Category Archives: Decentralization

Billionaire investor Tim Draper predicts Bitcoin bull market, says controlling government is killing the golden goose of Silicon Valley – Fortune

In Silicon Valley, Tim Draper is venture capital royalty. A third-generation investor, Draper was an early backer of some of the most pivotal technology to come out of California, from Hotmail to Skype. In recent years, his focus has been on Bitcoin and the broader ethos of decentralization, famously paying $19 million for 30,000 Bitcoin in 2014 that had been seized in the U.S. government takedown of dark web marketplace Silk Road.

While some of his bets have not paid offincluding an investment in Theranos and repeated predictions that Bitcoin would reach $250,000he is continuing to throw his chips in with the pioneer cryptocurrency. In an interview with Fortune, Draper said he expects Bitcoin to soar in value amid economic uncertainty in the U.S.

If the bear gets that angry to where the banks start falling apart, that actually means that Bitcoin will have a bull market, he told Fortune. Itll be a raging bull in the middle of the bear.

Bitcoin is currently sitting at just under $29,000. Its up nearly 75% since the beginning of 2023 amid the failures of major U.S. banks Signature, Silicon Valley Bank, and First Republic.

Drapers support of Bitcoin does not extend to the entire crypto ecosystem. While he backed pioneering projects like the blockchain Tezos, he said hes wary of companies that are too centralized. Draper said he twice turned down an investment opportunity in Sam Bankman-Frieds now-failed exchange FTX, arguing that there was no utility for its proprietary token, FTT, except for speculation.

As FTX rose in popularity in 2021 and 2022, Draper said he thought he had missed something, but was vindicated in November when the company collapsed in spectacular fashion.

I just thought it was a race to the bottom, Draper said about CeFi, or centralized finance, companies like FTX.

His concern now is with crypto regulation, as lawmakers debate legislation to establish guardrails for the industry and agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission target firms with enforcement actions. Draper said that when he speaks with startups in the space, they ask him about regulation, which had never before been the case.

If theyre regulating by enforcement, theyre just slapping people down and fining them and suing them, he told Fortune. I dont want to waste years of my life in court and trying to avoid some problem.

Draper, who has advocated for breaking up California into six states, said that the only solution is to have a new political party in charge.

This is as controlling as the U.S. government has ever been, he said. Theyre ruining business, theyre killing the golden goose, and Silicon Valley is breaking up because of it.

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Billionaire investor Tim Draper predicts Bitcoin bull market, says controlling government is killing the golden goose of Silicon Valley - Fortune

Can Convenience Stores Still Cash in on Crypto? – Convenience Store Decisions

Despite a difficult winter for cryptocurrencies, c-stores can still profit from this growing segment through crypto ATMs or branded cryptocurrencies.

By Richard Crone | May 2, 2023

Technological innovation, decentralization, censorship resistance and growing adoption rates contribute to the continued prominence of cryptocurrencies. As a result, convenience stores have the opportunity to integrate cryptocurrencies into their operations, attracting a broader customer base and offering additional services.

Some potential opportunities for c-stores include accepting cryptocurrency payments, installing crypto ATMs and kiosks, offering international remittance services, creating loyalty and rewards programs, adopting cryptocurrency-compatible point-of-sale (POS) systems and exploring blockchain technology for supply chain management.

Cryptocurrencies are built on blockchain technology, which is constantly evolving. Blockchain has numerous potential applications beyond cryptocurrencies, such as supply chain management, voting systems and decentralized finance. The underlying technology and its ongoing advancements maintain the relevance of cryptocurrencies and the broader blockchain ecosystem.

One of the core tenets of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin is decentralization. This aspect makes them resistant to censorship and control by any single entity, such as governments or financial institutions.

As a result, cryptocurrencies can serve as an alternative financial system for people in countries with unstable currencies or limited access to banking services.

Cryptocurrencies offer a way to transfer value across borders quickly and with relatively low fees. This makes them an attractive option for remittances and digital payments, especially in areas where traditional banking services are expensive or inaccessible.

Some cryptocurrencies offer enhanced privacy and security features that are not available through traditional financial systems. These features can be particularly appealing to individuals concerned about data privacy and the security of their financial transactions.

Branded cryptocurrencies, or custom tokens, can provide new opportunities for c-stores to engage customers, build loyalty and create new revenue streams similar to private-label prepaid debit and gift card programs.

C-stores can use branded cryptocurrencies for customer loyalty and rewards programs, gamification, customer feedback incentives, cross-promotions and alternative payment options. However, factors such as regulatory compliance, technological infrastructure, customer adoption, volatility and security must be considered before adoption.

Crypto ATMs and kiosks can offer significant benefits for c-stores, such as additional revenue streams, increased foot traffic, competitive advantage, catering to the unbanked or underbanked and enhancing brand image. However, challenges include regulatory compliance, security, initial investment and maintenance costs, and customer education and support.

Despite the potential impact of closures or interruptions in services like the Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN) and Signature Banks cryptocurrency network Signet, the integration of cryptocurrency services remains a promising opportunity for c-stores. Coin ATM Radar data highlights the substantial earning potential of cryptocurrency ATMs compared to traditional ATMs, with a single-purpose crypto machine generating up to $36,000 in top-line revenue per unit.

However, the closure of these services could lead to reduced access to banking services, liquidity constraints, increased operational costs, slower transaction times, increased regulatory scrutiny and market consolidation. C-stores must stay informed and adapt to the changing landscape to capitalize on the opportunities presented by cryptocurrencies.

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Can Convenience Stores Still Cash in on Crypto? - Convenience Store Decisions

Will RenQ Finance (RENQ) Replace Solana (SOL)? – Hindustan Times

The cryptosphere Is a fast-paced world where new projects emerge to address one issue or another, and older projects are upgraded to better meet the needs of their clients. If this is not done, it is simple for a project to lose its user appeal. In this article, we'll compare the seasoned Solana (SOL) to a newer, shinier RenQ Finance (RENQ) to see what places they have in the industry and whether RenQ Finance (RENQ) will eventually replace Solana (SOL).

Solana (SOL) is a layer-1 blockchain network that prioritizes scalability and speed. Solana (SOL), like Ethereum (ETH), enables developers to execute smart contracts and create decentralized apps (dApps), but it prioritizes speed and affordability. Solana's innovative Proof of History (PoH) consensus mechanism enables the network to process transactions thousands of times faster than standard systems like Bitcoin and Ethereum. SOL is the native token of Solana. Its purpose is to execute smart contracts, handle transactions, and secure the network.

RenQ Finance (RENQ) is a cutting-edge multi-chain non-custodial decentralized exchange that elevates decentralized trading by offering customers a direct trading option via the RenQ wallet app. It is a community-driven organization founded to give a one-stop solution for all types of traders in the DeFi industry by providing them with a platform that has the benefits of a centralized exchange and more. The RENQ token is RenQ Finances native token. Similar to SOL on Solana, RENQ handles transactions and secures the RenQ Finance network.

While Solana (SOL) is undeniably a market leader, it does have drawbacks that make it unappealing to some users looking for crypto services. For starters, Solana (SOL) and Ethereum (ETH) are incompatible. Ethereum applications are preferred by the majority of DeFi users due to their high liquidity and popularity. The Solana network functions independently and is not compatible with Ethereum.

Solana (SOL) is also known for frequent network outages. There have been more than 5 major outages, some of which lasted for hours and have had a significant impact on network performance. Solana (SOL) has also been criticized for centralized control and failing to reach promised transaction speeds. As a result, SOL has dropped by more than 90% from its all-time high.

RenQ Finance (RENQ) is a highly scalable project built on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain network. This means that RenQ Finance (RENQ) can process transactions rapidly and cheaply while leveraging Ethereum's security and tapping into its vast DeFi user base.

In contrast to Solana (SOL), RenQ Finance (RENQ) delivers on its promise of decentralization. Decentralization has become a crucial basis for cryptocurrency users, and RenQ Finance's fully decentralized governance style makes it more appealing to investors.

Despite its infancy, RenQ Finance (RENQ) is rapidly expanding. The network has amassed a huge social media following in just a little over two months. This is in contrast to Solana (SOL), which continues to lose support as its troubles worsen. A vibrant and engaged community is critical to the success of any cryptocurrency. The community is heavily involved in platform governance, which helps keep the platform relevant and up to date.

Finally, RenQ Finance (RENQ) provides a wide range of DeFi services, such as yield farming, staking, and liquidity providing, which are in high demand among cryptocurrency investors. Furthermore, RenQ Finance (RENQ) is multi-chain. It joins all isolated blockchains to form a cross-chain asset trading network, providing all fundamental support for the DeFi ecosystem. This opens up a larger pool of liquidity and greater earning opportunities. Solana (SOL) is a layer-1 network that does not have as many provisions.

With benefits like interoperability, decentralization, a huge engaged community, and a myriad of DeFi use cases, it is safe to predict that RenQ Finance (RENQ) will easily replace Solana (SOL), which is losing favor in the industry.

Website: https://renq.ioWhitepaper: https://renq.io/whitepaper.pdf

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/ editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/ subscribe to the contents of the article/advertisement and/or views expressed herein.

The reader is further advised that Crypto products and NFTs are unregulated and can be highly risky. There may be no regulatory recourse for any loss from such transactions.

Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the views, opinions, announcements, declarations, affirmations etc., stated/featured in same. The decision to read hereinafter is purely a matter of choice and shall be construed as an express undertaking/guarantee in favour of Hindustan Times of being absolved from any/ all potential legal action, or enforceable claims. The content may be for information and awareness purposes and does not constitute a financial advice.

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Will RenQ Finance (RENQ) Replace Solana (SOL)? - Hindustan Times

Arbitrums Chronos reaches $217M TVL with staking, becomes 8th largest DEX – Cointelegraph

Decentralized exchange (DEX) Chronos set a new milestone on May 4, reaching $217 million in total value locked (TVL) at the time of writing, just seven days after its launch on the Arbitrum blockchain.

With the new TVL figures, Chronos ranks eighth among the largest decentralized exchanges,according to DefiLlama. In DeFi, TVL represents the funds held or staked within a protocol.

The TVL milestone was achieved during the first hours of the day after the protocol kicked off Epoch 1, which enabled Chronos (CHR) token emissions to liquidity pools. The initiation of Epoch 1 also allowed stakers to begin collecting rewards.

Chronos debuted on April 27 to serve as a liquidity provider and automated market maker for the Arbitrum network, hosting core pools such as Chronos-Ether (CHR/ETH) and Chronos-USD Coin (CHR/USDC), both seeded with 2 million CHR tokens, along with Arbitrum-Ether (ARB/ETH), Ether-USD Coin (ETH/USDC), USD Coin-Tether (USDC/USDT) and Wrapped Bitcoin-Ether (WBTC/ETH) pools.

Related:Liquid staking solutions now have more TVL than DEXs: DefiLlama

Decentralized exchanges are at the heart of DeFiand are showing signs of growth and maturity after 2022s crypto winter. After [the] FTX bankruptcy, the industry saw the real value of DEXs. Decentralization that DEXs bring matters more than ever," noted Charles Wayn, co-founder of Web3 community platform Galxe, explaining that DEXs and wallets will be the backbones of gaming adoption in the coming years.

Likewise, chief technology officer of Maverick Protocol Bob Baxley told Cointelegraph that the past year has served as a proof-of-concept for DEXs and DeFi. After all, if you look at some major DEXs, on some days theyre doing more volume than Coinbase," he said, noting that the tightening regulatory environment in the United States is likely to benefit DEXs:

DEXs arepeer-to-peer marketplaces where crypto traders transactwithout turning over their funds to intermediaries or custodians. Smart contracts power these self-executing transactions. However, as weve seen over the past few years, hacks and bugs are among the biggest risks of trading on DEXs.

I suspect volumes for a wide variety of DEXs will eventually grow at an exponential rate, especially when the underlying blockchains like Ethereum continue to scale and, in turn, offer more throughput for lower gas prices," Brent Xu, founder of Web3 bond-market platform Umee, told Cointelegraph.

Magazine:Crypto regulation Does SEC Chair Gary Gensler have the final say?

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Arbitrums Chronos reaches $217M TVL with staking, becomes 8th largest DEX - Cointelegraph

Winners announced at First Annual KSE-Munk Policy Brief … – Munk School of Global Affairs

Anton Babak and Olena Voynich, both part of a joint initiative between the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) and the Munk School, have won the First Annual KSE-Munk Policy Brief Competition.

Part of the MITACS Globalink research project to fund Ukrainian students at the Munk School, the Policy Brief Competition is part of a broader effort by KSE and the Munk School to train a new generation of policymakers who can aid Ukraine during the war and help to build strong, accountable institutions that support democracy and economic growth when the war ends.

The in-person competition, which took place on at the end of April, featured 10 contestants. The nine policy briefs they presented covered topics critical to Ukraines development in the context of war: veterans mental health, NATO, education policy, policies to reduce corruption in procurement, decentralization, criminal justice reform, and tax policy.

Since October 2022, Munk School professors Drew Fagan, Ian Shugart and Lucan Way have helped the students develop research topics, formulate policy recommendations, and organize their arguments in a clear and convincing way. The contestants alsoreceived individual guidance fromprofessors and specialists from across the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia.

I was impressed by the students dedication, unflagging enthusiasm and capacity to work in often trying circumstances, said Way. All of the students developed highly focused briefs that were sensitive to the challenges facing Ukraine today.

The winning policy briefs focused on tax reform and criminal justice reform. Babaks report analyzed the Diia City, a special legal and tax regime for information technology businesses in Ukraine. According to his analysis, the Ukrainian government lacks an adequate tool to assess the efficacy of this policy. Babak proposed an assessment framework, relying on existing data, that would allow decision makers to identify whether or not a policy is achieving its goals of formalizing IT activity, a process that currently occurs informally. Babaks plan also allows the government to assess whether the tax regime is facilitating IT investment and growth.

Voynichs work addressed ways to mitigate problems caused by overcrowding and inhumane living conditions in the Ukrainian prison system. Such conditions, which have worsened since the Russian invasion, have sparked multiple judgements against Ukraine by the European Court of Human Rights and other international bodies. To address these issues, Voynich proposed decreasing the length of sentences for nonviolent crimes and expanding the use of probation as an alternative to prison time.

The competition jury unanimously agreed that both briefs reflected detailed research, thoughtful analysis and a careful consideration of the Ukrainian context.

The winning reports will be presented in front of high level Canadian and Ukrainian decision-makers with the hope that they may provide Canada with a deeper understanding of the issues confronting Ukraine and help inform policy in Ukraine.

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Winners announced at First Annual KSE-Munk Policy Brief ... - Munk School of Global Affairs

Arbitrum Co-Founder Addresses DAO Vote Fiasco, Waves Off Allegations of Decentralization Theater – CoinDesk

AUSTIN, Texas What is real decentralization? Though it may be the biggest buzzword in crypto, ambiguity around the definition of decentralization heralded as a core use-case for blockchain technology remains constant fuel for controversy.

The most-hyped event in the cryptosphere of the past two months was the ARB airdrop, when Arbitrum a layer 2 rollup that allows users to transact on the Ethereum blockchain with lower fees distributed its long-awaited token to early users, builders and investors.

Arbitrums creators said they built and distributed the ARB token as a way of decentralizing control of the network, handing the reins from Offchain Labs, the company that originally built Arbitrum, to the newly created Arbitrum DAO a group comprised of newly-minted ARB token-holders.

Abitrums decentralization narrative came under fire soon after the ARB airdrop, however, when the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) moved nearly $1 billion worth of its new tokens to the Arbitrum Foundation an organization established to serve as a kind of formally registered steward of the Arbitrum DAO before a formal vote on what to do with the funds had run its full course.

In an explanation mirroring one provided by the Arbitrum Foundation earlier this month, Goldfeder told the audience at Consensus that a ratification vote on what to do with the funds which was ongoing when the funds were transferred sowed unnecessary confusion.

He hedged his response, however, by drawing a line between his company, Offchain Labs, and the new Arbitrum Foundation: I can't speak to what the Foundation did, but leading up to creating this, that was the thought process at least, Goldfeder said.

He also said the vote fiasco resulted in a pledge from the Foundation that it will give regular transparency reports regarding its operations and the use of its treasury.

I as a community member think the place where this ended is even better, said the Arbitrum co-founder. The community seems happy and I also think, you know, transparency and accountability is a great thing.

Although Offchain Labs is, formally speaking, distinct from the Arbitrum Foundation, it would seem reasonable to question if Labs which built Arbitrum might be pulling strings behind the scenes. If there was any takeaway from Goldeders address at Consensus, it was his acute awareness that this relationship between the two organizations or lack thereof remains top of mind for people trying to suss out whether Arbitrum is, in fact, decentralized.

Asked explicitly by Nijkerk whether Offchain Labs and the Arbitrum Foundation are linked, Goldfeder stressed that they were not. Who controls the Arbitrum Foundation? Its really actually the DAO and the token holders, adding later that the important thing Id focus on is that the DAO is the most decentralized DAO that exists.

When ARB launched, however, 44% of its initial token distribution went to Offchain Labs investors and employees. Asked by Nijkerk whether this large percentage of insider tokens undermines Arbitrums decentralization narrative, Goldfeder responded that principle number one was there always has to be a majority in the hands of the community.

The counterside of 44% of tokens going to insiders, according to Goldfeder, is 56% were given to the community in different capacities: the airdrop, the foundation, the DAO, etcetera.

Goldfeder added that all tokens granted to insiders were subjected to four-year transfer restrictions to prevent any kind of mass sell-off, with nothing unlocking before one year. He said that Offchain Labs employees are not allowed to vote on Arbitrum DAO governance proposals, though they are allowed to delegate their tokens to like-minded voters.

Repeatedly, Goldfeder placed the foundation at arm's length. The foundation has a set of excellent people, he said at one point, adding that Offchain Labs gave them a lot of technical guidance as they were setting up, in servicing their goals, but remains a distinct entity.

There's a real community, he said towards the end of the Consensus session. When we say it's controlled by the community, the community is not me. It's not Offchain Labs. There's a massive community with many different interests and companies and protocols and projects that care deeply about this.

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Arbitrum Co-Founder Addresses DAO Vote Fiasco, Waves Off Allegations of Decentralization Theater - CoinDesk

What Will It Really Take To Make Web3 Mainstream? – nft now

It seems that everyone plans to onboard the next billion people to Web3. Nike, Time Magazine, Budweiser, Nickelodeon, and a host of other influential brands (nft now included!) have all promised to onboard the masses. But what will it really take to bring blockchain tech from niche to mainstream?

Looking at the progress so far, it seems very few have any serious idea of how to make the metaverse a reality.

So, to try and determine what might break down the barrier between Web2 and Web3 once and for all, we turned to experts and holders of the Now Pass the access pass to the Now Network, the foundation for all of our initiatives to build the future of tokenized media and pioneer a community-centric media model for input.

Heres what the citizens of the blockchain had to say.

The need for education was echoed by many. According to several members of the Now Pass community that we spoke with, education remains the most important consideration in relation to bringing NFTs to the masses. Notably, this means going beyond airdropping interested enthusiasts a link to an NFT 101 guide. Rather, educating consumers about the potential of Web3 must be a more active process.

As Now Pass holder and brand marketer Liam Darmody puts it, the Average Joe still considers NFTs to be nothing more than internet JPEGs. It sounds cliche, but [Web3 needs to focus on] education, utility, and practical application. The average person in the masses hears Web3 and thinks cartoon jpegs, Darmody wrote in an nft now Discord chat.

RELATED READING: What is the Metaverse? A Complete Guide to Our Web3 Future

Its easy to understand why, but the fact is that theres so much more to NFTs and Web3 tech than that. The easier we make it for normies to understand that these technologies are just an evolution of other things we do today, the faster [mainstream adoption] will happen, he added.

Now Pass holder Sprite offered more insights into this topic, saying that education, paired with popularization, will lead Web3 closer to bridging the gap to mainstream consumers. Web3 technology needs better education and popularization to help more people understand its advantages and opportunities. This can be done by organizing online courses, holding lectures and seminars, publishing articles and books, etc., they wrote.

Now Pass holders arent alone in their thinking. The team behind the NFT marketplace Kreatorhood also say that education is the first and most important step.

In the same vein as bettering education, some said that a shift in perspective or perhaps even a total rebrand of NFTs might help those outside of Web3 to gain interest in the blockchain.

To some, like Sprite, this means bringing better social media marketing strategies to Web3 in order to communicate the concepts and applications of blockchain technologies to a wider audience. But to others, it means getting consumers excited about what the blockchain actually is and does, offering context that is unclouded by the negative connotation that NFTs might possess.

Too many people hear NFT or Web3 and think scam or Ponzi scheme when they should be thinking access pass and suite of community-centric building tools.' CD, Now Pass holder and the Founder of the Web3 writers community Vagabond Magazine, said. Adding that, we need to start using NFT as a technical specification, not a categorical description. We need to spend more time focusing on the ethical building blocks of Web3 instead of the focus too often being on the money.

RELATED READING: Blockchain 101 All the Basics Explained

Adding to this point, Now Pass holder The Big Gooey suggested that transparency could potentially contribute to users receiving a better preliminary understanding of Web3. He went on to remark that perhaps it was the reluctance of Web2 companies to discuss their URL or back-end structures openly that mightve trained customers not to care about whats going on behind the curtain in the first place.

Writing in the nft now Discord, he said, I worry sometimes were too worried about getting people into crypto before we get them into the concept or idea we are going for.

Yet there are those still on the other side of this argument who believe that getting users in the door really should be a primary concern of the Web3 community. To them, exposing consumers to the access passes and suites of community-centric building tools that CD referred to could be the fastest way to bridge the gap between web2 and Web3.

Over the past few years, integration has become known at times to be a buzzword akin to community and utility. Yet, similarly to how the latter two terms have come to bear weight in Web3, so too has the idea that integration and practical application might hold significant importance for onboarding the masses.

The Web3 community needs to launch more innovative and practical applications to let people feel the actual value of Web3 technology. These applications should solve real-life problems such as digital identity, secure payments, decentralized social media, and more. Sprite wrote in the nft now Discord.

Even beyond education and improving public sentiment, integration remains top of mind for the many builders aiming to lower the bar of entry into Web3. To these such stewards of blockchain technology, and to the point made previously by Darmody, it isnt enough to simply get users in the door. The NFT community must do more to communicate the efficacy of Web3 to even those who are skeptical.

[The Web3 community] needs to focus on targeting large companies and local governments to accept crypto payments for goods and services, Now Pass holder Crypto La Rvolution said. No one is going to adopt something that is not usable in their day-to-day life. A huge win would be if Amazon or Alibaba accepted crypto payments.

Of course, such an expansion would mean a major win for Web3. And while the proliferation of Soulbound Tokens and other innovative tokenized endeavors might yield similar results in the campaign to go mainstream, the barrier of entry for many Web3 technologies must be taken into account for the practical part of practical application to become a reality.

Current Web3 applications and wallets often require users to have technical knowledge and understanding of blockchain concepts to use, which is a huge barrier for most people. Therefore, the Web3 community should focus on improving the user interface and interaction design to make it more intuitive and understandable, wrote Sprite.

Yet, a throughline can be drawn among the many ideas of how we might break the barrier between Web2 and Web3. And that is this: Web3 leaders must focus on decentralization and truly let their community lead.

While this focus on decentralization may seem like a given in Web3, it is sadly missing in many projects and platforms. This is why Xoao, a Now Pass holder and CryptoSkulls Community Lead, felt that the point was worth reiterating.

Regarding what we should focus on: I think we should create a platform that gives other NFT communities a voice through community building. Particularly through projects and DAOs that empower talented artists and builders to create and network with like-minded people, Xoao said in the nft now Discord.

And added that, ultimately, this is the most critical component of Web3. The history and provenance of the blockchain is a really important part of NFTs. The cultural significance of the innovation of NFTs is part of our legacy, and I think it should not be forgotten when it comes to Web3 education and the benefits, potential, and opportunities it brings to the community, he said.

Editors note: Want to share your thoughts and insights with nft now readers? Were working to build a more community-centric media model. Head over to the Now Pass website to learn more.

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What Will It Really Take To Make Web3 Mainstream? - nft now

6clicks Evolves Hub & Spoke Management and Single Pane of … – PR Newswire

New 6clicks platform enables completely customizable balance between centralization and decentralization for global businesses, advisors and MSPs

MELBOURNE, Australia, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 6clicks, the GRC innovators, today announced the latest release of its comprehensive GRC platform with an evolution of its Hub & Spoke management design, enabling completely customizable balance between centralization and decentralization of risk and compliance. The flexibility enables the creation and administration of universal policies, audits, controls and risk and issue libraries, along with decentralized ones for specific geographies, divisions or clients, in the case of advisors or MSPs. It provides the necessary federation of GRC combined with needed localization to support cybersecurity, ESG, taxation, regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management use cases.The advancements significantly reduce the workload of risk and compliance professionals by upwards of 70%.

"Organizations grapple with the ability to manage their risk and compliance programs that are both fully federated and consistent as well as accommodating to local or industry laws, regulations and practices. Older GRC systems buckle under these challenges, requiring extensive workarounds," said Anthony Stevens, Chief Executive Officer, 6clicks. "While our platform has always offered centralization and decentralization features, the latest version enables even greater flexibility and customization and advanced features to support the challenges of scale."

Even with the first release of the platform in 2020, 6clicks pioneered a breakthrough in management and visibility for the deployment and adoption of GRC capability across distributed or federated teams. This architecture was dubbed Hub & Spoke to describe the way in which the platform aligns with the way businesses are typically structured and run. Each Spoke in 6clicks includes a full-blown GRC capability to be used by a single team perhaps the IT function, a division, a country's operation, a client or a project team. The connected Hub then provides a 'single pane of glass' view across the organization, a launchpad to the spokes, a place to define standards like audit templates, control sets and risk libraries across the spokes and importantly access to the data within connected spokes for reporting to executives and boards.

Companies like Thales, NTT, Volaris Group, Zebra Manufacturing, Infrabuild, LPMA, King & Wood Mallesons have already adopted this latest Hub & Spoke functionality with success, dramatically reducing deployment and adoption time. The Hub & Spoke architecture also supports the 6clicks Content Library containing 100's of standards, laws, regulations, frameworks, audit & assessment templates, risk and issue libraries, control and obligation sets catering to the specific or nuanced requirements across domain and jurisdictions.

The new Hub & Spoke advancements include:

1. Spoke Groups toprovide an easy way for organizations to structure and organize their connected spokes providing an even easier reporting and analytics capability. For example, large enterprises can group country operations within regions, project teams within portfolios, or teams within a division.

2. Advanced Hub-Level Configuration withcustom fields and content for connected spokes with opt-in ability to over-ride this configuration on a spoke-by-spoke basis. The challenge with a distributed organization structure is on one hand ensuring alignment to corporate standards and the need for top-level governance and reporting, but on the other. the autonomy to align with individual team needs.

3. Enhanced Trust Portal capability tobuild trust with external stakeholders. To develop trust, businesses need to share the bona fides in relation to policies, audit results and supporting documentation externally. Research demonstrates 70% of inbound audit activity can be eliminated through this process. Trust is always garnered through transparency. The enhanced 6clicks Trust Portal capability is available across all Hub & Spoke deployments again, providing controlled autonomy at the spoke level with the connected tissue to the Hub.

4. Enterprise Risk Management with adjustable workflows. To more effectively manage enterprise risk, large enterprises can now define workflow stages to align with a specific risk methodology, custom fields both at the risk and risk assessment level and also custom workflow rules to accommodate logic inherent to each stage in the risk methodology.

The new release is now the de facto version for all customers. For further information or to request a demo of the platform here: https://www.6clicks.com/get-started

About 6clicks

Recognizing the immense challenges facing risk and compliance teams, 6clicks was founded to apply the power of AI within a productive management framework to exponentially advance teams. Aside from being fast to implement and easy to use, 6clicks is making waves in the market through:

As the name suggests (read: "The founder's story: How 6clicks was born and what's behind the name"), 6clicks makes it easy to manage risk and compliancefaster and with greater accuracy, consistency and scalability. Designed for advisors and businesses and powered by AI and integrated content, 6clicks is taking on giants like ServiceNow, Diligent, OneTrust, RSA Archer and Galvanize by reinventing how automated GRC operates.

Request a demo of 6clicks here: https://www.6clicks.com/get-started

SOURCE 6clicks

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6clicks Evolves Hub & Spoke Management and Single Pane of ... - PR Newswire

SALTO Systems Adds Area Leaders for Three Regions in North … – Security Sales & Integration

We believe this approach will lead to a more customer-centric organization, resulting in greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, says SALTO North America President Bill Wood.

NORCROSS, Ga. SALTO Systems has announced the appointment of three new area leaders for the West, Southeast, and Northeast regions of North America. The move comes as part of the organizations decentralization initiative to enhance customer service, foster a culture of learning, and ensure sustainable growth.

Im proud that our team and organization has grown and achieved the ability to begin to realize this decentralized vision. Many within our team have been working hard behind the scenes to arrive at this moment, says SALTO North America President Bill Wood. Decentralizing our organization allows us to get closer to our customers and better understand their needs. By moving decision-making closer to the customer, we can respond more quickly to their needs, improve our service offerings, and ensure that we are meeting their expectations.

We believe this approach will lead to a more customer-centric organization, resulting in greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, and will help us attract and retain top talent, enhance our organizational capabilities, and drive innovation, Wood continues.

Joe Buist has been named area leader for SALTO West. Buist, who has been in the security industry for nearly two decades, has worked for SALTO for 11 years in a variety of technology and sales roles and most recently served as senior regional sales manager for the West. Prior to joining SALTO, Buist served as a loss prevention director for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, account executive for Integra Telecom, and area loss prevention manager for Harmons Grocery.

The quality and innovation that SALTO puts into developing electronic locks and access control solutions are what drew me to the company over 10 years ago. Im grateful to have worked in many areas for SALTO and know that my extensive experience at many levels will help in this new opportunity to lead the West in connecting with and servicing our valued partners and customers, says Buist.

Steve Burk is the area leader for SALTO Southeast. Burk most recently served SALTO as director of marketing and industries. Before joining SALTO four years ago, his career included marketing and sales leadership with Delta Material Services, Avaya, Inc., and IBM Corporation. His specialties include leading direct and channel marketing, strategic planning, operational effectiveness, channel sales, and key vendor relations.

Having successfully directed multi-faceted assignments and assumed key roles in the development of high-visibility, high-impact projects, I look forward to leading the Southeast area team and working with David and Joe. Together, with our customer-first philosophy, we will deliver unparalleled customer value, says Burk.

David Latreille is the area leader for SALTO Northeast. He most recently served SALTO as international program manager, delivering complex programs to SALTOs largest clients around the world. An end user advocate and disciplined agile evangelist, he says he looks forward to sharing the experiences of the last five years at SALTO with his team and their customers.

As a people-over-process leader, Im honored to be given the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of individuals here at SALTO. We recognize that every single employees contribution is essential to our success, and I look forward to playing my part in our evolution, says Latreille.

Were thrilled to welcome Joe, Steve, and David to their new roles. With their extensive industry knowledge, experience, and leadership, they will be instrumental in driving SALTO s decentralized approach, delivering unparalleled customer value, and ensuring sustainable growth, says Wood.

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SALTO Systems Adds Area Leaders for Three Regions in North ... - Security Sales & Integration

Bitcoin Is Poised to Reclaim Cryptos Spotlight: Berenberg – Yahoo Finance

In the next few months bitcoin (BTC) may be able to reclaim much of the attention it has relinquished to other crypto tokens and projects during recent years and the enthusiasm it lost during the crypto winter, German investment bank Berenberg said in a research report Thursday.

As U.S. regulators crack down on the industry, almost every token appears at risk of being branded a security and becoming subject to an enforcement action, the report said.

The sole exception is bitcoin, which, by virtue of the decentralization stemming from the design of its blockchain protocol, the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators characterize as a commodity rather than a security, analyst Mark Palmer wrote.

The bank sees bitcoins price appreciation in the last few months as a sign that more investors are recognizing it as a sensible alternative not only among crypto tokens, but also within a global financial context.

The recent banking crisis in the U.S. and concerns over the Federal Reserves interest-rate policies have led some countries to reduce their exposure to the U.S. dollar, which has fueled concerns about de-dollarization, the note said, and could help to highlight bitcoins value proposition. De-dollarization is the decline of the greenbacks dominance as the worlds global reserve currency.

The fourth bitcoin halving date, scheduled for May 2024, is another potential positive catalyst for the cryptocurrency, the report said, noting that if history is any guide, then bitcoin could rally ahead of and after this much-anticipated halving.

The utility of the Bitcoin blockchain has been highlighted by the increasing traction gained by the Lightning Network, the report added. The Lightning Network creates a layer on top of the Bitcoin blockchain exploiting user-generated micropayment channels to conduct transactions more efficiently.

Read more: Bitcoin Market Impact From Mt. Gox Repayments Will be Limited: Matrixport

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Bitcoin Is Poised to Reclaim Cryptos Spotlight: Berenberg - Yahoo Finance