validator nodesonly need to maintain the current state within a shard, while historical data is stored in archive nodes. Running a node on the network is affordable and helps reinforce security while enabling horizontal scaling.

Shardeumoperates on the guiding principle of being Open, Collaborative, and Community Driven (OCC). The projects EVM-based network is developer-friendly, eliminating concerns about rising gas fees and enhancing the user experience of DApps. Instead of competing with other L1 networks, Shardeum aims to disrupt the under-utilization ofblockchain technologyand become a beacon of hope for existing and futureWeb3 platforms. By focusing on delivering a transformative impact, Shardeum recognizes the enthusiasm of todays youth in actively working towards a more equitable world.

By combining innovative techniques such as sharding,proof-of-stake consensus, anddecentralized storage,Shardeumhas managed to address the challenges of scalability, security, and decentralization in a remarkable way. Its ability to process a high number of transactions per second, maintain a robust securityprotocol,and distribute data across a network of nodes make it a compelling option for developers and businesses alike. With Shardeum, the blockchain trilemma is no longer an insurmountable obstacle, paving the way for a more scalable, secure, and decentralized future for blockchain technology.

Dr. Ravi Chamria is co-founder CEO of Zeeve Inc, an Enterprise Blockchain company. He has an experience of 18+ years in IT consulting spanning across Fintech, InsureTech, Supply Chain and eCommerce. He is an executive MBA from IIM, Lucknow and a prolific speaker on emerging technologies like Blockchain, IoT and AI/ML.

Passionate About: Blockchain, Supply Chain Management, Digital Lending, Digital Payments, AI/ML, IoT

Specialities: Strategic Management, Technology Innovation, Product Management

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