Wednesday, March 22, 2023

The biggest problems of the blockchain

The blockchain is generally associated with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. This technology, which has its origins in 1991 when Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta described the first work on a cryptographically secured blockchain, did not become noticeable until 2008, when it became popular with the advent of Bitcoin. But currently its use is being demanded in other commercial applications and an annual growth of 51% is projected for 2022 in various markets, such as financial institutions or the Internet of Things (IoT), according to MarketWatch.

Why is the blockchain so secure?

Being a distributed technology, where each network node stores an exact copy of the chain, the availability of information is guaranteed at all times. In the event that an attacker wanted to cause a denial of service, they would have to take down all the nodes on the network, since it is enough for at least one to be operational for the information to be available.

On the other hand, as it is a consensual registry where all the nodes contain the same information, it is almost impossible to alter it, ensuring its integrity. If an attacker wanted to modify the information in the blockchain, they would have to modify the entire chain in at least 51% of the nodes.

Blockchain technology allows us to store information that can never be lost, modified or deleted. Finally, since each block is mathematically linked to the next block, once a new one is added to the chain, it becomes unchangeable. If a block changes its relationship with the chain, it breaks. That is to say, that all the information registered in the blocks is immutable and perpetual. In addition, each network node uses certificates and digital signatures to verify the information and validate the transactions and data stored in the blockchain, which makes it possible to ensure the authenticity of said information.

In this way, we can think of blockchain as a scribe. A means to certify and validate any type of information. A reliable, decentralized registry, resistant to data manipulation, and where everything is registered.

Today, we are used to centralized models. We give all our information to companies like Google or Facebook to manage it, we send all our messages through the Telegram or WhatsApp servers so that they take care of sending them or we spend fortunes on notaries and institutions to certify and save our deeds or important documents. In blockchain the data is distributed in all the nodes of the network. As there is no central node, everyone participates equally, storing and validating all the information. It is a very powerful tool to communicate and store information in a reliable way; a decentralized model where the information is ours, since we do not depend on a company that provides the service.

What does blockchain technology offer?

The greatest advantage offered by blockchain technology is the reduction of costs, but to this are added some more: trust, security, efficiency, veracity and transparency. With all of them, the blockchain forms a technology to be used by companies to advance together with the new innovations offered by the market.

  • Veracity: The chain of blocks allows you that the information stored in these blocks (data or signatures of data/documents/files) cannot be falsified.
  • Security: The information will be stored securely so that, if something unforeseen ever happens, you will not lose that information as the network of nodes guarantees its availability. This is interconnected with the third advantage: trust.
  • Confidence: The fact of obtaining security, as well as the impossibility of falsifying documents, generates confidence both in your employees and in the clients and suppliers of the company.
  • Efficiency: It forms another of the essential advantages. The ability to have documents at any time is very positive.
  • Transparency: It is a transparent technology, which makes it possible to search and locate your documents without the need to go through a confusing and complicated process. This is also linked to another advantage that allows you to use blockchain technology: ease.
  • Ease: It can be hired almost as a “commodity” service, so using it in a system or application is feasible without the customer having to go into implementation details.

What do you think of all these advantages? Are you aware of them? Do you know if it is applicable to your problem? Blockchain technology has a lot to offer your company. If you implement it, you will be part of the great development that technology is experiencing.

That’s why read: MITRE Shield and the Active Defense , and remember that leveraging them together allows organizations to create an active defense to better address adversaries.

Interest in blockchain continues to grow, but there is still a significant gap between the hype and the reality of the market. Only 11% of CIOs indicated that they have implemented or are planning to implement blockchain in the near term , according to Gartner’s 2019 CIO Agenda Survey of more than 3,000 CIOs, this may be because most of projects do not go beyond the initial experimentation phase.

In order to successfully carry out a blockchain project, it is necessary to understand the root causes of failure. Check out the 7 biggest blockchain problems and avoid them!

1. Misuse of blockchain technology.

Gartner has found that most blockchain projects are developed solely to record data on blockchain platforms via decentralized ledger technology (DLT), ignoring key features such as decentralized consensus, tokenization, or smart contracts audit. “DLT is a component of the blockchain, not the entirety of the blockchain. The fact that organizations don’t use the full set of blockchain features as often raises the question of whether they even need blockchain.” “DLT is fine to start with, but the priority for CIOs should be to clarify blockchain use cases as a whole and move to projects that also use other components.”

2. Assume that the technology is ready for use in production.

The blockchain platform market is huge and largely made up of fragmented offerings trying to differentiate themselves in various ways. Some focus on confidentiality, others on tokenization, others on universal computing. Most are too immature for the large-scale production work that comes with accompanying systems and requirements, security, and network management services. However, this will change in the coming years. CIOs should monitor the evolution of blockchain platform capabilities and align blockchain project duration accordingly.

3. Confusing a protocol with a business solution.

Blockchain is a basic technology that can be used in a variety of industries and scenarios, from supply chain to management and medical information systems. It is not a complete application, as it must also include features such as the user interface, business logic, data persistence, and interoperability mechanisms. “When it comes to blockchain, there is an implicit assumption that base-level technology is not far off from a full application solution. This is not the case. Blockchain is understood more as a protocol to perform a certain task within a complete application. No one will assume that one protocol can be the sole foundation for an entire e-commerce system or social network.”

4. View Blockchain simply as a database or storage mechanism.

Blockchain technology was designed to provide a trusted and immutable record of events arising from a dynamic collection of untrusted parties. In its current form, blockchain technology does not implement the full “create, read, update, delete” model found in conventional database management technology. Instead, only “create” and “read” are supported. “CIOs should assess the data management requirements of their blockchain project. A conventional data management solution might be the best option in some cases.”

5. Assume that interoperability standards exist.

While some blockchain technology platform providers talk about interoperability with other blockchains, it is hard to imagine interoperability when most platforms and their underlying protocols are still being designed or developed. Organizations should view vendor discussions regarding interoperability as a marketing ploy. It is supposed to benefit the competitive position of the provider, but will not necessarily provide benefits to the end-user organization. “Never select a blockchain platform with the expectation that it will interface with next year’s technology from a different vendor.”

6. Assume that smart contract technology is a solved problem.

Smart contracts are perhaps the most powerful aspect of blockchain enabling technologies. They add dynamic behavior to transactions. Conceptually, smart contracts can be understood as stored procedures that are associated with specific transaction records. But unlike a stored procedure in a centralized system, smart contracts are executed by all nodes in the peer-to-peer network, creating scalability and manageability challenges that have yet to be fully addressed. Smart contract technology will still undergo significant changes. CIOs shouldn’t plan for full adoption yet, but run small experiments first.

7. Ignore governance issues.

While governance issues on private or permissioned blockchains will generally be handled by the blockchain owner, the situation is different with public blockchains. “Governance on public blockchains like Ethereum and Bitcoin is primarily aimed at technical issues. Human behaviors or motivation are rarely addressed. CIOs need to be aware of the risk that blockchain governance issues can pose to the success of their project. Especially large organizations should consider joining or forming consortia to help define governance models for public blockchain.”

According to a survey by the consulting firm Deloitte, 74% of the companies consulted see blockchain as an improvement for the business and plan to invest in this technology, while almost half of these already have some implementation of blockchain in their business.

Undoubtedly, blockchain makes the immutable and decentralized layer that the Internet has always dreamed of a reality. A technology that allows you to remove trust from the equation and replace it with mathematical truth.

Everything is hackable online as no system can be called perfect. Decentralized networks have their loopholes, too and some blockchain risks can’t be easily eliminated. Nevertheless, cyber security professionals can make a whale of a difference by minimizing them.


Cardano Rumor Rundown March 22, 2023

Hey Everyone!

Let’s go….

Newly Covered Today:

  1. Personalization is coming to ADA Handles. https://medium.com/ada-handle/personalization-101-6708ab692b29
  2. Four million Cardano wallets. Nice milestone to cross! https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1638020286997213190
  3. More aerostat activity out of World Mobile. This time in New Hampshire. https://twitter.com/WorldMobileTeam/status/1637926277905522689
  4. You gotta admit. Balaji is genius at inventing new tag lines. First it was “We are all bitcoin maximalists now.” Today it’s “Fed around and find out.” https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1638349643854786560
  5. Apparently, Sushi Swap DAO and its “Head Chef” just got served with an SEC subpoena and they’re asking the community for a $3 million defense fund (with potential for more). https://forum.sushi.com/t/establish-sushi-legal-defense-fund/11813
  6. The crypto twitter meme response to the Sushi SEC subpoena was fast and brutal. https://twitter.com/trhistorianelt/status/1638231852619104256
  7. People are now suggesting that no member of the Sushi Swap DAO should be in the US. https://twitter.com/tundra_v1/status/1638274785728929793
  8. Very interesting rumors that projects are sitting on 2-300 SEC subpoenas and dozens of Wells Notices. https://coinpedia.org/ripple/xrp-price-have-the-xrp-bulls-and-whales-given-up-ahead-of-the-summary-judgment/
  9. The IRS is asking for comments on NFTs as “collectibles” (apparently matters for long term capital gains and elsewhere). https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-23-27.pdf

Previously covered, but still interesting:

  1. Here’s IOG explaining what Ouroboros Genesis solves in just a single post. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1631214882702884865
  2. Emin Gün Sirer is right about these centralized L2s. Very susceptible to regulations and cut against our crypto ethos of decentralization generally. https://twitter.com/el33th4xor/status/1631423491470704640
  3. Rogue Galaxies is pulling back on some of their initial vision and re-focusing their plans. https://twitter.com/Padierfind/status/1632057117191417856
  4. Lots of rumors circulating right now about which DeFi projects may or may not have received Wells Notices from the SEC. https://twitter.com/trustlessstate/status/1631785542642995202
  5. Open AI CEO says full AGI would break capitalism. Maybe. But, either way, I’m convinced the AI will demand to be paid in crypto. https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-ceo-agi-break-capitalism
  6. People are mentioning that FutureFest could host the 2023 Cardano Virtual Summit. Interesting idea. https://twitter.com/CWorld_Josh/status/1632097173696569344
  7. Charles finally did an AMA episode with IO President Tamara Haasen. Turns out she’s an ex-hockey player. Linkedin: also apparently in Friday Night Lights back in the day. Wut? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufJDejF0WLA
  8. There’s a new test version of Lace out there with a dApp connector and hardware wallet capabilities. You can give it a try on testnet! https://twitter.com/lace_io/status/1632796455038492673
  9. Jpg.store got some coverage in Bloomberg and Yahoo Finance. https://twitter.com/jpgstoreNFT/status/1632798873948233728
  10. They show us once again that their definition of “liquid staking” is not the same as ours. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1632870453391024128
  11. NFT volume has seen better days. https://twitter.com/SubcriticalTV/status/1632896018152050688
  12. Algorand users apparently suffered a very serious web wallet exploit in one of their leading wallets. Many reports of drained wallets. https://twitter.com/StaciW_DC/status/1632902798411964417
  13. John Woods (now CTO of Algorand) made a beautiful video on wallet security. https://twitter.com/JohnAlanWoods/status/1632799303512014850
  14. Cardano Spot has a very short and concise Cardano Beginner’s Guide you can share with crypto curious friends. https://twitter.com/CardanoSpot/status/1632481037061160960
  15. Wow! Utah just passed a bill instituting Limited Liability Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (LLDs). You have to identify one human organizer. You can elect to be taxed as a corp or LLC (pass through taxation). Some will like it. Some won’t. But, the mainstream reach of crypto is undeniably growing. https://le.utah.gov/~2023/bills/static/HB0357.html
  16. Sen. Lummis killed it in a recent hearing defending the energy use in crypto. It’s less relevant for us in Cardano since we’re not PoW. But, still entertaining to watch. https://twitter.com/DocumentingBTC/status/1633214192437084161
  17. Apparently, Gensler says he sees no risk in crypto fleeing the US. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/07/gensler-crypto-overseas-sec-00085909
  18. The Coinbase Chief Legal Officer will be testifying before the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday (March 9). https://twitter.com/iampaulgrewal/status/1633151254418579458
  19. Some hints from Brian Armstrong on whether we see KYC in the early days of Base (their ETH Optimistic Rollup L2). https://twitter.com/ChrisBlec/status/1632851504175501312
  20. Powell says interest rates are likely headed higher than the Fed expected. https://twitter.com/FirstSquawk/status/1633121298309345280
  21. Liqwid’s Agora Governance instance will hit public testnet in the near future. https://twitter.com/liqwidfinance/status/1633469303440719873
  22. Virtua cribs can basically become exchange connected galleries today. https://twitter.com/VirtuaMetaverse/status/1633423978680156160
  23. Do you like Javascript and Cardano? This thread is for you. https://twitter.com/CryptoJoe101/status/1633579944490967049
  24. It’s going down today! Hearing in the House on the Coordinated Attack on Crypto. https://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=408628
  25. Paul Krugman hilariously complains about being locked out of his Venmo account. He predicted the impact of the internet would be about as much as the fax machine and has subsequently opposed crypto. https://twitter.com/paulkrugman/status/1633472068355346437 https://twitter.com/mdudas/status/1633571193344126979
  26. Even Jerome Powell thinks we need regulatory clarity for crypto. https://www.youtube.com/live/GzVLeabssdE?feature=share&t=2065
  27. In the House hearing, he also gave us some new tidbits on CBDC development. https://www.youtube.com/live/GzVLeabssdE?feature=share&t=218 https://www.youtube.com/live/GzVLeabssdE?feature=share&t=3477
  28. A member of the House committee actually asked Powell about Operation Chokepoint 2.0. https://www.youtube.com/live/GzVLeabssdE?feature=share&t=6930
  29. Senator Lummis got Powell to agree that properly regulated stablecoins could have a place in our banking system and that a workable legal framework for crypto is something Congress should do. https://www.youtube.com/live/8kyhYJ9EFts?feature=share&t=6923
  30. Big Pey is launching something called Atrium Lab. https://twitter.com/bigpeyYT/status/1633830948575010816
  31. Believe it or not…legal systems made up entirely by coders may not be optimal. Incredibly, the study of law is actually a fully developed centuries old academic discipline that lies outside of JavaScript and Python. Unless you have full anonymity, you WILL be cross-chain bridged to IRL law. Some DAOs will learn this the hard way. https://twitter.com/lex_node/status/1633925979004436481
  32. The NY Attorney General just filed against Kucoin for being an unregistered broker-dealer. Here’s the important part: they’re alleging that ETH is a security and a commodity. Their argument is not complex...it’s very straightforward. https://www.docdroid.net/Myyp0yz/kucoin-pdf
  33. Silvergate was a failure of fractional reserve banking, not of crypto. https://twitter.com/CaitlinLong_/status/1633608132713938945
  34. The current US Administration’s Budget seeks to eliminate tax loss harvesting for crypto, add a 30% tax on energy used in crypto mining, hike capital gains taxes on high earners, and beam us directly to clown world with an unrealized gains tax on high earners. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/budget_fy2023.pdf
  35. The subcommittee hearing on “the Administration’s Attack” on crypto went about like expected. Paul Grewal of Coinbase along with Prof. Evans of Penn State Law made some persuasive pleas for regulatory clarity. The “Anti-Crypto Party”™ also brought out their favorite witness from Duke. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOUUy4_KwNU
  36. Rep. Emmer (Pro-Crypto) called the current regulatory approach “lazy & destructive…that is chilling innovation.” https://www.youtube.com/live/aOUUy4_KwNU?feature=share&t=5670
  37. Rep. Foster (Cryptophobe): “this is the essential thing that has to be provided for the healthy development of the crypto industry…somewhere there has to be an API provided by a trusted 3rd party to register your crypto wallets.” Why not just completely neuter crypto? https://www.youtube.com/live/aOUUy4_KwNU?feature=share&t=5266
  38. Rep. Ritchie Torres (Pro-Crypto) pointed out offshore deregulated overleveraged centralized crypto companies pose the greatest risk to consumers. But, the regulators don’t focus there. They incredibly only attack the onshore entities. He also pointed out the absurdity of the idea a stablecoin is a security. (Sadly there’s the Section 2(a)(1) exposure). https://www.youtube.com/live/aOUUy4_KwNU?feature=share&t=5703
  39. Rep. Davidson (Pro-Crypto) shamed his anti-crypto colleagues for their implied claims that these assets are the same as centralized assets and came out strongly supporting self-custody and pointed out there was no FTX risk if you self-custodied your assets. “We have people overtly trying to make self-custody illegal.” https://www.youtube.com/live/aOUUy4_KwNU?feature=share&t=6034
  40. CMC is tweeting about IOG’s Sidechain toolkit? https://twitter.com/CoinMarketCap/status/1634773712468852736
  41. Now we’re dealing with U.S. bank runs. Among the casualties was Silicon Valley Bank where Centre (the Circle/Coinbase joint entity that issues USDC) was keeping $3.3 billion of the $43ish billion backing USDC. Signature Bank was also shut down by regulators. https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/03/11/43-billion-nightmare-sudden-circle-depeg-could-be-about-to-crash-the-price-of-bitcoin-ethereum-bnb-xrp-cardano-dogecoin-polygon-and-solana
  42. Unfortunately, the FDIC insurance limit is $250k. https://www.fdic.gov/resources/deposit-insurance/brochures/deposits-at-a-glance/
  43. The Feds were taking bids for anyone to acquire SVB until 2pm Eastern on Sunday. The big question on Sunday was whether the Feds will cover all uninsured depositors. They decided they will and that also applies to Signature Bank. https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2023/03/12/silicon-valley-bank-deposits/
  44. Here’s the joint statement from Treasury, Federal Reserve, and FDIC. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1337
  45. Yellen said NO to a bailout for SVB on Sunday. She’s obviously got bigger macro concerns. But, it’s funny how that fits perfectly with a strategy of suppressing stablecoins generally. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/janet-yellen-silicon-valley-bank-bailout-face-the-nation-interview-today-2023-03-12/
  46. Here Caitlin Long explains the fundamental incompatibility between fast settling crypto and fractional reserve banking that caused all this. https://twitter.com/CaitlinLong_/status/1634573552790929409
  47. CZ reminds us that he’s considered buying banks in the past and asks if it’s time yet. https://twitter.com/cz_binance/status/1634437834579800064
  48. CIP-1694 has been updated. https://github.com/JaredCorduan/CIPs/blob/voltaire-v1/CIP-1694/README.md
  49. Here’s a good rundown of all the changes in the CIP-1694 update. https://twitter.com/_KtorZ_/status/1635410495514759169
  50. Apparently, Cardano NFTs will be going to space! https://twitter.com/RichardMcCrackn/status/1635438087592460288
  51. Many in the crypto space think that Signature’s shutdown was just an extension of Operation Chokepoint 2.0 aimed at shuttering crypto banking. https://twitter.com/nic__carter/status/1635328056234766337
  52. Rumors: regulators are calling every bank today and asking if they have exposure to crypto. https://twitter.com/wtogami/status/1635400774158290944
  53. Instagram is disabling NFTs. https://twitter.com/nftnow/status/1635388411166224384
  54. Cardano TVL is doing things. https://twitter.com/CryptoIRELAND1/status/1635694692556845060
  55. Cardano NFTs in space! https://twitter.com/adamKDean/status/1635796768704319488
  56. GPT4 was released today. It crushes the Bar Exam, the SAT, the GRE, the LSAT, and almost all AP subjects. This will displace a lot of human jobs. https://openai.com/research/gpt-4
  57. It has already done amazing real world things. In Example #6 it shows you how to exploit an arbitrary ETH contract. Better pay attention crypto. https://twitter.com/LinusEkenstam/status/1635754587775967233
  58. Report: Gov. Newsom failed to disclose accounts at SVB while lobbying White House and Treasury for a bailout of depositors. https://www.businessinsider.com/gavin-newsom-svb-biden-silicon-valley-bank-wineries-bailout-lobbying-2023-3
  59. Things are not looking good at Credit Suisse. https://twitter.com/GRDecter/status/1635985735063855104
  60. The court in the Voyager decision had some pretty harsh things to say about the SEC. https://www.nysb.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/312840_1170_opinion.pdf
  61. Barney Frank points out that the regulators never claimed Signature Bank was insolvent and wonders if they are the first US bank to ever be closed down without being insolvent. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/03/barney-frank-says-more-shuttering-signature-bank.html
  62. Charles dropped a video addressing the updates to the governance proposal. https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1636151615894990851
  63. Gensler reasserts his claims that proof-of-stake tokens are securities. https://www.theblock.co/post/220297/gensler-suggests-proof-of-stake-tokens-are-securities
  64. Dudes are already letting GPT4 run whole startups. https://twitter.com/jacksonfall/status/1636107218859745286
  65. Here’s an interesting theory: taking down Binance would create too big a hole, so they took down Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature to insulate the fiat world from crypto. Now they can take down Binance. https://twitter.com/BryceWeiner/status/1636055979870818305
  66. The Army of Spies Channel is now TWO YEARS OLD (March 17)!
  67. Yes! Everyone’s favorite Cardano cetacean is back! https://twitter.com/cardano_whale/status/1636561122739331073
  68. I was asked to list a few Irish whiskeys today. https://twitter.com/ArmySpies/status/1636548071541862401
  69. An interesting exchange between a Senator and Janet Yellen regarding the effect of the bailouts on small banks. https://twitter.com/theemikehobart/status/1636494845144432643
  70. Eleven other banks swoop in with $30 billion to save First Republic. https://www.npr.org/2023/03/16/1163958533/first-republic-bank-silicon-valley-bank-signature-bank-bank-run
  71. Wut? https://twitter.com/WhaleChart/status/1636566421005017088
  72. Here’s Raoul Pal with a very optimistic take for crypto if you are one who believes anyone understands the markets. https://twitter.com/RaoulGMI/status/1636547466299416576
  73. Any buyer of signature bank must agree to give up its crypto business. https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1636356199661850626
  74. Here’s Duncan Coutts explaining P2P in Cardano. https://youtu.be/zOTfhcK-Wf4
  75. Here’s a visual representation of how CIP-1694 works. https://twitter.com/Hornan7/status/1636381895541026817
  76. This is one of the craziest things I’ve seen in crypto. Balaji is burning a few million to ring the fire alarm and make everyone aware of what he believes is an impending attack on dollar holders. Counterparty is guaranteed $1million (minus BTC price) if he just buys one additional BTC (or an option to purchase more). https://twitter.com/balajis/status/1636827051419389952
  77. Here’s the Space where he explains his bet. https://twitter.com/Breedlove22/status/1637236255242219520
  78. Arthur Hayes gives you an incredible explanation of what’s going on with this banking crisis and what he thinks comes next. https://cryptohayes.medium.com/kaiseki-b15230bdd09e
  79. This is officially the worst regulatory approach ever. https://twitter.com/BillHughesDC/status/1636067729575690241
  80. The SEC hide the ball game seems to conflict with how judges actually view the law. https://twitter.com/SGJohnsson/status/1636071530340728832
  81. The Fed Quietly opened the swap lines with other central banks on Sunday night. https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20230319a.htm
  82. Here’s why they are opening the swap lines: so that US treasuries don’t get dumped on the open market by foreign banks. This way the foreign central banks can have dollars to absorb the treasuries from the foreign banks. https://twitter.com/CryptoHayes/status/1637620774776315904
  83. Charles dropped a video on Markets and Contagion in which he revealed that Credit Suisse wouldn’t allow an account when he was with Ethereum b/c crypto was “too risky.” Bwahahahaha. https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1637952165217185792
  84. Apparently, Djed will also be on ETH and BSC? https://twitter.com/DjedStablecoin/status/1637871708823760902
  85. Super ironic that the Credit Suisse CEO claimed crypto was in a bubble at $7k BTC. How the tables have turned. https://twitter.com/gaborgurbacs/status/1637783982271082496

~Army of Spies


Understanding the Significance of KYC for Safe Crypto Trading

Due to the rapid mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies, the importance of security measures has increased significantly. For this reason, crypto exchange platforms have introduced a process called KYC (Know Your Customer) verification. It is a process that leads users to provide personal information and identification documents before they can use an exchange's services. This article will explore what KYC is and why it is a crucial security measure for crypto trading.

What is KYC?

KYC is a regulatory requirement designed to prevent fraud and money laundering. It obligates crypto exchanges to verify their users' identities and assess their risk levels. This helps prevent businesses from unknowingly supporting illegal activities, such as money laundering, terrorist financing, or other criminal activities.

Typically, KYC requires users to provide personal information (such as name, address, and date of birth) and identification documents (like a passport or driver's license). The exchange verifies this information to ensure that the user is who they claim to be.

Why is KYC Mandatory for Crypto Exchanges?

Crypto exchanges are particularly susceptible to fraud and hacking because cryptocurrencies are decentralized and anonymous, making them attractive targets for criminals attempting to conceal their activities. KYC processes can deter these criminal activities by providing a layer of security for the exchange.

By verifying the identities of their users, crypto exchanges can prevent fraudulent activities such as fake accounts and stolen identities, thereby safeguarding not only the exchange but also the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem from criminal activities.

In addition, KYC ensures that the exchange complies with regulatory requirements. Many countries require businesses to perform KYC verification as part of their anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in penalties or even criminal charges.

KYC also allows exchanges to maintain a record of their users, which can be beneficial in the event of an investigation. By knowing who their users are, exchanges can provide information to law enforcement agencies to aid in investigations of criminal activities.

What are the Hurdles of KYC Implementation?

Implementing KYC processes on crypto exchanges can be challenging. The decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies means that exchanges may not have access to the same level of information as traditional financial institutions. Furthermore, some users may be hesitant to provide personal information and identification documents, especially in light of recent data breaches. One potential solution to these challenges is the use of third-party providers for KYC verification. These providers can verify users' identities without exposing sensitive information to the exchange. Some third-party providers also use blockchain technology to ensure that verification is secure and tamper-proof.

Another potential solution is the use of decentralized identity (DID) systems. DID systems allow users to manage their identity and share only the information necessary for verification. This can address users' privacy concerns while still providing the necessary security measures for the exchange.

How to Complete KYC on XchangeOn.io?

To complete KYC verification on XchangeOn.io, log in to your XchangeOn.io account on the website, tap the 'Profile Icon' in the top right corner, select 'Identification' and click 'Start Now.' Then, enter your first and last name as it appears on your passport, select the country issuing your document, and choose the type of document you wish to upload. After uploading a clear photo of your documents and taking a selfie with sufficient light, click 'Next' to complete the verification process. Finally, check if your KYC application has been approved or rejected.

Final Thoughts

KYC is a crucial security measure for crypto exchanges that helps prevent fraudulent activities and ensure regulatory compliance. While implementing KYC on crypto exchanges can be difficult, the use of third-party providers and decentralized identity systems can help address these challenges. As the cryptocurrency market evolves, KYC and other security measures will likely become even more critical. By remaining vigilant and implementing best practices, crypto exchanges can protect their users and the wider cryptocurrency ecosystem from criminal activities.

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Cardano Daily Discussion - March 22, 2023

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the Cardano Daily Discussion!

The standard sub rules apply here (see sidebar), with the exception that price discussion is allowed in this thread, though we encourage you to try not to make this the focus and talk about the project itself. Please ask questions, help others and be civil - be sure to get involved in Project Catalyst too!

If you're new, please make sure you're read through the newbies guide and share it with others (use the ?newbies comment command to reference it).

⚠️ Scam Warning ⚠️

Please read the Cybersecurity guidelines for Cardano Users.

There are ongoing giveaway scams on youtube and many scammers lurking in Cardano's social channels impersonating ambassadors/moderators/official staff contacting users via direct messages.

For example, searching 'cardano' on youtube and sorting by most recent upload date shows several giveaway scams running (all videos in screenshot are scams):

Ongoing 'giveaway' scams on Youtube

The youtube scams are automated; use stolen footage usually of Charles Hoskinson and are restreamed so to appear to be 'live'; appear to have many watchers (which are bots); use bought hacked channels and are edited to appear like official channels.

See this post for more examples of what they look like

Do not be fooled!

To be clear:

  • ⚠️ There is no such thing as a Cardano giveaway
  • ⚠️ Never share your seed phrase with ANYONE
  • ⚠️ Never send ADA to someone promising to send you more ADA back
  • ⚠️ You will never be contacted by ambassadors/moderators/staff

Please report scams on the Cardano Fraud Detection Bureau.

⚠️ Scam Warning ⚠️

https://preview.redd.it/60ofludzpq8a1.png?width=284&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=7d58fc8aaa2eb5f125624608b97bdd7b943a1111

Midnight Subreddit

In anticipation of Input Output's new data protection blockchain 'Midnight', I've managed to acquire r/Midnight through some negotiation and repurpose it for the Cardano Community (the sub was created for a card game back in 2011 but was mostly unused).

I decided to do this as I thought the project will eventually need a home on reddit and best to setup now before any scammers do. Obviously there's not much to post about on there right now as it's early days as the project is yet to be released, but if you'd like to be kept up to date on the project please feel free to join the new subreddit if the project interests you and I'll be sure to post updates as and when they become available.

Right now the sub is mostly a carbon copy of r/cardano, I've copied most of the automod and rules over, so certain aspects may seem a little incongruent atm, but I'll tailor and tweak the sub as we go. Feel free to send me or post any input if you want stuff to change.

Cheers all