Yuga Labs, the $4 billion startup behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club and other prominent NFT projects, announced Friday that it has restructured the company and eliminated certain roles as a result, leading to layoffs. In a team email that was also shared ...

Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT Creator Yuga Labs Confirms Layoffs

"We at Yuga are committed to building a Web3 world that's interoperable and fair for all creators, and we're pleased to be collaborating on the OMA and the standards we believe will drive its success,” Yuga Labs CTO Mike Seavers said in a statement.

NFT Creator Royalties Are Broken—Yuga Labs and Magic Eden Join Group Trying to Fix Them

A manufacturer of lab-grown diamonds owned by a Detroit-based private equity firm has moved to liquidate with $48 million in liabilities amid several pending legal disputes, according to a ...

Lab-grown diamond maker with Detroit backing files for bankruptcy with $48M in liabilities

Scientists doing “gain-of-function” research said that heightened fears of lab leaks are stalling studies that could thwart the next pandemic virus. By Benjamin Mueller and Sheryl Gay Stolberg ...

Lab Leak Fight Casts Chill Over Virology Research

Excellent opportunity to acquire a 2000 sq ft NJ lab with NY credentialing and Medicare approval set up and approved for molecular PCR testing utilizing the full QuantStudio set up with a King ...

Labs For Sale - October 2023

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ORO Labs, a global SaaS provider and creator of ORO, a smart procurement workflow orchestration platform, today announced its recognition as a winner in the ...

ORO Labs Wins DPW Demo 2023 Startup Competition

If each of us does one thing and we add them up all together, it becomes a big thing. As part of the RSK #VoicesRising campaign, we are holding an art competition for schools across Ireland to ...

RSK All Ireland Schools Art Competition

Trophy has announced a collaboration with Polygon Labs. The goals are twofold: to accelerate the onboarding of new players into Web3 games and fuel mass adoption of mobile Blockchain gaming. Polygon will offer support via infrastructure and tools ...

Trophy collaborates with Polygon Labs

Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Coordinator of mechatronics programming Freddy Santiago gives a tour of Dutchess Community College’s Mechatronics Lab in Fishkill on Oct. 12 ...

New mechatronics lab in Fishkill aims to train local high-tech workforce

RSK employs a unique merge-mining strategy, leveraging the security of the Bitcoin network while introducing its own consensus mechanism called "Smart Bitcoin" (SBTC). This approach ensures that miners can simultaneously mine blocks on both the Bitcoin and ...

Journeying into Bitcoin's Dual Realm: Investigating RSK and the Prospects of RSK Smart Contracts

RSK Labs

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In 2021, hosted the first-ever awards!! HackerNoon Startup of the Year The goal of this campaign was to give recognition to the hardworking startups who pulled through the pandemic -- growing and thriving (despite all of the challenges). More than 44,000 startups were nominated all across the globe! They were selected from over 4,553 cities, with a total number of * cough * “4 billion” votes. Insane, right? To see who is a winner in each respective city, visit and pick a city. The name at the top of the list is the winner. (Awards, with compromised reviews, are under review.) startups.hackernoon.com The will announce the winners per region in their respective cities. Startups Winners Announcement Series Apparently, South America startups did incredibly well in that regard. With so many, until now, uncrowned jewels, it’s time we present to you... * drumroll* 🥳 The South America Startups of the Year Winners! Santiago, Chile Chile is known for being the most stable country to do business in Latin America, ranking 13th in The Economist’s Business Environment Index. Moreover, according to the Global Innovation Index, Chile ranks first in Latin America for innovation and is recognised as Chilean Silicon Valley with Santiago being the central city. The winner is…. QCObjects It is the 1st world class open-source framework made in Latin-America. São Paulo, Brazil And the winner of Brazil’s vibrant financial center is... Innvo Digital Their mission is to create the best ecosystem for a technology professional to work and undertake while sharing it with our customers and society. São Carlos The absolute leader of Sao Carlos seems to be: Predify Predify is an online software for optimizing pricing proccess and improving profits with AI and Big Data Analytics. Belo Horizonte, Brazil With a more than noble goal, Belo Horizone’s winner is: CM Tecnologia CM Tecnologia is an online scheduling system for healthcare providers in Brazil. Porto Alegre, Brazil With the focus on data protection, Porto Alegre, Brazil’s winner is…. Privacy Tools Privacy compliance platform, based on AI/Blockchain, which helps global companies to keep compliant with the data protection requirements. Brasil, Brazil With the focus on EdTech, Brasil is bringing us: Awari Awari is a YC-W21 company focusing on education for the Tech Industry. The company is growing at a fast pace and has gathered experts from all leading tech companies into a full education experience to prepare the next cohort of tech talent. Quito The capital of Ecuador, and also the closest capital to the actual equator, as the winner brings us: Agrodemanda The most comprehensive agricultural directory in Ecuador. Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro has more than 300 startups and is ranked 3rd in Brazil in terms of startup ecosystem development. The city is famous for the startups in the spheres of education, energy & environment and foodtech. Their winner is…. Bybrand Bybrand is the simplest way to save time and avoid frustration when managing your employee's email signatures. Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina is not only the cosmopolitan capital with a vibrant history. It’s also Latin America’s most important port. Which makes their winner actually a very logical choice. Please meet: Liftit Liftit is the leading technology platform to automate and execute last-mile truck deliveries across Latin America. Curitiba, Brazil With a more noble mission and sustainability in mind, Curitiba, Brazil, as the winner brings us... Discrepante is the marketplace for a more human and sustainable economy Discrepante.com Florianópolis, Brazil Would you really be surprised one of the Brazil’s winners is related to football training? We neither. Please meet... Fútbol Fit Club Football FitClub® is a fitness training firm that gives fitness training to improve like a professional football player. Medellín, Colombia And the first Colombian Startup Winner is is a data intelligence solution powered by a high quality team. Meet... LogComex Market intelligence for international trade in Latin America Montevideo, Uruguay The host of inaugural FIFA world cup of 1930 comes through when it comes to innovation even in 2021. I’d like to introduce you to: Drop Technologies First electronic hand antiperspirant device Lima, Peru Lima, Peru, has in 2021 delivered some amazing results when it comes to blockchain technology. Their winner is very well deserved: RSK Labs RSK is the first open-source smart contract platform São Carlos Do Pinhal Well this is a unique case. The absolute unanimous winner of São Carlos Do Pinhal is: brain4care brain4care solution enables monitoring intracranial compliance noninvasively anywhere Blumenau, Brazil We’re sensing a theme here. Another stellar EdTech winner is coming from Blumenau, Brazil. Please meet... Uniasselvi Uniasselvi is a Brazilian distance-learning company that offers more than 60 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, in person and distance. Bogotá, Colombia Startups of Bogotá, Colombia definitely showed they’re not to be underestimated. With a very noble mission, let me introduce you to: Risü Risü is an online platform that links online consumption to donation to social institutions. Campina, Brazil If there’s one typo of business we’d single out as taking the biggest hit out of the pandemic, it would have to be small businesses. Thankfully, the winner of Campina, Brazil, operates with small businesses in mind Superlógica Tecnologias Ltda. Superlogica is a management system company created for small service businesses. Cerqueira César, Brazil Swooping half the points from the entire City, this year’s winners of Cerqueira César are InfoPrice INFOPRICE is a business intelligence company focused on physical retail pricing. Governador Valadares, Brazil The same can be said for the winners here. Let’s hear it for: Grupo KPG Saas, Payment, Manufacture, Pharmaceutical, E-commerce, Marketplace, Logistics Caxias Do Sul Known for wine making and Italian cultural influence, Caxias Do Sul brings as an interesting winner. Studio 360 Studio 360 is a proptech focused on easing the purchase experience for real state companies, brokers, and costumers. Sorocaba From Sorocaba, we have an interesting concept coming. Looking forward to seeing it further develop. Let’s meet: Quinto Quinto is a social network that represents the collective opinion of society—to help democracy evolve through technology Viña Del Mar To be a venue-oriented business and survive through the pandemic definitely deserves some recognition. In the name of that, let’s meet: SonicPollen SonicPollen, based in Chile, is a web-based booking platform that connects bands with venues and organizers. Lages Learn more about high-growth startups in Lages, South America. and the winner is…. Qualiall Qualiall develops technologies for training in operational processes such as work security, equipment maintenance, and more. Córdoba, Argentina Another gem from Argentina brings us unique agricultural solutions. Please meet: Kilimo Kilimo is a Big Data solution for water management in agriculture. São José Dos Campos, Brazil Another great agricultural solution comes this time from Brasil. Meet São José Dos Campos Startup winner: TerraMagna TerraMagna is a fintech company that focuses on risk mitigation for agribusinesses. São Leopoldo, Brazil Event-oriented businesses that have survived in the previous years should definitely bottle their perseverance and start selling it. One of those is definitely this winner: Wedy Wedy offers a one-stop-social marketplace for weddings. Pelotas, Brazil Medical scheduling platforms are definitely something we need to see more of. So glad Pelotos winner comes from this particular niche. Fácil Consulta Fácil Consulta is a booking platform that allows people to schedule an appointment with a Specialist Physician in their area. Santa Maria Could you believe how versatile the startups of South America are when we are only now coming across a game development studio? Let’s meet them Imgnation Studios Imgnation Studios is a game development studio that focuses on virtual reality. Asunción, Paraguay A FinTech solution coming from Paraguay. Meet Asunción Startup of the Year winner Vision Banco Vision Banco is a solid and growing financial institution serving the financial needs of the micro, small and medium enterprises. Caracas Venezualan food delivery app that seemed to have your heart. Meet Caracas Startup of the Year winner Yummy Inc. First Food Delivery App in Venezuela Recife A suitable combo between gaming and education, Recife Startup of the Year winner brings revolutionary solutions. Let’s meet them. Joy Street Joy Street offers develops video games focused on educational needs. Rosario, Argentina The winner of Rosario Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Gbot Gbot is an autonomous robot that controls weeds without using agrochemicals. We also collect data in fields and generate precision maps. Vila Olímpia, Brazil The winner of Vila Olímpia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Seekr Seekr operates in the Information Technology sector, providing tools for managing and monitoring of brands. Barueri The winner of Barueri Startup of the Year award for 2021 is.... Glic Brazilian mhealth (web/app) platform for diabetes management Brasília The winner of Brasília Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Ticies Ticies is a social network that helps people plan where to go with their friends, relatives and acquaintances, in all cities of the world. Juiz De Fora The winner of Juiz De Fora Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Qranio Qranio is a gamified mobile learning platform for enterprises that rewards learning and stimulates users to engage with educational content. La Paz The winner of La Paz Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Jukumari Advice 360 photo based market place for responsible tour operators Temuco The winner of Temuco Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... GoFeels GoFeels is the first independent hospitality network in the world. We promote collaborative work among hotels around the world. Vitacura The winner of Vitacura Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... MeatMe MeatMe delivers meats and accessories to have a culinary experience. Barranquilla The winner of Barranquilla Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Mandaos Mandaos is a digital platform that connects companies and people with a network of independent messengers Ceará The winner of Ceará Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Caroá Caroá is a cooperative that sells 34 varieties of vegetables, organic fruits, and vegetables. Chapecó The winner of Chapecó Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... HortiAgro HortiAgro is a seed and fertilizer market. Chile Chico The winner of Chile Chico Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Gleengo Gleengo connects children with their favorite toys, through a tiny device and an application based on text-to-voice. Goiânia The winner of Goiânia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Auvo Auvo is an external teams management software. Itá The winner of Itá Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... TISSUELAB Tissuelab is a research and development center focused on biotechnology, and systems for reconstructive musculoskeletal surgery. Jardim Paulista The winner of Jardim Paulista Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... DiviCom DiviCom is a digital video networking company that designs, integrates, and markets complete systems. João Pessoa The winner of João Pessoa Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... YupiPlay YupiPlay develops and offers an educational gaming platform. La Reina The winner of La Reina Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... INTI-TECH INTI-TECH is the fastest growing renewable energy in Chile and the world's leading unconventional source. Leme The winner of Leme Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... EcoStart EcoStart focuses on manufacturing sustainable electric bicycles, fans, and accessories. Loja The winner of Loja Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Enerwi Corporation Keeping people connected and secured through wireless charging novel solutions Manizales The winner of Manizales Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Porter Metrics Porter Metrics has developed an automated solution for generating social media reports in minutes. Nova Lima The winner of Nova Lima Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Biomimetic Solutions Biomimetic Solutions is an innovative tissue engineering company. Paraná The winner of Paraná Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Laura Laura is a provider of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics platform for hospitala and clinics to prevent damage & reduce costs. Salvador The winner of Salvador Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Sanar Sanar is a platform that focuses on being the doctor's guide and support, offering specialized content that helps in their development. Santa Catarina The winner of Santa Catarina Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... DrPOCKET Sunchales The winner of Sunchales Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Eolo Pharma Eolo Pharma focuses on developing drugs targeting the molecular and cellular basis of inflammation-related diseases Valparaiso The winner of Valparaiso Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Invitta Invitta transforms plastic waste into a high-performance construction material for manufacturing sustainable urban furniture. Vila Velha The winner of Vila Velha Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... OneGrid OneGrid is a developer of hardware and software solutions focused on energy management. Indaiatuba The winner of Indaiatuba Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... DWUL Energy Renewable Energy Campinas, Brazil The winner of Campinas Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Ativy Ativy is an IT company specialized in cloud computing, data centers, IT outsourcing, service desk, and IT management. Las Condes, Chile The winner of Las Condes Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... # MuvPass Subscription services that allows it's users unlimited access to fitness classes in the best gyms and studios in Latin America. Pinheiros, Brazil The winner of Pinheiros Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... GuiaBolso GuiaBolso is a personal finance platform that empowers people to take control of financial well-being. Rio, Brazil The winner of Rio Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... EmCasa EmCasa is a vertically-integrated platform that helps customers buy and sell a home in Latin America, starting in Brazil. Guayaquil The winner of Guayaquil Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Sabroso Online platform for LatAm's enterprises to order low-cost meals Jundiaí The winner of Jundiaí Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Sintecsys Sintecsys offers a fast and effective detection, reducing losses and costs with fire brigades. Minas Gerais The winner of Minas Gerais Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Rizoflora Biotechnology Rizoflora Biotechnology is a producer of biological product designed for nematodes control. São Caetano Do Sul The winner of São Caetano Do Sul Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Wevo 1 iPaaS in Latam - Enabling companies to be truly digital companies with APIs, systems and data integrated into a single platform Canoas The winner of Canoas Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... ContaÁgil ContaÁgil facilitates and reduces bureaucracy in accounting routines of companies. Chile The winner of Chile Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Unight Unight is the future of nightlife social media. Israelândia The winner of Israelândia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Matchpool Matchpool is a platform that creates human connections. La Plata The winner of La Plata Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Pixivus Pixivus offers a community-based application that enables its users to collect, store, and share pictures of events. Novo Hamburgo The winner of Novo Hamburgo Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Devorando Devorando offers an online food ordering system and menus available in restaurants based in Brazil. Pernambuco The winner of Pernambuco Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Redu Redu is a distant learning platform which is built on a social networking structure. Providencia The winner of Providencia Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... # TrainFES TrainFES is a medical Devices for the rehabilitation of people with paralysis. Ribeirão Prêto The winner of Ribeirão Prêto Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... AllyHub Ally is a sales distribution channel technology that connects Schools and Service Providers with Education Agencies. Santa Cruz De La Sierra The winner of Santa Cruz De La Sierra Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... Mobi Latam Mobi Latam is a clean energy startup that focuses on transportation systems based on electric mobility. Santana De Parnaíba The winner of Santana De Parnaíba Startup of the Year award for 2021 is... MercadoLivre.com is an e-commerce technology company providing solutions to individuals and companies buying, selling, and more online. MercandoLivre.com More Information If you’re a winner, please answer ! If you’re a reader, participant, just a curious individual, consider answering one of our interviews . this interview here Read the FAQs about or . Startups here here To see all of the winners you may visit , pick any city and view the name that appears at the top. this site If you’re interested in partnering with us, we invite you to look through some of these or reach out to our business department. unique sponsorship options Perhaps creating your very own tickles your fancy or maybe you have a whole new idea for how we can partner! writing contest Thank you to all of our sponsors! We truly appreciate your contribution to the tech world and thus the future! The Startups Awards are sponsored by: , , , , , , , , , , Blockster Brex FreeCodeCamp LaunchDarkly Coil Udacity Udemy Vercel Asia Pacific Transgender Network Bybit Everscale Network This post was written/compiled by Shreya Kundu and Katarina Andrejević! If you have any questions or concerns or would like to report a discrepancy please email ellen@hackernoon.com.

Meet the Winners of Startups in South America

Bitcoin mining is often touted as one of the safest and quickest ways to earn the world’s leading cryptocurrency. However, due to factors such as enormous energy consumption and requirement for complex technical hardware, Bitcoin mining has many times eluded small miners. RSK’s seeks to open the Bitcoin mining space to all while simultaneously ensuring increased profitability and minimal expenditure. merged mining What is Merged Mining? Before we delve deeper into how RSK’s merged mining is opening doors for small miners to mining Bitcoin, let us first quickly refresh our concepts pertaining to how Bitcoin is mined. For the uninitiated, Bitcoin uses the Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithm that involves computers or miners to solve complex mathematical puzzles to be eligible to earn mining rewards. Essentially, the miners “mine” a block on the Bitcoin network and add it to the blockchain as “proof” of their “work”. As you might have figured by now, mining on the Bitcoin network is not a particularly capital-efficient task, even more so for people with not adequate resources at their disposal. It is because of this very reason that we see so many Bitcoin “mining pools” everywhere. Mining pools merely refer to when multiple miners pool in their resources and hashrate to mine Bitcoin economically. That being said, despite the presence of mining pools, it is quite difficult for people to mine multiple cryptocurrencies at once. This is because miners can only direct their resources toward the mining of a single cryptocurrency at a time. Trying to mine multiple cryptocurrencies at once dilutes the miner’s resources and hashrate which subsequently reduces their share of ownership of the mining pool, thereby leading to generation of fewer rewards. This is where RSK’s merged mining fits in. RSK is the first scalable smart contract platform built on top of the Bitcoin protocol. At the same time, RSK is the top merged mining platform in terms of rewards paid to the users. Benefits of Merged-Mining As it might be evident by now, merged mining implies mining different cryptocurrencies at once which entails huge cost-saving on the part of miners. Furthermore, there are a lot of advantages to employing merged mining for mining cryptocurrencies. Economically Viable This one is obvious. Merged mining offers a window of opportunity to small miners who might not necessarily have the adequate hardware or equipment at their disposal. In that regard, merged mining facilitates easy entry for miners into the lucrative cryptocurrency mining industry. Merged mining requires no new or better mining hardware. The existing mining equipment can be used to mine Bitcoin and RSK at no extra cost at all. RSK can easily be integrated into the existing mining infrastructure at zero additional cost to help miners maximize their profit from daily mining operations. Easy Hashrate for Smaller Cryptocurrencies Miners can further save on purchasing extra hashing power for the cryptocurrency with a lower hashrate while mining two cryptocurrencies. This is because merged-mining allows the cryptocurrency with lower hashrate to utilize additional hashing power from the cryptocurrency with higher hashrate. Extra Income with Existing Infrastructure and Pool Miners already mining Bitcoin can use their equipment to mine and secure transactions on the RSK Network, thereby also bolstering the smart contract platform’s security. Simultaneously, they will also be eligible to earn fees from every transaction on the RSK sidechain. In simple terms, RSK can be readily “plugged in” to enable merged mining. Of the total mining rewards paid out, RSK smart contracts apportion 80% for the Bitcoin miners, while the remaining 20% goes to RSK Labs. Why RSK Merged-Mining Platform? RSK is the most profitable platform for miners looking to get into merged mining, as can be inferred from the chart given below. According to the chart that compiles statistical data until April 2020, monthly reward in RSK’s native digital coin RBTC ( a coin pegged to the price of Bitcoin), eclipses those of Elastos and other merged mining platforms. (Source: RSK) Additionally, RSK involves the lowest block time among all the projects mentioned in the chart which further solidifies RSK as the go-to platform for those curious to get into merged mining. More can be learnt about the comparative analysis among the aforementioned projects . here Moreover, RSK being the first smart contract platform built on Bitcoin means that it is also the first to successfully circumvent some of the most visible pain points associated with the Bitcoin protocol including scalability, functionality and interoperability. These achievements marked by RSK position it as the default choice for clients from across different industries that are exploring , education and government administration that wish to leverage RSK smart contracts and include them into their routine operations for unparalleled efficiency and security. blockchain in supply chain How to Get Involved with RSK Merged-Mining? As alluded to earlier, implementing the merged mining infrastructure is a fairly straightforward process. If you are an individual miner, you can reach out to your mining pool and ask them to begin merged mining with RSK and the mining pool will take care of the rest. Conversely, if you run a mining pool all by yourself, then follow the steps given below to tweak your mining pool software to participate in merged mining. Steps to Follow 1) Download the Node - First things first, you must download and install the official RSK node from . RSK nodes are supported by all major platforms including Linux, Windows, and Mac. Users can go through the step-by-step guide on how to install the RSK node on their system which should not take more than 10-15 minutes at most. here 2) Specification of Configuration File – Once the node has been downloaded and successfully installed, the next step is to specify the configuration file to run the node. You can learn the complete process of how to specify the configuration file . here 3) Setup of the Node – After correctly specifying the configuration file, the next step involves the configuration of the node for mining purposes. Note that this is a critical step in the merged mining process as by default RSK nodes are not configured for mining. Hence, it is mandatory to configure the nodes correctly to enable them to publish contracts. The exact procedure as to how configure the nodes for meaning can be studied . here 4) Tweaking the Mining Pool Software to Enable Merged-Mining – RSK provides a wide range of merged-mining pools that enable miners to participate in the merged mining ecosystem. Smart contract and mining experts at RSK have developed several plugins that ensure that normal Bitcoin mining operations are not adversely impacted by merged mining at all costs. These plugins support some of the most popular and most widely used mining software such as , , , and . BTCPool Eloipool stratum-mining CKPool Alternatively, miners can choose to simply follow RSK’s exhaustive and carefully developed merged-mining to extend the mining pools capabilities to support merged mining. implementation guide That’s it. Miners can now start merged mining after adapting their mining software to support merged-mining. Final Thoughts The concept of merged mining is something that can be considered the need of the hour at a time when Bitcoin mining continues to get more expensive and out of reach for small-scale miners with each passing day. RSK provides miners the most profitable option for merged-mining on Bitcoin. At the same time, it does not compromise on the ethos of blockchain technology and compliments and strengthens the Bitcoin protocol through its robust and cutting-edge smart contracts. All this, at no additional cost or effort courtesy of RSK’s expertise in blockchain interoperability.

RSK Bitcoin Merged Mining Returns to Miners Beats The Industry Average

Bitcoin showed us that blockchain technology can be leveraged to create a sound and trustful currency. Ethereum displayed blockchain’s potential by developing smart contracts that extend the technology’s scope beyond powering a currency. One step further, RSK blockchain is building smart contracts on the Bitcoin protocol, thereby combining the security and brand of Bitcoin with the robustness of smart contracts. In this article, we deep dive into RSK smart contracts and explore how they are helping developers create a meaningful change in society, one transaction at a time. What’s Different About RSK Smart Contracts? Today, there are a large number of blockchain projects that claim to be scalable and decentralized smart contract protocols. On closer look, however, it seems that the vast majority of these protocols have issues at least in one of the areas of the infamous blockchain trilemma: scalability, decentralization and security. If a protocol is decentralized and secured, it might not be scalable. Against that backdrop, there has been no smart contract platform to date that successfully tackled the three major blockchain bottlenecks. RSK smart contracts want to fix this. RSK is a side-chain to the main Bitcoin network which means that it does not drain power from the Bitcoin network. Notably, the RSK blockchain is connected to the Bitcoin blockchain via a 2-way peg. In simple terms, a 2-way means a mechanism that facilitates the seamless movement of digital assets from one chain to another. In RSK’s case, users are required to lock up their BTC in exchange for an equivalent amount of rBTC in the RSK side-chain. rBTC tracks the price of Bitcoin and can be used for various purposes within the RSK ecosystem including interaction with smart contracts and dApps built on the RSK blockchain. RSK smart contracts utilize the Bitcoin protocol which imparts the best level of tech security in existence to the ecosystem. Bitcoin is the time-tested, battle-hardened and oldest cryptocurrency in existence with strong market goodwill. RSK taps these benefits for its smart contracts to ensure that the possibility of any potential tech vulnerability is mitigated if not eliminated. Putting the Scalability Argument to Rest Now, many readers might argue that the Bitcoin protocol is notoriously slow in terms of transactions and takes a lot of time compared to other smart contract platforms. Wouldn’t the RSK smart contracts struggle with the scalability issue too? In addition to being an off-chain network itself, RSK blockchain uses , the first off-chain state channel network launched on RSK. RIF Lumino is an indispensable part of the wider RIF ecosystem and enables users to freely interact with other cross-blockchain off-chain networks such as the Lightning Network and Raiden Network, among others. RIF Lumino Network The RIF Lumino Network allows RSK users to send, receive and exchange tokens rapidly and reliably. Being an off-chain, interoperable second-layer network, RIF Lumino successfully addresses the skepticism about the scalability of the RSK smart contracts. What Can RSK Smart Contracts Be Used For? Smart contracts essentially have a myriad of . Fundamentally, smart contracts automate an obligation between two or more parties. Keeping this in mind, consider the endless use-cases of smart contracts across various industries such as supply chain management, public welfare, gaming, governance and finance just to mention a few. RSK smart contracts are already being used for numerous purposes, courtesy of the level of confidence they enjoy among large enterprises and government regulators. blockchain use cases For instance, to develop digital identities to streamline the end-to-end process of registration, installation and distribution of gas. Through blockchain-powered RSK smart contracts, the regulator ensures complete transparency and operational efficiency that fastens the entire gas distribution process. RSK smart contracts also enable Enargas to quickly track and address any complaints made by end-users and ensure continual supervision over the movement of gas-related goods such as Licensed Gas Fitters. the Argentine gas regulator, Enargas, is using RSK smart contracts Similarly, RSK is helping one of the largest Colombian banks, Banco Davivienda, by offering a blockchain-based micro-payment wallet that ensures quick and safe execution of bank transfers among the users. The transaction fee charged by the app is minuscule compared to the typical fee charged by credit cards, banks and other financial institutions. RSK Smart Contracts Powering DeFi Platforms In addition to the aforementioned use-cases across industries, RSK smart contracts are powering several decentralized finance to make finance more equitable and easier to access for people across the globe. (DeFi) platforms The RIF on Chain (ROC) DeFi protocol is one such platform powered by RSK smart contracts. For the uninitiated, ROC is a Bitcoin-centric DeFi ecosystem developed on top of the RSK blockchain that enables bitcoin holders to generate passive income and caters to users’ need for volatility-free digital currency via bitcoin-collateralized stablecoins. Digging deeper, RSK smart contracts power the various digital tokens that form the basic architecture of the ROC ecosystem – RDOC (a USD-pegged stablecoin guaranteed by RSK smart contracts), RIFP (the Bitcoin-based passive income generating token), and RIFX (an RIF leveraged decentralized long position). Similarly, RSK smart contracts also undergird the Money on Chain (MOC) DeFi platform launched in December last year. Akin to ROC, MOC has its own tokens with peculiar functions and characteristics, all powered by RSK smart contracts. The scope of possibilities is virtually limitless when it comes to smart contracts, even more so when speaking of RSK smart contracts that offer developers the security and brand of Bitcoin but without the scalability and latency issues. Opportunities for Developers There is no dearth of tools and services for developers keen on developing on RSK smart contracts as will be elucidated in this section. . Developers can do all this without having to learn any new programming language from scratch. Just knowing Solidity would suffice. RSK provides an opportunity for developers to create, import and deploy smart contracts solutions on top of Bitcoin RSK’s engine is a forked version of the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) which enables it to freely interact with Ethereum smart contracts and all other tools required to run them. Developers can deploy RSK smart contracts for a variety of purposes, including creating , , and among others. To do this, RSK provides a wide array of developer tools and packages that can be tapped to unlock a range of possibilities. non fungible tokens stablecoins blockchain oracles self sovereign identities RSK3 Libraries Recently, IOV Labs the first public release of rsk3.js, an exhaustive suite of Javascript libraries aimed towards helping developers looking to build on the RSK blockchain. unveiled Much like the Ethereum blockchain’s web3.js libraries, rsk libraries allow developers to freely interact with a local or remote RSK blockchain node which fosters a conducive environment for developers to perform function calls. The rsk3 libraries put an enormous focus on the level of security, operability, and compatibility with the RSK blockchain to make it easier and safe for developers to build smart contract applications. Stellar Security In terms of security, rsk3 libraries successfully underwent a stringent independent conducted by smart contract security protocol Quantstamp. This ensures that developers have a safe and sound environment to build in without having to worry about any potential security breach. security audit Focus on Simplicity Programming can be complex, especially when you add smart contracts programming to the mix which makes the coding part all the more verbose and difficult. To tackle this hurdle, rsk3 libraries ensure there is less “noise” in the smart contract code compared to the more verbose Ethereum’s web3 libraries. There are numerous benefits of having short, and precise codes including reduced latency and shorter functional calls among others. Opening new Horizons via RWallet Along with the rsk3.js libraries, IOV Labs launched the multi-utility , the official digital wallet for the RSK ecosystem available on both iOS and Android platforms. RWallet For the uninitiated, in May this year, RSK unveiled the RWallet code base for developers to help them create their own wallet on top of the RSK blockchain. After months of development and continual refinements, the official version of RWallet is officially out that leverages the rsk3 libraries. Bottom Line Smart contracts are disrupting all facets of the world economy as we know it and it won’t be long before their use becomes the norm for every industry. Smart contracts’ unique proposition lays in that they function underneath the end-user interface meaning that during a normal course, users may not even get to know that they interacted with a smart contract. This subtlety is what primes smart contracts to make a significant impact and RSK blockchain is committed to bringing it to fruition. RSK blockchain encourages developers to try building on their smart contracts. To begin, developers only need to , , , and it to . Developers can use the numerous tutorials and webinars shared by RSK that explain the technical nitty-gritty required to using RSK smart contracts. There are also that teach how to create collectible tokens on the RSK Network. install an RSK local node Truffle & Ganache edit the smart contract compile and deploy run it build applications resources

A Smart Contract Platform on Top of Bitcoin - Getting Started With RSK

Flixxo combines BitTorrents and smart contracts to create the first legal, decentralised content distribution network. Is the creation of an all-star team with deep connections in both blockchain (creators of and are core developers) and streaming platforms (Popcorn time designer is in the team). RSK Rootstock Riecoin Flixxo creates a P2P network where authors can distribute and monetise their own content. They inceltivize the distribution of their media and remove unnecessary intermediate parties by sharing their revenues with the “seeders” — a term coined in the torrents environment that refers to those who have downloaded content, keep it in their computer and share it. Flixxo allows true end users to pay a fair price for watching licensed content in a friendly and safe environment. In short, Flixxo aims to merge the best of P2P distribution networks with Video On Demand platforms like Netflix. Valuable Information: : FLIXXO (FLIXX) Coin Name 189,151,329 FLIXX Total Supply : 68,986,645 FLIXX Circulating Supply : $7,477,118 USD Market Cap : 13% extra bonus to any investor sending more than 150 ETH Pre Ico Price : 1 FLIXX = 0.0934 USD (0.00023 ETH) Ico Price : What real-world problems does it solve and which advantages it provides? Production companies or content authors tend not to find a compelling revenue model for their work, and consumers find themselves committed to VOD (video on demand) services that don’t satisfy their demand for audiovisual content, so they seek that content on illegal, unlicensed networks. The gigantic costs associated with the infrastructure necessary for storing and distributing content, in addition to the endless lines of intermediaries, result into an unreasonable final price for consumers and an inefficient revenue model for the authors. How will Flixxo solve this? By creating a distributed and incentivized peer-to-peer network where every user turns itself into a distributor of content, and by providing a decentralized payment channel, Flixxo gets rid of the middle-men and the infrastructure costs, building up a platform and a community where every author is able to upload content and set the rules of the distribution (such as the price and the incentives for users to share their work), developing new effective business models for his/her content, and where consumers may reach the content they ́re looking for in a legal manner, paying a fair price or even nothing if they are socially engaged with the community. Flixxo literally rids the video industry of it’s most common problems. The platform provides the perfect environment for content creators to distribute their final product and get paid directly by the users for it. Furthermore, hosting and distribution costs will a thing of the past as every single user has a monetary incentive to host and distribute their favourite content on a social P2P network that rewards them for it. As mixture of a social P2P network and content distribution platform, Flixxo will revolutionize the way content is distributed and consumed. Its growth potential is unprecedented as it offers advantages to both consumer and producer alike. Technology and how it works By implementing Flixx (the token that carries value within the Flixxo platform) on top of a social video distribution platform they will engage users in helping improve the network by lending their storage and their bandwidth in exchange for tokens. The users will spend Flixx for consuming the content they really want to watch, and earn Flixx back for participating, for being social. Whether​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a​ ​smartphone,​ ​a​ ​tablet​ ​or​ ​a​ ​desktop​ ​computer,​ ​even​ ​a​ ​smart tv,​ ​a​ ​video​ ​distribution​ ​community​ ​could​ ​smartly​ ​use​ ​a​ ​decentralized, incentivized​ ​peer-to-peer​ ​network,​ ​having​ ​no​ ​structural​ ​costs​ ​and unlimited​ ​scaling​ ​possibilities. Users can earn more Flixx if they choose​ to watch advertisement. This disrupting revenues flow model creates a new ecosystem in which users decide how to monetize their attention and personal information, and then transfer this earnings to the authors of the content they really enjoy. Within this model users reach the content they want to watch, authors monetize and deliver better quality content and advertisers find a way of effectively showcasing their content to their audiences. Team One of the most important aspects of choosing a good investment opportunity in blockchain start ups is checking out the background of the team members. You are looking for a well staffed team that posses an existing track record, experience and connections in the industry they are working in. Flixxo’s team has some very impressive names and relevant connections in the video production and P2P video streaming industry. A core designer of PopCorn time (one of the most popular P2P streaming apps in modern history) is just one of the all star group that makes up Flixxo’s core team. Here’s a list of all team members and advisors for your consideration: Adrian Garelik — Co-founder at RSK Labs Developing Solutions for OTT. Film Producer. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-garelik-016840103/ Pablo Carbajo — Creator of Riecoin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablo-carbajo-201563148/ Frederico Abad — UX / UI Creator of PopCorn Time https://www.linkedin.com/in/abadfederico/ Javier D’Ovidio — Co-founder and VP of Operations at EDRANS Al and Big Data https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierdovidio/ Ohla Rymar — Head Marketing and Communication https://www.linkedin.com/in/olha-rymar-b04062150/ Sebastian Wain — Security Auditor https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianwain/ Rodrigo Saiegh — Content https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodrigo-saiegh-a20824a4/ Michael Terpin — Advisor https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelterpin Dominic Zynis — Advisor https://www.linkedin.com/in/everforgetmenot/ Isolas — Advisor http://gibraltarlawyers.com/ George Kimionis — Advisor https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimionis/ References: https://www.flixxo.com/assets/docs/flixxo-white-paper_v0.5.pdf https://www.flixxo.com https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/flixxo/

Flixxo Is Like Popcorn Time But Legal And It Uses Blockchain Technology To Pay Users And Producers

No one knows exactly how much of the population is “unbanked,” or financially underserved, in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, estimates put the number as high as 70%, or more than people, which is a huge market filled with big opportunities for those who know how to reach it. 400 million In recent years, a number of cryptocurrency and blockchain companies have emerged as a way to serve this largely underbanked population. These startups are providing new ways for consumers to access to credit markets and global economies and in Latin America, stands out as one of the places with more bitcoin enthusiasts per capita than anywhere else in the world. Argentina The actual number of bitcoin users in Argentina is relatively small, but the country is one of the few places in the world where bitcoins are used by ordinary people for real transactions on a regular basis. The use of bitcoin in countries like Argentina helps consumers circumvent the painstakingly strict government restrictions on receiving money from abroad. In Latin America, bitcoin holders are that performed more than 400% better than the Venezuelan Bolivar, more than 92% over the Brazilian Real, more than 65% over the Mexican Peso, and more than 41% over the Argentine Peso. enjoying earnings The adoption of bitcoin is breaking records in Latin America and not because there is general interest but because there is a for an alternative to traditional banking systems, especially in countries like Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. real need To keep up on the bitcoin and blockchain ecosystem in Latin America, we’ve gathered some of the top startups, exchanges, and companies in the region that you need to know. 1. Ripio Ripio, formerly known as Bitpagos, is a financial payments company that provides electronic payment solutions for businesses in Latin America. Ripio offers a range of financial services for emerging markets using blockchain technology. The company helps merchants process international transactions with credit cards, or bitcoins, for a fraction of the cost. Users can also buy bitcoins instantly with cash in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Ecuador. Ripio recently raised a series A round of to continue funding its international expansion, and the service claims to processes several million US dollars each month. $2.25M 2. Bitso Bitso, Mexico’s first bitcoin exchange, offers a platform for trading bitcoin with the Mexican Peso for the large share of the population in Mexico that is currently unbanked. With in funding to date, Bitso is enabling the use of bitcoin as a mechanism for decreasing the costs and increasing the speed of transactions. The company launched early 2014 and claims it has seen over month over month growth in terms of transaction volume. $4.35M 40% 3. BitInka/Inkapay Founded in 2013, Bitinka is a platform that facilitates bitcoin purchasing and selling across Latin America. Bitinka currently operates in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Peru, Venezuela, and the United States, and offers bitcoin trading in native currencies. The company is planning to expand its popular bitcoin-based payment app, Inkapay, by implementing credit card integration as well as new APIs designed for e-commerce integration. Inkapay is also set to launch a mobile app in September. 4. Volabit Volabit is a bitcoin exchange based in Mexico commonly used for remittances and global commerce with a minimal bitcoin learning curve. Volabit accounts can be funded via an online bank transfer or by cash deposit at any 7-Eleven, Farmacias Benavides, Farmacias del Ahorro, or Extra in Mexico. 5. RSK Labs Argentina-based RSK Labs is behind RootStock, a smart contract platform with a 2way peg to the bitcoin blockchain. RSK founders have been actively involved in the bitcoin ecosystem and smart contract development since early 2013. The company was founded in 2015 and recently received an additional in pre-Series A funding. $3.5M 6. Bitex.la Bitex.la is a bitcoin exchange and broker that services many South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. Bitex.la accounts can be funded with cash or AstroPay. Bitex.la is backed by a investment from a UK-based investment firm. $2M 7. SatoshiTango Founded in 2014, SatoshiTango is an online platform that enables its users to buy and sell bitcoins. Users have the ability to pay through an international wire transfer or with local means of payment in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. With SatoshiTango, users can also pay any bill in Argentina with bitcoin. 8. Bitcoin To You Launched in 2014, Bitcoin To You is an online bitcoin exchange center that operates in Curitiba, Brazil with to establish presences in major cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Brasília, and Florianópolis. charges customers a percentage fee for completed trades on its exchange and offers a monthly membership for more extensive services available at its locations. plans Bitcoin To You 9. Cryptobuyer Venezuela-based Cryptobuyer is a leading cryptocurrency and digital assets company in Latin America and the first company ever to install bitcoin ATMs (BTMs) at two commercial banks in Panama City. Cryptobuyer recently partnered with the Dash community to enable more remittance solutions with bitcoin and Dash. This includes everyday transactions, mobile phone top-ups, and recharge services for prepaid cards. Cryptobuyer has plans to expand their bitcoin ATMs across Latin America, announcing it intends to open more than 20 more bitcoin ATMs throughout South America. 10. FoxBit FoxBit is a Brazilian based brokerage company that facilitates bitcoin payments. In 2016, the company acquired payment processor to help reinforce its position in Brazil’s bitcoin market. The acquisition is notable given BitInvest’s early traction, which had a deal with a large real estate firm and Latin America's largest merchant to accept bitcoin at the time. BitInvest 11. Diventi Argentina-based Diventi assists companies that are interested in developing solutions based on blockchain technology. With expertise in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Rootstock, side-chains, Bitshares, OpenChain, Hyperledger, and smart contracts, Diventi is able to handle projects from the prototype stage to final development stage. 12. Mercado Bitcoin Mercado Bitcoin is the biggest exchange in Brazil and South America. The platform allows users to trade bitcoin, Litecoin, and Brazilian Reals and has a solid reputation within the crypto community with over 100K clients that use their service. 13. CoinBR A leader in blockchain services in Brazil and throughout Latin America, CoinBR offers services for mining and exchanging bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. Founded in 2013, the company has offices in São Paulo and Florianópolis in Brazil and acquired bitcoin banking platform Coinverse in 2015. 14. SurBTC SurBTC is a technology company that develops and operates services using bitcoin technology in Chile and Colombia. The bitcoin exchange recently raised in seed funding, adding to the the company already raised through , a business innovation incubator operated by the Chilean government. $300K $100K CORFO 15. CoinFabrik Argentina-based Coinfabrik is a full stack blockchain development and consulting company. Coinfabrik’s services allow its customers to protect traditional wallets and multi-signature wallets, control transactions with multi-factor authentication, implement smart contracts, store and backup cryptocurrencies safely, use cryptocurrencies in games and more. Are there any bitcoin or blockchain startups in Latin America that we missed? Share them with us in the comments. This post originally appeared on Launchway Media.

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